Conveyor belt in pharma industries

Conveyor belts are used in the Pharma industry for conveying items of varying sizes from one location to another (machine, area, or department). Mainly used in the packaging department, they provide an effective way for the pharma industry to move items of varying sizes without using machinery or humans.

Without a conveying system, it is impossible to carry out routine operations in relevant departments such as packaging, manufacturing, and warehousing. They help maintain a steady stream of operations by helping in a smooth product flow, and pharma personnel are relieved of transferring items from machine to machine and from department to department.

What is a conveyor belt?

A conveyor belt is stretched across two ends of a mechanical frame. Driven by a driver, it rotates linearly from one end to another. At the two ends of the belts, pulleys are installed. One pulley installed at one end is the primary driver and gets power from the motor. Another pulley installed at the other end is powerless and supports the belt's rotation and moves by the force of the belt.

The belt is wrapped around these pulleys that hold the belt and tighten it with appropriate force. Because if the belt loses with this pulley, there will be difficulty in rotating the belt, and it will fail to achieve its function.

The pulley–belt mechanism rests on a mechanical frame, supporting the entire belt. A conveyor belt also consists of support rollers installed at various locations on the conveyor beneath the belt. Their primary function is to support the belt across the length.

Commonly, belts are constructed to move in a straight direction. However, for some applications, it can move in various formats, such as zig-zag or an inclined manner.

The conveyor belt's speed can be increased or decreased according to the process requirement, and it is done by changing the speed of the motor. If the speed of the motor is increased, the speed of the conveyor also increases. Similarly, if the speed of the motor is decreased, the speed of the conveyor also decreases.

Like other industries, in pharma, there are two configurations of conveyor belts – with machine and standalone.

In conveyors with machine configuration, the conveyor belt is attached to the machine and becomes part of it, and it will move with the machine. In this configuration, the conveyor is used to transfer objects or items between different sections and stages of equipment. The conveyor cannot be independently controlled and can only be controlled by the machine's control panel, like other machine functions.

For example, in blister packing machines, small conveyors are attached to the machine to transfer the item from the cutter station to the outfeed station.

In a standalone configuration, the conveyor belt is not attached to any machine and can be used at different locations as per the requirement, independently of the machine. Additionally, the conveyor is separately controlled from the machine, and its operational parameters are not linked to machine parameters.

For example, conveyor belts transfer containers from the blower machine to the filling machine.

Applications of conveyor belt in Pharma industry

Let's discuss some common applications of conveyor belt in Pharma history.

Packaging department

The most common use of conveyor belts in the pharma industry is the packaging department. The conveyor belt transfers pharma items such as sachets, catch covers, small cartons, and containers between machines. It enables Pharma organizations to safely transfer various items between different machines or areas.

Conveyor belts are also used to Transfer packaging material, such as catch cover, into the machine so that Pharma products can be packed. Secondly, the conveyor is also used to transfer filled containers to the next stage for further processing.

Filling area

In the filling area, conveyors transfer empty containers for preprocessing before filling or, in some cases, directly for filling operations. Conveyors are also used to transfer filled containers for the next stage, such as final packaging.

For example, in ampoule/vial filling, they are used to transfer ampoule/vial into the filling machine and, similarly, fill ampoule/vial to the output station for further processing.

Transferring cabs into hoppers

In some cases, conveyor belts are also used to transfer caps into hoppers of the filling machine. For this purpose, the conveyor belt is constructed in an elevated design because hoppers are usually positioned at height in the machine due to product design flow.

The conveyor for this application requires special design requirements because, for elevated hoppers, there are chances that the caps can tumble or fall from the conveyor. For this reason, it requires protection to prevent them from falling, which is provided in the inclined conveyors and discussed in this article's coming sections.

Parts of conveyor belt

Let's discuss some basic parts of a conveyor belt

Belt

The belt is the most common and known part of a conveyor belt. It consists of multiple layers of material wrapped together to form the basic structure of the belt.

The belt is constructed flexibly so that it can easily be stretched across the length of the conveyor and wrapped around the pulley. Moreover, it also helps to absorb shocks and jerks during the belt rotation.

For pharma applications, the belt must be made in a way that does not contaminate the environment. It usually occurs if the material of the belt construction is not of high standard, and its tiny pieces leave the belt and become airborne. Additionally, the belt must not contaminate the product on it.

Pulleys

Pulleys in the conveyor belt are used to control its motion. Pulleys are installed on each side of the conveyor belt. One of these pulleys gets the power to rotate, which is then used to rotate the belt wrapped around it.

Another pulley, installed at the other end, remains idle, i.e., does not get power. It only supports the belt at another end of the stretched belt across the length of the conveyor.

Mechanical frame and structure

The mechanical frame and structure hold all the components together, including the belt, pulleys, roller, and other parts. It supports and holds the entire structure on the ground or another surface. The height of the mechanical structure can also be adjusted according to the requirements of the area or the attached machinery.

Belt tension

Belt tension is used to tighten the belt against the pulley so that the belt does not slip off the pulley. For optimum performance, it must be held appropriately. Because if the belt tension is too high, it will exert extra force against the belt and prevent it from rotating. On the other hand, if the belt tension is too loose, the pulley will slip at the point of contact with the belt, and the belt will not move or slowly move.

Rollers

Rollers are elongated cylinders installed at various locations on a conveyor belt to support the belt. They are moved by the force of the belt or gravity and prevent the belt from touching or scratching against the conveyor's mechanical frame.

Motor

The motor is used to drive the pulley, which rotates the belt. It is connected to the pulley through a belt and exerts force on the pulley. The motor can be rotated at various speeds, which also changes the speed of the environment.

Types of conveyor belt

Various conveyor belts are used in the manufacturing industry, including the pharmaceutical. The selection of these belts depends on two basic factors

·        The items being transferred, and

·        The infeed and outfeed location.

Let’s look at some common types of conveyors.

Flat Bed Conveyor

As the name suggests, these types have flat belt structures and increased width. It is used in applications where items to be transferred have a larger width and require a longer distance to transfer. The flat structure enables enhanced grip and protection for the items.

Rollers bed conveyors

Roller bed conveyors use a roller at the bed surface to support the moving belt. Its advantage is that it reduces the pressure on the belt from the frame. It helps to achieve speeds with less force, ensuring efficient movement and smooth product flow.

Since roller bed conveyors face less friction, they can quickly move heavy objects with minimum drive ( motor )power requirements.

Modular bed conveyor

The modular bed conveyor comprises a plastic or stainless steel belt with a delicate mesh pattern.

They are mainly used to convey bulky materials that require stable handling.

Incline/decline belt

Incline/decline belts are constructed in an inclined manner. Rather than transporting items horizontally, these conveyor belts transfer items at different levels.

An inclined belt is used to move items at an upward level, while a decline conveyor belt is used to move items downwards. The inclined /declined angle can be adjusted for a given application or process. This conveyor is also installed with safety devices such as buckets or cleats to prevent the item from falling off the belt.

Curved belts

As the name suggests, they transfer items at the curved location. These bells have curved mechanical structure that facilitates curved-angle rotation.

About the Author

Muhammad Asim Niazi has a vast experience of about 11 years in a Pharmaceutical company. During his tenure he worked in their different departments and had been part of many initiatives within the company. He now uses his experience and skill to write interested content for audiences at PharmaSources.com.