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Last Updated:November 17, 2009
Belt Conveyors FAQ
Q. Belts can often stick to the deck section after a clean down causing the motor to burn out. can this problem be designed out?
A. Belt conveyors can be fitted with a quick release unit which takes all of the tension off the belt during a clean down situation. The quick release unit is the levered back in position prior to the new shift beginning, the tracking and tension of the belt will stay the same.
Q. Can I stop my belts from tracking off as this often scuffs the sides of the belts?
A. Belts often track off due to a number of reasons namely.
Have your drums been crowned? This helps the belt to position itself over the terminal drums.
Is the frame work that the belt is running on square and level?
If it is not then the belt will wonder on the deck section.
Are the end, tension and drive drums all square to each other?
Make sure that all drums are square to each other.
Q. Can I transport raw food on a belt conveyor?
A. Yes in fact there are very few products that can not be transported on a belt conveyor. Selection of the belt material is vital to ensure the correct handling of a product.
Q. Can I accumulate on a belt conveyor?
A. Yes there are many different types of material available from very low friction to extremely high grip. Once again it is vital to select the correct belt for your product.
Q. Can I run a belt conveyor at any speed?
A. Within reason the typical ends of the spectrum are 2metres per minute up to 50metres per min, it will however depend on the product being handled.
Q. What widths of belt can I have?
A. Any width at all, our standard range starts at 100mm wide and goes up to 800mm wide, but any width can be made. We have supplied a customer with a 2metre wide conveyor.
Q. Can I vary the speed of a belts conveyor?
A. Yes you can, by either adding an invertor which gives you a speed control varied by means of a dial the speed is increased by increasing the cylces electronically or by fitting a mechanical variator which is varied by turning a hand wheel on the gearbox.
Q. What angle can I run a belt conveyor at?
A. This depends on the product but it is possible to incline up at an angle of 39 degrees without the need for flights.
Q. Can belt conveyors be made to a food quality standard?
A. Yes in fact the vast majority of the conveyors that we supply are food quality.
Q. Is it easy to replace a belt?
A. Yes, very easy. A new belt can either be fitted as an endless length or a single length can be joined by means of vulcanising the two ends together.
Q. Can I get close transfers from one conveyor to another?
A. Yes, you can. We use 50mm dia end drums which are fixed. The tensioning of the belt is done in the middle of our conveyors, thereby ensuring that the length of the conveyor remains the same no mater how much the belt stretches.
Q. Do belts stretch?
A. Yes after an initial bedding in period the belt will need to be re tensioned. It is quite possible that a belt could stretch 10% of its original length once again this will depend on the product being handled.
Q. Can I get a closer transfer than the two 50mm end drums previously mentioned?
A. Yes you can, we offer a mini range of conveyors for the lighter duty applications, these belts travel around 32mm dia drums. If this is still to large a gap, you can travel around a knife edge give an approximate gap of 4mm however care should be taken with the belt selection for this type of transfer.
Q. Can I fit flights to a belt to elevate a product?
A. Yes you can. The flights can be as small as 20mm or as tall as 150mm, they can be pitched at any distance over 80mm.
Q. Can I have side walls fitted to the belt?
A. Yes you can they start at 20mm high. Although this will effect the diameter of the drums being used.
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