Manufacturers of conveying and material handling equipment are offering advice to manufacturers on how to improve maintenance procedures.
Proper analysis of maintenance-intensive parts and available solutions can significantly reduce the time and money spent on conveyor system maintenance. With the abundance of new technologies available in today’s package market, many solutions can easily replace existing high-maintenance components with low- or no-maintenance options, thereby reducing costs and increasing system uptime.
The main maintenance issue for any aggregate conveyor is proper lubrication. Because drives are sometimes located in difficult-to-reach locations, critical drive components are not always lubricated at regular intervals or at all, resulting in maintenance failures.
Replacing a failed component with a similar one does not eliminate the root cause of the problem. Proper problem analysis shows that replacing failed components with components that reduce maintenance will increase system uptime.
For example, replacing a traditional conveyor drive that requires weekly and monthly maintenance with a drum motor that is only serviced every 50,000 hours of operation will minimize or eliminate lubrication problems, saving maintenance time and money.
Tom Koehl of Superior says using the right scraper for your application can’t be overlooked.
Cleaning conveyor systems often involves improper use of scrapers or skirts. Make sure you are using the correct design of belt scrapers for your application and check them for accurate tension daily.
Today, some models offer automatic tensioning. Therefore, if you don’t have time to stress, your business should consider upgrading its technology.
Second, the cargo area skirting boards must be intact and function as intended. Otherwise, overflow will occur, which will ultimately result in loss of power, resulting in premature unnecessary wear on the idler pulleys and pulleys and belt damage.
Many belt conveyor maintenance problems are related to several factors. Some of the most common problems observed include material spillage, belt slippage, belt misalignment and accelerated wear, all of which can be caused by improper belt tension.
If belt tension is too high, premature wear can occur in a relatively short period of time, including material fatigue and reduced yield. This is caused by too much shaft deflection, exceeding the design parameters of the shaft system.
If the belt tension is too loose, it can cause other serious problems. If the belt tension is insufficient, the drive pulley may slip, which accelerates wear on the drive pulley and lower belt cover.
Another common problem caused by insufficient belt tension is belt slack. This may cause material to spill, especially in the loading area. Without proper belt tension, the belt may sag excessively and cause material to spill out along the edges of the belt. In the load zone the problem is even more serious. When the belt slacks too much, it cannot seal the skirt properly, and spilled material often flows onto the clean side of the belt and into the tail pulley. Without a belt plow, this can lead to accelerated wear and premature failure of the fender pulleys.
To resolve these maintenance problems, regularly check the tension adjustment of manual tightening systems and ensure that all automatic tightening systems move freely and are at the correct design weight.
Regularly adjust skirts to prevent material from spilling or splashing in the loading area. Contamination and spills are the leading causes of increased maintenance on conveyors. Thus, controlling it will reduce the maintenance burden.
Check the gap on the conveyor rollers for wear to ensure the belt is moving correctly, especially with crown rollers, but also applies to flat conveyor rollers. Maintaining good latency reduces downtime.
Inspect faulty or failed conveyor idlers and replace them immediately to significantly improve conveyor performance and increase overall tonnage by reducing unplanned downtime.
Regular inspection and adjustment of belt cleaners can help prevent belt skidding on a conveyor and reduce wear on all conveyor components while reducing contamination of conveyor pulleys and idler bearings.
Check conveyor mechanical connections regularly to monitor connection wear and prevent accidental belt breaks.
Besides regular preventative maintenance, the most important thing aggregate producers can do to reduce operational maintenance burdens is to equip their conveyor and material handling equipment with the appropriate components.
Some of these suggested components may include wear resistant liners in bins and chutes; higher supports in loading areas to allow skid steer blades to enter and remove fallen material; rubber return pan to prevent accumulation of spilled material; as well as mine pulleys to extend the life of the pulleys.
The second important thing for proper belt movement is to always ensure that the conveyor is level and that the tensioners and belt connections are straight. Loafer training can also help ensure proper tracking.
One of the most important aspects that aggregate manufacturers must pay attention to is reducing the number of maintenance runs before equipment is put into service.
