Start with the pack
Measure the base, height, filled weight, fragility and whether the pack is stable when pushed or stopped.
Buying guide
How to choose a packaging conveyor.
The right conveyor is selected by understanding the product first, then the line. The pack base, height, weight, speed, transfer points and connected machines matter more than a generic length and width.
Layout planningUK supportLine integrationQuote checklist
Step-by-step
Use the checklist before requesting pricing.
The right conveyor is selected by understanding the product first, then the line. The pack base, height, weight, speed, transfer points and connected machines matter more than a generic length and width.
Confirm the line position
Define whether the conveyor is feeding a machine, removing product, buffering, elevating or changing direction.
Choose the surface
Compare belt, slat chain, modular belt, grip belt or roller options against the product and cleaning need.
Plan transfers
Check heights, dead plates, nose bars, guide rails and sensor positions before the layout is finalised.
Allow for accumulation
Calculate whether short stoppages require a buffer zone or rotary table.
Design for operators
Leave room for cleaning, maintenance, format changeover, loading and safe access.
Next step
Turn the guide into a better quote enquiry.
Once the details are ready, send pack photos, dimensions, output target and layout information so the conveyor type and integration route can be reviewed.
Useful links
- Compare conveyor systems
- View conveyor applications
- Request conveyor advice
- Plan installation and integration
FAQ
Common questions
Clear answers for choosing conveyor options, planning a line layout and preparing quote details.
What is the first thing to check?
Start with the product and pack. If the pack is unstable, fragile, wet, tall or awkward, the conveyor route must account for that before speed and length are discussed.
Should I buy the cheapest conveyor?
Price matters, but a cheaper conveyor can become expensive if transfers, guide rails, access or integration are wrong.
Start your conveyor enquiry
Get a conveyor quote
Send the pack details, target output and available line space.
Send your product details, line speed and available space to get advice on the conveyor route that fits your packaging line.
Selection method
Choose the conveyor through product, process, layout and acceptance evidence.
A useful conveyor selection process narrows the technology only after the product and line duty are defined. Start with the least stable pack, map every transfer and machine state, compare the conveyor routes, and record what must be demonstrated before acceptance. This produces a shortlist that can be priced and tested consistently.
Avoid selecting from nominal speed or a single product photograph. Speed, width and construction are outputs of the application review. The chosen conveyor must support the product, fit the installed envelope, interface with neighbouring machines, allow cleaning and maintenance, and behave predictably during stops and restart.
Step 1: identify the limiting product and operating condition.
List every format, then identify the smallest base, tallest centre of gravity, highest load, lowest wall stiffness, most sensitive surface and most difficult closure or projection. Include empty and filled states where both occur. Record whether products are dry, wet, dusty, warm, cold or externally contaminated in normal production.
The limiting sample can differ by test. The tallest bottle may drive curve stability, the softest bottle may drive side-grip suitability, the smallest pouch may drive transfer support and the heaviest container may drive structural and motor selection. Keep all relevant samples in the trial set.
Step 2: map the process and failure states.
Draw the route from the upstream machine to the downstream machine and record working heights, direction, product pitch, required orientation, transfer gaps and access. Then add abnormal states: starved infeed, blocked outfeed, reject, replenishment stop, emergency stop and restart. This reveals whether the line needs accumulation, metering, speed control or another handling method.
For broad powered handling, roller or warehouse applications, compare Powered Conveyors UK. For a complete line including multiple packaging processes, use Packaging Lines UK.
Step 3: compare technology against evidence.
A belt conveyor is a strong starting point for full-base support. Slat or tabletop chain is often suited to guided bottle and jar routes. Side grip can expose the base or support a suitable container through a level change. Inclines and curves solve route geometry only when the product remains stable. Rotary and accumulation systems address a defined buffer or collection duty.
Use the table as a decision record, then visit the detailed pages for belt, slat chain, incline, curved and accumulation conveyors.
Conveyor selection comparison
| Route | Strength | Practical limitation to test | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belt conveyor | Continuous base support and flexible straight transfer duty. | Tracking, gap support, grip, cleaning and small-product transfer. | Product base, load, belt-contact and interface trial. |
| Slat/tabletop chain | Guided bottle and jar routes, including suitable curves. | Back pressure, guide contact, noise, wear and transfer plates. | Empty/filled containers through curves and blocked restart. |
| Side-grip conveyor | Base access or controlled side support for suitable containers. | Wall stiffness, marking, grip force and entry/exit stability. | Complete container sidewall and decoration trial. |
| Incline conveyor | Moves product between working heights. | Sliding, rollback, cleat fit and transitions. | Least stable loaded product through stop and restart. |
| Curved conveyor | Changes line direction within the footprint. | Radius, orientation, guide load and access. | Product envelope and repeated-speed trial. |
| Accumulation or rotary buffer | Absorbs a defined short interruption or collection duty. | Usable capacity, contact pressure, full response and release. | Timed stop, full buffer and recovery test. |
Failure modes and acceptance
Turn known risks into a product trial and acceptance record.
Typical failure modes include tipping at a height step, catching on a transfer plate, skewing on a belt, rotating in a curve, bridging at a guide change, double-feeding an inspection machine, scuffing during accumulation and failing to restart after a block. Each relevant risk should have a test condition and an observable acceptance result.
A useful acceptance plan states the product references, product condition, line rate, run duration or cycle count, start and stop sequence, blocked condition, changeover and inspection criteria. It also records the machine settings and any agreed limitations. Avoid a vague requirement to “run at full speed” without defining good output and the connected line state.
After selection, complete the quote checklist and layout checklist so every bidder uses the same duty.
Engineering questions
Questions to resolve before the conveyor is released
These answers define the evidence needed for a reliable specification and quotation.
Should conveyor type be chosen before a site survey?
A preliminary shortlist can be made from product and process data, but the installed route, heights, access and interfaces should be surveyed before the final design is released.
What is the most important product sample?
There is rarely one. Use the sample that creates the worst case for each design question: stability, load, transfer, guide contact, cleaning or sensing.
How do I compare two different conveyor proposals?
Issue the same duty and acceptance plan, then compare support method, transfers, controls, cleaning, access, scope, exclusions and evidence. Do not compare only length, speed and price.
When should another technology be considered?
When the preferred conveyor cannot support the pack, control the required orientation, fit the safe route, meet cleaning access or prove the stop/restart duty. Ask the supplier to explain the technical consequence of the alternative.
What makes a conveyor trial representative?
It uses the limiting production samples, relevant environment, agreed speed and pitch, actual or simulated interfaces, and the normal and abnormal states that the line will encounter.
Selection evidence path
Use trials, spacing checks and interface records to close the assumptions in the shortlist.
A shortlist is not complete until the limiting product and the difficult line states have been tested or clearly identified as outstanding.
Match each uncertainty to a specific proof method.
Use a sample trial for support, guide contact and transfer behaviour. Use a speed and spacing review where coding, inspection, weighing or machine timing depends on pitch. Use a controls schedule for blocked, fault and restart states, and a guarding review where access or machine boundaries are unclear.
The chosen route should state both what was demonstrated and what remains conditional on the final design or installed line. That record prevents later format or layout changes from being treated as automatically covered.
Continue with the sample-trial guide, speed and spacing guide and FAT/SAT checklist.