By all indications, demand for conveyors is starting to pick up after a long and difficult downturn (see related story - Materials handling spending makes a comeback), and with good reason.

Looking to improve the productivity and effectiveness of their operations, end users now need more speed and greater flexibility, not to mention custom designs for their particular requirements.

Meanwhile, conveyor suppliers are ready with equipment and systems that are clean running, easy to maintain and have the endurance to operate around the clock. They are introducing new technologies into conveyor designs to get the job done better. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is also being tested for use in tracking and sorting applications within facilities (see sidebar below - Making RFID and conveyors work together).

More than anything, though, both users and conveyor suppliers are looking for value that delivers a favorable return on investment in a very competitive marketplace.

'It is a market dominated now by price. Value is key,' says Phil Kaffenberger, vice president of engineering for HK Systems (800-457-9783, www.hksystems.com). 'We look at ways we can deliver maximum value for minimal investment.'

'Customers are also looking for smart conveyors, innovative ways to speed up turnaround time and the use of non-traditional components,' adds Bill Hawthorne, vice president of marketing for Hytrol Conveyor (870-935-3700, www.hytrol.com). He adds that customization is high on users' shopping lists too.

'We see more and more specialized designs, such as adding higher sidewalls for tires, guard rails, special belting for inclines, common drives, special discharges and systems designed for a specific footprint,' Hawthorne continues.

Even as demand for customized systems is increasing, end user expectations for quick deliveries are equally high.

'It used to be that when customers would buy a custom system, more than six weeks turnaround time was acceptable. Now it is more like three to four weeks,' says Michael Hosch, director of engineering for Dorner (800-397-8664, www.dorner.com).

More than ever, conveyor users that downsized or eliminated their internal engineering staffs during the hard economic times are looking to suppliers to provide these services.

'End users no longer have their own engineering capabilities, so they look to us for solutions designed specifically for their application,' says Hytrol's Hawthorne.

Today's conveyors also have to be highly dependable, especially with 24/7 operation not uncommon in many customers' facilities.

'That puts a great demand on the conveyor,' says Gary Wemmert, director of marketing for Dorner. 'Those customers do not want to perform maintenance, and what maintenance that has to be done must be completed quickly so that the systems keep moving.'

Ongoing maintenance support is also a role that buyers look to their conveyor suppliers to fill. And it doesn't stop there.

Increasingly, 'customers want one-stop shopping. They want a single person to deal with,' adds David Martin, president of FKI Logistex North America (877-935-4564, www.fkilogistex.com). 'Conveyor companies tend to touch on all other systems in the facility, so it is a natural fit to step up and fulfill that role.'

Flexibility in conveyors is highly sought these days as managers try to get a wider range of product on the equipment to minimize manual handling. Some systems are made wider to handle bigger cartons, while others that carry small cartons must have their rollers placed closer together so that they can convey even the tiniest of boxes.

'The trend is to put items on the conveyor that used to be considered non-conveyable,' says Ray Neiser, chief technical officer for Intelligrated (513-701-7300, www.intelligrated.com).

Systems that can be retrofitted easily are still popular, though only about half of all systems are ever changed once installed. Modular systems are designed for easy changes. They are self-contained units that often feature plug and play technology.

'On a modular system, all of the components are attached and tested in the factory so that they can easily be connected in the field. This can conservatively reduce installation time by 25%,' says Lee Schomberg, vice president for Ermanco/Paragon Technologies (231-798-4547, www.ermanco.com).

The goal of every facility is to move product through the building as quickly as possible. This puts much of the burden for speed on conveyor systems. Fortunately, speed has increased steadily with each new generation of conveyors.

What used to be acceptable ten years ago - about 350 feet per minute for sorting systems - has now been left in the dust as some systems now achieve 500 feet per minute. But with that speed comes a price in increased noise levels.

'We run into a paradox as people want systems that run faster. But as systems speed up, noise increases, so you have to find a compromise between speed and noise,' says FKI's Martin.

Noise is not only a consideration here in North America, but is even more important in other parts of the distribution world.

'We are more noise conscious in Europe,' explains Frans van Duren, manager of marketing and corporate communications for Vanderlande Industries (770-250-2800, www.vanderlande.com). 'Many countries have strict laws in place concerning noise.'

To reduce noise, many conveyor manufacturers have switched to plastic and urethane parts (see sidebar below - Plastic belting keeps Pepsi products moving) and low-noise gears and bearings. They have also installed baffles and shrouds that further eliminate noise. Belts are often used, as these tend to be less noisy than rollers.

The use of belt conveyors is also on the rise in manufacturing applications.

'We are seeing less power-and-free conveyors now as more customers are moving to floor-level belt conveyors for manufacturing lines,' says Paul Hoperberger, director of marketing communications for Jervis B. Webb (249-553-1257, www.jervisbwebb.com). 'The belt conveyors are very soft and easy to walk on.'

Plastic mesh conveyor belts are also popular in many distribution facilities where cleanliness is a must, such as in washdown environments.

Another innovation is in the use of 24-volt DC power. These units tend to run quieter and are very efficient to operate. Some DC conveyors are also designed to save energy, as rollers on these systems shut down when product is not present to convey.

As the conveyor industry recovers along with the rest of the economy, more money should be available for future research and development into new conveyor technologies. We look forward to reporting on these and other new innovations within the new year.