How much do you know about your warehouse equipment? Part of running an efficient warehouse is knowing as much as possible about your equipment and making sure you have the most efficient options for your business. In this series, we’ll be helping you get to know more about your warehouse equipment and the various types of equipment that are available.

First up, let’s take a look at industrial conveyor systems! These are one of the first automation upgrades that many smaller warehouses make and with good reason. They are an excellent, affordable way to move product more quickly from one area of your warehouse to another, making your operation much more efficient. But not all industrial conveyor systems are made alike! There are a number of different conveyor options available to your warehouse. Get to know them all and you’ll be able to decide which one offers you the most benefit for the least amount of cost.

Types of Industrial Conveyors

Chute conveyors

These are typically used to move materials between two different floors. Many chute conveyors look less like a traditional conveyor and more like a slide you’d see in the playground. The benefit of a chute conveyor is that they are extremely affordable and help you move product from one floor to another (or from a mezzanine to the dock) much faster than if you’d be using an elevator. The only downside is that they are a one-way conveyor.

Roller conveyors

Roller conveyors are some of the most common industrial conveyor systems found in the warehouse environment. They can be powered or unpowered and are effective ways of moving materials over short distances. The only issue with roller conveyors is that you’ll need to make sure the products that you are moving across them are big enough not to fall into the gaps between the rollers and that it has a hard surface that can be rolled on the conveyor.

Gravity roller conveyors

These are roller conveyors that are unpowered and move the product with gravity. The conveyor is placed on a slope and products roll down the rollers to their final destination. This can be a great conveyor system for moving products from packing to shipping areas, depending on your typical weight and package size.

Powered roller conveyors

These are roller conveyors that use a motor and electricity to move products along the conveying path. They are great for sorting and can be used to move items up a slight incline.

Flat belt conveyors

This is another very common conveyor type. Flat belt conveyors are like the kind that you often see in a grocery store that moves your produce and groceries along to the clerk to ring you up. In fact, these actually are flat belt conveyors; it’s just a bigger version that you see in a warehouse. These are good for smaller materials and can accommodate a variety of sizes, so if you have a diverse SKU set, it can be extremely helpful. Flat belt conveyors can move lighter materials both up and down an incline, another useful feature. Depending on the size, it can be a larger investment due to the fact it’s a powered system.

What Conveyor System is Right for You?

This is just the beginning! We’ll go over more conveyor types in our next blog so you can see more of the possibilities that are out there for your warehouse. You don’t have to wait, though! If you are ready to find the right conveyor system for your warehouse, get in touch with one of our project managers today. We’ll help you find the right conveyor system based on your needs, material types, and budget and get you everything you need to get it set up and running in your warehouse.