This conveyor fed three different sizes of shredded wood, from fine clumpy sawdust to chips over two inches, into an experimental wood pressing machine that wanted a metered flow at a consistent depth and an adjustable material width. Here is what the machine demanded, and the features Remcon built to answer each demand.
The Problem: One Conveyor, Three Different Materials
An OEM developing an experimental wood pressing machine needed a feed conveyor that could hand the machine three different sizes of shredded wood, from fine, clumpy sawdust up to chips of two inches and larger. Those three materials do not behave alike. Sawdust packs and clumps. Coarse chips tumble and bridge. A hopper opening and a belt speed that meter one of them correctly will not meter the other two.
The press did not want a pile delivered to it. It wanted a carefully metered flow of shredded wood in as consistent a depth as possible, carefully leveled across the width of the conveyor, and it wanted the width of that material stream to be easy to change. On top of that, the conveyor had to be movable, and it had to straddle the machine it fed.
What the Conveyor Had to Do
- Accept 15 cubic feet of shredded wood dumped into the hopper all at once, and release it as a stream.
- Hold a consistent material depth along the length of the belt.
- Level the material across the width of the belt.
- Change the width of the material stream on demand, because the pressing machine called for various widths on the infeed belt.
- Be re-tuned by the operator when the material switched from one density of shredded wood to another.
- Be moved around the floor, despite being far too heavy to roll by hand.
- Straddle the full length of the machine it discharged onto, with nothing bracing across at floor level.
How It Was Built
The build is a belt feed conveyor, and nearly every feature on it answers one of the constraints above.
Metering Starts at the Hopper
The infeed end is a surge hopper built to take 15 cubic feet dumped in at once, so whoever is loading can empty a full load and walk away instead of trickle-feeding the machine. That is the job a surge hopper does on any infeed conveyor. The difference here is an adjustable hopper outfeed opening, so the first cut at material depth is made by the hopper itself before the belt gets a vote. A variable speed drive sets the feed rate from there.
Two Incline Angles, Five Degrees Apart
The incline section inside the hopper runs five degrees steeper than the incline section outside the hopper. The steeper stretch under the pile meters the depth of material onto the shallower section beyond it, where the gentler angle is what keeps the load from rolling back down the belt.
Remcon draws this as a standard specialty orientation on slider bed and infeed layouts: the dual-angle incline, steep down low to help with metering and shallower up top to prevent rollback. On this build it does both jobs across the hopper wall rather than along an open incline. Our guide to the maximum conveyor incline angle covers why the material sets those limits.
Leveling Rollers Driven Off the Tail Pulley
Two leveling rollers above the belt take the second cut, metering and leveling the material to a consistent depth both along the belt and across its width. How they are turned matters more than that they are there. Instead of a gearmotor on each roller, they are driven by v-belts off the conveyor's own tail pulley, and three things follow.
- The rollers stay in sync with the belt. Roller rpm is taken from the belt itself, so when the operator changes belt speed to change the feed rate, the leveling does not have to be re-set to match.
- They slip instead of breaking. If material jams under a roller, the v-belt drive gives up first. That is the same slip-before-damage logic Remcon uses on the main conveyor drive, where the motor turns a shaft-mounted reducer through v-belts so a jam ruins the cheapest part in the drive rather than the conveyor.
- Two gearmotors stayed off the machine. Along with their wiring, their controls and their maintenance.
A Pivot Placed So the Belt Never Notices
The joint between the incline section and the horizontal section is a 15-degree articulated pivot. That is the operator's main adjustment: when the shredded wood changes density, the incline angle changes with it, and the flow of material is tuned precisely back to what the press wants.
Adjustable angles are easy to offer and awkward to live with, because changing a conveyor's geometry normally changes its belt path, and that means re-tensioning and re-tracking before the machine runs again. That was designed out. The pivot device is located precisely so belt length stays constant throughout an angle change, which eliminates any adjustment of belt tension or tracking when the angle moves. Changing the incline is a production setting here, not a maintenance job.
Skirting That Slides to the Material Width
Because the pressing machine required various widths of material on the infeed belt, the side skirting slides sideways to the width wanted and locks into place. Skirting is a normal Remcon option, available in several styles depending on the application. Here it is the width control for the material stream.
A Frame That Moves and Straddles
The conveyor needed to be portable and was far too heavy to roll by hand, so the whole machine is mounted on one rigid frame with large urethane tread casters at the head end and special fork truck pockets at the tail end, which lets a fork truck lift and roll it. Leveling screws take up uneven floor and lock the assembly into position once it is where it belongs.
The horizontal section of the leg frame was built extra wide and extra strong with no lateral bracing at all, so the conveyor could straddle the full length of the machine it fed onto. E-stop cables surround the entire conveyor, so it can be stopped from any location on it, and guards are installed on all potential pinch points.
What That Means for Your Machine
Each item above traces back to something the pressing machine or the plant floor demanded. That is how a built-to-order conveyor gets specified. If your machine makes similar demands, the answers are already drawn.
- Your material changes and the feed has to change with it. Adjustable infeed angle, dual-angle incline and adjustable nose-over are standard specialty orientations. The design work is in where the pivot goes, so the adjustment does not cost you belt tracking every time.
- Your machine wants presentation, not volume. Depth and width are set by hopper opening, incline angle, leveling rollers, skirting and belt speed working together. Tell us what the machine needs to see, not only how much it needs.
- Your machine is a prototype. Remcon has built one-off conveyors for experimental machines, and every unit goes through the quality checklist that starts at 309 items for a basic conveyor.
- Your conveyor has to fit around your equipment. Straddling frames, portable frames and space-saving geometry are routine on conveyors built for OEM machinery.
Conveyors like this one are designed, welded and assembled at the Remcon shop in Airway Heights (Spokane), Washington, then shipped and installed nationwide, with replacement parts support for the life of the machine.
Articulated Feed Conveyor FAQ
Can a conveyor's incline angle be adjusted after it is built?
Yes. This build used a 15-degree articulated pivoting joint between the incline and horizontal sections so the operator could change the angle whenever the material changed density. The detail that makes it practical is where the pivot sits: it is located so the belt length stays constant through an angle change, which eliminates any need to adjust belt tension or tracking afterward. Remcon also builds adjustable infeed angle and adjustable nose-over geometries as standard specialty orientations.
What is a dual-angle incline conveyor, and why use one?
A dual-angle incline changes pitch partway up: steeper in the lower portion, shallower above. The steep section helps meter material out of the pile, and the shallower section prevents the load from rolling back down. On this build the incline inside the hopper was five degrees steeper than the incline outside it, which set the depth of material handed onto the shallower section.
Can a heavy feed conveyor be made portable?
Yes. This one was too heavy to roll by hand, so it was mounted on a single rigid frame with large urethane tread casters at the head end and fork truck pockets at the tail end, letting a fork truck lift and roll the whole machine. Leveling screws handle uneven floors and lock the assembly in position once it is placed.
Will Remcon build one conveyor for a prototype or experimental machine?
Yes. Every Remcon conveyor is built to order rather than pulled from stock, and we have built one-off conveyors for experimental machines as well as supplying OEMs project after project. Each unit goes through the quality checklist that starts at 309 items for a basic conveyor, and replacement parts are supported for the life of the machine.