Conveyor Belt Speed Control | Cost Savings

Belt conveyor systems with variable speed control can help greatly reduce production and operating costs in any industry that relies heavily on efficiently moving materials. Food and beverage, packaging and material handling plants are especially well-situated to benefit from conveyor systems that fully utilize their material capacity.

Variable Speed Conveyor Belt System

A conveyor belt will often run at a fairly constant speed, regardless of the belt carrying capacity. This means that quite often, the conveyor is wasting energy by operating at a speed that is not necessary for the material output at that moment.

For example, a package handling or tote conveyor used at an order fulfillment center is designed to operate at maximum capacity to handle the highest volume of packages or totes during times of peak demand. During these high volume periods, a typical conveyor may operate at speeds up to 240 feet per minute. During off peak hours, the conveyor may only handle 50-60% of the normal package volume, so it would be reasonable to operate at belt speeds between 120 and 144 feet per minute.

Where the demand for output volume could fluctuate regularly, conveyor belt speed control is especially important to cost reduction. If the belt is not carrying a load that matches its full volume capacity, the belt speed can slow without negatively affecting production.

Quite simply, a 50-60% reduction in belt speed results in a 50-60% reduction in energy usage. For industrial plants where energy consumption is a huge cost consideration, close control over conveyor belt speed is key.

Conveyor Belt Speed Control Solutions from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS

AC vector drives from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS are a key way for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and large industrial end users to make their systems more efficient. NORD's AC vector drives increase the efficiency of any conveyor system, as they give the ability to precisely control conveyor speed and positioning.

NORD's AC vector drives include everything you need and are ready for use, directly from the factory. Every NORD drive is optimized and specially configured per order, so you can rest assured that the drive products you buy from NORD will be the highly efficient solution that's perfect for your production needs.

The advantages of the NORD AC vector drives include:

• Can be installed both in switching cabinets and as decentralized and fully integrated units

• Decentralized communication and I/O signal modules ensure field-level integration of various distributed drive systems

• Optimum voltage/frequency ratio is maintained through current sensorless vector control

Each NORD AC vector drive comes with NORDCON control software, which allows for up to 31 frequency inverters to be controlled simultaneously in one interface. NORDCON allows you to perform and save parameter settings — even offline, without a vector drive being connected.

Represented in over 60 countries, NORD is a worldwide leader in drive technologies. Our broad range of products are bolstered by the highest quality standards and a continued reinvestment into production. Contact a NORD DRIVESYSTEMS representative and let our quality-engineered conveyor belt speed control solutions help your business increase operational efficiency.

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Source:

Beltcon: http://www.beltcon.org.za/docs/B16-12.pdf