COMMENT


Rewinding the conveyor belt: Rethinking transport on production lines


By Mark Richards, UK sales manager, Beckhoff T


here was a time when VHS was cutting- edge, revolutionising how we watched  streaming services we have today, you see just how far the world has moved on. Traditional conveyor systems are the VHS of manufacturing. While they’ve served the     deliver. In modern manufacturing, customisation,       from A to B in a linear, rigid and mechanical        which increases downtime. Although once a      


  level handling and ultra-clean, dust-free    damage to delicate wafers, where every  chains are fundamentally a mismatch to the       


for safe handling, which conventional             systems that introduce unnecessary  


   and with modular automation technology,  of a switch.


   contactless, levitating movers to achieve  


10 MARCH 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS


simultaneously in any direction, tilt, rotate or    


  drive systems as an ultra-fast, intelligent          automation and data, conveyors often  mechanical technology. In today’s   requirements and secure quality control is vital. With a modular layout, intelligent motion  


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