Overview
A curve conveyor turns the direction of a line while the product stays on the same running surface. Rather than butting two straight conveyors together at an angle and passing product across a dead plate or transfer roller, the belt or chain itself follows the bend, so the product is carried round the corner without ever leaving the conveyor.
That matters because transfer points are where lines fail. Every gap between two conveyors is somewhere a bottle can tip, a carton can catch a corner, or a small item can drop through. Removing the transfer removes the jam. On a bottling line in particular, the difference between a side-flexing curve and two straights meeting at a dead plate is the difference between a line that runs and a line that needs someone standing at the corner.
Curves are built in several ways depending on what is being carried. Side-flexing modular belt gives a positively driven surface for packs, cases and trays. Side-flexing table top chain is the standard for upright containers such as bottles and cans. A curved belt conveyor uses a tapered belt for small or unstable items that need a continuous surface with no gaps at all.
Belt types
Modular belt curve
Side-flexing plastic modular belt, positively driven by sprockets. Suits packs, cases, trays and wash-down duty, and handles the widest range of product.
Table top chain curve
Side-flexing slat chain for upright containers guided by side rails. The standard curve on bottling, canning and filling lines.
Curved belt
A tapered continuous belt giving a fully closed surface with no gaps, used for small, light or unstable product that would catch on a chain or module.
Roller curve
Tapered rollers that steer cartons and totes round a bend, used in warehouse and dispatch lines where the product has a firm flat base.
Key features
No transfer point
Product stays on one running surface through the bend, removing the dead plate or gap where items most commonly jam, tip or fall.
Fits the building
Lines can follow walls, work round columns and turn into other departments, so the layout suits the space you have rather than requiring a straight run.
Angles to suit
Curves are built to the angle the layout needs, commonly 45, 90 and 180 degrees, with the radius set from product size and stability.
Keeps containers upright
Side-flexing chain with guide rails carries bottles and cans round the bend at line speed without them toppling into each other.
Fewer machines to maintain
One continuous curve replaces two conveyors plus a transfer, so there are fewer drives, fewer wear points and less to go wrong.
Wash-down construction
Stainless steel frames and plastic belt or chain suit wet, food and beverage areas that are cleaned daily.
Applications
- Turning a line to follow the building layout
- Bottling and canning line corners
- Routing between production and packing areas
- Working around columns, walls and machinery
- Feeding sortation and packing stations
- Connecting production cells
- 180 degree turns to double back a line
- Warehouse and dispatch routing
Typical specifications
- Types
- Modular belt curve, table top chain curve, curved belt, and roller curve
- Angles
- Built to layout, commonly 45, 90 and 180 degrees
- Radius
- Set from product size, stability and belt or chain type
- Frame
- Stainless steel for wash-down and food duty, aluminium or painted steel for dry areas
- Drive
- Sprocket driven for modular belt and chain curves, friction driven for curved belt
- Guide rails
- Adjustable side rails where containers need guiding through the bend
- Product types
- Bottles, cans, cartons, cases, trays, packs and totes
Typical values for this conveyor type. Final specifications are confirmed for your application on quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Why use a curve conveyor instead of two straight conveyors?
Two straight conveyors meeting at an angle need a transfer point, and that gap is where product tips, catches or falls, especially bottles and small items. A curve conveyor carries product round the bend on one continuous surface, so the jam point is designed out rather than managed.
What angles can a curve conveyor turn?
Curves are built to whatever the layout needs. The most common are 45, 90 and 180 degrees, the last being used to double a line back on itself to fit a building or to feed a return leg. The radius is set from the product size and how stable it is.
Which type of curve should I use?
Upright containers such as bottles and cans normally use side-flexing table top chain with guide rails. Packs, cases, trays and wash-down duty suit a modular belt curve. Very small, light or unstable product needs a curved belt, which has a completely closed surface. Cartons and totes with firm bases can use a roller curve.
Will bottles fall over going round a curve?
Not if the curve is specified correctly. Side-flexing chain keeps the carrying surface moving at a consistent speed through the bend, and adjustable guide rails hold the containers in lane. Radius and speed are set for the container height and diameter, since tall narrow bottles need a gentler radius than short wide ones.
Can a curve conveyor also change level?
A curve changes direction on one plane. If you need to change level as well, that is either an incline conveyor for a modest rise over distance, or a spiral conveyor where the product needs to gain significant height in a small footprint.
Do curve conveyors need more maintenance?
Not particularly, and often less overall. A curve has wear strips that are replaced as consumables, but it replaces two conveyors and a transfer, so there are fewer drives and fewer wear points in total than the arrangement it takes the place of.