English (UK) 
简体中文 You see, a factory wanting to change its products is like a restaurant wanting to change its menu - you can't redecorate the kitchen for every new dish, can you?The core value of a flexible manufacturing system is that it allows production lines to be reconfigured as freely as Lego blocks.The tooling conveyor is the track system that connects these "building blocks" in series. Choose the wrong model? Light is jammed downtime, heavy is ten million investment in vain. Let's talk in plain language today: how to avoid the pit, spend money on the knife edge?
First, the three golden rules for selecting the line of work: material, process, environment
1. Look at the characteristics of the material: shape and weight determine the conveying method.
Simply put, "what goods go what way":
- small cargo(mobile phone cases, electronic components) →Belt type / Roller type
Reason: the belt is soft and anti-scratch, the rollers have little friction and are suitable for regular shaped items. - heavy object(automobile engines, moulds) →Chain/Heavy Duty Roller
Reason: The chain can carry more than 500kg, the roller is strong in load bearing, not afraid of pressure deformation. - fragile material(glass bottles, chips) →Flexible chainplates with buffer
Case: An optical factory uses polyurethane belts to convey lenses, and the breakage rate drops straight down by 60%.
2. Look at the process: the layout determines the conveyor route
The production line is not a building block, and the design of the moving line directly determines the efficiency:
- simple assembly line(up to 10 workstations) →Straight Conveyor Line
Advantages: low cost, easy to maintain, suitable for small-scale production. - multiprocess cycle(e.g., spraying, testing) →Ring/Closed Loop Conveyor Lines
Highlight: Self-caching function to avoid process blockage. - Complex mixed-line production(mixed production of multiple models in automobile factories) →AGV trolley + track switching
Data: AGV route change response speed is 80% faster than conventional lines, and the time for production changeover in automotive factories has shrunk from 3 days to 4 hours.
3. Look at the working environment: special equipment for extreme conditions
Don't underestimate the environment, it can scrap a high end line:
- Food and Pharmaceutical Workshop→Stainless steel mesh belt line + 3° slope drainage
Reason: corrosion resistance, no hygienic dead space, direct rinsing by high pressure water gun. - Electronic clean room→Anti-static rollers + Class 10,000 clean room
Measurement: The electrostatic voltage is pressed from 1000V to 50V, and the chip yield is increased by 12%. - hot shop(e.g. foundries) →Temperature resistant chain plates (350°C+)
Lesson: A factory used a regular belt and it coked and broke in 3 months.
Second, four types of mainstream work line comparison: who is your real man?
| typology | Applicable Scenarios | carrying capacity | Cost per metre | maintenance difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| belt-based | Small and light items, food packaging | 50kg | ¥800-2000 | ⭐☆ (just change the belt) |
| cylindrical | Boxes/pallets, products with scratch-resistant surfaces | 300kg | ¥1500-3000 | ⭐⭐（轴承易卡灰） |
| chained | Heavy workpieces, car chassis | 2 tonnes + | ¥3000-6000 | ⭐⭐⭐（需定期紧链条） |
| AGV trolley | Multi-species mixed production and constant change in layout | 1 tonne | ¥80,000+/unit | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (complex software debugging) |
Ask yourself: Why do car manufacturers favour multiplier chains?
The secret is in thePhysical growth rate--While the chain runs slowly, the work plate can be 2-3 times faster! For example, a new energy battery line, the chain speed of 0.3m / s when the work plate actually run 0.9m / s, beat time cut 40%.
III. Doing the economic maths: hidden costs are more frightening than the purchase price
1. Don't just look at the quotation for the initial investment
As an example: the same 100 metres of line body
- Total price of belt line ≈ ¥ 150,000 (equipment ¥ 100,000 + installation ¥ 50,000)
- AGV system ≈ ¥500,000 (cart ¥400,000 + dispatch system ¥100,000)
But here's the kicker-Flex cost differential can be equalised in 3 years! A power plant to change the production of sweepers, belt line modification to spend ¥ 80,000 + 5 days of shutdown, AGV only to change the procedure ¥ 0 + 2 hours to switch.
2. Maintenance costs are hidden in the details
-Energy Consumption Comparison: Roller line motor power is generally lower than the chain type 30%, 24 hours of operation to save annual electricity costs ¥ 20,000 +!
-human intervention: An electronic factory statistics, with automatic deskewing of the intelligent line than the traditional line to reduce inspection man hours 70%
3. Improvement of yield is the big profit.
A 1mm difference in conveyor positioning in the car chassis can cause the bolt holes to not line up -1 heavy-duty chain plate line + laser positioning systemThe company's assembly error rate has dropped from 5 per cent to 0.8 per cent, saving ¥3 million in rework costs per year.
Personal view: the future is about "evolvable" delivery systems
The work line is long gone from being a cold lump of iron. Look at what cutting-edge factories are doing now: using theModular rail section + quick release interface, reorganise the production line like Lego; or add AGVs to thevisual identification--Don't even need to post the QR code on the floor, just recognise the machine location. To put it bluntly.A good conveyor line has to be like an old driver: it can take a beating and go round corners at the same time.The next time you plan a production line, ask yourself: what will my product look like in three years? Next time you plan a production line, you may want to ask yourself: what will my products be like in three years? Choosing a line that can grow with you is much more realistic than blindly chasing high-end.
