Archive: Jul 2023

Conveyor Belt Maintenance & The Importance of Conveyor Belt Cleaning

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Proper maintenance and cleaning of conveyor belts are crucial to prevent operational disruptions, profit loss, and productivity setbacks. Regular inspections help identify issues early on, minimizing downtime and repair expenses. In the food processing industry, maintaining cleanliness is vital to ensure belt hygiene and prevent potential health hazards for workers and consumers. However, certain belts may pose cleaning challenges, necessitating the use of appropriate solvents and techniques to meet sanitation standards.

Common Conveyor Belt Problems

Following proper conveyor belt maintenance guidelines and routinely cleaning belts can help you avoid these common conveyor belt problems.

Material Carryback

As the name implies, material carryback is when the material on the conveyor belt is not discharged and gets carried back on the return. It can cause significant damage to other conveyor components and contribute to the contamination of new product.

The most common reasons for material carryback include:

  • Poor quality or improperly installed scrapers
  • Inappropriate scraper type and size
  • Poor sanitation methods

Belt Mistracking

Belt misalignment is a common issue that occurs when a conveyor belt deviates from its intended track, causing it to pull to one side. Belt mistracking can damage other system components and the belt and cause potential material spillage.

Common causes of belt mistracking include:

  • Material overload on the belt
  • Locked rollers or misaligned idlers or locked rollers
  • Faulty chute structure skirting
  • Crooked or worn belt splices

Belt Slippage

Conveyor belts require precise tension because too much or too little can cause the belt to slip off the pulleys. This is referred to as belt slippage and it can cause belt or motor damage. Therefore, it’s important to set the conveyor belt’s tension to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Belt slippage is often caused by:

  • Improperly installed head drive pulley or worn lagging
  • Material overload on the belt
  • Damaged tail pulleys or wing