Warehouse Conveyor Systems: Choosing the Right One for Your Facility

Warehouse conveyor systems are one of the solutions that can help a warehouse run on time and minimize accidents. This is because they can speed up the transportation of items within the warehouse and lessen the risks from handling heavy units. With the help of conveyor systems, a storage facility can run more smoothly and increase its profits.

This article will discuss the benefits of warehouse conveyor systems and how to choose the right one for your facility. Read more below.

What is a Conveyor System?

Warehouse conveyor systems are transportation devices that carry items throughout the facility and to another warehouse nearby if needed. These apparatus can either be operated manually, by gravity, or by a motor. Conveyors could also help improve warehouse operations by organizing transportation processes and minimizing human errors.

There are different kinds of warehouse conveyor systems for various types of stock items. The type of conveyor a warehouse manager needs will depend on the nature of the products they will store in their facility.

Benefits of Warehouse Conveyor Systems

There are many benefits of warehouse conveyor systems to a storage facility, and listed below are some of them.

1. Speedy Delivery

Warehouse conveyors are useful in large storage facilities because they speed up the delivery of items throughout the area. Compared to manpower, gravity-powered or motor-powered conveyors are faster in carrying items throughout a facility. 

2. Minimized Risks

Another reason why warehouse conveyor systems are advantageous is that they minimize the risk of accidents. Workers carrying large items are prone to accidents due to the strain of heavy lifting. Conveyors minimize risks because these items can be transported on stable platforms with no danger of the machines experiencing fatigue.

3. Increased Productivity

Since warehouse conveyor systems do all the heavy lifting, this also improves productivity amongst the workers. By removing the strenuous tasks from human workers, they will have more energy to handle other tasks.

What to Consider When Choosing a Warehouse Conveyor System for Your Facility

Choosing a suitable warehouse conveyor system is essential because installing the wrong one could set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars. With the wrong conveyor system, warehouse operations could be compromised and even halted. Accidents could even occur if the conveyor system you chose doesn’t match the kind of load you want to carry throughout your facility.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to choose the right kind of warehouse conveyor system for your facility and your stock items. Here are the following factors you should consider before purchasing any conveyor system.

1. Stock Item

You should consider the details of your stock item before purchasing any warehouse conveyor systems. Take note of how fragile your stock items are and check conveyor systems capable of carrying delicate units on time.

Consider also that you’ll be stocking items of various sizes in your warehouse. So it would make sense to get a conveyor system that could accommodate units of different sizes.

2. Warehouse Throughput

Warehouse throughput is the number of units that are being processed and moved around the facility. If your throughput is high or more stock items are to be processed daily, you need a conveyor that can carry several units quickly. You should also check warehouse conveyor systems that are efficient in carrying several items without compromising the integrity of each unit.

Installing a conveyor system that can effectively carry many stock items from the storage area to the shipping dock minimizes lags in delivery. If your warehouse can deliver on time and your stock items are always in perfect condition, your customers will be happier and satisfied.

3. Long-Term Goals

Long-term goals should also go into the thought process of choosing warehouse conveyor systems. Any company that wants to stay profitable would eventually like to expand.

If you want your business to expand and take in more clients, you should choose warehouse conveyor systems that can match your growing demands. Check conveyors that can be adjusted to accommodate more units or heavier loads. Better yet, consult an engineer or a conveyor expert on what kind of machine you could use for your facility.

Different Types of Warehouse Conveyor Systems

These are the kinds of warehouse conveyor systems in use today:

 

1. Belt Conveyor

A belt conveyor is one of the most common warehouse conveyor systems in the warehouse industry. It consists of a set of pulleys and belts where the items to be transported are loaded. It is often used to transport items of various sizes and shapes.

 

2. Roller

A roller conveyor is a system of circular tubes where stock items are placed. The items can roll on top of the conveyor system either automatically or manually. For the latter, roller conveyors are often placed on a higher level so that gravity will help pull the stock items down to a lower level.

 

3. Slat/Apron

Slat/apron conveyors are slats chain-linked to each other and operated by a set of pulleys. Warehouse conveyor systems like this are helpful for items that need to stand upright while it’s moving. Slat conveyors are often used in manufacturing plants as well as warehouses.

4. Ball Transfer

Ball transfer conveyors are a group of steel balls that rotate. These conveyors are often used for packaging items or stocks that need to move in more than one direction.

 

5. Overhead

An overhead conveyor is a single-rail system that is attached to the ceiling. This conveyor is suitable if the warehouse has limited floor space or a crowded storage area.

 

6. Pneumatic

This is a transport system that uses air to carry items from one point to another. Pneumatic conveyors are useful for transporting dry goods such as cement, flour, pellets, and sand.

 

7. Bucket

A bucket conveyor uses metal buckets to carry items that cannot be loaded onto a flat surface. Usually, bucket conveyors are used in carrying sand, gravel, and liquids to other facility areas.

 

8. Chute

A chute conveyor is the simplest and cheapest form of transport system in the warehouse industry. It is an inclined chute that transfers items from a higher level to a lower one using gravity. This type of conveyor is cheap and easy to use.

9. Magnetic

Magnetic conveyors are magnets attached to stationary plates or any non-magnetic slider beds. They carry magnetic materials, mainly metal scraps. These conveyors are suitable for transporting metallic items that cannot be packaged while in transit. 

 

10. Vertical

A vertical conveyor is an elevator for transporting stock items from one level to another. These warehouse conveyor systems are apt for transporting items up and down a facility.

 

11. Wheel

This is a set of wheels linked by a metal frame, and items are placed on top of it and rolled manually. Wheel conveyors are inexpensive and easy to use. They are often used in reception and dispatch areas.

12. Walking Beam

Warehouse conveyor systems like this use static supports and moving supports to transport pieces sequentially. The walking beam conveyor is also appropriate if the warehouse manager wants equal spacing between items that are being transported.

Summary

Choosing warehouse conveyor systems requires planning and careful consideration of the items in your storage facility as well as the demands of your clients. It is essential to know the specifics of the items you will store in your facility and the number of items in transit throughout the warehouse.

Using the right warehouse conveyor systems will make life easier for your workers and make your operations a lot smoother. With a storage facility working in optimal conditions, you can become more profitable while keeping your personnel safe.

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Source: https://articles.cyzerg.com/warehouse-conveyor-systems-choosing-the-right-one-for-your-facility