Is Buying A Used Conveyor System Ever A Good Idea? An Expert View

April 26, 2022

Conveyors are growing in popularity and are being widely used. The market for conveyors is projected to reach $10.07 billion by 2025 and grow at a 4.5% CAGR over the forecast period 2020-2025. In the civil and commercial sectors, businesses are fast increasing the adoption of conveyors at places like stadiums, airports, restaurants, and shopping centers.

Conveyors are especially prevalent in the packaging and manufacturing industries and production plants. With the demand going up for these products, the systems excel at permitting businesses to meet consumer demand and, for that reason, are required in the manufacturing process more than ever.

Nowadays, due to the abundance of used and spare conveyor systems available. Many firms are opting to invest in used conveyor systems . Used conveyor systems are half the price of new conveyor systems. They are an economical way of enhancing productivity in picking operations and transportation in practically any warehouse facility.

Conveyor belt for consumer products

What is a Conveyor System?

A conveyor system is a cluster of mechanical components that tangibly move materials, raw goods, and products from one place to another, typically in the same building or area. They can be found in many applications, including freight handling, warehousing, industrial processing plants, and other movement processes.

Production processes usually call for a series of specific operations. To optimize efficiency through repetitive tasks, novel technologies constantly keep up with the manufacturing demands. A conveyor system is convenient for businesses that deal with raw materials, sharp items, heavy goods, and mass-produced products.

Conveyor systems and conveyor belts are some of the most fundamental types of equipment found in assembly lines. They allow for the fast and efficient transportation of businesses’ products and materials and can move bulky items such as vehicles down an assembly line, making them extremely popular in the packaging, materials handling, and manufacturing industries. However, this isn’t their only use.

Conveyors are also prevalent in consumer applications for people and food transportation, such as sushi restaurants, airports, supermarkets, and shopping centers. Besides transporting bulky items, they’re also beneficial for moving people and small plates more swiftly and efficiently.

It is convenient to use a conveyor system in the airport if you are going between terminals and running late for the flight.

The most prevalent types of conveyors comprise a belt and a revolving component such as a sprocket, roller, or motorized rotor. The product or material that requires motion goes on the belt’s top.

The spinning motion of the rollers enables the belt to move along constantly. These revolving components can steer the belt in the case of motorized rotors or enable free movement for gravity-driven conveyors. The entire system efficiently transports goods across an area.

Examples of Conveyor Systems

Different kinds of conveyors can suit a vast array of industrial applications. Companies might find some conveyor types to be better than others. Range and rate of improvement, load capacity, and distance between points are a few factors to take into consideration during the design stages. Here are a few examples of types of conveyor systems:

Belt

Belt conveyors comprise a belt typically made from plastic, rubber, fabric, leather, or metal. These conveyors are responsible for moving the materials horizontally, or at a sloping angle, by resting upon the surface of the belt. The system works by arranging the belt to create a continuous loop, which stretches out with 2 pulleys joint at both ends.

Roller

Roller systems operate by bringing parallel rollers together into a frame. Rollers can rotate freely to enable material on them to move across. Conveyors can be organized to either a curved or a straight path, based on the required motion.

These are typically used for assembly lines or baggage handling, with materials driven either by being manually pushed through the course or by gravity.

Powered Roller

Power roller conveyor systems are a variation of a roller conveyor system, where the rollers are driven by a chain or a belt. Instead of pushing materials along the conveyor, a motor-powered system of chains or belts conveys the materials.

Slat

Slat conveyors work the same way as belt conveyors, except that the load is placed on top of plates attached to rollers and not a belt. This allows for carrying materials that would’ve caused damage to the standard type of belts. Other factors like environmental conditions are also valuable considerations to opt for slat conveyors over belt conveyors.

Bucket

A bucket conveyor is mainly used to move goods and materials vertically. A sequence of buckets is attached to a belt, chain, or cable that regulates the movement of the material being carried. Due to the carrying container’s shape, this conveyor design is prevalent for carrying bulky items such as loose solids or liquids.

Why Should You Consider Buying a Used Conveyor System?

Conveyor belt systems are organized in ribbons across the advanced world, adding hundreds of thousands of miles of the runway for goods, products, and materials to flow daily. With so many conveyors in operation and used in the past, it is no wonder there is an abundance of used and spare systems out there.

