RS and ABB maximize conveyor system reliability and uptime

RS offers ABB's comprehensive portfolio of proven conveyor system solutions engineered to help boost efficiency and uptime and overcome productivity challenges in manufacturing and logistics applications, including assembly, packaging, and product fulfillment lines.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- RS, a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, offers ABB's comprehensive portfolio of conveyor system solutions proven to improve system reliability and uptime in manufacturing and logistics applications, including assembly, packaging, and product fulfillment lines.  

The global conveyor belt market was valued at $5.68 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to a value of $7.21 billion by 2030, driven by continued steady growth in the industrial automation and e-commerce sectors, which are respectively valued at $222.22 billion and $6.42 trillion and growing at around 7% per year.

Challenges impeding further growth of the global conveyor belt market include increasing energy efficiency demands and high installation, repair, and maintenance costs — especially for unplanned equipment downtime, which can cost between $10,000 and $500,000 an hour.

ABB's conveyor system solutions are engineered to help manufacturing and logistics operations overcome these challenges. Solutions including contactors and soft starters contribute to greater overall energy efficiency and ruggedly withstand common electrical and mechanical stresses to help maximize uptime, productivity, and profitability.

Contactors are versatile industrial relays equipped with low-power electromagnetic coils that, when energized, open or close contacts. This allows them to control much higher-power circuits, like motor and power distribution circuits. In conveyor belt systems, contactors are used to start, stop, and change the direction of the belt. This can be done manually or automatically by linking contactors to control systems, like PLCs.

ABB contactors are available in more than 8,500 variants to satisfy virtually any application requirements, including harsh environments. The line includes three- and four-pole contactors, contactors optimized for AC control applications, NEMA-rated contactors, safety contactors, mini contactors, switching contactors, and installation contactors.

ABB's AF three-pole contactors feature smart, solid-state controlled coils that exhibit AC/DC versatility and surge suppression and provide significant benefits over electromechanical, magnetic, and pneumatic alternatives. Their 100–250VAC/DC coil covers all globally standard network voltages (additional voltage ranges available), consumes up to 80% less energy than competing solutions, eliminates chatter, and reliably overbridges voltage drops and sags to safely maximize uptime. AF three-pole contactors also feature built-in surge protection, a dedicated 24VDC coil that enables automated PLC control via outputs greater than 250mA and exhibits a low holding consumption of just 1.7W, mirror and mechanically linked contacts, and three termination options: screw, ring tongue, and push-in spring terminals, the latter of which facilitates quick, easy, reliable, and reworkable wiring and high-reliability performance in high-vibration environments, such as warehouse logistics.

Soft starters are used to safely and efficiently start and stop motors by gradually increasing and decreasing the voltage supply and motor speed. Preventing abrupt starts and stops protects motors from the electrical and mechanical stresses caused by high inrush current. Mitigating these stresses improves energy efficiency, extends equipment lifetimes, and reduces wear and tear on associated gear systems and other connected components. It also reduces maintenance requirements and associated downtime. Soft starters are widely used in industrial conveyor systems used to move large, heavy boxes. In these applications, the controlled acceleration and deceleration of conveyor belts also reduces the risk of belt slippage, material damage, spillage, and sudden jolts, which also helps to prevent workplace injuries.

ABB soft starters are available in more than 200 open and enclosed variants for broad application suitability. Its PSR open soft starters are simple, reliable, compact solutions engineered to provide basic soft start and stop functionality. They're equipped with a built-in bypass designed to reduce energy loss at full speed, are rated for 3–105A, 208–600VAC operation and 24VAC/DC or 100–240VAC control supply, can handle up to 100 starts per hour, and are ideal for space-constrained, low-amperage applications.

Other ABB conveyor system solutions essential for improving system reliability and uptime in manufacturing and logistics applications include manual motor starters, power supplies, PLCs, circuit protection, relays, safety switches, including emergency stop switches and rope pulls, cable protection systems, cable fastening accessories, and lighting and indication.

To learn more about these and other ABB products available at RS, please visit the links embedded here and check out ABB's contributions to the RS Expert Advice series, including articles like "Keep your conveyor systems running safely and efficiently." You can also visit ABB's contactors and soft starters pages and check out its "Engineering uptime: Four technologies that improve system reliability in warehousing and logistics" article.

For assistance identifying, procuring, deploying, and maintaining ABB conveyor system solutions, including contactors and soft starters, please contact your local RS representative at 1.866.433.5722 or reach out to the RS technical support team.

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About RS
RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably. We operate in 36 markets, stock over 830,000 industrial and specialist products, and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building, and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital, and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it's our people that make the difference. Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet, and profit. 

RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1, and in the year ended March 31, 2025, reported revenue of $3,381.64 million. For more information, please visit https://www.rsgroup.com/ or connect with us on LinkedIn or X (Twitter).

About RS in the Americas 
In the Americas region, RS stocks more than 250,000 industrial and electronic products from more than 700 trusted suppliers. These solutions cover categories extending from automation and control equipment to interconnect, passive, active, and electromechanical components and include more than 90,000 high-quality, competitively priced RS PRO products. For more information, please visit https://us.rs-online.com or connect with us via social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Editorial Contact & Media Inquiries:
Erica Goode, RS Director of Marketing – U.S. and Canada
[email protected]  

SOURCE RS