When you think of creative minds, you will probably come up with Albert Einstein, Ben Franklin, the Wright brothers, Henry Ford and Alexander Graham Bell without much delay as they are all truly inventive geniuses. They have set history on a new direction in a way that benefits all of us and the world around us. The assembly line comes to mind when thinking of conveyor belts but its beginnings do not lie there but in reality was a prior invention to this business model.
Beginning in the 19th century there were mechanical devices to move items from point A to Point B. The Swedish company Scandisk is the company most business historians point to as being the first to bring widespread commercialization to the mass market by installing a conveyor-like system into production. The conveyor belt began its life in the mining industry moving huge objects long distances, but now they can be seen everywhere in a multitude of applications in every industry. This article will look into how some industries are pushing the boundaries of conveyor technology and what some of these might be doing to gain a better comprehension of where the conveyor industry is at present and what its future may look like.
Long gone are the days of men and women hand cranking and turning conveyor apparatus’ to allow for the movements of belts and pulleys to maneuver objects around. Conveyors are now highly specialized and flexible mechanisms that are responsible for such important projects as assembly of the Hubbell telescope. Certainly not exclusive to the space and exploration fields, conveyor implementation and invention reaches a broad spectrum of product and business categories.
Conveyor systems are working their way through even more industrial uses such as in pulp and paper mills, auto manufacturing (where they have always been used, but now they are far more innovative), steel fabrication, logging, airplane and helicopter manufacturing and assembly, cargo loading and unloading, cell phone assembly, and in warehousing and distribution, to mention just a few.
There will always be production snafus in the industrial world and conveyors are the go- to systems to resolve many a modern day load moving conundrum. Taking a look at what is new in conveyor gizmos is a fascinating study so lets take a look at some recent inventions in the industries mentioned above.
Most conveyors now are electronic and computer based giving them more power and a huge flexibility when it comes to design improvements. Contemporary advances include such ideas as the pneumatic conveying system and the travelator, a conveyor based people moving system. The one thing that is for certain is that people are working day and night to develop and maximize the operating characteristics of conveyors for improvements in such areas as pressure, conveying line velocity, efficiency and performance. Even futuristic ideas like parking cars using conveyors instead of human drivers might not be too far off in the distance. As robotics and artificial intelligence are introduced more and more into conveying solutions, future conveyor advancements and inventions should be impressive and exciting.
There are some excellent reasons to keep the conveyor alive in every possible application. They are one of the most cost effective, time saving and labor saving mechanisms ever introduced to industry. Conveyor inventions over the years have enhanced many aspects of our lives and have provided beneficial methods of product distribution for most of the world. Without them, our level of comfort would be at a much lower standard.
For more information about Rivetless Conveyor Chain, Remanufactured Rivetless Chain, or any other conveyor component, please visit Blue Water Manufacturing.
