A conveyor belt is one of the essential items in any plant because it allows you to move materials from one location to another. Being machines, conveyor belts aren’t immune from problems. Hence, they need to be in good shape to prevent glitches that could delay your whole production line.
Without proper maintenance, conveyor belts can get regular wear and tear, leading to motor burnout, broken components, or belt slippage. Proper conveyor belt maintenance can help you get the most out of it and increase its use and service life.
Below is an outline highlighting how you can keep your conveyor belt in good shape:
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Choose The Appropriate Conveyor
There are many industrial uses of conveyor belts. Choosing the appropriate conveyor for your specific application is crucial in keeping your conveyor belt in good shape. Therefore, you need to consider the conveyor’s speed, the weight of the products, the direction you’re moving your products, and whether you need weighing, metal detection, or sorting.
Experts from reputable conveyor belt manufacturing companies can recommend the appropriate conveyor belt that can handle your application without wearing it out. It would be wise to choose a conveyor belt that can handle more than your current requirements as it can allow you to increase your production.
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Implement Regular Inspections
Regularly inspecting your conveyor belt for wear and tear and build-up of materials can help keep it in good shape, preventing future downtime. It’s crucial to replace worn-out parts and upgrade components like cables and wires.
In addition, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for preventative maintenance to avoid costly downtime and extend your conveyor’s life. You can contact companies like Boton Conveyor Services to help you maintain your conveyor belts.
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Keep The Conveyor Belt Clean
When a conveyor belt is dirty, especially on its underside, it’s highly probable to slip, reducing its weight-carrying capacity. Moreover, build-up on the conveyor’s parts, such as belt rollers, significantly reduces the motor and belt life. You can extend the lifespan of your conveyor by regularly cleaning it.
Meanwhile, the conveyor belt’s motor can also overheat if the vents are clogged with dirt, dust, food byproducts, or grease. Consequently, frequent overheating of the conveyor’s motor can damage it, recommending a replacement.
Significantly, investing in a conveyor belt with easy-to-clean components can help save you energy and time when cleaning it. Furthermore, keeping the conveyor clean can ensure its motor doesn’t overheat and burn out.
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Check The Bearings
Lubrication is one of the essential aspects of machinery servicing. Dry parts and loose bearings can make your conveyor break down. While sealed self-aligning bearings require little or no lubrication, exposed ones require more regular lubrication to avoid conveyor breakdown.
Nevertheless, getting the recommended lubricant for the conveyor is crucial as some can damage the belt’s components. Also, you should check the bearings that don’t self-align to ensure that the crooked ones don’t bind the pulley, exerting unnecessary strain on the motor.
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Check The Pulley Alignment
Pulley alignment is crucial in ensuring your conveyor belt runs smoothly. A pulley with proper alignment creates equal tension on either side of your conveyor, making it stretch evenly and extending the belt’s life. However, a pulley that’s unevenly worn out or out of alignment has unequal tension, causing premature stretching on one side and recommending belt replacement.
Moreover, it’s also crucial to consider where to place your products on the conveyor belt to prevent unequal stretching. Loading your products at the center of the belt can ensure equal tension, enhancing its durability.
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Inspect For Belt Slippage
Loading your conveyor belt with heavy loads or putting it through uneven tension can lead to belt slippage, reducing its life. You can eliminate slippage issues by regularly inspecting the conveyor belt for slippage or tightening up the belt tension.
On the other hand, investing in a new conveyor belt is also wise if your production requires more than the conveyor can handle. Overloading your conveyor beyond its capacity might lead to motor, bearing, or belt failure, interfering with your processing operations.
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Inspect For Worn-Out Parts
Your conveyor belt experiences extended downtime due to breakdowns caused by worn-out parts. You can reduce the chances of downtime by regularly inspecting the conveyor belt for worn-out parts and replacing them.
Meanwhile, communicating with the conveyor manufacturer can help you know the parts that frequently wear out. This allows you to restock their spares, swiftly dealing with breakdowns to prevent downtime.
Take Away
A conveyor belt is a crucial machinery to many processing plants. However, keeping it in good shape is vital to prevent downtime. This also helps in extending its life, preventing frequent breakdowns.
Hence, regular inspection and maintenance are needed to ensure its efficiency. With the guide above, you can keep your conveyor belt in good shape for maximum production.
