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If you run a warehouse, production line, or a busy workshop, a conveyor isn’t a luxury — it’s the belt that keeps the whole operation moving. Get the wrong one and you’ll face bottlenecks, higher labour costs, and more downtime than you bargained for. Pick the right system and it’s like giving your operation a shot of espresso: productivity perks up and everything flows smoother.
When choosing conveyors, think beyond price. Consider throughput, footprint, load capacity, and how the system will integrate with your existing layout. The right choice reduces manual handling, boosts safety, and often pays for itself in months, not years.
Conveyors come in many flavours, and picking the right type is a bit like matching shoes to an outfit — one size doesn’t fit all. Here are the main categories most UK businesses consider.
Belt conveyors are the workhorses for handling bulk goods, boxed items, and general parcel movement. They’re great for long, straight runs and can be fitted with cleats or sidewalls for steeper inclines. If you move parcels by the hundreds, a belt conveyor is usually your best bet.
Roller conveyors suit heavier boxes and palletized loads and are often used in distribution hubs. Gravity rollers can work for simple slopes, while powered rollers are ideal for automated sorting. They’re robust, modular, and simple to maintain — the perfect option when durability matters.
Flexible or modular conveyors are like the Swiss Army knives of material handling. They bend around corners, collapse for storage, and reconfigure quickly when your layout changes. They’re brilliant for packing lines and seasonal variations where flexibility—literally—is a must.
Want practical buying tips? Keep an eye on brands that balance reliability, spare-parts availability, and good technical support. Below are some product references you’ll often encounter when searching suppliers in the UK.
Unitrunk’s variable risers are commonly used to route cable trays and support cable runs over production lines. The product listed as a 300 millimetre riser translates to about 12 inches of width, which suits many small-to-medium cable routes. These risers are built for heavy duty use and are handy when you need to keep cabling tidy and off the floor.
The Runpotec X-board 500 Profi is a cable roller designed to handle heavy pulls — its listed 500 kilogram capacity equals roughly 1,102 pounds. That kind of capacity is helpful when you’re pulling thick cable runs across long distances in industrial settings. It reduces cable friction and protects cable integrity during installation.
Falcon trunking accessories like an external angle listed as 50x25 millimetres convert roughly to a 2 inch by 1 inch profile. These small parts matter because neat cable management keeps service calls down and safety risks lower. They’re often sold in packs for easy replacement and multi-point installations.
Buying conveyors in the UK is a two-step process: find the right supplier, then compare offers. There are broad-spectrum retailers and specialist firms — both have strengths. Below are popular sources you’ll likely check when shopping.
Expert Electrical is well known for electrical supplies, cable trays, trunking, and accessories that pair perfectly with conveyor installations. If your project involves complex cabling or tray routing alongside material-handling hardware, this type of supplier is where you’ll find the right brackets and fittings.
RS Components, Screwfix, and Toolstation stock a wide range of conveyors and accessories as well as tools and safety gear. They’re convenient for smaller projects and quick turnarounds since they have multiple outlets or rapid delivery options. For off-the-shelf items and commonly used components, these chains are hard to beat.
For bespoke systems, heavier duty conveyors, or integrated automation you’ll want a specialist. Companies such as Conveyor Components Ltd, Mecalux, FlexLink, and Proquip focus on design, customization, and installation. They can evaluate your throughput needs, layout constraints, and future growth to deliver a system that’s tailored rather than off-the-shelf.
Picking the ideal conveyor is part logic, part guesswork, and part experience. Start with these practical steps and you’ll avoid common mistakes.
Calculate throughput needs in units per hour, not vaguely “a lot.” Consider product dimensions and weight in inches and pounds, then match those to a conveyor’s safe working load. Think about how the line will evolve — can the system scale up? If the product mix changes, modular systems or adjustable speeds can save a headache later.
