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There is more than one way to make a conveyor move, and the way it’s driven can have a major impact on how it performs. The right drive depends on what the conveyor is moving, the application process, and the demands placed on it throughout the day.
For many operations, the drive is something that happens beneath the surface. Products move down the conveyor, but the equipment doing the work may not be obvious. Understanding a few basic differences between drive types can make it easier to understand why one conveyor may be a better fit for an application than another.
To learn more about accumulation technology, explore our definitive guide to accumulation conveyors.
Executive Summary: Choosing the right accumulation conveyor drive type, whether 24V, belt-driven, or chain-driven, is critical for optimizing warehouse material flow across your entire facility. This comprehensive guide explores how matching smart low-voltage systems for light cartons or robust chain drives for heavy pallets prevents costly bottlenecks and ensures long-term operational success.
- 24V Low-Voltage Systems
- Belt-Driven Systems
- Chain-Driven Systems
- Case Study: Heavy-duty chain-driven system for pallet accumulation.
- Matching the drive to the accumulation application.
- An AEC expert perspective: The tailored system approach.
- Get started with AEC: Finding the right accumulation conveyor.
24V Low-Voltage Systems
24V powered roller conveyor uses low-voltage motors to power relatively small sections of conveyor.
Rather than relying on a single drive to continuously power a long conveyor run, the system can start and stop individual zones as products move through the line.
There are several ways manufacturers accomplish this. In a true motor-driven roller system, the motor is built directly into one of the rollers and that roller transfers power to the others in its zone. Hytrol’s E24 uses a different approach. A compact 24V pancake motor is mounted beneath the conveyor and powers a small group of rollers through O-rings.
Both approaches allow relatively small sections of conveyor to operate independently. This makes 24V technology especially useful for zero-pressure accumulation and other applications where precise product movement is important.
For cartons, totes, and similar unit loads, 24V systems can provide a flexible alternative to traditional continuously driven conveyor. Because individual zones can run only when needed, they can also reduce unnecessary energy consumption and mechanical wear.
The energy savings are significant. Hytrol reports that its E24 conveyor is engineered to maximize efficiency while minimizing energy consumption. Advanced motor technology ensures optimal performance, reducing operating costs. The 24-volt DC motor offers precise control over speed and acceleration, enhancing product handling and boosting productivity.
Belt-Driven Systems
Belt-driven live roller conveyor uses a belt beneath the carrying rollers to transfer power from the drive to the rollers.
As the belt moves, friction between the belt and rollers causes the rollers to turn and move product down the conveyor. This is a simple and proven way to power a roller conveyor. Depending on the design, belt-driven systems can be used for transportation or accumulation.
Minimum-pressure accumulation is a good example. The belt provides enough friction to move products forward, but when products begin to collect, controlled slip allows the rollers to stop turning without immediately stopping the entire drive. This limits the amount of pressure that develops between products.
Belt-driven live roller conveyor remains a practical choice for many carton and package handling applications where products are relatively consistent and the application does not require the individual zone control available with a 24V system.
Chain-Driven Systems
Chain-driven live roller conveyor uses chains and sprockets to transfer power from roller to roller.
Accumulation is not limited to cartons and totes. Sometimes the products that need to accumulate are pallets, crates, or other heavy loads. The basic goal is the same, but the conveyor required to control those loads can be very different.
Chain drives provide the positive mechanical connection needed to start and move heavier loads. When accumulation controls are added, the conveyor creates controlled zones that allow those loads to stop and accumulate without excessive pressure between them.
This makes chain-driven live roller accumulation particularly useful when the product is too heavy for the accumulation technologies typically used for cartons and totes.
Case Study: Heavy-duty chain-driven system for pallet accumulation.
Knowing how different drives operate, helps match the technology to the challenge. For a practical look at how the right drive configuration changes the game, check out this project for Snap-on executed by AEC Automation Specialist, Trace Davis:
Read the AEC case study: 50% Throughput Boost Secures Success for Snap-on
To eliminate heavy manual pushing on Snap-on’s assembly line, Trace Davis recommended replacing a 25-foot gravity conveyor with a Hytrol 25-CREZD chain-driven live roller accumulation conveyor. Powered by EZ-Logic zero-pressure controls, the system automates the movement of heavy 350 to 500 pound loads. This design approach successfully resolved ergonomic hazards, returned operators to core tasks, and unlocked an astounding 50% boost in assembly throughput.
As Trace explained:
“By adding a Hytrol 25-CREZD conveyor, we were able to eliminate the need for workers to push crates from station to station. The EZ-Logic accumulation system ensures smooth and efficient movement without requiring a PLC.”
This project is a good reminder that accumulation is not a particular type of conveyor – it’s actually a way of controlling product flow. The equipment used to accomplish it should change with the application.
Matching the drive to the accumulation application.
The differences between these drive technologies become easier to understand when we stop thinking about the drive first and start with the product.
A carton or tote moving through a high-volume distribution operation may benefit from the individual zone control of a 24V accumulation system. A relatively consistent carton that only needs a short accumulation buffer may be well suited for a belt-driven system. A 500-pound pallet or crate presents an entirely different challenge and may require chain-driven live roller accumulation.
None of those technologies is automatically better than the others. Each solves a different version of the same basic problem: allowing products to collect when necessary and move again when space becomes available.
The important question is not simply, “Which drive technology should we use?” It is, “What does this product need to do?”
An AEC expert perspective: The tailored system approach.
“Customers don’t really need to know which drive they want when they call us. That’s our job. We need to understand what they’re moving and what they need the conveyor to do. Once we understand the application, we can figure out the right way to move it.” Tony Stewart, Advanced Equipment Company
This Tailored System Architecture matters because accumulation applications can vary wildly from one facility to the next. The technology should follow the unique requirements of your operation, rather than forcing your process to fit a particular type of conveyor.
Get started with AEC: Finding the right accumulation conveyor.
24V, belt-driven, and chain-driven live roller conveyors can all provide accumulation, but they accomplish it in different ways. Understanding those differences helps explain why a conveyor that works extremely well in one application may be completely wrong for another.
At AEC, we know that every conveyor system should be designed around the application, not the technology. The right solution depends on the product being conveyed and the goals of the operation. That’s why we take the time to understand each application before recommending a conveyor system.
Whether you are accumulating lightweight cartons or 500-pound pallets, our team can help determine which conveyor technology is the right fit for your operation. Contact a conveyor specialist today to find the right system for your operation.
Partnering with AEC
Since 1960, AEC has remained the leading conveyor integrator in North and South Carolina, and delivering elite material handling expertise to the entire US.
AEC’s premier status is built on a “boots on the ground” approach that transforms complex material handling challenges into streamlined, high-performance realities. By combining local expertise in the Carolinas with a robust nationwide reach, we provide the scalability of a national firm with the dedicated, responsive service of a regional partner.
Written by AEC Director of Customer Engagement, Josh Hamrick