Realistic short distance transport of items - allows different uses depending on the design (e.g. assembly line, conveyor belt or drainage channel).

This small transport variant makes use of the sliding of items on ice/packing ice. While the items are accelerated in the background (see instructions), they glide in the visible area on the stone steps to the funnel, where the raw materials can be further processed/transported. This gliding is made possible by the ice (recommendation: use pack ice, simplifies the handling), which is located directly under the steps (no matter what kind).
So the sliding property of the ice also has an effect despite the levels and the items once set in motion still slide at least 6 blocks! Some would also slide 7 or even 8 blocks, but then some would remain on the 6th block, so that a maximum range of 6 blocks is recommended if losses due to despawning are to be avoided.

Depending on your individual design, this little gadget can be used in many different ways. Whether as a conveyor belt in a factory/industrial plant, as a conveyor belt at a supermarket checkout or as a spout in metal processing, you can transport raw materials openly visible and creative in the future. Of course, other methods are faster or have longer ranges, this idea is rather intended as a visually effective alternative for short distances.

Here, for example, this basic idea originated in a gold smelter, where I wanted to let the metal "flow out" of the blast furnaces:
Minecraft Rising 048 | Gold Melting Part 1 - Fully Automated Gold Transport

 

Instructions:

The items are shot into a stream of water by a launcher, which then accelerates them onto pack ice, creating sufficient speed even over a short distance.           The items to be transported enter the thrower via a funnel, which immediately ejects the corresponding item into the water stream without any superfluous clicking noises thanks to a compact speech tone circuit.         Once accelerated, the items then fall once half a block deeper onto the steps of your choice set on the pack ice and slide, due to their high speed, 6-8 blocks further!