Also, don’t forget environmental factors: will the conveyor operate in damp areas, dusty environments, or near food? Choices in material—stainless steel, coated mild steel, or plastic modular belts—depend on those conditions. Want to avoid corrosion? Go stainless. Needing washdown? Choose food-grade options.
Installation and maintenance aren’t glamorous topics, but they’re where uptime is won or lost. A good installation plan reduces downtime during commissioning and avoids costly retrofits later.
Keep safety at the heart of your design. Guard moving parts, provide emergency stops every few dozen feet, and fit warning signs near pinch points. Regular maintenance intervals — say, weekly checks and quarterly belt alignment or roller replacement — extend life and keep staff safe. And always train staff on safe operation; even simple interventions can cut accident risk dramatically.
How much does a conveyor cost? That depends on length, capacity, customisation, and integration. A short, off-the-shelf belt may cost a modest sum, while a bespoke automated sorter could be tens of thousands. Think of the purchase as an investment: weigh equipment cost against labour savings, reduced errors, and increased throughput.
Calculate payback by estimating labour saved per week in hours, multiply by the fully loaded hourly labour cost, and compare it to the system price. Don’t forget to include maintenance and electrical running costs. Often, conveyors that look expensive at first deliver compelling ROI when they cut reliance on manual handling and speed up order fulfilment.
When standard systems can’t meet your needs, a custom conveyor pays off. Customisation makes sense when you have unusual product shapes, very high throughput requirements, or integration needs with robots and automated sorters. Experts can design curves, incline sections, and sorting pockets that off-the-shelf conveyors don’t offer.
Also consider retrofitting sensors, variable-speed drives, and simple PLC control for modest automation. These upgrades let your system adapt to seasonal peaks without a full rebuild. A small investment in control tech often unlocks large efficiency gains.
Many projects falter because buyers ignore the small print. Here are some common pitfalls and quick fixes.
First, failing to measure the working envelope correctly. Always measure twice in inches and allow clearances for maintenance. Second, underestimating load dynamics — a stable 50-pound box behaves differently from a fragile, uneven load. Third, ignoring spare parts stock: order consumables like belts and rollers up front to cut future downtime.
Think of conveyor maintenance like servicing a car. Basic checks keep you on the road. Inspect belts for fraying, listen for odd noises from bearings, and check fasteners regularly. Aligning belts and lubricating moving parts at recommended intervals preserves efficiency and prevents small problems becoming expensive repairs.
Document maintenance tasks and assign clear responsibilities. A simple checklist in inches and pounds notation for load tests can help technicians track wear and schedule replacements before breakdowns occur.
Price variations across suppliers can be substantial. Comparing quotes from national retailers, specialist firms, and online suppliers helps you balance cost with long-term support. National chains are great for speed and ubiquitous parts; specialists are better for complex projects and guaranteed integration. Use both to get the best of each world.
Don’t forget to ask about installation packages and post-sale support. A cheap machine with no tech backup can become a costly mistake if something goes wrong during a peak period.
When you’re ready to buy, run through this short checklist: throughput needs, product weight and dimensions in inches and pounds, environmental constraints, upgrade potential, maintenance plan, and supplier support. If you can tick every box and the ROI looks reasonable, you’re probably on the right track.
Also, consider whether you need only parts like Unitrunk risers and Falcon trunking, or a full conveyor system. Sometimes starting with small cable-management improvements prevents larger, more expensive issues later.
Choosing the right conveyor system in the UK is a combination of clear requirements, smart comparison shopping, and thinking ahead. Whether you need a simple belt to speed up parcel handling or a bespoke automated sorter for a busy distribution centre, the right supplier and the right design will keep your operation flowing. Measure in inches, plan for pounds, and always account for growth. With the right approach you’ll cut costs, reduce strain on staff, and make your whole operation hum.
| Conveyors | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready - Steady | £ 3,57 | |
| Runpotec X-board 500 Profi Cable Roller Load Capacity 500kg | £ 231,37 | |
| Montana Runner Trolley Parsley 152 | £ 882,90 |
