A sortation conveyor system is a staple in many warehouses with multiple in-feed and out-feed lines. And at the heart of these conveyor machines are gappers, an often overlooked but essential component in ensuring efficient and accurate sorting. In this blog post, the role of gappers in sortation conveyor systems will be explored, along with two prominent types of gappers.
Basics Of Gappers
What Are Gappers?
Gappers are used in sortation conveyor systems to create gaps in the continuous belt so that items can be sorted into different bins or chutes.
Gappers can be either mechanical or electronic. Mechanical gappers use a set of paddles that rotate to push the belt apart, while electronic gappers use sensors to detect when an item needs to be sorted and then open up the gap accordingly. Gappers are an essential part of any sortation conveyor system because they allow for quick and accurate sorting of items.
Types Of Gappers
Blow Through Gappers
Blow-through gappers are typically used in high-speed applications where products need to be accurately spaced apart. They are also used in systems where the gap size is constant. Hence, it is calibrated at a particular speed in order to maintain the same gap between individual loads. Therefore, it is suitable only for similarly-sized packages.
Gap Optimization Gappers
This device has two halves that can be moved closer together or further apart, depending on the width of the product being sorted. In this case, the gappers maintain a constant distance between products even if their dimensions and belt speed vary. This is made possible with the aid of sensors which allow the gappers to recalibrate their speed based on these factors.
Understandably, gap optimization gappers are more expensive than their fixed counterparts, but the accuracy and convenience more than makeup for the initial cost of investment.
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