Selecting a conveyor manufacturer is a decision with long-term operational consequences. The right vendor produces a system that performs reliably for years; the wrong one produces a system that requires ongoing remediation. Here are the factors that matter most when evaluating a conveyor manufacturer for an industrial application.
Application-Specific Engineering Experience
General manufacturing capability doesn’t substitute for direct experience with your material type and application environment. A manufacturer that has designed and installed conveyor systems in your industry understands the material handling variables, environmental conditions, and operational constraints that matter.
Ask for references from similar applications and verify that the manufacturer’s engineers have direct experience with systems like the one you’re specifying — not just comparable-sounding projects.
In-House Fabrication
Manufacturers who fabricate in-house control quality at every step of the production process. Vendors who subcontract fabrication introduce variables in quality, lead time, and accountability that can create problems at installation and over the system’s service life.
In-house fabrication also means faster turnaround on replacement components and modifications, which matters when an operating plant needs a repair completed quickly.
Pre-Shipment Testing
A conveyor system that has been assembled, tested, and validated before it leaves the factory installs more cleanly and commissions faster than one that is assembled for the first time on-site. Ask whether the manufacturer performs pre-shipment testing as standard practice, what the testing protocol covers, and whether you can witness the test.
Manufacturers who test before shipping have higher confidence in their designs and a lower rate of field installation problems.
Post-Installation Support
The relationship with your conveyor manufacturer shouldn’t end at installation. Parts availability, technical support, and the ability to get engineering assistance when operational issues arise are all factors that determine the real cost of ownership over the system’s life.
Ask specifically about:
- Parts stocking and lead times on wear components
- How post-installation technical questions are handled
- Whether factory technicians are available for on-site commissioning support
- Warranty terms and what they cover
What Serpentix Builds
Serpentix Conveyor Corporation has designed, fabricated, and installed custom conveyor systems for industrial and municipal applications since 1969. Our conveyor lineup covers the full range of water and wastewater material handling demands:
The Pathwinder is our flagship model — the most widely specified Serpentix system in municipal wastewater treatment, accommodating layouts with inclines up to 45 degrees and a 6-foot radius within a 150-foot maximum length.
The Model-H is designed for high-speed, high-volume facilities running continuous 24/7 operations, where longer runs and heavy-duty uptime requirements demand a more robust system.
The Flight Distribution conveyor is built for facilities that need to move material to multiple discharge points without interrupting operations.
The Flex-End Discharge, available on Pathwinder systems, adds multiple discharge points across a 12-foot arc for facilities where fixed discharge locations aren’t practical and structural modification isn’t an option.
All fabrication is done in-house at our Westminster, Colorado facility. Contact us to discuss your project requirements.