Purchasing a used conveyor system can be utterly confusing. It’s understood that buying used industrial equipment may often be concerning. However, good quality used or surplus conveyor systems are proven to be economically beneficial and highly efficient compared to new conveyor systems.

Industries such as mechanical, material handling, automation, etc., use conveyors in assembly and manufacturing units. Hence, buying a used conveyor system is an excellent option for many companies.

Used conveyor systems costs are cheaper. They are also a perfect way of boosting efficiency and productivity in warehouse facilities regarding transportation and picking operations.

If you're hesitant about buying a used conveyor system, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive article aims to enlighten you and help you understand what you will be investing in and why you should consider buying a used conveyor system.

Price

Without a doubt, the primary reason anyone purchases a used good or product is because they expect it to be of a lower price, and the conveyor industry isn’t an exception.

If you browse the Internet for used conveyors for sale near me , you will come across plenty of second-hand conveyor systems available for your business that are considerably cheaper than the latest models.

If you are the kind of business that wants to handle cash smartly and be careful regarding the amount you invest in getting your company off the ground, then a used conveyor system might be what you need. Moreover, it may even be the correct price point for investing your money.

Reliable

There's something to be said for the conveyor belt as a dauntless and reliable operator. Buying used electrical items online in the consumer market might seem like a recipe for disaster. The mechanism of prevalent digital goods, or smartphone battery life, doesn’t take long to deteriorate.

However, this isn’t the case with conveyor technology. The unique selling point (USP) of these products is that they are incredibly durable and hard to break. They are designed to allow them to withstand years of continuous rolling in warehouse and factory conditions. As such, a used conveyor is not likely to cause you any issues regarding durability and reliability.

Cost Calculation

Even a brand new conveyor belt can save businesses some cash over time. However, a used conveyor, which is considerably cheaper than a new one, can save you more money within the initial month or two of its running.

Sit down and do the math yourself, ensuring you are offsetting your investment against the saved volume that your production is likely to increase by and the hours of work you will save. This is a definite way to convince yourself that investing in a used conveyor belt is the ultimate way to go for your business.

Easy installation

If you opt to purchase a used conveyor system from a reputable marketplace or online site, you can enjoy the many benefits of their team helping you install your conveyor. They can help you look at how you can maintain your used conveyor to get optimal use out of it, which is considerably cheaper than the brand new product you’ll find in the market.

This means you won’t have to be concerned about any immediate concerns with purchasing and using a used conveyor, and your mind can be at ease that your investment will go the distance you hoped for your business.

Which Used Conveyor System Will Be a Good Choice?

Belt conveyor systems have been around for quite a while now. These systems are mainly used to carry raw materials and finished goods, racking and shipping, and automate processing. As we mentioned before, belt conveyor systems feature two or more pulleys associated with a continuous belt in motion.

Belt systems are vastly sold online, making it easy to find used belt conveyor systems in various online stores. As with any industrial equipment, investing in new conveyor systems does have its own benefits, but used ones are just as good.

Benefits of Choosing Used Belt Conveyors

Here are 3 benefits stating why used belt conveyor systems will be a good choice for your company for conveying applications.

Best Value for Money

A used belt conveyor system will allow your company to get the best value for money. After all, there is no harm in availing the used belt conveyor systems at half the prices of the new ones and still enjoying the same perks.

Vast Range of Used Belt Conveyors Available for Buying

In the present day, it’s so easy and convenient to find all popular varieties of belt conveyors on the Internet. Waiting for the latest machine can often be time-consuming while buying used belt conveyors can be super easy. You may come across these types of used belt conveyors online:

Modular Belt Conveyors

A modular belt conveyor features a belt comprising interlocked segments, usually made from hard plastic. A used modular conveyor system can be beneficial for most businesses.

Flat Belt Conveyors

A flat belt conveyor system features a flat belt composed of synthetic or natural fabrics. The belts are usually made from polyester, nylon, and other materials. Products positioned on the belt’s top are carried to the system’s other end via powered pulleys.

Curved Belt Conveyors

The conveyors include a curved frame that helps transport raw materials and finished goods around the corners.

Cleated Belt Conveyors

The belt conveyors include cleats or barriers that are lined alongside the width of the belt.

