We often cruise through life performing our daily routines without giving much thought to improving performance. Simple tasks like brushing our teeth, showering, getting to work and cooking are often times put on auto pilot with little attention paid to the actual undertaking. When things run smoothly, humans have a tendency towards contentment. Many endeavors that are repetitive by nature or jaded by low variances are many times left alone to carry out as they have done numerous times before. One critical component to success however is a constant fine tuning and practicing of the associated craft. Maintaining a competitive edge is never about resting on our laurels. Those satisfied with the outputs of today are frequently passed by those hungry for a better tomorrow. One aspect of life where many of these concepts are applicable revolves around the installation and implementation of a conveyor system.
Conveyors have been around for ages and are rightfully considered industrial marvels. To get the most from your conveyor system, you must be ready and able to put in the time and physical and intellectual energy required to understand it and know it well. Conveyors are just machines that will work on auto pilot, but they may not know that they are operating in an ever changing and stressful environment that can bring disastrous rather than productive results. For those with a competitive spirit, there are some disciplines to follow that will build a more viable and stronger platform. If your goal is to optimize your conveyor systems productivity and operations, then the following bits of advice are for you. Some steps in this will be easier than others and the tips we will focus on first fall into the easier domain We will build up to the more difficult steps from there.
One of the first characteristics conveyor managers should be reviewing is the details of the items being moved. A deep understanding of conveyor loads is a very powerful but simpler way to enhance performance. Considerations such as load form, shape, dimension, density, flow rate and position all play a vital role in the success of product movement. By knowing everything about what is traveling on your system, the ability to design and control operation becomes much more robust and efficient. Another easier method of improvement revolves around maintenance and knowing how to fix common issues.
Conveyors do run into glitches, because they are after all, large moving pieces of machinery. Some of these glitches can be avoided by following general trouble shooting guidelines. Little burps like random shutdowns, package backup and frozen belts may all be resolved without calling in the experts and expensive technicians. An informed problem analysis and diagnosis is a major advantage to a smooth operation in any set up because it allows for repairs to be made before there is any breach of production levels.
Finally, diligent maintenance is irreplaceable when it comes to augmenting optimization. By staying on top of all items related to the conveyor and really focusing on preventive maintenance can go along way to a more fluid environment. As we progress in our journey there will be more difficult chores to tackle.
Conveyors eat up energy. There are some energy saving devices available to streamline movement, but a large amount of room to grow in this area still exists. Some ways to capture energy efficiency is by proper motor selection, lubrication, downtime, drive reduction and gravity leveraging. Reduction in energy can be difficult to pull off, but putting resources toward efficiency can result in huge savings and a better facility. Ergonomics in production is another more intensive angle that may be taken to optimize production. A happier and healthier workplace may be had through optimal vertical and horizontal integration along with ergonomically designed employee workstations.
Pay attention to conveyor workstation architecture while optimizing your system. The height of the work surfaces and station reach arrangements are ergonomic areas that if configured appropriately will assist the enhancement in productivity. We must never overlook conveyor performance testing. Routine inspections include function checking, load analysis and error recovery tests. Creating tests to locate strengths and weaknesses of the conveyor system can uncover opportunities for improvement. No matter how you undertake the tasks, optimization and productivity must be an ongoing process for any business involving conveyor machinery.
Conveyors must have countless numbers of parts moving in harmony with no disruption. Topics like safety and upgrading along with all those mentioned above, must be embraced to get the utmost from your system. Development can be easy sometimes and difficult if not impossible at others, but one thing is sure and that is its importance. Development must never be an afterthought. Conveyors do require intense planning and utter attention to detail. If you are serious about optimization and production, you won’t be taking any short cuts.
For more information about, or to buy Power Trolleys, Conveyor Chain, or other conveyor related parts, please visit Blue Water Manufacturing.