As the founder of Connect Conveyor Idler, I am very proud to say that we have fabricated thousands of conveyor Idler over our 10 years in business. At Connect Idler we manufacture and fabricate conveyor Idlers for almost every industry and I was recently asked to write a blog that reflects my experience in choosing a conveyor idler fabricator.
Here is my list of ten things that to keep in mind when selecting a ‘belt shop’ for your factory or for your business:
Consider the range of services that a idler fabricator offers and which services you need over the course of your business. If you have to go elsewhere for installation or for third party components such as a roller covering that means that you will have extra time and extra costs. Does the belting company have the necessary training in safety to conduct business in your facility?
How long has the idler shop been open? For example, if you need a conveyor that is FDA approved, consider their design and fabrication specific to that industry? Just because they make idlers for the automotive industry, does not necessarily mean that they will be able to fabricate a belt for a clean room environment. Checking references is critically important.
This is a deal breaker and truly separates the wheat from the chaff in the custom conveyor belt industry. Designing is a huge commitment for the fabricator. It means software, hardware and hiring professional, experienced designers. The fabricator will need a to be of a certain size before they can add a design professional to the staff.
The commitment to quality for a idler manufacturer is complicated issue. Everyone wants to make a good quality conveyor belt. Conveyor idlers are the heartbeat of a factory. Stop a conveyor idler and the entire production is halted. It can cost a factory tens of thousands of dollars per hour to be down due to a broken idler. So what is the commitment to quality of your prospective supplier? Having a dedicated resource and focus on quality procedures is unique to our industry.
You have designed a good idler, you have fabricated it with high quality materials, it has been laminated, coated and glued. It has been delivered on time and to a high quality, repeatable manufacturing process. But if it gets installed incorrectly it will likely have premature wear or may fail early in the field. Investing in highly skilled, knowledgeable, installation professionals is important. I like to watch the entire process and judge for myself if a fabricator is doing a good job.
Not every supplier is going to be innovative and innovation is not necessary for every customer. If there is a commitment to innovation there will also be willingness to accept risks and the financial burden or potential labor investment. Personally I like innovation and innovative customers and even if a customer has difficulty accepting a new technology or approach on one roller program or project, I think that a great conveyor idler manufacturer will push the envelope, and educate and inform the customer on benefits and wins.
In the conveyor roller business and in manufacturing for this industry, speed of delivery is important, even critical. A good manufacturer will have organized the business to be able react quickly to customers1 need for speed. That means Saturday delivery, late night installations and driving emergency idlers to customers, in some cases 24/7. It also requires a significant inventory commitment to have control of delivering quickly.
The commitment to hiring well in any industry makes the difference all the way down the line. This is a tough industry, so when a belt manufacturer hires well you can see it. If the training and investment in staff is there, the commitment to the people will pay off in the quality and execution of all projects.
Choosing any supplier in manufacturing can seem overwhelming, but references will tell you about those who jump through hoops when you need help. Do your homework to find that roller supplier who will send out a technician when your operation is down, or the one who always delivers on time and on budget.
Partnerships and relationships in our industry help procure the right approaches, materials, machinery, coatings and substrates that are needed to create conveyor rollers that are optimized for the customer. A supplier that recognizes and nurtures productive relationships will be one that supplies their customer with the best solution.