How to Integrate a New Conveyor into an Existing Food Production Line
Adding a new conveyor to an existing food production line can appear relatively straightforward. A product leaves one piece of equipment, travels along a conveyor and arrives at the next.
In practice, successful conveyor integration involves considerably more than making sure the new equipment physically fits between two machines.
Conveyor height, speed, product transfers, hygiene, access, controls, factory space and the performance of upstream and downstream equipment can all affect whether the finished installation operates effectively.
This is particularly important in established food factories, where production lines may have evolved over many years and new equipment must often be fitted around existing machinery, structural columns, walkways, drains and services.
So what should manufacturers consider before adding a new conveyor to an existing production line?
Start with the process, not the conveyor
One of the most useful questions to ask at the beginning of a project is:
What problem does the new conveyor need to solve?
The answer may initially appear obvious – perhaps product needs to travel from a slicer to a packing machine, or an existing conveyor needs replacing.
However, it is worth looking beyond the physical movement of the product.
Is the existing system creating a bottleneck?
Are products being damaged at a transfer point?
Is cleaning difficult?
Has a new processing machine been installed at a different height?
Does the production team need greater access?
Is increased throughput causing problems elsewhere on the line?
Understanding the reason for the change can prevent a new conveyor from simply reproducing the limitations of the old arrangement.
Survey the existing production area carefully
Accurate information about the factory environment is essential when integrating new conveyor equipment.
This can include:
Available floor space
Existing conveyor dimensions
Infeed and discharge heights
Structural columns
Walls and partitions
Drains
Pipework
Electrical services
Overhead equipment
Operator walkways
Maintenance access
Cleaning access
Existing guarding
Even apparently small obstacles can significantly influence the final design.
This is why a site survey is often useful for retrofit conveyor projects. Measurements, photographs, existing drawings and discussions with production and engineering teams can all help identify potential issues before manufacturing begins.
Where projects are more complex, the information gathered during the survey can be transferred into CAD drawings so the proposed equipment can be assessed within the existing layout.
Check conveyor heights and interfaces
Two machines positioned close together are not necessarily easy to connect.
Their product discharge and infeed heights may differ considerably.
For example, product may leave one machine at 900 mm above floor level but need to enter another at 1,800 mm.
The conveying solution may therefore require an incline, elevator or other change in elevation.
The position of each interface also matters.
A conveyor may need to pass beneath another machine, rise over a walkway or approach an infeed from a particular direction.
Understanding these dimensional relationships before specifying the conveyor can avoid expensive changes during installation.
Pay particular attention to product transfers
Transfers are often one of the most challenging parts of conveyor integration.
A conveyor might operate perfectly well on its own, but problems can occur where the product passes from one piece of equipment to another.
The designer may need to consider:
Belt gaps
Drop heights
Belt speeds
Product orientation
Product dimensions
Guides
Nose rollers
Transfer plates
Chutes
Changes in direction
The physical characteristics of the food product can make a significant difference.
A sealed carton can generally tolerate a transfer that would be unsuitable for loose salad leaves, sliced food, bakery products or delicate fresh produce.
Reducing unnecessary drops and gaps can help maintain product quality and minimise the risk of damage or spillage.
Match the conveyor to the required throughput
A new conveyor should not be considered independently from the capacity of the rest of the line.
Suppose an upstream process produces 100 units per minute but the downstream packaging equipment can only consistently handle 80.
Simply installing a faster conveyor between them will not resolve the underlying bottleneck.
The system may instead require accumulation, buffering or changes to the way product is presented to the next machine.
Conversely, an underspecified conveyor can restrict an otherwise capable production line.
The required throughput should therefore be considered across the complete process, including both upstream and downstream machinery.
Consider speed as well as capacity
Conveyor speed affects more than simply how quickly product moves through the factory.
Relative speeds between conveyors can influence spacing, orientation and product stability.
Where products move between two belts running at significantly different speeds, gaps may open or products may bunch together.
In some applications this is desirable. In others it can disrupt downstream processing.
Variable-speed drives can provide greater flexibility where the optimum operating speed is likely to change between products or production conditions.
How will the new conveyor communicate with existing machinery?
