Which conveyor suits bottles, jars, cartons, trays, tubs and pouches?
The right conveyor depends on how the pack is supported, guided and transferred in its real production condition. Use the limiting base, weight, stiffness and surface rather than the product name alone.
Match the conveyor to the pack feature that is hardest to control.
Round bottles and jars often suit guided slat or tabletop chain routes, stable cartons and trays often suit continuous belts, and flexible pouches need close support through every transfer. Tall or unstable packs may need carefully positioned guides, controlled acceleration and reduced transfer gaps. The same line can use more than one conveyor where the pack condition changes between processing stages.
Pack-format selection matrix
| Pack format | Main handling risk | Useful starting route | Trial evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round bottles and jars | Tipping, rotation, back pressure and guide contact. | Slat/tabletop chain, belt or controlled accumulation according to duty. | Empty and filled samples through curves, transfers and blocked restart. |
| Oval or rectangular bottles | Unwanted rotation and corner contact. | Controlled belt or slat route with defined datum guides. | All realistic arrival orientations and closure projections. |
| Cartons and cases | Skew, flap damage, poor metering and side transfer. | Continuous belt or suitable powered handling route. | Smallest, largest, lightest and least rigid cartons. |
| Rigid trays, tubs and pots | Base support, lid security and edge catching. | Continuous belt or broad modular support. | Filled packs through the smallest transfer and stop/restart. |
| Pouches and sachets | Sagging, seal catching, inconsistent fill distribution and overlap. | Close-support belt route with controlled spacing. | Least-filled, most flexible and largest-seal samples. |
| Tall or narrow-base packs | Centre-of-gravity movement during acceleration, curves and stops. | Stable base support with guides positioned from product trials. | Worst filled condition through every dynamic state. |
Questions that reveal the limiting product condition
The answers below help define the sample set and transfer tests needed before a conveyor route is confirmed.
How does the product base change the conveyor choice?
The base determines how much support the pack receives and whether it can bridge a gap, rock on a rail or catch on a transition. Record the actual load-bearing area, recesses, feet, seams and flexibility. A nominal outside diameter is not enough when only part of the base contacts the conveyor.
Why are flexible pouches difficult to transfer?
A pouch changes shape with fill level, product distribution and orientation. Its seal can catch, the body can sag into a gap and neighbouring packs can overlap. The transfer must support the weakest production condition, while spacing and guides must avoid trapping the film. Test real filled packs rather than empty sample bags.
What should be tested on labelled or decorated packs?
Test permitted guide contact, accumulation duration, transfer impact, belt contamination and repeated route cycles. Inspect label edges, print, sleeves, lacquer and closure orientation after the agreed duty. Unlabelled development samples can prove geometry but cannot prove final presentation quality.
Use more than one sample when different formats create different risks.
The smallest pack may control the transfer gap, the tallest may control stability, the heaviest may control structure and drive selection, and the softest may control side-grip or guide contact. Keep those roles visible in the product schedule so a successful test with one sample is not treated as proof for the complete range.
Use the bottle conveyor guidance, pouch and sachet handling page, carton conveyor page and sample-trial guide for the next level of detail.
Send the limiting products, line duty and interface evidence.
Include representative samples, required good output, measured layout and the operating condition that the conveyor must prove.