Industry 4.0 is the hottest trend to hit the manufacturing world since the Toyota Production System started to transform assembly lines two decades ago. Although most of the talk about digital production systems and smart factories involves things such as augmented reality, collaborative robots or data analytics, conveyors play an equally important role.
Many vendors are developing conveyors that incorporate smart devices and embedded intelligence. As the technology continues to evolve, products now feature faster speeds, heavier payloads and greater precision. State-of-the-art belt, chain and pallet systems are also quieter and cleaner to operate.