Power Consumption – Less is More

This chart compares Cablevey Conveyors’ 5HP motor versus chain conveyors: using 2.5 times more energy, or with pneumatic conveyors, often using 10 times more power.

As energy prices continue to rise, food processors are paying more attention to reducing the power required to convey materials. Within plants, the motors needed to convey large volumes of food materials can vary greatly in power consumption. At the high end are pneumatic conveyors that use air to move product at high velocity through an enclosed line by creating air pressure above or below the atmospheric level. High-volume pneumatic conveyors generally require larger, power-hungry motors up to 20-50hp or more that run fans, blowers and rotary valves.

At the mid-range of power consumption are belt conveyors and bucket elevators. In a typical conveyor belt system, a belt forms a closed loop and stretches across two or more pulleys with a drive pulley that enables it to rotate continually. Bucket elevators move material using buckets attached to a rotating belt or chain. The buckets pick up material, move it to an endpoint, discharge material, and return to the starting point to pick up a new load.

To convey a similar, high-volume amount of material, belt conveyors and bucket elevators would typically use approximately 25hp motors, says Owen.

At the low end of power consumption are 8in tubular drag cable conveyors, which would usually use a 7.5hp motor to move a comparable, voluminous amount of material. “The drag cable pulls the solid circular discs (flights) attached to the cable at low speed through a loop, which requires less energy than conventional methods. The ample size and number of the discs on 8in units enable conveying a similar amount of material as traditional belt, bucket or pneumatic units,” says Owen.