If output has slipped or your system is jamming, it may be time for a professional audit.

By Peter Bradley

Maybe output has slipped a bit. Or the conveyor system has started to jam once in awhile. Or productivity isn't quite what you believe it could be. Count those among the signs that it's time to conduct a professional audit of your conveyor system.

A conveyor audit is not an especially intimidating task. It just means taking a careful look at all the pieces—mechanical, electrical, software, etc.—and making sure they're running the way they should both as components and as parts of a system.

Conveyor makers categorize audits into essentially two types: maintenance audits and wider-ranging operational audits. Performance issues—like problems with jamming—suggest that a maintenance audit may be in order. An operational audit might be indicated if the user is looking to boost throughput or wants to make sure the system is still meeting its needs, particularly if the business has undergone substantial changes since the conveyor's installation.

Boyce Bonham, director of the integrator services operation for Hytrol Conveyor Co., says customers seek audits for a variety of reasons. "Some people want one once a year no matter what," he says. "Other customers want us to do it when something triggers it—maybe an increase in downtime due to mechanical or electrical issues or a drop in performance."

"Audits are done for a lot of reasons," concurs Kevin Klueber, product manager for Intelligrated, a manufacturer of automated material handling systems. "Maybe there have been changes in equipment or in the operational environment or in throughput requirements."

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