Smooth Moves

While conveyors essentially act as a conduit, delivering material from Point A to Point B, document destruction companies have a variety of options and factors to consider prior to investing in this seemingly simple piece of equipment.

Factors include whether the facility is long enough to accommodate an in-line setup or if a T-formation design, typically used in smaller buildings, is a better choice. Will a pit be used on the front end? What volume of material is the company expected to handle? Will the company be processing paper, electronics or other material?

Perhaps one of the most critical factors to consider when purchasing conveying equipment is the width of the baler or shredder the conveyor will be feeding. The width of the conveyor should match the width of the baler’s or shredder’s infeed opening for optimal efficiency.

Donna Steffan of Document Destruction Consultants, a Monroe, Pa.-based distributor of AmeriShred products, says she has seen companies purchase conveyors on the Internet that do not fit with their other equipment. She stresses that when selecting conveying equipment, customers must have a good understanding of the other system components to ensure smooth and efficient operation.

A good equipment company representative should ask his or her customers questions about their operations early in the process, Steffan says. The physical size of the building and the other equipment in use at the plant will go a long way toward helping a destruction professional determine the optimal setup for his or her plant.

While many shredders come with conveying equipment, Steffan says some companies purchase conveyors secondhand and don’t consider how the width of the conveyor corresponds to the company’s baler or shredder until it is too late. "They need to work together," Steffan says.

Dave Remer with DataLock, a Ripped to Shreds company offering plant and mobile shredding services out of Mount Vernon, Ill., concurs that it is important to ensure the width of the conveyor corresponds to the mouth of the shredder and baler.

When designing and installing a plant-based system that includes shredding and baling equipment, determining the physical size of a company’s operations is a critical starting point. Steffan says most of the systems Document Destruction Consultants installs are in smaller facilities. These require a T-formation installation as opposed to an in-line installation in light of their space restrictions.

Another key factor to consider when installing a conveyor line is ensuring the line is long enough to reach the dump height of the baler, Remer says. If the conveyor is not long enough, it will prevent the operation from efficiently transitioning the shredded paper to the baler.

When it comes to the appropriate width of the conveyor belt, several sources contacted for this feature recommend companies setting up their first plant-based systems consider a 20-inch width for optimal performance. Of course, this is just a starting point, as the shredding and baling equipment will also be a factor.

While the width of the conveyor is important, another consideration is the conveyor’s texture. With an incline conveyor into the shredder, a smooth surface could result in material sliding back down the conveyor, which would reduce the efficiency of the machine it’s feeding.

Two of the more common conveyors are the pan conveyor, which is essentially a smooth, flat, metal surface, and a V belt, which is contoured. The advantage of the pan conveyor is that a user can more easily adjust the speed of the line.

The recommended speed for a conveyor line is approximately 110 feet per minute. Remer warns that running a conveyor too quickly can result in a backup at the shredder. A company should have a fairly strong idea of how much material it will be feeding into the system to prevent overwhelming the shredder, resulting in a less efficient operation.

Secure destruction firms should also consider whether the speed of the conveyor can be adjusted. Steve Spence, the Seattle-based director of operations for American Shredding Systems, which has several shredding and recycling facilities in the Western United States, says replacing a line’s gearbox could result in costs of upward of $1,000. For example, he says that when American Shredding Systems needed to adjust the speed of its Salt Lake City shredding plant, the company had to purchase a $1,200 gearbox.

While the speed of many conveyors cannot be adjusted, some variable speed systems are available that allow the operator to adjust the pace of the line depending on the volume of material to be shredded and the capacity of inline equipment.

Remer says it is also important to ensure that the conveyor has a texture that prevents material from sliding back down the conveyor line. For instance, DataLock’s conveyor incorporates rubber flaps, or what Remer calls "fingers." These rubber flaps grip the material as it makes its way across the conveyor, helping to keep it moving forward.

In addition to having the proper conveyor width, Pete Lenneman of Approved Information Destruction, Bethel Park, Pa., suggests that a conveyor line in a secure destruction facility should include side railings to prevent material from falling off the conveyor as it moves throughout the system.

While Remer says the angle of the conveyor doesn’t play a major role, he does note the angle shouldn’t be too steep to negatively affect the flow of material into the shredder.

Just as with most types of industrial equipment, providing the proper maintenance is also critical to a conveyor’s efficient functioning.

Most equipment users are fully aware of the need for scheduled preventive maintenance. But, when it comes to conveyors, routine cleanup is also an important factor.

Spence recommends tending to conveyors at least once per week, removing any metal that could have built up. While the pieces of metal may appear insignificant, over time the material could build up and lead to problems, he says.

In addition to removing metal from the conveyor, a company should also invest time in vacuuming around the sprocket or gearbox of the equipment. An accumulation of material at these spots can slow down the line, decreasing an operation’s efficiency.

Performing these routine tasks should extend the life of the conveyor and make a company’s day-to-day operations smoother.

Lenneman with Approved Information Destruction, a two-year-old firm that provides mobile and plant-based shredding services, says he recommends enclosing conveyors to help control dust levels, which can hamper the system’s overall performance. He adds that dust particles "will eat up rollers if they aren’t cleaned on a regular basis."

While conveyors are not as complex as the other equipment a destruction provider operates, maintenance is still an important issue. Greasing and lubricating the rollers and chains on a regular basis should ensure longer use. Also, having access to the underside of the conveyor allows the operator the chance to sweep and blow out any debris that may fall into the equipment’s inner workings.

Steffan says that while there are a host of options when seeking the proper shredder for an operation, one thing destruction professionals should keep in mind is that the piece is just one component of an overall system. Ensuring that the conveyor can work with the shredder and the baler is an essential step in the design of an efficient and effective plant-based secure shredding and baling operation.