Most industrial operations never involve one type of material. A mine, for example, is responsible for anything from dust at the ground level to giant boulders at the surface. A food processing plant includes powders, liquids and solid products. An agricultural facility operates with grain, fertilizer and various other materials during any given day. It’s not just about transporting material from point A to point B; it’s doing so with reliability when what’s going from point A to B continuously changes characteristics.

The Problem with Material Personalities

Materials do not all act the same on conveyor systems. Powders cause air quality issues with dust. Sticky products stick to belts and rollers. Abrasive materials wear components faster than anticipated. Large, heavy and awkward materials can crush belts if certain impacts and tolerances are not factored into initial system design.

The problem is that the conveyor systems perfect for one type of material are terrible for another. For example, the ideal belt speed for transporting coal in a coal silo is too aggressive for transporting eggs in a food processing plant. The optimum angle for delivering dry grain to an agricultural feed filler, for example, does not work when dealing with something moist. These are not inconveniences, they’re operational problems that lead to downtime, maintenance expenses and safety concerns.

How Modern Systems Compensate

The better approach is to engineer systems to acknowledge material diversity from the very beginning, including the belt materials which will resist abrasiveness as well as chemical exposure and roller placements which will avoid build-up of whatever is being transported. When companies need flexibility and variety among various materials, it’s better, and less expensive in the long run, to invest in high-quality conveyor products and solutions designed for multiple material transport from the start rather than trying to apply one size fits all retrofits later on.

Consider, there are dozens of factors that need to be assessed when it comes to selecting belts. Smooth belts are excellent for one situation but create slippage for another. Textured belts help keep materials in place but risk getting stuck in the ridges. Thickness, overall flexibility and edge treatment will determine how well or easily something moves. Choosing incorrectly means spillage, carryback and constant manipulation in an effort to maintain.

The Speed vs. Angle Complication

One would think speed is easy to calculate, if it’s fast, a lot will move; if it’s slow, there’s more control. Speed is complicated by material type, however. Lightweight materials will float away with velocity; dense materials fail to gather momentum needed unless speed is decreased significantly, resulting in clogs and build-up at transfer levels. Some materials must be constantly moved lest they become sedimented; others require gentler treatment unless they fall apart.

Like speed, incline angles are manipulated by weight and its impact through gravity. A 20-degree angle may be ideal for one type of sand but once a heavier grade is used or one with moisture, it slips back down because it’s too steep, or it builds enough energy at the bottom that it creates a dangerous avalanche scenario. The same angle that works for one type of material becomes completely impractical for another.

Transitioning Materials and Transfer Points

Where material types differ, most are at transfer points where something moves to another belt or rotates. Fragile materials produce clouds and dust; chunky materials bounce up and scatter; sticky materials accumulate on chutes and become blocked.

Systems designed for multiple materials contain variable chute configurations, impact zones and containment features that justify what’s being moved. It’s important to prevent spillage and control pollution/dust but this should never interfere with the flow of any material, meaning flexible engineering of transfer points without having to shut down an entire system to accommodate different behaviors is a must.

The Cleaning Conundrum Across Materials

Different materials leave behind different residues, dry powders result in dust; wet materials leave a sticky residue; oily substances coat everything they touch. What’s effective on one is useless on another.

This is why multi-material operations often require multiple cleanings (one after another) with varying types of solutions. Primary cleaners remove carryback while secondary cleaners pick up the pieces left behind from the first stage. Some cleaner mechanisms require scrapers; some need air knives; some use spray features or water applications. Depending upon what was transported, the belt material will also impact how best to resolve the problem.

Real World Integration

It’s the facilities that handle multiple materials at once that don’t only acquire better parts, but also think through how one material path will operate with other products through every part of the system. Is it possible to flush one item out once completed to bring in a new product? Is there residue between runs? How does it maintain stability with fluctuation?

Also, one must factor in unforeseeable circumstances; temperature changes can affect grain moisture content in specific seasons; humidity can retain extra water sources unknown in winter months but dry them out completely come spring; what runs perfectly on a conveyor system should probably be reserved for others with extra leeway when systems run all year without fails.

The Flaw of Generic Solutions

Generic conveyor systems tend to be engineered for average conditions, one type, in mind. They tend to work reasonably well within various spans but not when complication occurs. When overhead systems transport multiple types of materials over the course of a week, day or even shift, it’s a constant battle between effective efficiency and effective reliability, as systems operate either below purpose due to accommodating challenging products or above speed setting without ever maintaining stability.

Purpose-built systems for multi-material use are more costly upfront but save this compromise from the start. They’re designed so productive operations can remain productive regardless of which types of materials are being handled since these systems are engineered for maintained performance over these ranges instead of increased downtime, problematic emergency repairs and minimal time without adequate output over time.