Map the contact zone
Mark the areas that may be touched and the surfaces, labels or closures that must remain clear.
Side-grip conveyors UK
Side-grip conveyors for controlled bottle handling.
Side-grip conveyors support suitable containers at the sides so the base can remain accessible for coding or inspection, or the product can be controlled through a level change. Suitability depends on the real container, contact zone and transfer duty.
Selection boundary
Use side contact only where the container can tolerate and repeat it.
A side-grip section uses controlled contact on opposing sides of the product. The contact surfaces, pressure, height and length are project decisions. The container must remain stable without permanent marking, distortion, rotation or closure interference.
Review the side wall in every production state. An empty plastic bottle can flex differently from a filled one, while a label, sleeve, pump or trigger may remove the most obvious guide position. Tapered containers can move vertically as the grip changes, and a small difference in moulding or label placement can affect repeatability.
Define the open base
Record the coding, inspection, cleaning or transfer access required below the product.
Prove the transitions
Test the product as it enters, is supported and returns to the next conveyor or machine.
Repeat line states
Check normal flow, blocked discharge, stop, restart and the least-stable format.
Side-grip suitability schedule
| Product or process factor | Evidence to provide | Decision it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Container side wall | Material, shape, stiffness, moulding variation and representative samples. | Contact surface, pressure, height and usable grip length. |
| Label or decoration | Finished packs and zones that may not be rubbed or compressed. | Permitted contact area and whether another handling route is preferable. |
| Closure profile | Cap, pump, trigger or neck details at tolerance extremes. | Overhead clearance and prevention of closure contact. |
| Base access | Exact code, camera, sensor or process area and required working distance. | Open section length, product pitch and equipment mounting envelope. |
| Level change | Entry and discharge heights, available footprint and product centre of gravity. | Grip length, transition geometry and trial conditions. |
| Line sequence | Rate, pitch, connected machines, stop location and restart order. | Speed relationship, detection, interlocks and accumulation strategy. |
Transfers and controls
Treat the gripped section and both adjoining transfers as one interface.
A product can be stable between the side-contact surfaces but fail at entry or release. Record the support available before grip is established, the point at which the base becomes open and the way the product is returned to base support. Close-spaced products must not collide while one is gripped and the next is still on the infeed.
Product detection should use a target that remains consistent across formats. Define what happens when the downstream machine is blocked, whether products may stop in the gripped section and how they are released after reset. The controls schedule should cover ready, run, blocked, fault, emergency-stop and restart states.
Where only standard base support is required, compare belt conveyors or slat-chain conveyors. Use the coding and inspection integration page when the open-base duty is part of a verified print or inspection process.
Project release
Confirm cleaning, changeover, maintenance and guarding before the route is fixed.
Operators may need to adjust both sides of the conveyor for format change. The design should provide repeatable settings and prevent one side being moved without the other where that would misalign the product. Cleaning access should include the contact surfaces, returns, guides and the open-base equipment below.
Moving contact surfaces, drives, transfers and access openings require a competent risk assessment and coordinated guarding. The safety solution depends on the final machinery assembly and must not be inferred from a generic page.
Side-grip conveyors UK
Common buyer questions
Use these answers to prepare the next technical decision or enquiry.
What is a side-grip conveyor used for?
It can hold a suitable container at its sides where base access, controlled support or a level transition is required. The exact duty and contact method must be proven with the real product.
Can every bottle be handled by side grip?
No. Flexible, tapered, decorated, unstable or easily marked containers may not provide a suitable contact zone. Product trials are required.
Can side-grip conveyors expose the base for coding?
They can be considered where the sides can be held reliably and the base needs to pass an unobstructed coding or inspection point. The transfer, pitch and code area must be tested.
What information is needed for a quotation?
Provide container samples, dimensions, filled weight, side-contact restrictions, required base access, line rate, working heights, layout and connected-machine details.
How should the infeed and outfeed be tested?
Test entry, controlled grip, release and the adjoining transfer at normal pitch, during stop and restart, and with every limiting container format.
Does this page confirm a particular conveyor specification?
No. It explains selection and project evidence. The final geometry, contact method, speed, drive, controls and guarding depend on the actual duty and design.
Start your conveyor enquiry
Get a conveyor quoteSend the product range, line duty and available layout.
Include representative samples, the required good output, machine interfaces and any cleaning, access or guarding constraints so Lancing can review the conveyor duty.