Papermaking was first practised in China where they made use of rags, grasses, and hemp as the raw material. They then had to use stone mortars to beat the material to separate the original fibre. Later on, papermaking machines came into existence, and more sophisticated methods were used to pulp the wood. It is these changes that brought about the invention and use of conveyors in the pulp and paper manufacturing processes.
What is a Conveyor System?
This is an automated way of moving something from one place to the other. It uses a mechanical force through belts and pulleys. This means that it doesn’t require any human labor to deliver high-performance levels. In the pulp and paper industry, industrial conveyors are used in transporting paper rolls from one area to the other.
The pulp is usually processed in big mills in the fibre harvest areas. Mostly, these mills also manufacture papers used for newsprint, tissue paper, printing, and paperboards. These paper rolls get transported by lamella conveyors. Such a conveyor has dual chains and ordinary rollers that come with bearings. These thin plate-like conveyors come in two types; those used to move rolls of paper on the sides and the others that carry standing rolls.
The lamella conveyor usually needs minimal maintenance, making it very reliable and efficient. It should be able to carry heavy loads. However, this leads to friction when the chains get started. Due to this rubbing of the chains, a force from the wheel exerts force to the beams, especially those in simple rollers.
The industry will only feel the importance of conveyors when they become defective. However, if such a case happens, it is not simple to just replace the chain with some other system. This means that the conveyor will not be functional as maintenance goes on. If the conveyor is not working, this means more problems and extra costs to the industry.
The pulp and paper industry uses belt conveyors. They are normally known as conveyor belts and are the most popular systems. These usually work across flat spaces. However, they can be designed to the slope. They use dual or multiple pulley systems to help them rotate a belt endlessly. The load is normally placed on one end, and the belt conveys it to the other end. If the belt is rotated in a faster mode, the system increases its speed.
Benefits of Conveyors
Conveyors come with numerous benefits like:
- They offer an efficient means of carrying loads without having to rely on inefficient human and animal labor
- They don’t require extensive maintenance, yet they yield good returns
- These systems are very customisable and can be used to move just anything in any condition or setting
- They can also be used outdoors in some industries like agriculture and building
