On 13/03/2018 20:05, Max Demian wrote:

No, you take the current system and add a soft start thyristor like on
a washing machine.* Five quid maybe?* Jesus Christ my £30 cordless
drill can do it.

With widely variable friction from the crude conveyor mechanism?

Sure. You need servo feedback so the drive computer knows how fast the
belt is going. You might be right about the 5 quid - but that's 5 quid
on every belt in every store. It would probably be less reliable too.

There's just not a good enough reason.

Andy