What Are Bulk Containers?
They are called by many different names — pallet bins, pallet boxes, tote bins, tote boxes, totes, bulk containers — but many plants use some kind of standard-sized container to transport bulk materials in, out, and around their plants. These containers are useful for collecting sorted materials and are easily transported by forklift or pallet jack.
Remcon has built multiple bulk container conveyors and conveyor systems to make the handling of these standard containers more automated and efficient.
How a Bulk Container Conveyor Works
A uniformly shaped object — a bin or a pallet — sits on two strands of heavy-duty chain riding edge-on over UHMW wear surfaces. The strands aren't connected to each other, but are pulled simultaneously by the drive shaft at the discharge end, turned by a motor with a reducer. Chain is strong, hard to damage, and repairable link by link — see our chain conveyors entry for the underlying design. Add sensors, and the same conveyor stages, dumps, raises, and lowers containers automatically throughout a plant.
Conveyors by Container Type
Tote Bin & Tote Box Conveyors
Plastic tote bins are the workhorse container for collecting sorted material at stations around a plant. Tote bin conveyors stage filled totes in line, move them to the next operation, and meter them one at a time into a dumper — so a forklift is only needed at the start and end of the route.
Pallet Bin & Bulk Box Conveyors
Pallet bins and bulk boxes (the corrugated version is often called a gaylord) carry heavier loads than a hand tote, which suits the twin-chain design: the chain carries the weight directly, with no belt surface to puncture or tear.
Pallet Conveyors
A loaded pallet rides the two chain strands the same way a bin does, which makes this style of pallet conveyor the usual choice in an industrial setting — rough or broken pallet bottoms that would hang up on rollers ride over chain without issue.
Available Options
Because we are a custom conveyor builder, we can design each conveyor with the specific features that are needed to achieve the best result. Here are a few examples of features and options we can build into a transfer conveyor. If you have any questions or have a specific conveyor need, we would be happy to discuss this with you.
Some of the options available include:
- Photo / laser / proximity sensors to automatically start and stop the conveyors, or to trigger staging points as the containers travel along in the system
- Dumping units
- Raising / lowering from one floor to another — vertically or on an incline
- Raising / lowering of the containers on or off a conveyor for transferring or staging the containers
A Tote Bin System for Broken Glass
The system in the photos above shows how the pieces work together. Filled plastic tote bins of broken glass are set on a chain conveyor, which stages the bins in line and carries each one into a custom chain-driven tote dumper; transfer conveyors on the infeed and outfeed sides move full bins in and empty bins back out for pickup. Broken glass is heavy, abrasive, and unpleasant to handle by hand — exactly the material you want dumped by machine, not shaken out of a bin by a forklift. The dumper has its own entry — see our tote & container dumpers — covering chain-driven, hydraulic, pneumatic, and forklift-actuated designs.
Bulk Container Conveyor Specifications
Every system is built to order — the numbers come from your container and your layout.
| Specification | Remcon standard |
|---|---|
| Containers handled | Tote bins, tote boxes, pallet bins, bulk boxes, and pallets — built around your container, not a catalog size |
| Conveying method | Two strands of heavy-duty chain riding edge-on over UHMW wear surfaces |
| Drive | Motor with reducer turning the drive shaft at the discharge end; both strands pulled simultaneously |
| Controls | Photo, laser, or proximity sensors for automatic start/stop and staging points |
| Orientations | Horizontal runs, inclines, and raising/lowering between floors — vertically or on an incline |
| Capacity & dimensions | Sized to the application — quoted per job |
| Installation | Shipped and installed nationwide from Airway Heights, WA |
Bulk Container Conveyor FAQ
What is a bulk container conveyor?
A bulk container conveyor is a conveyor built to move standard containers — tote bins, pallet boxes, and pallets — rather than loose material. The container sits on two strands of heavy-duty chain riding over UHMW wear surfaces, and sensors along the run stage, start, and stop each container automatically.
Can the conveyor dump the totes automatically?
Yes. Remcon builds tote and container dumpers that hold a filled bin captive in a steel holder frame, rotate it past the pour angle, and empty it into a hopper, onto a conveyor, or into another container. With infeed and outfeed transfer conveyors, the whole cycle runs without a forklift in the loop.
Can a bulk container conveyor move totes between floors?
Yes. Remcon builds units that raise or lower containers from one floor to another, either vertically or on an incline, as well as lifts that raise and lower containers on or off a conveyor for transferring or staging.
How much does a bulk container conveyor system cost?
Every system is custom, so Remcon quotes each job individually. Price depends on the container, the route length, the number of staging points, floor changes, and how much automation — sensors, dumpers, lifts — the system includes. Call (509) 244-9439 with your container and layout and we will quote it.
Built to Your Plant, Not a Catalog
Every bulk container conveyor is designed and fabricated at our Airway Heights (Spokane), Washington shop, then shipped and installed nationwide — by the same people who supply replacement parts for the life of the machine.
We specialize in custom designed and fabricated equipment and can work with you to design a solution that will work well for your needs. Contact us to discuss options or to get a quote.
Get a quote for bulk container conveyors →