Some operations personnel are uneasy about long-spanned chain conveyors. Given their experience with most chain conveyors, their hesitation is understandable. But long spans aren’t a problem for our SMART Conveyors™. We build long conveyors all the time—some well over 100′. The ability to build long conveyors means that we can reduce the number of conveyors needed for a given application, saving our clients money with lower operating costs. It’s actually common that we replace multiple conveyors with a single machine when we install our equipment!
How are we able to build such long conveyors? It is because there is little internal friction in our conveyors compared to other drag-chain models on the market. The chain load in our machines comes largely from the material itself and the chains’ own weight. Other conveyors drag their paddles and chains along the bottom and sidewall of the conveyor, which adds significant load to the chain and reduces the length these conveyors can run. Our chains run on UHMW wear strips in channels outside the material path, however, and hold the paddles off the bottom pan and sidewalls. Our design reduces friction and enables us to build longer conveyors.
Click now to see examples of long-span SMART Conveyors™!
