A pneumatic conveyor line can save your business money in a range of ways. Wondering if it's time to upgrade to one of these systems? Here's a look at six of the top money savings benefits, to help you decide:
1. Automated Processes Reduce Payroll Costs
When you use a conveyor line, it automates processes for you. This saves money on labor costs, compared to paying employees to handle the work for you. Although there are multiple setups you can explore, in most cases, the pneumatic conveyor line connects a storage bin with packaging machinery or other bins.
This means you simply need someone to set the controls and timer on the machinery. You don't need multiple people to spend all day moving grain or whatever materials you produce.
2. Automation Boosts Precision
Automation doesn't just save money on labor costs. It also helps with precision. Most pneumatic conveyor lines have valves that can be set to release only a certain amount of material from one bin to another. By increasing precision and accuracy, you avoid sending out too much product or shorting a customer and having to deal with dissatisfaction and complaints.
3. Multiple Vessels Keeps System Working Constantly
If you have to clean out part of your pneumatic conveyor line, you may need to shut down the machinery, and that can slow production, ultimately costing you time and money. Luckily, however, if you have a conveyor with multiple reception vessels, you can shut off the valve to just one of them. Then, you can clean that vessel while the rest of the machinery keeps working.
4. Pneumatic Blenders Save Time and Labor
As indicated above, there are a range of features you can select along with your pneumatic conveyor line. If you add a pneumatic blender, it automatically mixes the dry materials in your hopper. This saves time compared to moving the materials to a mechanical mixer, and again, if people were going to handle the movement of the materials, using a built-in blender saves payroll hours as well.
Additionally, when you have a built-in blender, you save money on machinery, as you don't have to buy multiple pieces of equipment. Finally, you get to enjoy precise blending which allows you to create a better final product that is less likely to be rejected or returned by clients.
5. Pneumatic Conveyors Require Fewer Motors
When you compare mechanical conveyors to pneumatic conveyors, you also notice additional savings. In particular, when you have a mechanical conveyor, it needs a motor and a drive for every time the materials change direction. Pneumatic set-ups in contrast tend to not change direction as often. Instead, these machines tend to use relatively direct routes with their lines, and to move the material through the lines, they typically only need a single blower. Ultimately, this fact helps drive your costs down.
6. Pneumatic Conveyor Lines Require Less Cleaning
Finally, with a pneumatic conveyor line, most of the system is enclosed. This prevents moving parts from being gummed up with grease or dust, and that saves time and money on cleaning. Additionally, the closed system typically requires fewer repairs than an open system which may have damage to its gears or other parts.
Finally, in some cases, the dust release from mechanical systems can lead to poor air quality in your facility. That can lead to more sick days, lowered productivity, and other costs. It also increases the risk of a dust explosion. Those are not risks or expenses that you are likely to face if you use a pneumatic conveyor line instead of a mechanical system.
