How To Prevent Conveyors From Damaging Products [Video Blog]

So you’ve been wondering - why doesn’t my current conveyor prevent product damage? Shouldn’t that be one of the primary functions of a conveyor?

We thought the same thing. That’s why we created the Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor in order to...

eliminate product collision entirely
improve accumulation compared to traditional techniques
significantly maximize conveyor efficiency
reduce wear and tear on the conveyor

The Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor works by controlling individually driven zones slightly larger than the length of the product being conveyed (pallet or direct product). Then, you’re able to program each pallet/product zone individually. The whole system is intelligent - it’s designed to smoothly control acceleration and deceleration so pallets never touch and never jostle, preventing product damage.

This also results in reduced wear and tear caused by belt-to-product friction and increased energy efficiency, since the conveyor isn’t running under stopped pallets.

Watch as we compare traditional accumulation side-by-side with the Zero Contact Zoned accumulation in this video.

In the video, notice that the Zero Contact Zoned accumulation pallets never come into contact with the pallets in front of them, and are actually starting and stopping in isolated timeframes. The pallets never collide because they are programmed to slow and stop based on the pallets upstream. On the other hand, the traditional accumulation pallets are colliding and jostling the products each time another pallet comes down the line.

Our Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor has:

individually managed accumulation zones
brushless DC motors with integrated driver cards and embedded zero contact logic (AC available as well, less driver cards)

Each of these features allow the Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor to be flexible while eliminating product-to-product contact, preventing a majority of damage-causing issues with accumulation, and adding increased efficiency of the automation system.

The entire reason to use the Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor is to reduce product damage typically caused by accumulation. But damage is also reduced in a few additional ways:

More controlled, gentler product handling: By controlling the acceleration and deceleration of a conveyor, you’re able to minimize shock loads on the product. Zoned conveyors allow you to program this aspect of the handling process to automatically eliminate this risk. The result is a gentler, more reliable conveyor when it’s needed for your clients’ precision products.

Minimize slippage: Damage rarely occurs to products while the conveyor is moving the product; rather, dislodging, scratches, scuffing, and/or denting of a product in the assembly process typically occurs when a product stops or starts. Smooth acceleration and deceleration can be a preventative measure. To ensure the least amount of wear and tear possible, it is best to avoid the belt or chain slipping underneath the product.

Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor Features

Individually Managed Accumulation Zones

The Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor ensures there is always a gap between products. This provides gentle product handling by eliminating the backpressure that can cause product damage. Each individual zone on the Zero Contact Zoned Conveyor can handle up to 200 pounds with our DC motors, so the ability to transport heavy loads is not compromised. We can also handle much heavier loads with our AC motor solution.

Brushless DC Motors

Brushless DC motors are small and efficient – an ideal fit for zoned accumulation. They can provide full torque at low speeds and their small size means less inertia, allowing them to respond quickly to changing load conditions. They can operate with or without a gearbox and have a single moving part with a 300,000 bearing life.

Get more information in our ebook, How to Manage Conveyor Accumulation Issues.

The Zero Contact Zone Conveyor provides product-friendly accumulation and movement while also saving energy and significantly reducing conveyor wear-and-tear.