• Volkan
• July 1, 2025

How To Choose the Right Conveyor for Your Industry

Understand Your Industry Needs

Every industry has its own challenges, whether it’s keeping up with demand, maintaining hygiene and safety regulations or reducing operational costs. Conveyor systems should be built to handle these challenges, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Choosing a conveyor can be challenging, especially since there are various types of conveyors suited to different applications, whether it’s heavy-duty needs or small-scale production lines.

Understanding your industry needs will help you choose the right conveyor system to suit your application. For example, a conveyor belt for the recycling industry should be robust, water-resistant and capable of moving heavy items. In the construction industry, conveyors must be heavy-duty enough to handle soil and rubble efficiently.

Whether you need a conveyor belt for large, robust items or require precise production lines for fragile products, we have a range of fully compliant conveyors available to rent or purchase from Coveya.

Key Factors to Consider

Material characteristics

When choosing a conveyor for your industry, first think about the type of material your conveyor will be carrying. Different materials require different handling methods; for example, powders and pharmaceuticals may need enclosed conveyors to prevent contamination.

Smaller, fragile products like electronics and some food and drink items will need gentle handling to prevent damage, while heavy-duty items are better suited to larger, more robust conveyors.

Throughput requirements

Think about the throughput requirements during a specific period: how much material needs to be moved? How quickly does it need to move, and how often will the system be running?

Your conveyor should be able to handle the volume of product at the desired speed, so you can have confidence that the new system won’t slow you down and still hit the production targets.

Environment

Consider where the conveyor will be placed and how much space is required to ensure an efficient operation. Specific temperatures may also be required for certain products, such as food and pharmaceuticals.

Some types of conveyors can rust or develop mould if they’re placed in a moist or humid environment and not looked after properly, which could damage the goods. It’s also important that the conveyor belt is kept clean to ensure the area is kept clean to meet hygiene standards, such as the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Ease of maintenance

When purchasing or hiring a conveyor belt, it’s good practice to check what the service and maintenance packages are. Malfunctions and downtime can cause serious issues for your production line, not only causing inconveniences but also leading to higher costs.

When you hire a conveyor belt through Coveya, you’ll get onsite service visits every four weeks as well as full maintenance during downtime. Whether you need a spare part, diagnostic support or just want to ensure your conveyor is working as it should, our dedicated service team is here to help with any operational issues.

Budget

Before choosing a conveyor, be clear on the budget you have for the new system. This budget should cover the upfront cost of the product itself, plus installation and ongoing maintenance costs. Overengineering can cause you to overpay, so bear in mind what your goals are and speak to an expert to ensure you’re choosing a system that’s right for your needs.

In most cases, conveyor belts save companies costs as they can increase throughput, with machines running 24/7 with high accuracy and reliability.

Loading Method

How you plan to load your Conveyor can completely depend on the type of Conveyor that is suitable for your application. If it is being loaded by a previous Conveyor, then most normal conveyors will be suitable. However, if you are loading your Conveyor from a large machine such as an excavator, loading shovel or 360 grab, then it will be subject to significant weights and large impacts. Because of this, you will need a much larger, heavier-duty Conveyor.

Industry Specific Recommendations

Each industry has its own set of demands when it comes to material handling, and choosing the right type of conveyor can make all the difference. We explore how different conveyor types in industry settings help streamline operations and reduce manual labour.

Manufacturing industry

Whether you’re moving components between different workstations or transporting products to be packaged, choosing the right conveyor type can make all the difference to output and productivity. The types of conveyors suitable for the manufacturing industry include:

• Belt conveyors for general material handling
• Roller conveyors for palletised goods
• Modular conveyors for flexibility in layout and direction

If you need help choosing the right solution, get in touch with the experts at Coveya for advice and tailored conveyor recommendations, whether you have small assembly lines or large-scale operations.

Recycling industry

Recycling facilities depend on heavy-duty types of conveyors to handle a high volume of materials safely. Correct sorting and separating are crucial to ensuring all goods are sorted to the right places. We offer a range of recycling conveyors and waste conveyors designed to meet the demands of the waste and recycling industry. The conveyor belt recycling industry needs are as follows:

• Belt conveyors for everyday waste movement
• Chain conveyors for heavy-duty loads
• Incline and decline conveyors to streamline between different processing stages

Construction industry

On construction sites, conveyors help to move materials like rubble and sand quickly and efficiently. Having the right type of conveyor can take the pressure off manual labour, which not only increases the accuracy of goods movement but also prevents accidents and human error. The conveyors most used in the building and construction industry include:

• Belt conveyors to give on-site flexibility
• Heavy-duty conveyors to handle large materials
• Chain conveyors for heavy-duty loads

Warehousing and logistics industry

In warehousing and logistics, conveyor systems are essential for the fast and accurate movement of goods. The right conveyor setup keeps your operations flowing smoothly and reduces handling times, ensuring the right products go to the right loading bays. The common conveyor systems used in this industry include:

• Belt conveyors for packaged products
• Flexible conveyors for dynamic picking environments
• Incline and decline conveyors to transport goods between different floor levels

If you need assistance streamlining your logistics flow, contact our conveyor specialists to assist with choosing a conveyor, whether you want to rent a system for a short-term project or purchase a conveyor for long-term use.

Water treatment industry

Conveyors play an important supporting role in material handling throughout the water treatment process. Hygiene is an important factor during the process of choosing a conveyor to support a clean, efficient environment. The types of conveyors suitable for this industry include:

• Enclosed conveyor systems to reduce spillage and contamination
• Conveyors suitable for transferring wet materials
• Screw conveyors to transport dewatered sludge

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Some of the most common mistakes in choosing a conveyor system include:

• Overestimating or underestimating capacity: If the system can’t keep up with production demand, conveyor systems can actually be more of a hindrance than a benefit. Similarly, if you overengineer, this can lead to higher running costs for your company.
• Ignoring maintenance needs: To keep your conveyor belt in perfect working condition, it’s recommended to buy from a supplier who offers regular service and maintenance to prevent breakdowns.
• Choosing the cheapest option: Selecting a conveyor without thinking about long-term needs and scalability can also lead to higher long-term costs. Choose a system with features you know you’re going to use to prevent overpaying.

Need A Conveyor Solution for Your Next Project? Speak With Our Expert Team Today!

It can be difficult to know which conveyor type in industry is best suited to your needs, especially with so many types available. With the support of the experts at Coveya, you can source the right solution to boost throughput across your production line. Discover the range of conveyors available for hire, get in touch with our experts at 0800 9159195 or at support@coveya.co.uk.