Conveyor Belt

The purpose of using conveyor belts is to provide material displacement in a stream with protection and reliability. However, during use, problems such as belt path deviations, pulley debris build-up, and excess tension can disrupt operation, altering performance and shortening equipment life. In general, the essential items in inspection of these conveyors are belt tension and alignment and the condition of rollers, drums, cover, seams, scrapers, wipers, material guides and kicks. As we continue our series of conveyor belt maintenance posts, we will present a checklist of the nine most common issues and their respective actions for corrective maintenance.

1) When the belt deviates sideways at a certain point of structure:

Material may accumulate in the tensioning pulley. In this case, remove any jammed material, install scrapers or other cleaning devices (read more in the post about belt cleaning).
The belt may be misaligned near a pulley. Check alignment of nearby pulley and rollers.
If it has jammed rollers, lubricate or replace them.
If the conveyor frame is warped or misaligned, straighten the deformed area.
2) When a part of the belt deviates sideways at all points of the conveyor:

?The belt may not be properly spliced. Remove the affected part and perform the splice.
?There may be bending in the treadmill. In this case, in addition to replacing it, it is necessary to check the storage and handling process of the rollers, so that the problem does not recur.
3) When there is belt slip when starting:

?There may be insufficient traction between the belt and the pulley. Slow the drive pulley, increase the belt wrap and install cleaning devices.
?Balance conditions too. Set counterweight or increase winding tension.
?If material accumulates. Improve loading and transfer conditions.
4) Covers harden or crack:

?It may be from heat or chemical damage. Check with the manufacturer if the belt is designed for the specific conditions.
?Improper storage or handling. Verify the process.
5) The belt breaks behind the fasteners:

?Anchor plates may be too long for pulley size. They must be replaced by smaller fasteners or the pulley size may be increased.
?Wrong fastener installation: either too tight or too loose. Use proper fasteners or splicing techniques.
?Voltage too high. The possibilities are:
Increase belt speed while maintaining the same tonnage,
o Reduce tonnage by maintaining speed,
o Reduce friction by servicing and replacing damaged rollers,
o Reduce the balance to the minimum value.
6) When vulcanized seams are separated:

?The belt may be badly stacked.
?The pulleys can be very small. Use larger diameter pulleys.
7) When there are slots, cut and cover removal:

?The clearance may be greater than necessary between the belt and the rubber seals. In this situation, adjust the clearance.
8) When there is fold separation:

There may be insufficient transverse stiffness. The belt must be replaced.
If the pulleys are too small, use larger ones.
If it is for chemical damage, use belts appropriate for the specific conditions.
9) When there are minor breaks in the housing parallel to the belt edge:

?It may be due to the impact of material on the belt. Adjust the kick and install impact pulleys.
?Material may be trapped between belt and pulley. Install scrapers before the rear pulley.
In all cases where cracking, premature wear or splice breaks occur, the damaged area can be recovered with urethane based products such as the Loctite PC 7350 belt guard.