| Application and Load Capacity | The conveyor must safely support the product, transfer forces, and operating conditions throughout its service life. | Confirm product weight, dimensions, load distribution, accumulation conditions, and required safety margin. The stated capacity should apply to the actual roller spacing and frame configuration. | Request engineering calculations, load tables, layout drawings, and a written confirmation of the maximum allowable load per roller and per conveyor section. | Only one generic load figure is provided without explaining roller pitch, support spacing, or load distribution. |
| Roller and Frame Materials | Material selection affects corrosion resistance, wear, hygiene, structural strength, and suitability for the operating environment. | Compare carbon steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, roller tube thickness, shaft design, bearing type, and surface finish against the application. | Ask for material specifications, coating details, dimensional drawings, and sample components. For stainless steel, verify the specified grade and wetted-area requirements. | Material descriptions use vague terms such as “high quality steel” without grades, thicknesses, or coating information. |
| Conveyor Type and Drive Design | Gravity, belt-driven, chain-driven, and motorized roller conveyors have different speed, noise, maintenance, and control characteristics. | Match the conveyor type to product shape, required throughput, accumulation needs, incline, transfers, and available controls. | Request a functional description covering drive arrangement, motor rating, speed range, control interface, emergency stopping, and accumulation method. | The supplier selects a motor or drive before collecting product weight, dimensions, throughput, and layout information. |
| Throughput and Operating Speed | Insufficient capacity can create bottlenecks, while excessive speed may cause product damage, instability, or unsafe transfers. | Evaluate units per hour, product spacing, conveyor length, roller pitch, speed range, acceleration, and accumulation behavior. | Provide a process flow and request a capacity calculation based on the smallest product, the heaviest product, and the required peak throughput. | Capacity is quoted as a fixed number without stating product dimensions, speed, spacing, or operating assumptions. |
| Customization and Engineering Capability | A properly integrated conveyor may require custom widths, heights, transfers, guards, supports, sensors, controls, or interfaces with existing equipment. | Assess design capability for layouts, non-standard dimensions, product orientation, elevation changes, control integration, and installation constraints. | Review general arrangement drawings, 3D models or detailed technical drawings, revision control, and a documented approval process before production. | The supplier accepts complex requirements without requesting site dimensions, product samples, interface details, or operating conditions. |
| Quality Management | Documented processes help control incoming materials, fabrication, assembly, inspection, and nonconforming products. | Look for traceable inspections, controlled drawings, incoming-material checks, assembly standards, corrective-action procedures, and final inspection records. | Request a current ISO 9001 certificate when claimed and verify its scope and validity through the issuing certification body. A certificate does not replace product inspection. | A certificate is shown without scope or validity details, or quality claims cannot be supported by inspection records. |
| Safety and Compliance Documentation | Safety requirements depend on the destination market, machine configuration, guarding, controls, and intended use. | Check risk assessment, guarding, emergency stops, pinch-point protection, electrical documentation, operating instructions, and applicable local regulations. | Request a technical file or compliance package appropriate to the destination market. For European projects, clarify applicable CE obligations rather than treating CE marking as a quality award. | Compliance marks are offered without a declaration, risk assessment, technical documentation, or explanation of the equipment scope. |
| Testing and Factory Acceptance | Testing verifies that the manufactured equipment matches approved drawings and performs under defined operating conditions. | Include dimensional checks, unloaded and loaded running tests, speed verification, noise observation, sensor tests, emergency-stop checks, and interface testing where applicable. | Agree on a written factory acceptance test plan, inspection points, acceptance criteria, photographs or videos, and procedures for resolving deviations. | Testing is described only as a visual check, with no measurable acceptance criteria or customer approval stage. |
| Spare Parts and Maintainability | Accessible replacement parts and clear maintenance procedures reduce downtime and simplify long-term ownership. | Review bearing, roller, belt, chain, motor, sensor, controller, and fastener specifications, along with lubrication and inspection requirements. | Request a recommended spare-parts list, part numbers, maintenance schedule, troubleshooting guide, and expected support process after delivery. | Wear parts have no identifiable part numbers, or the supplier cannot provide maintenance and replacement guidance. |
| Delivery, Packaging, and Installation | Large conveyor sections can be damaged or delayed if packaging, shipment planning, installation, and documentation are not coordinated. | Evaluate production milestones, export packaging, loading method, modular assembly, installation responsibility, commissioning, and site requirements. | Include a delivery schedule, packing list, installation drawings, lifting points, utility requirements, commissioning plan, and responsibility matrix in the contract. | The quoted lead time excludes drawing approval, testing, export packing, installation, or commissioning activities. |
| Total Cost of Ownership | The lowest purchase price may result in higher costs for energy, maintenance, downtime, installation, and replacement parts. | Compare equipment price, freight, duties, installation, controls, spare parts, energy use, maintenance labor, warranty coverage, and expected service life. | Use the same technical specification and commercial scope for each quotation, and request a clear list of exclusions, optional items, and recurring costs. | The quotation omits controls, supports, guarding, commissioning, packaging, spare parts, or other items needed for a working system. |
| Communication and Contract Control | Clear communication reduces errors in specifications, revisions, delivery responsibilities, and change management. | Assess response quality, technical understanding, English documentation, revision tracking, meeting records, and escalation procedures. | Use a signed technical specification, approved drawings, change-order procedure, inspection schedule, warranty terms, and defined payment milestones. | Important requirements remain in informal messages and are absent from the quotation, drawings, or purchase contract. |
| Supplier Verification and References | Independent verification helps confirm manufacturing capability, production controls, and the supplier’s ability to deliver comparable systems. | Review factory capability, relevant project experience, production equipment, inspection resources, workforce competence, and after-sales capacity. | Conduct a documented audit or third-party inspection where appropriate, check reference projects with permission, and verify certificates and legal business information. | The supplier refuses reasonable verification or provides references that cannot be independently confirmed. |
