Table of Contents
Why Conveyor Systems Matter More Than Ever in 2026
Conveyor systems used to be seen as basic “moving belts.” Today, they are strategic infrastructure. The global conveyor systems market is projected to grow steadily at around 5–6% annually through 2030, driven by automation, higher volumes, and the need for safer, more efficient warehouses. MarketsandMarkets Blog+1
At the same time, warehouse automation overall is expanding rapidly. Estimates suggest the warehouse automation market will roughly double between 2025 and 2030 as e-commerce, labor shortages, and rising service expectations push operations to do more with less. Mordor Intelligence+1
In this environment, your conveyor systems are no longer just “equipment.” They are:
- A throughput engine
- A critical safety and reliability asset
- A key lever for labor productivity and operating margin
Lafayette Engineering specializes in designing, installing, integrating, and supporting conveyor systems and controls for warehouses and distribution centers across the United States. From new greenfield builds to complex retrofits and system takeovers, our team helps you turn conveyor systems into a competitive advantage. LaFayette Engineering+1
Below are nine essential ways to plan, modernize, and maintain conveyor systems that will serve your warehouse well into the future—and how we support each step.
1. Start with a Clear Operational Blueprint
The best conveyor systems begin with a crystal-clear understanding of how your facility needs to operate over the next 5–10 years, not just today.
Key questions:
- What throughput (cartons/hour, units/hour) do you need at peak?
- How will order profiles change (fewer pallets, more each-picks, more returns)?
- Where are your current bottlenecks—receiving, picking, packing, or shipping?
- How often do you expect to reconfigure SKUs, zones, or shipping lanes?
A proper operational blueprint ties conveyor design to real business targets instead of simply “filling space.”
Lafayette Engineering uses discovery sessions, data analysis, and on-site walkthroughs to document your flows from receiving to shipping, then maps those flows to the right mix of transportation, accumulation, sortation, merges, and diverts. LaFayette Engineering+1
2. Design Conveyor Systems for Modularity and Change
Your SKUs, order mix, and service commitments will not stay the same. A conveyor system built for one moment in time quickly becomes a constraint.
Modern conveyor systems should be:
- Modular: Using standardized sections (straights, curves, merges, diverts) that can be rearranged, extended, or repurposed without rebuilding the entire line.
- Scalable: Able to add additional accumulation zones, sortation capacity, or induction points as volumes grow.
- Vendor-flexible: Leveraging non-proprietary, widely available components to avoid lock-in and simplify future expansions. LaFayette Engineering+1
We design conveyor layouts and controls architectures that anticipate future growth. That might mean reserving floor space and structural steel positions for future sorters, planning electrical capacity and network infrastructure for added zones, or leaving physical “stubs” where additional conveyor sections can be tied in later.
3. Integrate Controls, WCS, WES, and WMS from Day One
The physical conveyor is only half of the story. The control layer turns steel and motors into a coordinated system.
A robust architecture typically includes:
- PLC controls handling local device logic, interlocks, and safety.
- Warehouse Control System (WCS) managing routing, sortation logic, and conveyor-level decisions.
- Warehouse Execution System (WES) orchestrating work (waves, batches, priorities) across picking, packing, and shipping.
- Warehouse Management System (WMS) managing inventory, orders, and high-level business rules. LaFayette Engineering+1
Without tight integration, you can end up with:
- Misrouted cartons and manual rework
- Artificial bottlenecks created by poor routing logic
- Limited visibility into the true capacity and status of your conveyor systems
Lafayette Engineering designs and programs PLC controls, WCS, and WES layers in-house, then integrates them with your existing WMS or ERP. That single-partner model eliminates finger-pointing between vendors and speeds up commissioning, troubleshooting, and future enhancements.
4. Build in Data Visibility and Real-Time Diagnostics
Downtime is expensive. Studies estimate that unplanned downtime costs industrial manufacturers tens of billions of dollars annually, with individual incidents easily reaching six or seven figures when you factor in lost production, overtime, and recovery efforts. blog.siemens.com+1
Modern conveyor systems should provide:
- Real-time dashboards with throughput, jams, fault codes, and device status
- Drill-down views by zone, sorter, merge, and divert
- Historical trend analysis to identify recurring stoppages, slow zones, or chronic issues
- Alarm management that prioritizes actionable alerts rather than overwhelming operators
We design HMI screens and dashboards specifically for conveyor operations, so your supervisors can see issues before they become outages. With proper data, you can move from reactive firefighting to proactive performance tuning.
5. Prioritize Safety by Design—not as an Afterthought
Conveyor systems combine moving parts, pinch points, electrical power, and people. Poorly guarded or maintained conveyors can create serious safety hazards, including in-running nip points, shear points, and other dangerous conditions. oshainfo.gatech.edu+1
A safety-by-design approach includes:
- Guarding chains, sprockets, nip points, and hazardous moving parts
- Adequate e-stops and pull-cords along walkways and workstations
- Clear labeling and line-of-sight indicators for status and flow direction
- Lockout/tagout provisions for maintenance work
- Safe access points (platforms, stairs, crossovers) for operations and service
Lafayette Engineering combines mechanical design, controls, and safety standards into a single engineering package. We design conveyor systems that help you comply with relevant safety regulations while maintaining high throughput and efficient ergonomics for operators.
