Conveyor speed, flow and transported volume

ATSEN post dated 2026-09-24

How much material is the belt carrying now? And over the course of a shift?
Belt speed, instantaneous flow rate and total quantity answer different questions.

Starting from the PR electronics article on pulse signals, here is a configuration for monitoring a conveyor:

VEGAPULS C21 measures the height of the material layer without contact. One or more radar transmitters, depending on the belt width and load profile, provide the data for estimating the occupied cross-sectional area:
VEGAPULS C21

The PR 8343 inductive sensor detects metal targets attached to the measuring roller as they pass. The pulse frequency, scaled according to the geometry, makes it possible to determine the belt speed:
PR 8343 — the product page is not public

PR 4225A converts the frequency into a 4…20 mA signal proportional to the speed:
PR 4225A

The PR 4511 module, mounted on a compatible PR device, adds a detachable local display and Modbus RTU communication over RS-485 for reading on a PC:
PR 4511

Each radar requires a separate 4…20 mA acquisition channel. The PC connection requires an RS-485 interface and register configuration.

In ATSEN Optimetria, the operator can monitor:
• belt speed, in m/s;
• calculated instantaneous volumetric flow rate, in m³/h;
• transported volume, totalized over time, in m³.
ATSEN Optimetria

Flow rate is obtained from the estimated cross-sectional area × belt speed; the total is obtained by integrating the flow rate over time. The application's geometry and calibration matter. For tonnes per hour, the material's bulk density is also required.

The catalogue photograph illustrates the PR 4225 family. The Optimetria screenshots show the registers and connection diagram for the 4225A variant.

In your application, which is harder to track: variations in flow rate or the quantity transported per shift?

See the components and the source article:
https://lnkd.in/ds4sQpKD

For resellers and integrators: the discount is activated manually after account creation, contact and confirmation of your status.

#ConveyorBelts #VolumetricFlow #ProcessInstrumentation #ModbusRTU

Conveyor monitoring: speed, flow and transported volume — image 1