Slat Conveyors

Slat conveyors are noted for their versatility in handling a multitude of products, from raw materials through finished goods.  One of the most rugged and maintenance free of all conveyors, with slats typically made from steel or wood, these conveyors can handle hot, oily and abrasive materials where canvas or belt conveyors would wear out quickly or be impractical.  spiral conveyor  material handling equipment

Although slat conveyors have been used more in the past for these hot, oily abrasive tasks, modern slat conveyors are offering more and more functionality.  A subset of the slat conveyor (spiral conveyor) is used in warehousing to move products from floor level to mezannine level (or vice versa).  These special spiral conveyors can also be used as a method of buffering product.  Shown to the left and right are some typical spiral conveyors.  The spiral conveyor is also reasonably easy to install, as it is shipped in one piece ready to be mounted in place.  Spiral conveyor slats are typically made of fiberglass or some other plastic composite material.  Spiral conveyors are also very resistant to spills, should they occur.

All spirals are equipped with an automatic chain tensioning device and built-in overload protection. The chain tensioning device is spring operated and a proximity sensor is sensing the correct operating position of the device. The overload protection is accomplished by mounting the drive motor on an adjustable torque arm arrangement which will pivot during an overload condition. This motion will be detected by a proximity sensor which in turn will cause the motor to stop.

As can be seen to the left, other arrangements can be made utilizing the spiral slat conveyor concept.  This conveyor not only moves product from a high level down to a low level, but also provides quite a bit of buffered space while it does it.  Even though this conveyor section seems long it still may only be driven by one motor.  Some vendors can make a conveyor section as long as 250 feet with only one motor drive unit.  material handling equipment

Finally, saving the best for last, we have a slat conveyor that is capable of high speed rotation of product. The loads can be rotated 180º or 90º in a continuous motion. This new conveyor is used in packing lines where products need to be rotated upside down or to one side without delay or product damage.  This conveyor can accommodate a wide range of load sizes without adjustment. 

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