6. Plan for Preventive Maintenance and Spare Parts from Day One
Conveyor systems do not fail at random; most failures are predictable if you know where to look. Bearings, belts, drives, sensors, and photo eyes all have finite life cycles.
Best-in-class facilities:
- Use preventive maintenance schedules (daily, weekly, monthly, annual) for inspection, lubrication, and adjustments. Zapium+1
- Track mean time between failures (MTBF) for key components.
- Maintain a right-sized critical spare parts inventory for drives, belts, key sensors, and PLC/control components.
- Train operators to perform basic visual inspections and report abnormalities.
Lafayette Engineering offers conveyor maintenance programs and consulting that turn your system into a managed asset rather than a constant firefight. Proper maintenance extends equipment life, reduces emergency calls, and stabilizes your operating budget over time. LaFayette Engineering
7. Use Retrofits to Extend Life and Unlock New Capability
You do not always need a brand-new system to achieve “new-system” performance. Strategic retrofits—upgrading controls, adding accumulation zones, or inserting modern sortation technology—can deliver big gains at a fraction of the cost of complete replacement.
Common retrofit opportunities:
- Replacing obsolete or proprietary controls with modern PLCs and WCS
- Adding accumulation and metering to smooth flow into sorters or merges
- Installing high-speed sortation or advanced divert technology on existing lines
- Integrating automation on previously manual segments (e.g., packing, labeling)
Lafayette Engineering is experienced in conveyor system takeovers and retrofits, including projects where the original integrator is no longer available. We assess existing layouts, controls, and hardware, then develop a phased upgrade plan that minimizes disruption while modernizing performance. LaFayette Engineering+1
8. Align Conveyor Systems with Broader Warehouse Automation Trends
Your conveyor system does not operate in isolation. It has to coexist with:
- Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and AGVs
- Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS)
- Robotics for picking, depalletizing, or container handling
- Advanced packaging and labeling systems
As warehouse automation grows—from roughly $20–30 billion mid-decade toward much higher levels by 2030—more facilities are layering conveyors with robotics and flexible automation. Mordor Intelligence+2Grand View Research+2
That means your conveyor system should be:
- Robot-friendly: Providing consistent induction, discharge, and interaction points for robotic systems.
- Software-integrated: Allowing your WCS/WES to coordinate work between conveyors, robots, and manual stations.
- Future-ready: Designed so that future automation—such as additional robots or AS/RS interfaces—can be added without starting over.
Lafayette Engineering regularly integrates conveyor systems with robotics, AS/RS, and other automation technologies. We help you design not just for the equipment you have today, but for the roadmap you expect over the next decade.
9. Choose a Partner That Owns the Whole Lifecycle
Conveyor projects touch every part of your operation: engineering, IT, operations, maintenance, safety, and finance. The partner you choose matters as much as the equipment itself.
A strong conveyor systems partner should:
- Handle concept, design, controls, installation, and support under one roof
- Use non-proprietary components so you are not locked into a single vendor
- Provide 24/7 support, preventive maintenance, and system optimization
- Be willing to take over and improve existing systems, not just build new ones
- Bring decades of focused experience in conveyor systems and warehouse automation
Lafayette Engineering has been designing and implementing conveyor systems and control solutions since 1989, with headquarters in Danville, Kentucky, and additional offices serving customers nationwide. Our team delivers end-to-end material handling solutions—from high-speed sortation and WCS to field installation and long-term support—that keep your warehouse running at peak performance. LaFayette Engineering+2LaFayette Engineering+2
How Lafayette Engineering Can Help You Move from Concept to Commissioning
If you are:
- Planning a new distribution center or major warehouse expansion
- Struggling with bottlenecks, downtime, or obsolete conveyor controls
- Evaluating whether to retrofit, replace, or take over an existing system
we can help you build a practical, ROI-focused roadmap.
Our typical engagement:
- Operational Assessment – Throughput, order mix, bottlenecks, and growth targets
- System Design – Conveyor layout, controls architecture, and integration points
- Implementation – Mechanical and electrical installation, controls programming, commissioning
- Stabilization – Fine-tuning based on live data and operator feedback
- Lifecycle Support – Preventive maintenance, upgrades, and continuous improvement
Next Steps
To explore how modern conveyor systems can support your warehouse strategy:
- Visit Lafayette Engineering’s website: lafayette-engineering.com LaFayette Engineering
- Review our solutions, case studies, and blog content on conveyor systems, WCS, and warehouse automation
- Reach out to schedule a consultation and discuss your project, upgrade, or system takeover
A well-designed, well-controlled, and well-maintained conveyor system does more than move boxes. It keeps your promises to customers, stabilizes your cost structure, and positions your warehouse for the next decade of growth.
