How can extremely light products be separated reliably?

In the separation of very lightweight products, reliable product pickup by the conveyor belt is crucial. Controlled contact between the belt and the sheet ensures uniform movement even at minimal product weight. That’s why Montech develops compact conveyor solutions that keep this contact stable and enable consistent, reproducible output.

Lightweight paper products such as package inserts, labels, and product information are now involved in numerous automated production processes. Especially in the pharmaceutical, medical, and packaging industries, these products must be precisely fed, separated, and processed further. At the same time, the requirements for compact system layouts, high process speeds, and stable product guidance are increasing. Conveyor and separation systems must therefore ensure constant and reproducible output, even for very light products.

Why do light products place high demands on conveyor technology?

Lightweight products are particularly sensitive to changes in force transmission during conveying. Since only low contact forces are effective, even minimal fluctuations are sufficient to affect the continuous product transport. Products can slip, accelerate uncontrollably, or lose contact with the conveyor system. This directly affects process stability, especially during separation processes. Systems such as drums and other friction-based mechanisms often no longer maintain constant force transmission at very low product weights. This results in irregular flows, incorrect output, and downtimes in the production process. For reliable separation, it is crucial that the contact between the product and the conveyor technology be maintained permanently and that the conveyor movement be precisely controlled.

Practical example from industrial product feeding

A current application at one of our customers demonstrates just how demanding separating light products can be. This customer was looking for a solution for separating 80 × 60 mm package inserts. The inserts weighed only four grams apiece and were fed into the separation process from a stack. The drum solution used previously could not guarantee constant output. Depending on the weight, the drum rotated empty, causing irregular processes. The customer was therefore looking for a solution that would ensure continuous contact between the conveyor technology and the product, even under minimal force.

Continuous product contact with the TB30 small-belt conveyor

For the intended application, we designed a compact conveyor solution based on the TB30 belt conveyor. The stacked package inserts are output individually in a controlled manner via a defined slot. In contrast to the previous drum solution, the belt conveyor and product remain in constant contact. This means that the output of the package inserts can be controlled evenly and reproducibly – regardless of the very low product weight. Thanks to its compact design, the customer can simply integrate this conveyor solution into its existing systems. At the same time, the pre-assembled model reduces the time and effort involved in commissioning. The robust, low-maintenance design also ensures high operational reliability in continuous production.

How does low product weight affect process stability?

The application shows how crucial the right conveyor technology is for light and sensitive products. Even small differences in force transmission can affect process stability and impair product delivery. Conveyor and separation systems must therefore be precisely matched to the respective application to ensure consistent processes and reproducible output.

Modular conveyor technology for individual applications

With modular small-belt conveyors, we offer solutions specifically designed for compact system layouts and complex conveying tasks. By combining standardized components with application-specific adaptation, individual separation tasks can be performed economically and reliably. Machine builders and integrators benefit from simple integration and great configuration flexibility.