Introduction to Conveyors - FlexSim Community

Conveyor objects are now a separate, distinct category in the FlexSim Library. Glancing at the Library under the Conveyors group, you'll see all of the new objects.

The following table will provide a high-level overview of these objects. The categories and objects are presented in the same order as they appear in the Library.

Name and Icon	Description	Appearance
Straight Conveyor	The Straight Conveyor can simulate conveyor belts or roller conveyors. As its name suggests, this conveyor has a straight shape.
Curved Conveyor	The Curved Conveyor is another object that can simulate conveyor belts or roller conveyors. Unlike the Straight Conveyor, this conveyor has a curved shape with varying radius settings.
Join Conveyors	Join Conveyors acts more like a tool than an object. Use it to create a curved conveyor connecting two conveyor sections.
Decision Points	You can use a Decision Point to build logic into your conveyor system. Decision Points can also be linked to a Merge Controller to notify it when a released slug has cleared designated points in the system.
Photo Eye	Photo Eyes are similar to Decision Points in that they act as a sensor on the conveyor. However, whereas a Decision Point will fire on every passing item, Photo Eyes function like real-life photo eyes. They will only clear if there is a gap between items on the conveyor. You can also define a block and/or clear time so the respective trigger will only fire if the Photo Eye is continuously blocked/cleared for a defined duration of time.
motor	motors can be used to control whether the conveyor systems are on or off at a given time. The motor can also be used to sync dog gaps on a power and free chain loop when simulating a Power and Free conveyor system.
Merge Controller	The Merge Controller is an object that can control how different conveyor lanes merge together. Use the Merge Controller to define a lane release strategy for the merge.

In addition to these objects which are available in the FlexSim Library, there are three additional conveyor objects you should be aware of: Transfers, Entry Transfers, and Exit Transfers. These objects are not available in the FlexSim library but are automatically created whenever you connect conveyors to other objects:

Name	Description	Appearance
Transfers	Transfers are connections from one conveyor to another. They can affect how an item is transferred between conveyors.
Entry Transfers	Entry Transfers are connections from a non-conveyor object (such as a Source or other Fixed Resource) to a conveyor object. They can affect how an item is transferred to a conveyor.
Exit Transfers	Exit Transfers are connections from a conveyor to a non-conveyor object (such as a Sink or other Fixed Resource) to a conveyor object. Exit Transfers have the ability to send for a transport, or in other words, a Task Executer to pick up items and deliver them to another object. Task Executers can pick up items from a particular point on the Exit Transfer or a range of possible points along an Exit Transfer.