Although some may assume that power conveyors, which are conveyors run by electric, hydraulic or pneumatic power sources rather then gravity, are always the best choice but this is not always true. Power conveyors come in many styles and sizes and are excellent for many applications, but like everything else in the industrial product realm, they have their downsides too. Some companies utilizing conveyor systems are better off without the expense and maintenance requirements of power conveyors.

Roller conveyors and belt conveyors are the most popular power conveyor models, although roller conveyors do not have to be powered to work properly but can be used as gravity conveyors or simply a surface on which employees can move objects quickly from one point to another, such as in the shipping industry. Belt conveyors function by way of numerous rotating cylinders attached to a power source that cycles a thick and sturdy belt along itself. Roller conveyors that are power conveyors are also known as active rollers since each roller in the system is attached to the structure of the conveyor, which is charged with power to cause each individual roller to rotate. The speed of rotation is able to be controlled by conveyor controls.

So the upside of power conveyors is the amount of control that is available as far as the speed of the conveyor goes and the lack of human assistance necessary in the process. Speed and precision save companies money and allow them to produce or move more products in a shorter amount of time. However, it can be expensive to run a power conveyor all day long, particularly if it is a large conveyor system. Maintenance for movement oriented equipment is also much higher then other types of industrial machines. Whether to buy or not to a buy a power conveyor versus a gravity conveyor is up to each individual organization who is purchasing one, and where their priorities lie.