Conveyor Throughput Calculator — lb/hr to Packages per Minute and Belt Load

A plant quotes throughput in the units it thinks in — 15,000 lb/hr, 60,000 lb/day over two shifts, 600 kg/hr — and a conveyor is sized in packages per minute, belt speed, and pounds per foot of belt. This calculator converts between them as you type. Enter any two of line throughput, package weight, and packages per minute and the third fills in; add product length and gap and it estimates the belt speed that carries that rate, or enter belt speed directly. The result is the belt load in lb/ft the belt pull calculator needs, with pitch and products per foot alongside.

Every field solves in both directions. Overwrite a derived number and the calculator releases the oldest value you entered and re-derives it, so the numbers on the card always agree. Bulk mode does the same for loose product: density, bed depth, and belt width give the lb/ft a bed presents at speed, or the depth a demanded rate needs. A packager headroom check compares the required packages per minute with the machine's nameplate rate.

How it works
  • Throughput (lb/min) = packages/min × package weight (lb); lb/hr = lb/min × 60. Per-day and per-shift rates divide by the production hours you enter, not by 24.
  • Belt speed (ft/min) = packages/min × pitch (in) / 12, where pitch = product length + gap; products per foot = 12 / pitch.
  • Belt load (lb/ft) = throughput (lb/min) ÷ belt speed (ft/min), which is the same as 12 × package weight ÷ pitch.
  • Worked example: 15,000 lb/hr at 70 lb per package is 250 lb/min, so 250 ÷ 70 = 3.6 packages/min. At a 24 in product with a 12 in gap (36 in pitch) the belt runs 3.6 × 36 ÷ 12 = 10.7 ft/min and carries 250 ÷ 10.7 = 23.3 lb/ft.
  • Bulk: lb/ft = density × (bed depth ÷ 12) × ((belt width − 2 × edge margin) ÷ 12); throughput = lb/ft × belt speed.
  • Send to Belt Pull hands lb/ft and belt speed to the belt pull calculator. Send to Conveyor Speed hands packages per minute, weight, length, and gap to the speed calculator to adjust spacing first.

Free, no login. Your inputs are saved in this browser. Values are engineering references — verify against manufacturer data and applicable codes before a final design.

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Questions engineers ask

How do I convert lb/hr to packages per minute?
Divide by 60 to get lb/min, then divide by the package weight. 15,000 lb/hr is 250 lb/min; at 70 lb per package that is 3.6 packages per minute.
What is belt load in lb/ft and why does it matter?
Belt load is the product weight on each foot of belt: throughput in lb/min divided by belt speed in ft/min, which is the same as 12 × package weight ÷ pitch. It is the number the belt pull calculator uses to size the belt and the drive.
How is lb/day converted when the line runs two shifts?
The calculator divides by the production hours you enter, not by 24. 60,000 lb/day over 16 hours is 62.5 lb/min; over 24 hours it would be 41.7 lb/min, a 1.5 times difference in belt load.

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