Conveyor Systems for Finishing Applications
Productive facilities rely on effective conveyor systems for finishing applications to keep their lines running smoothly. Richards-Wilcox Conveyor Systems offers a number of conveyor systems that combine customizable features with cost efficiency. The option you select depends on the finishing applications in which your facility specializes. Below, we’ve put together a handy guide to help you determine the best paint line conveyor system for your facility’s needs.
What Is Your Material-Handling Objective?
The first factor to consider when designing your conveyor system is your handling objective. As you look at the available options, measure the exact specifications of the parts that the system will carry, including their shape, size, and weight. This information will determine the types and capabilities of equipment needed, including attachments, load bars, and carriers.
The proper selection also relies on an accurate accounting of volume and deadlines as well as how they affect your production rate. Certain conveyor systems handle different speeds, and your production rates will also determine the amount of buffer storage space to incorporate in your conveyor design plan.
Which Finishing Application Will Your Conveyor System Handle?
The next aspect to consider is which finishing application your products require. Finishing options come in two categories: dry (powder coating) processes and wet processes. Each process has its own finishing application options that can vary widely, from ovens and washers to spray booths and degreasers.
Powder coating operates via an electrostatic dry finishing process. This process electrically charges and sprays pigment and resin particles onto electrically grounded parts. Powder coating conveyor systems provide a lasting, quality finish.
Wet processes use electrical currents in a technique known as electrophoretic deposition, or E-coating. This process uses an electrically charged liquid-based solution bath to deposit particles onto the product. Parts with crevices or irregular shapes particularly benefit from this process.
Additional wet processes include dip and spray systems, both of which typically use overhead conveyor systems. Dip line finishing uses dip tanks filled with any number of different solutions, into which operators dip their products to evenly apply finish. Sometimes, tanks contain cleaning solutions or chemicals to help prepare an item for its final coating.
Wet spray appears in a large number of applications and can work on almost any product. Paint line conveyor systems apply paint or varnish to a variety of media including metals, woods, and plastics.
Which Conveyor System Is Best for Your Finishing Application?
After you’ve completed documenting your material specifications and have chosen a finishing process, it is time to determine the best conveyor system for your facility’s needs. Several considerations, such as warehouse space and amount of finishing materials, govern this choice. Most products are finished better with overhead conveyor systems, but other parts might require inverted floor-mounted conveyor systems.
Overhead and inverted systems include monorail conveyor systems and power & free conveyor systems.
- Monorails use a single rail and endless chain system and the entire chain runs at a constant speed. Although they’re simple and cost-effective, they offer little flexibility for process change.
- Power & free conveyor systems incorporate two rails and a trolley. This allows the system unlimited flexibility, that allows stopping at key locations (e.g., robots, load, unload), carrier accumulation areas and diverting to multiple locations.
How Can Richards-Wilcox Conveyor Systems Help?
No matter the project, Richards-Wilcox Conveyor Systems will help you choose the best conveyor system for your facility. Whether you need a simple spray finish or a complex system that accommodates regular change, we’ll design an efficient and flexible system that will meet your needs.
With over 100 years of experience, we have a reputation for designing and implementing superior conveyor systems for finishing applications.
Contact Us Today
Richards-Wilcox Conveyor Systems offers consulting and engineering services for the most basic to the most complex systems. Contact us today to request a quote.
