Summary:
How to improve the working efficiency of chain conveyor systems?
How do you tell whether your chain conveyor systems is working optimally or not?
Ways to Improve the working efficiency of a chain conveyor system
Efficiency is vital for the success of any business, and it’s no different with a chain conveyor system. Having an efficient chain conveyor means it has low energy consumption and transports more loads. Not to mention, it remains in good condition longer. And that equates to higher productivity and the generation of more profits.
However, to appreciate a highly productive conveyor, you must improve its working efficiency. And that’s what this article has to offer. It enlightens you on how to improve the working efficiency of your machine. But before we get to that:
How do you tell whether your chain conveyor systems is working optimally or not?
Well, the secret lies in the number of motor amps. By measuring the motor amps and monitoring them constantly, you can determine the machine’s efficiency at any given time. This value reflects the amount of energy that the motor consumes. And consequently, it helps reveal the work done.
If your conveyor system has an inbuilt programmable logic controller (PLC), you will get the amp reading. However, if your system doesn’t have it, consider using a clamp meter to get the reading. You can find them online from electrical equipment suppliers.
For starters, determine the baseline. You can get this when the chain conveyor is running without load. After recording the reading, you can place a load on the conveyor to get the maximum limit reading. When the conveyor has a load, it exerts more effort to move the load, as a result, the motor consumes more energy.
Recording the amps for a long period will allow you to estimate accurately the efficiency of your conveyor. And this is important since you can determine its efficiency under different circumstances. If the amps are higher, for instance, that means you must improve the efficiency of your system.
Ways to Improve the working efficiency of a chain conveyor system
With the above intel in mind, have you determined the efficiency of your conveyor system? Specifically, how long is the downtime, and how much is it costing you? Most importantly, what are you planning to do to mitigate this loss? Well, the following steps will help you boost the efficiency of your chain conveyor system:
- Consider the state of the environment
What conditions is your chain conveyor systems going to operate in? Well, it’s important to determine this, because it will have a significant impact on the efficiency of the conveyor. Not to mention, it also affects the occurrence of downtime, especially unplanned ones.
Unforgiving environmental conditions tend to cause more harm. That’s because the heat and moisture in the air accelerate corrosion or rust on the machine parts. But that shouldn’t worry you, if you plan ahead of time, you can prevent the corrosion from occurring. You simply need to weatherproof it with a zinc plate or decide to use stainless parts instead. Stainless steel chain conveyor for example is tougher and can withstand harsh environmental conditions. As a result, your machines will continuously run smoothly and efficiently.
- Pick reliable material
The type of material the chain conveyor systems is molded in affects its durability. It determines how the conveyor system can adapt to different conditions without losing its efficiency. And this should start with the installation of industrial chain solutions.
Are you picking those with the best material in the market? Can the material withstand intense weather conditions like high temperature and humidity? If it can handle all these and still resist corrosion, then without a doubt, that material has the best qualities.
- Customization
It’s important to note that the chains in various conveyor systems are different. Therefore, when installing one, you should consider your need. In the long run, this will affect the machine’s working efficiency. And if you make any error when choosing the system, then you must prepare for downtime losses.
Having said that, start by determining the use of the conveyor system. This should guide you in the right chain conveyor to pick. Also, take into account external factors like environmental conditions. It will affect the durability of the system besides ruining its working efficiency.
- Reduce the weight on the conveyor
You don’t need a groundbreaking adjustment to improve the working efficiency of your chain conveyor systems. Something simple like choosing the right scrappers can create a significant difference. It can affect the severity and frequency of downtime.
For example, installing a multilaminate scrapper in your system helps lower the damage to the conveyor system. As such, it will remain functional longer before requiring maintenance. This will be a huge save since the cost of replacement will be lower. Not to mention, the downtime will be lower. Thus, the system will cost you less when running repairs.
Further, any process that reduces the weight of the chain conveyor benefits the entire system. And that’s because it lowers the energy your motor requires to run the conveyor system. The less the weight of the conveyor chains, the less power your conveyor system will need to run. As a result, it will be more efficient.
- Boost the tensile strength of the chain conveyor
When carrying loads, the chain conveyor is exposed to frequent impacts, especially if it’s carrying heavy loads. In such a case, consider the help of welded pins. They will help to hold the chain and improve its lifespan in service. Not to mention, welded pins plus bushes will enhance the tensile strength of your conveyor system by over 30%.
Further the bushes plus welded pins also boost the conveyor’s system resistance to wear. As such, you wouldn’t have to enhance the chain size to attain this. That means, you can swap the chain conveyor of size FV250A160 with FV180A160, which is lighter and more compact.
- Other ways to improve chain conveyor systems efficiency=
- Lubricate the system to lower friction
- Use quality pieces of equipment
- Schedule maintenance for the chain conveyor. It can be:
- Daily maintenance
- Monthly maintenance
- Weekly maintenance
- Quarterly maintenance
- Use the manual
Finally, improving the working efficiency of the chain conveyor systems isn’t as hard as many people might think. It only takes these few steps to achieve this and much more. While the cost of maintenance might be high at first, it has long-term benefits.
When your system requires less maintenance as a result, it means you will be saving that cash set aside for this. Also, when there’s downtime, it will be more brief than usual. Thus, you will not incur higher processing costs when operations are halted due to maintenance