Conveyor structures must be designed to withstand the heaviest loading conditions in terms of bending. When unbalanced forces occur, the structure must maintain a square shape, otherwise the structure will deform.
Improperly designed or damaged structures can affect belt tracking as the structure can flex and deform in response to suspended loads, causing unnecessary wear on components such as pulleys, transmission shafts and motors.
Perform a visual inspection of the conveyor structure. Mechanical stress on the structure can cause damage, and methods of lifting and moving the structure can deform and bend the structure.
There are many types of conveyors on the market today. Many are truss or channel structures. Channel conveyors are typically manufactured in 4″ to 6″ diameters. or 8 inches. material depending on its application.
Due to their box construction, truss conveyors tend to be more durable. The conventional design of these conveyors is usually made of thick angle iron.
The larger the structure, the less likely it is to warp under normal operating conditions, avoiding tracking problems and reducing overall conveyor system maintenance.
Belt Tech’s Chris Kimball suggests addressing the root of the problem, not just the symptoms.
Spill control is a key factor in maintaining operational efficiency and profitability. Unfortunately, it’s also easy to overlook because it’s so common.
The first adjustment may require a change in perspective on spilled material as a return and an understanding of the true costs and consequences, including reduced operational efficiency, reduced plant safety, and damage to pulleys, idlers and other components due to material susceptible to loss. It’s complicated. work, so the maintenance cost will also increase. Once these issues are fully understood, practical adjustments can be made.
Transfer points can create many problems, but they are also a great opportunity for improvement. A closer look at their functions may reveal shortcomings that can be corrected. Because one problem is often related to another, sometimes the entire system may need to be redesigned. On the other hand, only some minor adjustments may be required.
Another less complex, but very important issue concerns belt cleaning. A properly installed and maintained belt cleaning system is key to preventing back material from building up on the idler pulley, causing belt misalignment and leakage.
Of course, the condition of the belt and the quality of the connections will have a direct impact on how well the cleaning system works, as a heavily cracked and worn belt will be more difficult to clean.
Given the need to improve the efficiency, safety and productivity of modern aggregate plants, good maintenance and minimization of dust and transport materials are becoming increasingly important. Belt cleaners are an important part of any clean and efficient conveyor system.
According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration, 39 percent of conveyor-related incidents occur while cleaning or clearing the conveyor. Conveyor belt cleaners help clean returned products and prevent them from falling off at various points on the back of the conveyor belt. This can mitigate housekeeping and maintenance problems such as excessive build-up and wear on conveyor rollers and pulleys, conveyor misalignment due to artificial bulge due to carried material, and accumulation of material falling from conveyor support rollers and structures onto the ground , construction sites, vehicles and even people; negative and unsafe work environment, as well as fines and/or penalties.
Cleaning is critical to proper conveyor tracking. The key to controlling backhaul is installing and maintaining an effective belt cleaning system. It makes sense to use a multi-cleaning system to ensure that material can be removed multiple times. These systems typically consist of a pre-cleaner located on the head pulley surface to remove most of the material, and one or more secondary cleaners located further along the belt return to remove residual particles.
The third stage or subsequent cleaning machine can be moved further back along the return position of the conveyor to remove all of the final material.
Mark Kenyon of Applied Industrial Technologies says reducing backhaul can improve efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.
A simple adjustment that can be made to reduce conveyor maintenance costs is to ensure the belt cleaner is properly tensioned.
Incorrectly adjusted belt cleaners can cause backlash, which can lead to premature failure of pulleys, belts, idlers, bearings and conveyor bottoms. An insufficiently tensioned belt cleaner can also cause tracking problems and belt slippage, which affects overall installation efficiency and the structural integrity of the system.
Small volumes of returned material are often overlooked or overlooked, but it is important to understand where this material waste ends up and its impact on plant reliability, efficiency and maintenance costs.
Some new belt cleaners can now use air spring tension, eliminating the need for re-tensioning. This maintenance-free design prevents material transfer between adjustments, maintaining constant pressure on the belt throughout the life of the vacuum. This constant pressure also extends blade life by 30%, further reducing the time required to maintain the conveyor.
Post time: Nov-22-2023