Modern Manufacturing Conveyor Product Orientation and Transfer Needs

The need to transfer a product from one conveyor system to another may depend on production or packaging process continuation or rejection. Size, shape, and other considerations can also drive the need. Any of these needs can require specific transfer or diverting solution configurations that may include:

• 90 Degree Transfer where product size and flow allow a simple transfer
• Side Transfer, Inline Transfer, or End-to-End Transfer configurations where product moves directly from the slightly higher outfeed end of one conveyor to the infeed end of the next for a matched product waterfall
• Side-to-Side Transfer for shifting product onto a parallel conveyor
• End-to-Side Transfers where products take a 90-degree turn for feeding from one conveyor onto the side of the next
• Assisted Transfers that use Blowers, Pushers, divert gates, or other external assists in the conveyor process to integrate the product with different processes or production lines
• Nosebar Tails, Driven Transfers, Roller Transfers, and Transfer Plates enable small products to cross the gap created by the radius of the end of the conveyor
• Gravity Transfer Rollers for fast non-powered transfer of small products

These and other transfer conveyor components and processes all focus on moving products without altering them, their spacing, or their alignment.

Material handling conveyor systems often use Powered Transfer Modules for smooth transfer or products from one conveyor to another, which is ideal for small parts, which are an ongoing challenge for conveyor systems. SpanTech conveyors are an example of a manufacturer that creates powered and non-powered solutions that can easily integrate into existing conveyor systems.

One example includes their MicroSpan Transfer, which SpanTech describes as “a small conveyor belt for bridging the gap between the two main belts to prevent small items from getting stuck.” Another is their High-Speed Switch, which they describe as helping “control product flow while maintaining product pitch” along with adding the use of “guide rods to pull products away from each other or bring them together as needed.” The SpanTech Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)provides a single control center to start or stop the conveyor belt, change motor speed and direction, and transform power supply.

In modern manufacturing, production and distribution needs may change. Transfer conveyors can be part of a retrofit when you choose the most versatile and innovative conveyor designers at the outset.

SpanTech conveyors are an example of a manufacturer that focuses on constant innovation and a broad set of customizable options to accommodate assembly line flexibility. Their recent rollout of the “Pillow Top” chain brings a curved surface that eliminates the chordal action at conveyor entry and exit points. This is important in food production, where tight transfer of small and delicate products like tortillas or soft cookies are imperative to maintaining product quality.

Manufacturers of material handling conveyors, packaging conveyors, and food production conveyors must deliver the broadest flexibility in the latest design and configuration. They must accomplish this while still creating a level of standardization that keeps cost low for buyers. SpanTech is one of a select few manufacturers that has focused on this approach to innovation to meet modern manufacturing customer demands. To learn more about SpanTech conveyors and if they are the ideal manufacturer for your needs, click here.