Because the surface of the conveyed goods is in direct contact with the conveyor, the characteristics of the goods directly affect the choice of equipment and the design of the system. The characteristics of the conveyed items, including size, weight, surface characteristics (soft or hard), processing speed, packaging method and center of gravity, are all factors to be considered.
When planning, all items to be transported should be listed, the smallest and largest, the heaviest and lightest, sealed and unsealed. The design of the equipment is not only the largest or heaviest items that affect the design.
For example, lighter objects may not be able to activate the sensor, and smaller objects will also affect the choice of equipment type, such as drum type or belt type. For some cumulative conveyors, the weight distribution range of items has an important influence. When planning, the main system does not need to process all items, and it may be more economical to process less frequently used items by a second system or manual methods.
All new conveyors must work best with existing cargo handling equipment. Simple systems, such as the use of stackers; complex systems, such as the use of robots, unmanned trucks, or access machines. These existing systems will affect the selection and configuration of equipment, especially at the transfer operation point.