Considerations in planning, engineering, automation and maintenance add efficiency and save money for operations seeking to add or update conveyors. Conveyors must be able to withstand tough conditions and heavy materials. Operations adding or updating conveyors can improve reliability, reduce unplanned maintenance and lower total cost of ownership through a combination of four steps: planning, engineering, automation and maintenance. Metal formers should consider the following to avoid elevated maintenance expenses and the loss of downtime. 1. Planning. First, identify goals for the new conveyor, possibly including: Increase efficiency/reduce downtime; Improve workplace safety; Lower total cost of ownership; Reduce energy costs; Minimize labor requirements. In conjunction with goal setting, define the scope of the project, evaluating all possible improvements. This helps to ensure the meeting of long-term operational goals. Conveyors can enhance production/waste-stream management at many points in the process, including during the transfer of finished parts, the handling of metal scrap and fluids away from presses, and during scrap processing and loadout. Fundamental to conveyor specification: establishing the characteristics of the material being moved. Questions to ask here include: How heavy will the load be? What volume of material must be conveyed? Is the material wet or dry? What will be the material composition? How far is the material being moved? Is the material flowable? Finally, consider footprint and conveyor configuration. Knowing how far the material must travel and identifying challenges caused by floorspace restrictions will influence conveyor design.
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