Power Conveyor Connections: Creating a System

Complete packaging lines often consist of many different machines, from container cleaning equipment to liquid fillers, capping machines and more.  Of course, the power conveyor system is crucial to the transfer of bottles from one machine to the next.  A single conveyor will rarely, if ever, be used for complete, automatic inline packaging projects.  Instead, multiple conveyors will be connected to create a system, and the way they are connected will depend on the system itself.

Many times multiple conveyors will be connected to one another to form a straight line system for a packaging project.  There will often be a conveyor for each packaging machine, for example a filling machine may be manufactured with a ten foot conveyor for incorporation into a line.  The same is true of rinsing machines, capping machines, labelers and other equipment.  Many times, the conveyors will be connected by simply using some type of deadplate.  The deadplate creates a bridge for the gap between the ends of two power conveyors. Depending on the bottle, container or other package, the products may simply move across the deadplate from conveyor to conveyor.  Some containers may require back pressure from other containers on the line.  With some machinery or packaging lines, belt or disc separators may be used between conveyors as well.  These separating devices can create space between containers for tasks such as labeling bottles, or they may simply assist unique containers in crossing deadplates. 

Side transfers may also be used to connect one conveyor to another.  Rather than using a deadplate, side transfers require two conveyor ends to overlap one another on a packaging line.  The conveyor railing will be curved to guide the bottle from the far end of one conveyor to the beginning end of a second conveyor, allowing the transfer without the use of a dead plate.

While deadplates and side transfers work well when a packaging line is generally set up in a straight line, some packagers simply do not have the space available to accommodate one long, continuous power conveyor system.  In the event that the packaging line takes on a horseshoe shape or otherwise requires containers to turn on the conveyor system to move from one machine to the next, transfer turntables will almost always be used.  The transfer turntable will sit at the end of two power conveyors that connect at a right angle.  As the container reaches the end of the first conveyor, it takes a quick ride on the transfer table, making a 90 degree turn, and continues along the second length of conveyor to the next destination.  

On rare occasions, larger turntables may be used to gather a product along an automatic system for tasks such as quality inspection or even capping or labeling, depending on the automation level on the line.  In these situations, containers may move from one conveyor to an accumulation table.  Once the task is complete, the containers would be placed on a second conveyor to continue the packaging journey.  Complete systems may also include conveyor connections at the beginning and end of a packaging line.  Loading connections at the beginning of a line can include turntables, custom loading conveyors, bottle unscramblers or other custom machinery.  Accumulation tables and custom accumulating conveyors may be used at the end of a packaging line as well, to accumulate product for packing or shipping.

Power conveyor systems can be set up in nearly any way imaginable to accommodate the needs of the individual packager.  To learn more about power conveyors and some of the loading and accumulating options, browse our conveyors and turntables page.