Ever wonder how Quiznos and Pizza Hut cook their food perfectly every time? It’s due to automation. You too can develop this type of automation on your own home grill with a simple conveyor system! Here’s how.
Additional parts are needed other than the three pictures shown on the left. To review the complete list of parts needed, please review the "Tools & Parts" section.
Cut four 2” sections and two 5” sections of the multipurpose 1”x3”x1/8” aluminum angle. The four 2” sections will comprise the upright supports for the bearings while the 5” sections will make the bases on each end.
I chose to use 1"x3"x1/8" angle. Alternative angle dimensions can also be used. For example, a 2"x2" angle is shown in the picture.
I found that with softer varieties of aluminum, a basic hacksaw is sufficient for cutting purposes.
Alternate materials may be used for this purpose. However, alternate materials must be sufficient to handle the heat associated with the grilling application.
Drill holes for the bearing mounting hardware in the four 2" sections of the aluminum angle that you just cut, and holes to mount the uprights to the base (the two 5" sections of the aliminum angle).
I chose to use #10-24 machine screws for this step. They fit the bearings and I had the hardware available.
I also chose to use self-aligning bearings sized for a 1/2" shaft. The bearings are fairly inexpensive and the 1/2" shaft diameter is sturdy enough to keep the wire mesh (conveyor material) taught.
Once the two separate supports have been assembled, determine the desired location for mounting the supports on the grill of choice.
For the purpose of this build instructions, I have used a simple basin tub to describe the process.
It is important that the supports are located directly accross from each other on the grill or tub.
Ensuring that the supports are parallel to each other will help avoid any alignment issues with the conveyor that will be installed in the following steps.
Insert the woven cloth around the two shafts as shown.
The two ends of the woven cloth (conveyor material) can be secured together with simple wires.
This is a critical step for two reasons. First, the woven clother needs to remain taut for adequate operation. Secondly, the two ends of the woven cloth need to be stitched together as seamlessly as possible. This will ensure that the converyor material travels smoothly when the shafts are rotated.
Our websites use cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the Make: ecosystem. Out of these cookies, some are categorized as essential for the working of basic functionalities of our websites.
We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use our websites. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Your choice here will be recorded for all the Make: Community Websites.
We are all makers
