The DELAY CONVEYOR function allows you to introduce a delay process that is analogous to putting material on a conveyor and then possibly speeding up and slowing down that conveyor. The DELAY CONVEYOR function has the additional capability of draining the elements on the conveyor which breaks the analogy somewhat but can be quite useful.
If the DELAY CONVEYOR function is used with a fixed delay time and no leakage than it will behave just as the DELAY MATERIAL (or DELAY FIXED) function does. It can be useful to do this if you want to specify the exact distribution of material within the delay process when it is starting.
When the delay time changes the behavior of DELAY CONVEYOR is much more continuous then DELAY MATERIAL. The model delay2.mdl provides a comparison of these two functions for different profiles of delay time change. For example if the delay time is decreasing you will see the following comparison:
First, we don’t get any of the doubling up, but instead a higher average value. Second, the conveyor finishes earlier because the decreasing conveyance time influences material that is already in the conveyor but not influence the DELAY MATERIAL function.