Modern production lines increasingly operate as interconnected systems rather than collections of independent machines.
A conveyor may need to start and stop in response to surrounding equipment or change speed depending on production conditions.
The integration process may therefore need to consider signals from:
Processing equipment
Metal detectors
Checkweighers
Multihead weighers
Packaging machines
Sensors
Emergency stop circuits
Line control systems
For example, if a downstream machine stops, the conveyor feeding it may also need to stop or redirect product before excessive accumulation occurs.
Control integration should therefore be considered during the design stage rather than added after the mechanical installation has been completed.
Do you need a standard conveyor or something custom?
Not every retrofit requires bespoke equipment.
If two existing machines have straightforward interfaces, sufficient surrounding space and compatible operating requirements, a standard conveyor may be entirely suitable.
However, existing production environments often introduce constraints that make standard equipment more difficult to accommodate.
A custom conveyor may become worth considering where there are:
Restricted spaces
Unusual conveyor routes
Different operating heights
Difficult product transfers
Structural obstacles
Multiple machine interfaces
Specialist hygiene requirements
Limited operator access
Existing platforms or walkways
Requirements for future expansion
The aim should not be to specify custom equipment unnecessarily.
Instead, manufacturers can consider whether adapting a standard conveyor introduces more compromise than designing equipment around the existing process.
For a broader comparison, see our guide to custom vs off-the-shelf food conveyors, which looks at when each approach may be appropriate.
Sometimes only one special section is needed
Conveyor integration does not always involve replacing an entire system.
Often, most of the existing production line is performing satisfactorily and only one section creates a problem.
A manufacturer might require:
A bespoke transfer conveyor
A short connecting section
A change in conveyor direction
An incline or decline
A new discharge arrangement
A modified support structure
A special chute
Additional guarding
A new belt section
A raised conveyor crossing
Creating a purpose-designed section can sometimes resolve the integration problem while allowing the majority of the existing equipment to remain in place.
This can be particularly useful where replacing the complete line would create unnecessary cost and disruption.
Think beyond the conveyor itself
One of the advantages of looking at integration as an engineering project rather than simply an equipment purchase is that the solution may involve more than conveyors.
An installation might require:
Platforms
Walkways
Gantries
Stairs
Handrails
Guarding
Supporting steelwork
Chutes
Access points
For example, raising a conveyor above an existing production area may solve a space problem but create a new maintenance challenge.
The complete arrangement may therefore need a platform or walkway to provide safe access to motors, bearings or cleaning points.
Considering these requirements at the design stage helps prevent access systems and supporting structures from becoming an afterthought.
Do not overlook operator access
A conveyor that fits perfectly into the available space may still be impractical if operators cannot work around it.
Production staff may need access to inspect, remove or reposition products.
Cleaning teams may need access beneath and inside the conveyor.
Maintenance engineers may need to reach motors, bearings, sensors and tensioning systems.
Emergency routes and general movement around the production area must also remain practical.
Good conveyor integration therefore considers the people working around the equipment as well as the product travelling along it.
How will the conveyor be cleaned?
In food manufacturing, cleaning requirements should influence the design from the beginning.
The new conveyor may need to fit into an established hygiene regime, and placing equipment too close to a wall, machine or structural support can make cleaning unnecessarily difficult.
Consider:
Can operators reach beneath the conveyor?
Can belts or guards be removed where necessary?
Can water drain effectively?
Are there unnecessary collection points?
Can surrounding floors and equipment still be cleaned?
Are materials appropriate for the production area?
Installing a conveyor that improves production but makes hygiene significantly more difficult can simply replace one operational problem with another.
Consider maintenance before installation
Maintenance access is similarly important.
Motors, drives, bearings and other service components should ideally remain accessible without removing surrounding equipment.
It can also be useful to consider component standardisation.
Where practical, using familiar motors, bearings, belts and other serviceable parts can simplify maintenance and spare-parts management.
A bespoke conveyor does not necessarily require bespoke components throughout. Often, the most effective approach combines a purpose-designed layout with proven standard components.
Can the existing conveyor be modified instead?
