Archive → July, 2010
Choosing The Right Conveyor System
Conveyor systems can save you a lot of time and money. When ever a product needs to be moved it either needs a person to pick it up and move it or a machine to move it. Conveyor Systems are used in many different types of businesses and industrys and consequently many different types of conveyor system are available. If a product needs to be constantly moved from one area to another then obviously automating the process would seem to be the fastest and cheapest method of doing so.
Depending on the properties of the item you actually want to move ie. the weight, the size and the distance will depend on the type of conveyor you need. There are different types of conveyors to match different customer requirements. You will need to decide the one that will be most suitable for your requirements. Bear in mind the maintenance costs and what type of guarantee you get when purchasing your comnveyor system.
We will all be familiar with conveyor belts from shopping at the supermarket. This type of system is very smooth running and ideally suited to a wide range of products some of which could be fragile and easily broken. The disadvantages of this type of system are that they are more difficult to set up if you want to move items in more that one direction and if one part stops working usually the whole system stops.
Using a roller based conveyor you have more flexibility in direction, you can vary the width of the system at various points and it is generally easier to build in an incline and descent if required. However they are obviously not as smooth running as a conveyor belt.
If you are looking for a conveyor system for the first time you should search the internet for information and try and find examples of conveyor systems undertaking a similar type of operation that you will be doing. Try and find videos of conveyors in operation and that will give you a better understanding of how they work and what the advantages and disadvantages of the different types are. People in industry will already be familiar with the different types of conveyors but for those purchasing their first conveyor system it can be confusing. So take your time, research the market and try and speak to people already operating a similar type of system you are interested in and you will make the correct decision when buying a new conveyor system.
Halting the Ocean Conveyor Belt Theory
For decades scientists have believed that Earth’s ocean currents worked like a giant conveyor belt, continuously transporting cold waters towards the equator and warmer waters towards the poles. This generally held model was driven by changes in temperature and salinity of the surface waters at high latitudes.
But in a paper in the June 18 issue of the journal Science Duke University oceanographer Susan Lozier, professor of physical oceanography and chair of the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, has suggested that it is time to rethink the conveyor belt model.
“The old model is no longer valid for the ocean’s overturning, not because it’s a gross simplification, but because it ignores crucial elements such as eddies and the wind field,” she says. “The concept of a conveyor belt for the overturning was developed decades ago, before oceanographers had measured the eddy field of the ocean and before they understood how energy from the wind impacts the overturning.”
“It is important to understand that there is clear and convincing evidence that the ocean waters overturn and that this overturning impact’s the Earth’s climate,” she adds. “Recent studies, however, have cast doubt on our ability to describe this overturning as a conveyor belt. From these studies we now understand that the overturning waters are not restricted to narrow boundary currents, that the overturning may vary from one ocean basin to the next and that the winds may create variability in the amount of water that overturns and in the pathways for the upper and lower limbs of the overturning.”
Lozier’s article in Science also looks at what we still do not know about the ocean’s overturning and how the overturning might change. Lozier will be leading a new international research program aiming to address the question of climate effects.
“Basically, our ability to refine our understanding of the ocean’s overturning stems in large part from our ever increasing ability to measure the ocean at finer and finer scales and at depths previously unmeasured,” she says. “Because the ocean waters are corrosive, at high pressure and generally inaccessible, the ocean has historically been a sparsely observed system. Recent technological advances are rapidly expanding the ocean’s observational database and with it, our understanding of ocean circulation.”
Tag:Oil Resistant Conveyor Belt,Nylon Conveyor Belt
About Conveyor Belts
Conveyor belts consist of two end-pulleys and a continuous loop of material that rotates about them. They are used in a variety of material handing applications, including food and beverage processing, manufacturing, mining, packaging, and power transmission. Some conveyor belts are designed to transport commercial goods, construction materials, forest products, or pulp and paper. Others are designed for agricultural, general-purpose, or inclined conveying applications. Elevator belts are designed for vertical applications and have attachments such as buckets or trays. High-temperature conveyor belts are made of materials that are suitable for use at high ambient temperatures, or that are designed to handle high-temperature materials. Often, these products are used in oven conveyor belting and the conveyance of heat-treated parts.
Belt material is the most important consideration when selecting conveyor belts. Choices include aramid fibers, cotton or canvas, ethylene diene propylene monomer (EPDM) leather, neoprene, nitrile, nylon, polyester, polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rubber, silicone, steel, tape, urethane and wire mesh. Products that are made from proprietary materials such as Kevlar®, Mylar®, and Teflon® (DuPont) or Hydrin® (Zeon Chemicals) are also available. General specifications for conveyor belts include dimensions such as belt thickness, belt width and belt length. Typically, measurements are specified in English units such as inches or yards, or metric units such as meters and centimeters. Working load per inch width, maximum operating speed, minimum pulley size, and operating temperature are also important specifications to consider when selecting conveyor belts.
Conveyor belts differ in terms of features and may not be suitable for unlisted applications. Typically, conveyor belts that are designated as food-grade comply with requirements from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Modular and anti-static conveyor belts are also available. Products perforations or tracking features are designed to engage with the pulley to prevent slippage. Top cleats or ribs may be used in inclined conveying applications, and to transport granular materials and powders. Conveyor belts that use V-guides or v-ropes for positive tracking can be attached with techniques such as vulcanizing or welding. Open-ended conveyor belts are sold by the roll and may be cut and spliced to a desired length.
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