CONVEYOR BELT MAINTENANCE.

by Mack Allen SEO Expert

A conveyor belt is a form of handling system, that is designed to move materials and supplies efficiently and faster, saving up on time, energy, and cost. There are different varieties of conveyor belts, that have different uses but all serve one main purpose which is transportation.

Different industries have different types of conveyor belts, depending on the kind of commodity they manufacture. For the proper effective running of a conveyor belt, proper maintenance of all components integrated is required. A conveyor belt is integrated with various parts such as the: frame, pulley, belt, driver system, and take-up system. Each part mentioned has its function that solely contributes to the running of the belt conveyor.

If a conveyor belt isn’t properly functioning, it can lead to the disruption of all the running operations. To prevent this from happening, the maintenance management team ought to keep a keen eye on the running of the conveyor belt, to be able to note any slight or minor problems and be able to quickly fix them before any major problem arises from it.

At times, no matter how careful the team is, some inevitable problems will always arise and the maintenance team needs to know how to fix them. In this article, we are going to discuss in detail conveyor belt maintenance; its problems and how to fix them, ways of preventing these problems, and effective tips on conveyor belt maintenance.

COMMON CONVEYOR BELT PROBLEMS.

1. Slipping off the belt.

As we earlier on stated, one of the major components that make up the conveyor belt is the belt. For the belts to operate well, they require a specific tension balance. If the tension is too much or too little, then the belt can easily slip and this is such a major problem that can cause accidents and will require a huge amount of time to be fixed. One way that this can be avoided is to regularly check the belt and ensure that there isn’t any wear and tear problem. Here are some of the measures to prevent belt spillage:

· Avoid loading overweight commodities on the belt- It is important to ensure that the weight of your item fits perfectly within the required weight range.

· Temperatures also affect the working of your belt-cold temperatures might lead to traction of your belt hence you ought to ensure you buy a belt that can withstand your area temperature.

2. BLOCKAGES.

The main purpose of a conveyor belt is the transportation of commodities. If there is any disruption occurrence, this might lead to the whole system not working. When the system stops working a package might get caught up and this will lead up to a huge pile of the rest of the packages causing the system to be clogged. This is also common for industries that transport their commodities via pipelines which is why similar pipeline maintenance procedures are required to ensure their proper functioning. To prevent such, look out for either sharp or rough surfaces that might snag up items as they flow.

3. BELT MISTRACKING.

Belt tracking simply means alignment of the belt to the proper path, which is essential in ensuring the proper running of the whole system. Mistracking is where either the belt has slipped to one side or the whole system has gone out of alignment. Mistracking causes huge negative effects that can potentially affect and overthrow the running of the whole system. To prevent this, keep a close eye on any small sign that can lead to mistracking and fix it immediately, to avoid the occurrence of a bigger issue.

4. CARRYBACK OF MATERIALS.

If you are working with tough materials or materials which leave residue behind such as minerals, it’s advisable to always stay on the lookout. This is because these materials tend to leave behind residue that settles under the belt, and this tends to affect the rollers and pullers. With this, carryback will happen, whereby items tend to build up on the belt itself and this is very dangerous since it may lead to great dangers and also a great loss of profit for the company. To prevent this, a cleaning system should be installed that can scrape beneath the belt ensuring no material is left behind.

Having stated the problems, here are a few measures that can be used to ensure the smooth running of your system:

· Looking out for build-ups- while carrying out the regular check-ups complete routine cleanliness is important. Check out for any residue or dirt build-ups to prevent problems such as carryback.

· Ensure the belt is straight- This is not something you should check every time, but once in a while it is important since if the belt is not well aligned it will lead to big problems such as mistracking.

· Replacement of any worn-out parts- as we earlier state proper functioning of the conveyor belt is ensured by the proper running of all designated parts. If any part begins to wear out and is not replaced, it will cause an insignificant amount of pressure that might result in a huge breakdown.

· Ensure the ends of the pulleys are even- always check if the pulleys are in alignment with the conveyor frame, if the pulleys are off they can lead to huge problems such as belt slipping.

IMPORTANT CONVEYOR BELT MAINTENANCE TIPS.

· Always ensure that you keep a stock of spare parts, just in case of a breakdown replacement will immediately take place.

· Using preventive maintenance will help you track any small problems easily and will increase the lifespan of the conveyor belt.

· Keeping documentation is also necessary. After carrying out any repairs it is advisable to note it down, just in case of any problems arise one can easily refer to.

· Always prepare for emergencies so that in case there is a breakdown, you have a plan in action for your production.

In summary, small problems if ignored always aggregate into greater problems, always ensure to run routine checks, and if any minor issue is seen do not ignore it and immediately tend to it. This will save you expenses on the cost of maintenance and run operations efficiently.