Decline and Incline Belt Conveyors

Incline/Decline conveyors are the best solution for carrying materials up and down. The incline conveyor uses cleated or textured belts to carry the products. These belts help in protecting the materials from falling. The choice of belts depends on 2 factors – the angle of conveyance and the type of material to be carried.

Wire Mesh Conveyors

This conveyor system is ideal for aggressive parts or high-temperature parts.

Roller Top Belts and Chains

This type of conveyor system is excellent for carrying delicate parts.

Metal Nub Top Belting

These conveyors are deployed for transporting specialty machines and other top machine parts.

Enables Better Cash Flow Management

You might buy a new conveyor system via cash or finance it via a loan. But most people do not think about the impact created by the investment in other business areas.

The minimum purchase price of a used conveyor signifies that you can manage your cash flows efficiently due to less pressure to make the payment. Besides, the finances can be utilized for other investments too.

FAQS about Used Conveyor Systems

The importance of conveyors has significantly owed to the adoption of automation in industrial systems. When purchasing used conveyor systems, multiple factors need to be considered. It ultimately leads to many questions from the buyer’s end. This next section views some of the most frequently asked questions for used conveyor systems.

How much money can be saved on a used conveyor system?

In general, you can expect to get a cost reduction of up to 30-40% on buying a used or surplus conveyor compared to when you buy a new conveyor. Still, the cost of a surplus or used conveyor may vary according to the delivery and supplier requirements.

Does the maximum load-carrying capacity of used conveyor systems remain the same as new?

The conveyor’s maximum load-carrying capacity tends to stay the same throughout its lifecycle. The conveyors are specifically designed such that they have a calculated load-carrying capacity against the intended lifecycle.

Thus, a used conveyor system is expected to have nearly the same load-carrying capacity as a new one. However, you might expect a slight deflection in the load-carrying capacity, primarily due to operational losses.

Can I customize a used conveyor belt system?

Indeed, used belt conveyor systems can be tailored according to specific applications. The components, such as pulleys, motors, etc., can be altered based on the user’s customization requirements. Parameters such as roller support, belt inclinations, etc., can be dealt with based on the operational requirements.

Will the carbon footprint reduce if I opt for a used or surplus conveyor system?

Reducing carbon footprint is just an additional plus point of using a used or surplus conveyor system. It aids the user in minimizing their individual carbon footprint. As the industrial equipment is being reused, it does minimize carbon footprint during operation if you follow all the operational requirements correctly.

On the manufacturer’s end, it’s helpful as a reduction in the need for engineering new conveyors reduces industrial procedures, which minimizes the carbon footprint.

How do I select the right used conveyor for my applications?

The process of selecting a surplus or used conveyor system is practically the same as choosing a new conveyor. You must consider the following factors:

  • Power requirements
  • Load carrying capacity
  • Tolerance to external factors such as chemicals, oil, rusting, etc.
  • Overall efficiency and performance parameters
  • Maximum operation speed
  • Belt and pulley dimensions
  • Tension in belt

Will I get installation and maintenance services for used conveyors?

Whether surplus or new, conveyor systems call for appropriate installation and maintenance. As they are continuously operational industrial units, they require occasional maintenance and troubleshooting, which the supplier provides.

Besides, the installation of conveyor systems requires calculated adjustments and skilled labor. Hence, the supplier often provides the installation service.

How to Ensure the Performance and Quality of a Used/Surplus Conveyor System

To ensure the quality of surplus or used conveyor systems, you must ask for the testing and inspection reports and a performance data sheet from the supplier while sourcing the equipment.

A prominent and reputable supplier will offer used or surplus conveyor systems only after they have been tested for power requirements, performance efficiency, and other operational specifications.

Conclusion

So now, you might be convinced that buying a used conveyor system doesn’t seem like such a bad idea at all. Used conveyors cost you significantly less than new ones. Moreover, a used industrial equipment’s cost reduces without much reduction in its efficiency.

On top of that, a used conveyor system is readily available. Unlike new conveyor systems, used ones don’t require production time, which may ultimately lead to time reduction in the delivery of final goods.

Lastly, the performance of used conveyor systems has already been tested by the previous owner/user. Hence, the functional parameters and data recorded by the initial user give you an accurate idea about how the used conveyor system works.

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