Tips To Efficient Movement of Materials
By Priya Jestin, Staff Writer
Material handling is not just about moving something from point A to point B. What is more important is to ensure that the handling and moving of the material is done efficiently and effectively. Whether you handle scrap or finished parts, there are various things you need to check to ensure that you are using the right equipment for your particular application. For instance, material handling for stamping operations can be quite tricky. If you are planning to use a belt, vibratory, or a magnetic conveyor, you must first check out a few points.
One of the first things you need to know is the nature of the material being handled. Stamping presses form many materials, such as aluminum, stainless steel, steel, and other alloys. While you can use either a steel-belt or cloth-belt conveyors for the job, find out if the material being moved has any sharp edges. If yes, then a cloth-belt conveyer may not be a good idea since it can be cut.
You must also avoid a hinged-belt conveyer if there are sharp parts in the material being handled. These parts can easily get caught in the hinges of the conveyer causing a significant amount of downtime. The type of metal can also make a difference to the type of conveyer. For instance, if you are handling magnetic material, you can use a magnetic conveyor.
There is another problem that you must address when handling stamped material – lubrication. Most stamped parts have some type of lubricant on the material – which can be quite troublesome for the conveyer. For instance, lubricant can cause the material to stick to the belt of a belt conveyer. This material can then easily enter the conveyer housing, triggering a jam.
Next problem is the size and shape of the material. While it may not cause a problem in belt conveyers, magnetic conveyers can have trouble with this factor. All these issues show how challenging it is to select the most efficient conveyor for a particular application. To make the best choice, you just have to consider all operating parameters and ensure that you use the best equipment for the job.
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