Conveyor Indonesia 2025: Belt vs Roller vs Modular vs Table-Top

Who this guide is for

Factory managers, project engineers, and maintenance leads in Indonesia who need a practical, vendor-agnostic way to choose the right conveyor type, with fast internal justification.

TL;DR (decision snapshot)

• Hygiene first? Start with belt (PU/PVC) or modular; minimize crevices and pick clean-in-place options.
• High accumulation & gentle handling?MDR (powered roller) with ZPA logic shines.
• Curves & reconfiguration?Modular belt and table-top chain handle curves best.
• Cost & speed simplicity?Gravity or lineshaft roller for low-complexity moves; belt for steady transport.

The four conveyor families, at a glance

Keluarga	Unggul Untuk	Kecepatan	Higienitas	Kemampuan kurva	Catatan
Belt (PVC/PU)	General transport, inclines, light washdown	Low–Med	★★★☆	Straight	Smooth surface, great for mixed SKUs, many belt materials
Modular belt	Curves, drains, washdown, impact	Low–Med	★★★★	Sangat Baik	Easy repair by links, good for food plants
Roller	Cartons/totes, accumulation, buffering	Low–Med	★★☆☆	Straight	MDR enables ZPA, energy-efficient, low back-pressure
Table-Top Chain	Bottling, packaging, tight curves	Med–High	★★★☆	Excellent	Smooth chain links, common in FMCG & beverage

Selection path — 10 questions that narrow the field

1. Product & package (rigid, flexible, wet, oily, hot, sharp edges?).
2. Throughput target (cph/cpm) and takt time.
3. Pitch (product length + gap/back-pressure).
4. Required accumulation (by parts or seconds).
5. Cleanliness (BPOM/HACCP expectations, washdown, splash zones).
6. Layout constraints (curves, inclines, L/Z transfers, floor drains).
7. Contact surface (scuff risk, labels, film overhangs).
8. Environment (temperature, chemicals, steam, dust).
9. Controls (start/stop logic, ZPA, photoeyes, safety PLC).
10. Service & spares (lead time in Indonesia, standard components).

Belt vs Modular vs Roller vs Table-Top — where each wins

Belt Conveyor

• Use when: steady transport, inclines, mixed SKU sizes, gentle handling.
• Pros: many belt compounds; quiet; easy to clean; cost-effective.
• Watchouts: edge wear near side guides; belt tracking; water carryback.

Modular Conveyor

• Use when:curves, washdown, debris/drainage, impact loads.
• Pros: quick link repairs; wide curves; positive drive.
• Watchouts: link hinge lines can trap fines—spec proper cleaning; larger turning radius than table-top.

Roller Conveyor

• Use when:accumulation, tote/carton flow, buffering to case packers/palletizers.
• Pros: MDR gives zero-pressure accumulation; energy-efficient; flexible cells.
• Watchouts: not ideal for very small or flexible packs; noise without good guarding and maintenance.

Table-Top Conveyor

• Use when:bottling/packaging with tight curves and synchronized transfers.
• Pros: smooth link-to-link transitions; common parts; compact curves.
• Watchouts: return-side noise; needs correct wear strip & lubrication strategy.

Hygiene & compliance (BPOM/HACCP) essentials

• Materials & finish: prioritize SS304 contact surfaces, food-grade PU belts, rounded frames, sealed fasteners.
• Cleanability: tool-less belt removal/flip-up tails, drip pans, sloped surfaces, no horizontal ledges.
• Splash/wash zones: IP-rated motors/gearboxes, stainless fasteners, food-safe lubricants, correct cable glands.
• Docs for audit: material certs, belt data sheets, lube list, cleaning SOP, risk assessment.

Throughput & speed — quick math you’ll actually use

• Pitch (mm) = product length + gap/back-pressure allowance.
• Belt speed (m/min) ≈ pitch (mm) × parts per minute ÷ 1000.
• Buffer length (m) = pitch × buffer parts ÷ 1000 or pitch × (cpm × buffer seconds / 60) ÷ 1000.

Typical use-case patterns

• Receiving → QC → Put-away: gravity or lineshaft roller + short MDR zones for merges.
• Primary packaging (food): belt or modular belt; add quick-release belt & washdown hardware.
• Bottling & canned drinks: table-top chain with accumulation and starwheels at infeed/outfeed.
• E-commerce totes: MDR ZPA cells with photoeyes and diverts; low noise, low back-pressure.

What to include in your RFQ

• Product dims & weight range; temperature & surface condition (wet/oily).
• Target throughput & takt; pitch and buffer (parts or seconds).
• Hygiene level (HACCP/BPOM); washdown frequency; cleaning chemicals.
• Layout (curves, inclines, transfers), space limits, utilities.
• Controls (start/stop logic, ZPA, sensors), safety (guards, E-stops).
• Spare parts expectation and lead-time requirements in Indonesia.