Conveyor systems
Quote the conveyor system before engineering validates every section
Your rep already knows which modules go together. The problem is getting that knowledge into a price before the customer decides.
Quote the line when the layout still changes
This is a live Mercura CPQ configurator — not a mock-up. Start from application and environment (food washdown or logistics unit handling), then resolve modules, surface, drive, sensors, and services on one commercial quote.
Running against a live Mercura tenant. Modules, drives, and prices shown here are an illustrative "Conveyor Example" catalogue built to demonstrate the platform — your own catalogue, layout rules, and regional pricing would drive a production deployment.
Where conveyor quotes break down
Three reasons the price arrives after the decision
Layout changes, hidden rules, and split documents — not a lack of effort from the sales team.
Every layout change restarts the price
A curve moves. An incline changes. Each revision loops back to engineering before sales can update the quote, so the customer sees numbers only after their budget is fixed.
Valid combinations live only in engineering heads
Which belt surface goes with washdown sections? Which drive can take that incline at that load? Sales cannot answer without asking, and every question is a day.
The quote arrives in pieces
Modules on one spreadsheet, drives on another, sensors and install in an email. The customer assembles the price. So do you, every revision.
The conveyor sale
Six decisions in every conveyor system sale
CPQ runs compatibility at each step so food washdown and logistics paths stay priced as one document.
- 01
Application and environment
Food washdown, logistics unit handling, packaging, or automotive — environment narrows the module family before a section is selected.
- 02
Module family and layout
Belt, roller, or modular plastic. Straight, curve, incline, and accumulation zones priced as modules, not as a second engineering loop.
- 03
Surface and carrying capacity
PU, PVC, modular belt, gravity or powered rollers. Load and incline class drive what surfaces and frames stay valid.
- 04
Drive class
End, center, drum, or no drive for gravity. Steep incline with heavy load blocks undersized packages before the quote leaves.
- 05
Guarding, sensors, and accumulation
Side guides, photo-eyes, and accumulation kits on the same quote. Accumulation requires the sensor package — the rule fires in the tool.
- 06
Region, install, and service
Control variant by region, installation, training, and spare kits. One commercial document the customer compares.
Who does what
Engineering defines the rules. CPQ applies them. ERP executes.
CPQ does not replace layout design or factory acceptance. It puts the rules engineering would give into the quote so sales does not need to ask every time.
| What owns it | What it covers | What it does not cover |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering / design | Valid combinations: which sections connect, which drives work at which load and incline, which components are excluded for food or washdown. These rules feed CPQ. | Building the commercial quote, applying regional option lists, or producing the customer document. |
| Mercura CPQ | A valid commercial configuration within those rules: compatible modules, drives sized for the selected layout, sensors and services on the same document, regional pricing, and the quote package. | Layout design, structural calculation, factory acceptance testing, or manufacturing BOM release. |
| ERP / production | Purchase orders, production scheduling, shipping, and invoicing after the configuration is accepted. | Guided selling during the quote stage. |
The same opportunity
Two ways of quoting the same conveyor system
With Mercura CPQ
- Sales selects application, modules, surface, and drive in the quote tool. Compatibility rules check each step. No engineering loop for standard configurations.
- Guarding, sensors, controls, and service are options on the same document. One price, one revision.
- When the layout changes, the rep updates the configuration. The price updates with it.
Current process
- Layout to engineering, wait for validation, modules to one spreadsheet, drives to another, price assembled manually.
- Add-ons quoted in a separate email after the main document. Customer compares partial prices.
- Layout revision means a new round with engineering. Quote arrives after the customer has already looked elsewhere.
FAQ
Questions from a conveyor sales team
Straight answers for manufacturers selling configure-to-order conveyor lines to plant engineers and intralogistics buyers.
Does this replace our engineering team or layout design process?
No. Engineering still defines which combinations are valid, which drives work at which load, and which components are excluded for specific environments. CPQ applies those rules at quote time so sales does not call engineering for every standard configuration. Custom layouts, non-standard applications, and anything outside the defined rules still go to engineering.
Does CPQ replace ERP?
No. ERP remains the system of record for purchase orders, production, and invoicing. When a configuration is accepted, it can be handed to production so the order is not re-entered. That handoff is set up in your production environment. CPQ does not become the factory system.
We sell highly customised systems with few repeating configurations. Is this relevant?
CPQ earns its place where repeatable decisions exist, even in predominantly custom businesses. The base conveyor type, standard section lengths, known belt and drive combinations, and the add-on list are usually consistent. CPQ handles that repeatable layer. Everything above it follows your engineering process.
How do food washdown and logistics paths work in one tool?
Application and environment are early selections. Washdown narrows stainless / hygienic options; logistics opens roller and accumulation paths. The same form carries both because the rules differ — not because you need two quote tools.
What about non-standard sections outside our catalogue?
Sales marks them for engineering review. Standard catalogue sections, known drive combinations, and the defined add-on range stay in CPQ. Bespoke fabrication follows your existing engineering process.
How does CPQ handle multi-zone systems?
Each line or zone can be a separate configuration within the same quote. Shared elements (controls, installation, service) can appear once at quote level. This is a modelling decision made during setup.
Capabilities
What Mercura carries for conveyor system sales
The live configurator above is one form. These product capabilities are what keep layout changes, drive rules, and accessories on the same valid quote.
See your conveyor modules and layout rules in Mercura
Bring module families, drive sizing rules, washdown exclusions, and regional control variants. Engineering judgements stay with your team — CPQ carries the commercial rules they define.
Not ready to talk yet? Watch a short walkthrough or ask a question below.
Request a CPQ demo