Conveyors get your products where they need to go; however, accidents can happen, and these can bring your conveyor to an unexpected halt. Like most industrial machinery, if poorly maintained, conveyors can experience defaults such as belt wear and/or component failure. These unfortunate events can put an unexpected stop to your production, affecting your productivity and profit, and causing a lot of stress on your business. Our blog today intends to raise your understanding of common conveyor mishaps and how they can be prevented and/or resolved.
1. Belt Mistracking
What Went Wrong:
Belt mistracking will happen when your conveyor belt comes off track from its anticipated path. Belt mistracking can lead to serious belt damage and/ or equipment damage. Additionally, if the product is not directed where it is intended to go, it is at risk of being damaged as well. A conveyor belt can mistrack for a variety of reasons, such as, inadequate belt tension, uneven weight distribution during loading, asymmetric loading, material build up on the belt etc.
Resolution:
The first way to resolve belt mistracking is to find the origin of where the mistracking is occurring. A test such as a conveyor audit can assist you in identifying possible causes of the mistracking. If the conveyor belt is suffering from very minor mistracking, idlers can often be utilized to adjust the belt track and guarantee it continues to track in alignment for future projects.
2. Material Carryback/ Build-up
What Went Wrong:
Conveyor carryback may occur if small amounts of material adhere to the conveyor belt. This build-up can cause accumulation of material under the conveyor system or on idler rolls and pulleys. Materials such as sticky or dense textures are more prone to conveyor carryback than others. Carryback often gets overlooked; however, over time it can accumulate a significant amount of material. Conveyor belt carryback can also present a concerning safety and environmental hazard, can add to maintenance and clean-up costs, and usually inhibits the conveyor system from achieving its best performance.
Resolution:
A simple solution to preventing conveyor carryback is to install belt cleaners, which are intended to prevent carryback. Reducing unwanted material build-up will save maintenance costs and create a safer more efficient working environment for your conveyor. Moreover, a clean belt will decrease the chance of roller failure and mistracking, it will also enhance the belt life, and keep the system running smoothly and efficiently.
3. Belt Damage
What Went Wrong:
Belt damage can occur for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to: excessive impact and force, mistracking, seized components, insufficient pulley traction etc. Because belts are the most expensive asset of the conveyor, it is important to recognize the possible causes of belt concerns and proactively work towards avoiding this unfortunate form of damage.
Resolution:
There are a variety of ways a belt can be damaged, therefore there is also an assortment of diverse solutions. Machine audits can find minor belt damages and avoid the risk of significant failures in the future. Nonetheless, if you feel that you have more significant damage on your conveyor belt please do not hesitate to contact someone from our professional team of conveyor experts today.
