English (UK) 
简体中文 In the wave of industrial automation, overhead conveyor lines are being used toDisruptive space utilisation conceptsReshaping the production logistics pattern. This innovative solution of lifting the conveyor system from the ground to the air not only solves the pain point of the traditional production line that occupies too much space, but also becomes the "bloodline in the air" of the modern factory through intelligent upgrading.
I. Technological evolution: from mechanical drives to intelligent systems
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Limitations of Conventional Conveyor Lines
Early ground conveyor lines used a chain drive mechanism that relied on electric motors to drive the chain to drive material translation. Although basic automation was achieved, there were three major hard problems.Large horizontal space occupationThe system is not only a good solution, but also a good solution for the production line, as it is also limited in terms of cross-talk and scalability when multiple lines are running in parallel. In the context of the surge in production, the shop floor is often caught in the "conveyor line crowded production equipment" embarrassing situation. -
Technological breakthroughs in aerialisation
A double-deck workspace is created by lifting the conveyor rail into the air. Representative technologies include:- Screw Vertical Conveyor: Adoption of spindle and spiral surface structure, realising continuous climbing of materials from the ground to the high altitude.
- Self-supporting rail systemAluminium alloy rail with intelligent handling trolley, load capacity up to 2 tonnes and low vibration operation.
- Modular splicing design: Supports flexible path adjustment according to plant structure, with a minimum bending radius of 1.5 metres.
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Intelligent Enablement
Modern systems integrationInternet of Things (IoT) sensing technologytogether withAI scheduling algorithmFor example:- Photoelectric sensors monitor material position and speed in real time
- Distributed PLC control system for dynamic optimisation of conveying paths
- Big Data Platform Predicts Maintenance Nodes, Reduces Failure Rate by 40%
Second, space revolutionaries: analysis of high-altitude palletising conveyor lines
In the patented design disclosed in 2025, a complete overhead palletising system comprises three innovative modules:
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Stereo lifting unit
Packaged products first enter theSpiral Ascending Belt Line, the core of which is the vertical screw conveyor. Through the first motor driving the rotation of the screw, the material is lifted from the inlet to the height of the overhead conveyor line, and the speed is accurately controlled at 0.5-2 metres per second. The key innovation point is the adoption ofDifferential design: Ascending section speed < overhead section speed < descending section speed to avoid material accumulation. -
High-altitude transport corridor
Closed track at 12 metre elevation usingDouble girder truss structureThe guide wheels are integrated with an anti-deviation device. Compared to conventional floor lines, the same conveying capacity can be achieved withSaves floor space up to 60%, while enabling hassle-free delivery across devices and regions. -
Intelligent Palletising Hubs
The overhead conveyor line is connected to the palletising system by means of a spiral descending belt line, and the material falls accurately into the palletising infeed area. Matching5-axis robottogether withAutomatic board dispenser, realisation:- Automatic pallet gripping by clamping cylinders of plate dispensers
- Machine vision-assisted stack calculation
- Palletising accuracy of ±0.5mm
- Handles up to 1200 cases per hour
III. Application mapping for multi-industry penetration
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automobile manufacturing
In the welding shop.Suspension Body Transport SystemsRealise the air flow of body-in-white. Automatic switching of conveying paths through RFID identification of different car models, shortening the switching time of the production line from 45 minutes to 7 minutes. -
food and drink
Filling lines and packaging areas useDouble Clean Track: The upper level conveys empty bottles to the filling port and the lower level carries out the finished product. For applications in the low temperature filling zone, the track is equipped with aThermostatic protection cover, maintain 5°C ambient temperature. -
electronics manufacturing
The case of a chip factory in Shenzhen proves thatAnti-static overhead trackSafe transport of wafer cassettes is possible. Its core technologies include:- Carbon Fibre Composite Track
- Static electricity elimination ion fan
- Microvibration control (<0.1G)
- Class 10,000 Cleanliness Maintenance System
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Warehouse Logistics
The practice of Jingdong Asia Warehouse No. 1 shows that after raising the sorting line above the shelves, theWarehouse Density Enhancement 35%The sorting efficiency is up to 20,000 pieces/hour. The key breakthrough isCo-scheduling of four-way shuttles and aerial transport lines.
IV. The evolutionary path of safety performance
The safety design of overhead conveyor lines has resulted in a multi-dimensional protection system:
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Structural safety and security
- The tower structure is made of Q355B high-strength steel, with a wind-resistant grade of 12.
- Key Connection Point SettingMechanical sensorsReal-time monitoring of shape variables
- Spiral section equipped with fall protection grille mesh
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Innovations in electrical protection
- Insulators are made of composite silicone rubber material, with a voltage resistance value of 35kV or more.
- Equipotential connection devices to eliminate static build-up
- Emergency braking response time <0.3 seconds
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Intelligent monitoring system
The five-level photoelectric sensor network covers the whole link: spiral rising end → entrance of overhead section → spiral falling end → palletising area → film wrapping area. Any node timeout triggers sound and light alarms, and fault location accuracy reaches 99%.
V. Future trends: the double helix of green and smart
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energy revolution
Next generation systems are being integratedRegenerative braking technologyThe downhill section of the project was converted from kinetic energy to electrical energy recovery, reducing the energy consumption of a pilot project by 181 TP3 T. The integrated design of the photovoltaic roof and conveyor rails enabled a factory in Changzhou to realise the conveyor lineEnergy self-sufficiency 35%. -
Digital twin applications
Virtual commissioning system based on 3D modelling for simulation prior to commissioning:- Equipment loads at different production rates
- Effects of extreme weather on high-altitude orbits
- Propagation path of sudden failure
Reduce actual commissioning cycle time by more than 50%
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Flexible Upgrade
Modular design supports rapid reconfiguration of the production line, for example:- Magnetic levitation trolley enables contactless steering
- Lifting and lowering spreader for different sizes of bins
- Cluster control system dynamically assigns tasks
Reduces line changeover time to 1/3 of the original time
Self-questioning: A deeper understanding of overhead conveyor lines
Q: How do overhead conveyor lines solve space conflicts compared to traditional ground lines?
A. Adoptionthree-dimensional layered designThe new system moves the conveyor system to a height of 8-15 metres, freeing up the production area on the ground. The spiral climbing section replaces traditional ramp conveying, reducing the footprint by 60% and achieving true "zero ground conflict".
Q: How does the system guarantee stability when operating at high altitude?
A. Adoptiontrussed support structuretogether withdynamic equilibrium algorithmThe wind speed sensor monitors the data in real time. The wind speed sensor monitors the data in real time, and automatically reduces the speed when the wind speed exceeds 8m/s; the elastic compensation device is set at the track joints to eliminate the thermal expansion and contraction deformation.
Q: In what specific ways is intelligence embodied?
A: From photoelectric sensors in the perception layer, PLC logic optimisation in the control layer, to AI scheduling algorithms in the decision layer. For example, the full pallet fork pickup zone ofAutomated Vehicle Dispatch SystemThe forklift route can be planned up to 5 minutes in advance.
Q: What industries are most in need of such systems?
A. InAreas with high land costs(e.g. Yangtze River Delta Industrial Zone).Industries with high cleanliness requirements(semiconductor/pharmaceutical), andLogistics efficiency bottleneck enterprises(e-commerce warehousing) in which the value is particularly significant.
When Industry 4.0 meets the spatial revolution, the aerial conveying line has been transformed from a simple material handling tool to a strategic infrastructure that reconfigures the logic of production. Its value lies not only in the optimisation of physical space, but also in the opening up of intelligent manufacturing in the three-dimensional dimension of any two veins.
