Air-driven conveyor system for frictionless material movement

Belt conveyor systems, widely employed in material transport, often suffer from excessive energy consumption, maintenance needs, and wear due to friction. These challenges are most acute when transporting delicate and non-standard shapes, raising costs and lowering operational efficiency. This project seeks to develop an air conveyor system which solves these problems. Air conveyors eliminate the need for direct contact between conveyor surfaces and the items being transported, making them particularly helpful for the electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing industries which require strict hygiene and system integrity. These industries are also prone to excessive friction and require high maintenance. In this project, an air conveyor system prototype was designed, constructed, and subsequently tested. The prototype utilized an acrylic sheet with holes, plywood, a 700W air blower, a mount for the blower made from 3D printed parts, and some metal brackets. Moreover, tests to determine energy consumption, load, efficiency, and their material specification were conducted. Compared to belt conveyors, air conveyors showed more favourable energy expenditure over a 10-hour operational period. The system reliably transported and supported flat-bottomed items measuring from 5 cm × 5 cm to 16 cm × 16 cm and weighing from 30 grams to 500 grams. The air-driven conveyor system is an example of an innovative system where greater energy efficiency is achieved when compared to conventional systems. Mechanical wear and maintenance costs are reduced alongside improved efficiency and overall effectiveness of the system. The system can be used in material handling systems where its effectiveness and product quality are required while ensuring environmental sustainability