Conveyor belts are the backbones of most of the manufacturing and processing units. They are highly beneficial for the smooth working of processing operations and transfer heavy loads from one workstation to another. Due to technological changes, these conveyor systems have helped a lot in minimizing human efforts and have enhanced the levels of productivity.
One of the most important things you can do to maintain the efficiency of the conveyor belts is by taking proper care of the belt systems timely and on regular basis. It feels good to use this equipment for a long period of time with minimum amount of breakdowns, replacements and maintenance costs.
Here are some tips that will help you to get most out of your conveyor belts without having to spend a lot on their regular maintenance and repairs. Read on.
Correct Belt for the Application:
There are numerous factors that are responsible for the correct functioning of the conveyor belts. Among them are:
- Temperature conditions,
- Size of the load,
- Least number of pulleys,
- Speed and velocity of the belts and
- Product type
These factors play an important role in the prolonged functioning of the belts for a particular functioning. Keeping in mind these factors, you ought to choose a belt that suits the application or nature of the job to be performed, so as to ensure their prolonged usage.
Correct Tension in the Belt:
Over-tensioning of the conveyor belts is the most common factor responsible for their breakdowns. The appropriate amount of tension to be applied to conveyor belts ranges from 0.4% to 0.7%. Over-tensioning of belts may lead to degradation of ruin bearings, shafts or other components of the belt. It may even lead to premature pulling out of laces or laps falling apart. You can increase the wrap on the pulley or check for pulley lags if there are spillages on the belt.
Good Condition of the Conveyors:
Careful examination of the conveyor system is necessary before replacing the belts of the system. In order to maintain the efficiency of the conveyors, make sure that all the pulleys need to be positioned adequately on the squares, idler rollers should turn properly. Components like scrapers, plows, and other tracking devices should be repaired and replaced as and when required.
Proper Storing of the Belts:
The main reasons associated with malfunctioning of the conveyor belts is the lack of proper storage of these belts. It is crucial to store the additional belts properly in appropriate places. It is recommended to seal the small belts with plastic coverings to avoid their contact with moisture and contamination. Whereas, the larger ones should not be placed on floors as they may absorb water from cold surfaces.
Tracking the Belt Correctly:
While replacing the old belt with a new one, there are possibilities that the old belt would have resulted in changes to the conveyor system. So before placing a new belt on the conveyor, you ought to make necessary adjustments to track the new belt properly and to get back the initial specifications of the conveyors.
