Belt Conveyors In Manufacturing – A Brief History

Belt conveyors have not always been used in manufacturing

This can be difficult to comprehend because they have become indispensable in production lines.  belt conveyors are used in a wide variety of settings including; food production, recycling, car manufacture, super markets and retro television shows (The Generation Game) to name a few.  As with most practical inventions there is no one individual that can be named as the sole inventor of the conveyor belts.  It would seem that as manufacturing processes got more intense and quicker, belt conveyors evolved to make the whole process easier.  

The first belt conveyors

In the 18th Century belt conveyors were isochronic, which is a little bit like clock work.  By the early 19th Century, and the start of the industrial revolution, belt conveyors were steam powered.  It is thought that the very first belt conveyors was used to make biscuits for sailors.  belt conveyors designed by Richard Sutcliffe were used in coal mining to move the heavy coal from the mine so it could be loaded into transportation vehicles.  Many companies have been recorded using belt conveyors in their production line but the most notable one is Henry Ford, who used belt conveyors in his car production line from 1945.

Advanced Technology

Advanced technology has increased our ability to design and build a large variety of belt conveyors with many different purposes.  Sophisticated belt conveyors systems are controlled by a series of electric motors called variable speed drives. Variable speed drives enable belt conveyors to be programmed at different speeds, depending on the type of job being carried out in that section. Most companies tend to purchase bespoke belt conveyors because their production lines are unique to the product or system they are using it for. 

Second Hand Belt Conveyors

However if you are lucky and you require belt conveyors that have already been produced you will find that you can save up to 50% of the original sale price.  This is definitely the case if you are able to purchase equipment that is part of a cancelled order.  Often this type of order is listed as second hand machinery but is actually brand new and has never been used. At Challenger we have five brand new belt conveyors available for you to look at.  They are all for sale in our second hand section because the customer cancelled the order.  If you would be interested in discussing the belt conveyors or other second hand or new equipment we have available please contact us here.
belt-conveyors