Accumulation Conveyor

Optimize workflow by maintaining a continuous, controlled flow of products without interruptions or damage.

AEC is an industry leader in accumulation conveyor integration. Accumulation conveyors are known for significantly improving operational efficiency. They can reduce product handling times by up to 50% and increase throughput by as much as 30-40%, depending on the specific configuration and application. These conveyors allow for smooth and controlled product flow, minimizing bottlenecks and facilitating continuous production.

Additionally, with features like customizable speed control, accumulation conveyors help optimize energy use, often leading to operational cost savings of around 15-20% compared to traditional systems.

What is Accumulation Conveyor and How Does it Work?

Accumulation conveyors are engineered for precision, regulating product flow to ensure smooth, controlled, damage-free movement along the line. These systems create strategic buffers, allowing products to pause or queue without congestion, optimizing downstream operations such as packaging, sorting, and merging. Improved flow regulation ensures smoother transitions and minimizes disruptions, boosting overall process efficiency.

Equipped with intelligent zone control – featuring sensors, motors, and other advanced mechanisms – these conveyors adjust movement in real time, stopping or slowing items at designated points. This controlled accumulation prevents collisions, reduces wear and tear, and maximizes throughput, making it an essential solution for high-demand environments.

Two Main Types of Accumulation Conveyor

The two main types of accumulation conveyor systems are zero-pressure and minimum-pressure conveyors.  Both systems improve flow and efficiency but cater to different product handling needs.

1. Zero-Pressure Accumulation Conveyor

 Zero-pressure accumulation conveyor is perfect for conveying materials of different size and weight. Products are allowed to accumulate without touching each other. Back pressure is completely eliminated. Ideal for fragile or varied-sized products, the system maintains gaps between items to prevent any contact. 

Product gap is paced by sensor-controlled “accumulation zones” which offers optimal protection for your products from damage and jams. Each zone uses a photo eye to detect products, then keeps them in a separate physical zone. These buffer zones can be used to hold product when downstream processes are not ready for additional product. They can also be used to smooth out production flow fluctuations.

Zero pressure conveyor applications:

• Buffering products before sortation, kitting, or packaging/shipping areas
• Feeding palletizing and strapping stations
• Assembly lines and picking stations

2. Minimum-Pressure Accumulation Conveyor

Minimum pressure accumulation conveyor is best used for products of consistent size and weight. Its purpose is to maximize accumulation of product but with a 2% back pressure. This allows light contact between items to create a steady flow, maximizing space usage for durable goods.

Sensor controlled zones allow products to lightly come into contact with each other during accumulation. The cumulative back pressure remains no greater than 2% while products are stopped and waiting for the signal to release.

Minimum pressure conveyor applications:

• Accumulation of product prior to packing stations
• Recirculation loops
• Buffering similar size and weight products
• Feeding palletizing and strapping stations
• Assembly lines and picking stations

Benefits of Accumulation Conveyor

One of the primary benefits of an accumulation conveyor is its ability to reduce product damage by controlling the flow and buffering items during peak periods of production. It also maximizes operational efficiency by ensuring that upstream and downstream processes aren’t bottlenecked, improving overall throughput.

Additionally, with the ability to tailor systems to specific production needs, accumulation conveyors can accommodate varying speeds, product types, and sizes. This makes them versatile tools that can be adapted to many industries and applications.

• 30% Enhanced Productivity: Can increase throughput by up to 30%, minimizing downtime and optimizing workflow efficiency. This leads to a higher return on investment (ROI), with businesses often seeing productivity gains within the first year of implementation.

• 50% Volume Increase: Can accommodate production volume increases of up to 50% without significant modifications. 

• 40% Throughput Boost: By enhancing throughput by 30-40%, accumulation conveyors facilitate faster and more efficient production flow, enabling organizations to meet demand spikes without compromising quality or efficiency.

• 40% Minimized Bottlenecks: Ensures smooth and consistent product flow, reducing delays and maintaining continuous operation by up to 40%. This results in improved efficiency, optimized resource utilization, and enhanced overall productivity.

Cost Saving Advantages

By automating the accumulation and buffering of materials, businesses can experience significant cost savings through reduced labor and improved production flow. The controlled handling process minimizes product damage, which in turn reduces waste and rework costs.

Over time, these conveyors also contribute to higher ROI by increasing throughput and enabling operations to scale without requiring major changes to the workforce or infrastructure.

• 50% Energy Savings: Equipped with advanced sensors and intelligent controls, accumulation conveyors can reduce energy consumption by up to 50%, as they operate only when needed. This translates to significant cost savings on energy bills and a more sustainable operation.

• 40% Reduced Labor Costs: By automating the flow of products, accumulation conveyors can lower manual handling requirements by 40% or more, cutting labor expenses and reallocating workforce resources to higher-value tasks.

• 60% Minimized Product Damage: Gentle accumulation and controlled flow can reduce product collisions and handling damage by up to 60%, helping to lower replacement and rework costs while ensuring product integrity.

• 25% Decreased Downtime: Optimized product flow helps prevent backups and bottlenecks, reducing unplanned downtime by 25% or more, keeping operations running smoothly and efficiently.

• 50% Lower Maintenance Costs: Designed for efficient, low-friction operation, accumulation conveyors can extend component lifespan by 50%, leading to fewer breakdowns and lower maintenance costs over time.

Custom Design & Automation Integration