A basic overview of a conveyor system is general enough to apply to most styles of conveyors, although there are some models that are vastly different. The basics involves chains, rollers or belts that are attached to pulleys which rotate the surface object and move whatever product is on the surface. An electric motor usually controls the speed of these rotations. Sturdy and sanitary metal such as stainless steel as well as firm, corrosion-resistant rubber and heavy duty plastics are all utilized for the framework and conveyor surface.
Some of the basic conveyor models can be used in very interesting ways. For example, a belt conveyor may be made from a specific type of metal and rubber so that it can take food through a freezer, where it is hardened before being packaged for the frozen food section of a grocery store. Other conveyors, such as the chain conveyor, can be utilized when products must be cooked or hardened in the intensely hot conditions of an oven. Overhead conveyors are often found when a manufacturing company or warehouse is in desperate need of more space, so every height is utilized. Conveyors provide the speed and efficiency that could not be achieved when workers did all the legwork; they are an industrial phenomenon.