By Greg Washburn and Joshua Belisle · Edited by Dana Gardner
Published August 8, 2024 · Reviewed by Greg Washburn · July 1, 2026
Summary
How do I choose a control for a central conveying system?
Choose a central conveying control that meets current and future needs and that employees can understand and operate. Options range from single-station self-contained loader controls to single-pump multi-station and multi-pump multi-station controls. More sophisticated controls add automatic troubleshooting alarms, but because of their initial cost, most processors choose a simpler panel showing chamber and pump status.
Choose a control system that will meet current and future needs and that can be understood and operated by employees.
Control choices range from a single-station self-contained loader control to single-pump, multi-station controls to multi-pump multi-station controls. Individual processing needs will dictate the level of sophistication required in the control. Some of today’s more exotic control systems will do a lot of troubleshooting automatically. They include alarms for vacuum-pump motor failure, high vacuum, low vacuum, clogged filters, bag breaks, high amp readings, and motor phase. The initial cost for this level of sophistication leads most processors to opt for controls that include a simple panel showing the status of chambers and pumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What alarms can a central conveying control provide?
More sophisticated central conveying controls handle much of the troubleshooting automatically. They include alarms for vacuum pump motor failure, high vacuum, low vacuum, clogged filters, bag breaks, high amp readings, and motor phase. This level of control has a higher initial cost, so many processors opt for a simpler status panel instead.
Do most processors need an advanced conveying control?
Not necessarily. Individual processing needs dictate how sophisticated the control should be. The initial cost of controls with automatic troubleshooting alarms leads most processors to choose controls with a simple panel showing the status of chambers and pumps, as long as the control meets current and future needs and employees can operate it.
About the Authors
Vice President of Operations, Novatec
Greg Washburn is Vice President of Operations at Novatec and has been with the company for more than three decades. He is involved in all phases of engineering design and product manufacturing, giving him a broad perspective on how resin drying and conveying equipment moves from engineering concept through production and into real-world processing environments. Greg holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland. His experience spans engineering, manufacturing and operations across Novatec’s material-handling technologies.
Technology Manager, Novatec
Joshua Belisle is Technology Manager at Novatec, where his work focuses on simulation and technology development for resin drying. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Business from the University of Virginia in 2023 and joined Novatec that same year. Joshua uses simulation tools to investigate previously difficult-to-measure aspects of the drying process, helping Novatec better understand airflow, heat transfer and other variables that influence resin-drying performance.
Related Articles
Review how dedicated material lines support loading, purging and material changes in a central conveying system.
See how ultra high efficiency pumps support large resin throughputs and long conveying distances.
Compare vacuum receiver designs, filters and maintenance features when selecting a resin conveying system.
Ask the Expert
