At the heart of every conveyor system is the motor to drive it. The Simpliflex 83 series are compact units that house the motor, transmission and main drive sprocket. These are available in a variety of configurations, such as the motor being to the right hand side of the sprocket. Simplimatic states this drive has a clutch, to prevent damage in case of conveyor binding. It is up to the designer of the system to determine what the needs are, and order the drive unit accordingly.
Beams carry the drive chain. Aluminum beams are fabricated in 10-foot sections. The width is about 3 1/2 inches, by a depth of about 3 inches. Two styles are available. One style, part number 25000101, traps the chain inside the H-shaped beam. Another style, part number 25000100 allows the chain to be lifted off the beam. Connecting plates ties sections of beam together by bolts, so the entire conveyor is assembled piece by piece
All conveyors, sooner or later, must have bends. A plain bend is a straight piece of conveyor beam that has been curved. Bends are available in 30, 45, 60 and 90 degrees. The radius of all bends is 27 1/2 inches. All bends have connecting tabs, so they simply slip into the straight rails. You can make custom bends by combining the sections. For example, if you want a 75-degree bend, combine a 30-degree with a 45-degree section. You can make any conveyor configuration you want, simply by combining bends with straight sections. Think of it like assembling a slot car track, putting together straight pieces of track with curved sections of track.
Because of the high side stresses associated with bends, Simplimatic recommends using wheel bends over plain bends. These bends have a roller wheel mounted on the inside of the radius, and allows the drive chain to roll over the wheel. Bends are available in 30-, 45-, 60-, 90- and 180-degree turns. Because the side forces are significantly reduced, the radius is reduced as well. All wheel bends, except the 180-degree turn, have a radius of 6.3 inches. The 180-degree turn has a radius of 12.6 inches. All the wheel bends have connecting tabs as well, making for a simple snap-together system.