Key Considerations When Choosing A Material Handling Conveyor System

A material handling system refers to the equipment, software, and processes used to move, store, protect, and control materials throughout manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.

A proper system delivers materials to the right place, in the right condition, on time, and for minimal cost.Choose from manual, mechanized, semi-automated, or fully automated systems. Integrated systems use automated hardware and sync with WCS or WMS for real-time routing and tracking. This article outlines key points to guide your choice of a material handling conveyor system.

Audit Your Needs

If you’re buying a conveyor system, map your material flow to find repetitive, time-consuming, or unsafe tasks. It’s imperative to prioritize flexibility, picking conveyor systems that are flexible enough to adapt to changes in product mix or volume.  A modular approach ensures your system can evolve with seasonal demand shifts, new product lines, or facility reorganizations without costly downtime or complete overhauls.

Plan for Integration

Involve IT and operations teams early to ensure conveyor systems work with current systems. Early collaboration allows you to define data exchange requirements before hardware is specified.

Material Characteristics

Size, weight, fragility, and hazard level dictate everything. Ignore them, and you will crush fragile goods, drop heavy loads, or create an explosion risk. Therefore, it’s imperative to choose a material handling conveyor system that fits the product, or the product will destroy your system.

Flow Volume (Throughput)

Throughput is measured in units per hour. If underestimated, you cause gridlock and miss deadlines. If overestimated, you waste capital. Match speed to demand, since bottlenecks affect your brand.

Layout Constraints

When designing a material handling system, it’s critical to consider your facility layout. A well-designed layout reduces travel time, lowers material-handling costs, and prevents operator strain or accidental contact with moving components.

Cost vs Return on Investment (ROI)

You want to choose conveyor systems with short payback periods. Cheap manual systems with high operating costs end up costing comparatively more than costly systems with high ROI.

Safety and Ergonomics

Choose systems that minimize worker strain and prevent accidents. Emergency stops, like rope-pull cables or push buttons, must be easy to reach. For ergonomics, we recommend setting comfortable, safe manual loading/unloading heights to avoid stooping.

 In addition, it’s imperative to keep reach distances within 300 mm of the operator’s centerline and use variable-speed controls or powered assists to reduce repetitive strain and push/pull forces on gravity sections. These measures prevent injuries and ensure compliance.

Choose the right  supplier

The supplier you choose can make or break your material handling automation project. At WALD, we offer more than just standard products, but comprehensive engineering support for system customization and integration with your existing workflow. We offer unparalleled after-sales support, including access to spare parts and responsive technical assistance.

We’re proud of our on-time delivery and high reorder rates, a testament to strong customer satisfaction and dependability. Contact us for a custom quote.