Conveyor

What are the benefits of using Plastic for Conveyor Parts?

There is much wear and tear in moving bottles, tubes, cans and odd shaped packages around the factory or warehouse. In Conveying applications, metal components are often noisy, subject to corrosion, wear away or expensive to forge and manufacture.

How does it work?

Plastics reduce friction, as it is more slippery (has a lower coefficient of friction) than steel. The most used plastic is Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW). But more advanced versions of PE are available for very high wear applications including oil filled, Teflon impregnated, and even ceramic bead filled PE.

You may be thinking why reducing friction and wear is important?

The simple answer to this is that the more friction a system must overcome the less efficient that system will be. So, the more friction in your conveyor the more electricity you will need to power it beyond simply moving material. Plastics also reduce wear, specifically in chain and Bushing. As we all know the more wear there is the more additional maintenance is needed which can also result in a shorter system lifespan in some instances. The faster components wear the faster they will need to be replaced, which in turn means more time, attention, and cost. Low friction also reduces noise levels which can be extremely useful.

Other Features? 

Conveyor Parts can be machined to meet custom requirements. Products such as plastic guide rails can be bent around conveyor corners more easily than metal rails. UHMW is available in easily accessible wear strips which are designed to resist wear and is the material of choice for kinetic contact with steel. Wear strips are used to support and guide roller chains, products, and conveyor belts, and are designed to prevent chain or belt movement as well as reduce vibration which can increase bearing and motor loads. Wear bends are also commonly used in conjunction with wear strips to help guide conveyor belts around corners. Curves can be made from a high-grade polyethylene, including lubricated versions which have better PV-properties, which means the curves can be applied in high-speed dry running applications.

Although not commonly used on Conveyor Profiles, Acetal is used in this industry as it is FDA approved and resistant to wear. It is mainly used in applications such as Friction Strips, gears, and housing parts. Acetal is also available in medical grade and metal detectable options, which is why it is used within certain factories.

What can you offer us?

We can provide you with a range of Conveyor parts such as curve & straight track profiles for steel and plastic running chains, sprockets, guide rails, levelling pads, bearing supports, support components, return components and idler wheels. We offer standard colours which consist of Natural (white), green and black however we do have other colours available on request. Manufacturing for plastic running chains, sprockets and guide rails is all done in house by our trained plastic engineers, and we can offer continuous advice and support on an ongoing basis. We can also work with you to determine the best material, and option for what you need and can-do site visits if required.