Conveyors worked example

Conveyor Motor HP Screening with equivalent conveyor drive load of 1,600 lb: a worked example

This worked example runs the conveyor motor hp screening numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: equivalent conveyor drive load of 1,600 lb instead of the typical 3,200 lb. Estimate motor horsepower demand from conveyor load, horsepower factor, and duty time basis.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Equivalent conveyor drive load: 1,600 lb (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 3,200)
  • Horsepower conversion factor: 0 HP / lb (held at the documented default)
  • Duty time basis: 8 hr (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Estimated motor horsepower = equivalent drive load × horsepower conversion factor.
  • Total load works out to 1.92 HP at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Hourly equivalent works out to 0.24 HP / hr at these inputs.
  • Equivalent conveyor drive load works out to 1,600 lb at these inputs.
  • Horsepower factor works out to 0 HP / lb at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where equivalent conveyor drive load sits at 3,200 lb and the headline result is 3.84 HP, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 1.92 HP.
  • Use it for an early sizing sanity check or quote screen before running a full CEMA or belt-tension calculation. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total load: 1.92 HP (headline result)
  • Hourly equivalent: 0.24 HP / hr
  • Equivalent conveyor drive load: 1,600 lb
  • Horsepower factor: 0 HP / lb

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Conveyor Motor HP Screening calculator, set equivalent conveyor drive load to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.