CONVEYORS
ACCUMULATION CONVEYORS
Unmatched efficiency and flexibility for accumulation
At Span Tech, our accumulation conveyors are designed to keep your production lines running smoothly by providing controlled, efficient product flow. Whether you need to buffer products, manage line imbalances, or prevent bottlenecks, our accumulation conveyors ensure that your operations remain flexible and efficient.
Engineered for gentle handling and precise control, Span Tech zero pressure accumulation conveyors are ideal for industries like packaging, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and distribution. They allow products to accumulate without pressure, reducing the risk of damage while maintaining continuous movement across your line.
Key Benefits of Span Tech Accumulation Conveyors
- Improved Product Flow: Reduces bottlenecks and keeps production lines moving efficiently.
- Gentle Product Handling: Prevents product damage with low-pressure or zero-pressure accumulation options.
- Increased Flexibility: Allows for temporary storage during process delays, ensuring seamless operation.
- Adaptable Design: Suitable for a wide range of products, from fragile items to heavy loads.
- Optimized Efficiency: Helps balance production speeds between upstream and downstream processes.
With Span Tech’s accumulating conveyors, you can maximize throughput, minimize downtime, and maintain a steady, controlled product flow—no matter the complexity of your operation.
A selection of accumulation conveyor systems parts options include:
Tube top conveyor chain
Tube Top Roller Conveyor Chain is engineered to optimize your accumulation needs and enhance your production line’s efficiency while protecting the integrity of your products.
Squeeze Stops & Pushers
Tube Top Roller Conveyor Chain is engineered to optimize your accumulation needs and enhance your production line’s efficiency while protecting the integrity of your products.
Accumulation Tables
Accumulation Tables are typically 2 conveyors side by side running in opposite directions with a divert rail at both ends to help accumulate products.
FAQs About Accumulation Conveyor Systems
What is the Difference Between Non-Accumulating and Accumulating Conveyors?
Accumulating conveyors temporarily hold products to create a buffer, ensuring smooth flow and preventing collisions during downstream delays. Non-accumulating conveyors, on the other hand, continuously move products without stopping or creating gaps, making them ideal for processes requiring steady, uninterrupted movement.
How Does a Zero Pressure Accumulation Conveyor Work?
Zero pressure accumulation is achieved by establishing individual product zones, with each zone having a predefined length suitable for one product, pallet, tote, or carton. For belt and chain conveyors, each zone is driven by its own motor and monitored by a photoelectric sensor. When a product stops in one zone, the sensor signals that zone's motor to stop, preventing products from touching while downstream zones continue operating. This intelligent zone control eliminates backpressure and friction, making it ideal for fragile products or mixed product sizes.
What Are the Key Design Considerations for Accumulation Conveyor Systems?
When designing an accumulation conveyor system, several critical factors must be evaluated:
- Product characteristics: Line pressure varies depending on factors such as size, shape, and weight of loads
- Zone length requirements: Zone lengths should not be less than the maximum load length, with typical zones being 24" or 36" long for non-pallet applications
- Accumulation density: The total footage of product over a length of conveyor
- Release modes: Choose between slug, singulation, or cascade release based on downstream process requirements
- Speed calculations: Factor in whether you're using singulation or slug-style release for proper throughput
What's the Difference Between Low Pressure and Zero Pressure Accumulation?
Low pressure (minimum pressure) accumulation conveyors allow products to lightly touch with approximately 2% back pressure of the live load. This method is suited for loads that are consistent in size and weight, offering the highest possible storage density.
In contrast, zero-pressure accumulation conveyors are perfect for conveying materials of different size and weight, as products accumulate without touching each other, completely eliminating back pressure. Zero pressure systems are ideal for fragile items, mixed product sizes, or when product damage is a critical concern.
When Should You Use Accumulation Conveyor Systems?
Accumulation conveyors are essential when:
- Different production stages operate at varying speeds, equipment requires maintenance or experiences temporary stoppages, or product inspection processes create bottlenecks
- Upstream equipment needs to remain operational if downstream equipment is halted, commonly used in order picking or packing operations to create a buffer zone
- Managing varying processing speeds and optimizing workflows by staging products at specific points
- You need to prevent product damage while maintaining high throughput rates
Can Span Tech Accumulation Conveyors Be Customized for Specific Needs?
Yes, Span Tech’s accumulation conveyor systems are customizable. They are designed to be adaptable, allowing them to be tailored to specific operational requirements. This customization can include adjustments in conveyor size, shape, and the specific type of sorting or merging mechanism used, ensuring they fit perfectly into different production environments.
customizable
Span Tech offers tailored solutions to meet specific operational needs, whether for delicate handling or heavy-duty operations.
Durable & Efficient
Span Tech conveyors are engineered for durability, built with high-quality materials to withstand tough environments and reduce maintenance costs. Their robust design ensures long-lasting, reliable performance, maximizing uptime and productivity for any operation.
Partnership
OEMs, Distributors, Integrators and End Users, choose Span Tech for innovative and reliable conveyor solutions tailored to unique needs. Our systems offer seamless integration, durability, and reduced maintenance, maximizing ROI and efficiency.
“It made our life a whole lot simpler and easier” when speaking about EZGUIDE Adjustable Guiderail
SpanTech’s EZGuide rail system has greatly improved change over times on our bottle filling line. We fill a wide range of bottle sizes and styles. The EZGuide system makes it easier and quicker to adjust between larger and smaller containers. One great feature is the lack of protruding rods from the sides of the conveyors. We are looking at installing this rail system on more filling lines in the near future.
I feel like Span Tech offered us more diversity, custom conveyors, especially for the products that we run and how we run them.
The sales and service personnel at Span Tech are always very professional and helpful throughout the entire process, from design phase, quoting, order processing and delivery of equipment. Quality equipment, professional service and knowledgeable personnel are why Arr-Tech’s choice for conveyor systems will always be Span Tech.
Paradise Tomato Kitchen has used Span Tech conveyors for our sanitary food pouch conveying systems for many years. These sanitary conveyors have provided the best cost of ownership, or the lowest net present value, of any processing conveyors we have used in our food manufacturing plants. These conveyors are easy to widen, lengthen or design for curves and angles to convey our flexible pouches between unit operations.
The quality of this product speaks for itself. Where the difference lies is in the quality of the organization. The whole Span Tech organization – Sales, Engineering, Service – works to serve customers’ needs, not just sell conveyors.