Before replacing a conveyor, it is worth assessing whether modification could solve the problem.
Possible changes might include:
Altering conveyor speed
Changing belt material
Modifying guides
Improving transfer arrangements
Replacing a drive
Changing supports
Altering the discharge
Adding guarding
Extending or shortening a section
Modification can be economical where the underlying equipment remains in good condition.
However, extensive alterations to ageing machinery can eventually reach the point where replacement provides better long-term value.
The decision should consider the condition of the equipment, availability of spare parts, required modifications and likely future production requirements.
Why can manufacturing capability matter on a retrofit project?
Retrofit conveyor projects frequently uncover details that could not be fully anticipated from drawings alone.
A support may need repositioning to avoid existing pipework. A bracket may require altering. A guard may need a different shape to provide access. A conveyor section may require a dimensional change.
Having design, fabrication and assembly capabilities closely connected can make it easier to respond to these challenges.
For example, Wrightfield combines conveyor engineering with on-site metal manufacturing capabilities including laser cutting, bending, forming, deburring and flattening, together with qualified welding and assembly teams.
For a retrofit project, the relevant advantage is not simply that these processes are performed in one location. It is that a non-standard bracket, frame, support, platform or conveyor section can be considered as part of the overall engineering solution rather than treated as a separate subcontracted problem.
Plan installation and downtime
A conveyor may fit perfectly and perform exactly as intended, but the installation still needs to be coordinated with the operating factory.
Production downtime can be expensive, particularly in high-volume food manufacturing.
Installation planning may therefore involve:
Pre-assembling equipment before delivery
Identifying installation routes
Coordinating electrical work
Removing existing machinery
Arranging lifting equipment
Scheduling production shutdowns
Completing hygiene procedures before restart
Testing controls and safety systems
Commissioning the completed line
For some projects, the practical installation window can influence the equipment design itself.
A large conveyor, for example, may need to be manufactured in sections so it can be brought into the factory and assembled in position.
Test the complete system, not just the conveyor
Once installed, the conveyor should be assessed as part of the wider production line.
Commissioning may include checking:
Product transfers
Belt tracking
Conveyor speeds
Sensors
Emergency stops
Control interfaces
Product accumulation
Access and guarding
Cleaning arrangements
Performance at the required throughput
Testing with the actual product is especially useful because behaviour that appears satisfactory during an empty conveyor test may change significantly once real products are introduced.
What information should you provide when planning a conveyor retrofit?
The more information available at the beginning of a project, the easier it is to identify integration issues.
Useful information can include:
Factory layout drawings
Photographs or video
Product dimensions and weights
Required throughput
Existing conveyor speeds
Machine specifications
Infeed and discharge heights
Available floor space
Hygiene requirements
Cleaning procedures
Electrical and control requirements
Known production problems
Planned future changes
For complex projects, a site survey can help confirm these details and provide context that may not be obvious from drawings alone.
A practical checklist for conveyor integration
Before ordering a new conveyor for an existing production line, consider five areas:
Product: What is being conveyed and how does it behave during transfers?
Process: What throughput, speed and accumulation are required?
Place: What physical constraints exist around the proposed installation?
People: How will operators, cleaners and maintenance teams interact with the equipment?
Plant: How must the conveyor integrate mechanically and electrically with the machinery around it?
Looking at all five areas can reveal requirements that might be missed if the specification begins with conveyor dimensions alone.
Successful conveyor integration is about the whole process
The easiest part of conveyor integration can sometimes be manufacturing the conveyor itself.
The more difficult task is making sure it works effectively with everything around it.
Product characteristics, surrounding machinery, conveyor speeds, factory layout, controls, cleaning, access and maintenance all need to be considered together.
For straightforward applications, that may lead to a standard conveyor.
For more complicated installations, it could mean modifying existing equipment, manufacturing a bespoke connecting section or engineering a complete solution around the production process.
The most effective approach is therefore not simply to ask:
"What conveyor will fit in this space?"
A more useful question is:
"What needs to happen between these two stages of our production process, and what is the simplest way to achieve it?"
That change in thinking can make the difference between installing another piece of machinery and creating a conveyor system that genuinely improves the production line.
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