Overview
A rice mill conveyor spends its life carrying filled sacks in a permanently dusty building. Sacks are heavy, they land on the belt rather than being placed on it, and their woven surface is abrasive. Fine rice dust gets into every bearing and drive that is not sealed against it.
Handling is built around the filled sack rather than loose grain. Belt conveyors with sufficient width and support carry sacks from the bagger, cleated belts lift them between levels, and roller conveyors take over where sacks need to accumulate before palletising. Frames and drives are specified for dust rather than for hygiene, which is the opposite priority to a food plant.
Where we work on the line
- Bagger discharge and sack take-away
- Stitching and sealing line transfer
- Check weighing and rejection
- Incline transfer between levels
- Accumulation before palletising
- Truck and container loading
Frequently asked questions
What conveyor is used for filled rice sacks?
Belt conveyors are used for the main runs, sized wide enough to fully support the sack, with cleated belts where sacks need to climb between levels. Roller conveyors take over where sacks need to accumulate or be worked on, since the firm base of a filled sack runs well on rollers.
How do you deal with rice dust?
By specifying sealed bearings and protected drives, and by choosing components that tolerate an abrasive dusty atmosphere rather than assuming a clean one. Dust ingress into bearings is the most common cause of failure on mill conveyors, so it is designed against from the start.
Can the conveyor load trucks and containers?
Yes, usually with a flexible conveyor that extends into the vehicle. That way sacks are carried to the point of stacking rather than being carried in by hand, which is where most of the labour and time in loading is spent.