Conveyor belts are an essential part of bulk material handling systems used in industries like power plants, cement, mining, and ports. They ensure smooth, continuous, and efficient movement of materials over long distances.
This post covers some of the most common questions answers and problem, cause and their remedy of industrial conveyor belt — from basic working principles to maintenance tips — to help engineers, technicians, and students understand them better.
Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs) on Industrial Conveyor Belt
A conveyor belt is a continuous moving belt that transports materials from one place to another using pulleys and rollers. It’s widely used in industries for bulk material handling.
Key components include:
Belt, pulleys, Idlers (carrying and return), Take-up unit, Drive unit (motor & gearbox), Skirt Rubber, Scrapper, Safety devices.
1️⃣ Pipe conveyors – enclose the material within a pipe-shaped belt, preventing spillage and dust, making them ideal for curved or inclined paths.
2️⃣ Trough belt conveyors – use a trough shaped belt supported by idlers to keep material centered.
3️⃣ Sidewall belt conveyors – have corrugated sides and cleats, allowing steep or vertical conveying in compact area.
The take-up pulley maintains proper tension in the belt to avoid slippage and ensure smooth operation.
Safety devices include pull cord switch, belt sway switch, zero speed switch, chute blockage switch, and interlocking systems.
Regular inspection, proper alignment, timely cleaning, correct loading, and avoiding belt over-tensioning increase belt life.
Generally, belt speed ranges between 2.6 to 4.5 m/s depending on material, capacity, and system design.
During starting, the downstream conveyors start first and then upstream ones.
During stopping, upstream conveyors stop first followed by downstream ones — to prevent coal jamming.
Regular greasing, checking belt joints, idler rotation, cleaning spillage, and testing safety devices are part of preventive maintenance.
Common reasons include uneven loading, damaged idlers, improper pulley alignment, or material buildup on pulleys.
General Problem, Cause and Their remedy of Industrial Conveyor Belt
⚠️ Cause:
1. Impact of material lumps on the conveying side of the belt, if the cracks appear on the side of the belt in contact with the pulley
2. Material being trapped between tail pulley and return belt, if the cracks appear on the conveying side of the belt.
✅ Remedy:
1. The height of fall of material to be reduced.
2. Internal belt scrapers to be installed on return run near the tail pulley.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Too high local tension.
2.Growth of mildew on cotton carcass.
✅ Remedy:
1. Reduce the take-up tension to the extent of belt slippage and then increase the tension slightly.
2. Remove elements aiding in mildew growth or replace the belt with one having mildew inhabitant properties.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Edge of the belt forced against structures or obstructed too tightly against side guide rollers.
2. The idlers nearest the head pulleys are either located too close or too high with respect to head pulley.
✅ Remedy:
The belt is to be aligned properly.
(1) at a given point in its entire length
(2) on one portion of its length at any given location in its entire length.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Misalignment of conveyor structure or idler i.e. the equipment at the given point where belt runs off centered.
2. Belt joint not squared (i.e. belt not cut and vulcanized at 90 deg. to the center line of belt.
✅ Remedy:
1. The equipment approaching the given point to be realigned.
2. The belt should be re-spliced.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Edge wear
✅ Remedy:
1. The belt is to be trained or any obstructing elements against the belt edge to be removed.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Insufficient carcass rigidity for load.
✅ Remedy:
1. The belt is to be replaced with a stiffer one (i.e. with more number of plies).
⚠️ Cause:
1. Cover cuts followed by abrasive and fine materials entering into the cover.
✅ Remedy:
1. Make spot repairs before the damage increases.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Jamming of chute, abrasive action of material trapped between skirt/chute and belt, dragging action of sharp objects like tramp iron etc. on the belt, higher relative velocity of material falling on to the belt.
✅ Remedy:
1. Adjust/modify chutes or increase belt speed to reduce the relative velocity between belt and material.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Misalign idlers.
2. Pile up of spilled material at tail pulley.
3. Improper loading.
4. Improper or small radius of curvature.
5. Dirty return rollers.
✅ Remedy:
1. Use self-aligning idlers.
2. Install scrapers on tail pulley.
3. Load the material in the direction of belt travel by using properly designed chutes or baffles or the belt should be turned end for end at times with the progress of wear.
4. Radius of curvature of belt to be increased.
5. Return rollers to be cleaned.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Over lubricated idlers spilling oil on belt or oil contamination in material being handled.
✅ Remedy:
1. Grease/Lubrication seals should be checked for leakage or top belt cover should be grooved longitudinally with typical grooving tool while the belt is in motion, at spacing of two to three inches over the affected portion.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Spillage of material.
2. Slippage of belt due to less tension.
3. Stalled idlers.
✅ Remedy:
1. Loading condition to be improved and internal scrapers to be used.
2. Take-up tension to be increased.
3. Idlers to be lubricated and friction of the belt on pulleys to be increased by lagging the pulleys.
⚠️ Cause:
1. High tension in the belt during operation or at the starting.
✅ Remedy:
1. Reduce the load on belt.
2. Redesign the belt to take the load.
3. Lag the pulleys to reduce drive factor.
4. Use snub pulley or tandem drive to increase the area of contact of belt.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Take-up tension is too high.
2. Pulley lagging has worn out.
3. Oil contamination in the material.
4. Pulley diameters too small.
5. Improper belt splicing.
✅ Remedy:
1. Reduce counterweight of take-up.
2. Pulley lagging to be replaced.
3. Eliminate source of oil in material or use oil resistant belt.
4. Use pulleys of correct diameters.
5. Re splice the belt.
⚠️ Cause:
1. Conveyor structure not properly fixed.
2. Carrying idlers are not properly fixed.
3. Loading on the belt is eccentric.
4. Belt splicing is not proper.
5. Fine coal sticking to the pulleys, carriers etc.
6. Shafts of head, tail and snub pulleys not squared with the center line of the conveyor.
✅ Remedy:
1. Ensure the conveyor structure is properly aligned and firmly anchored to the foundation. Tighten loose bolts and re-level the stringers to bring the structure into a straight line with the belt center.
2. Adjust and align carrying idlers perpendicular to the belt centerline. Replace damaged or worn idlers and ensure uniform height and spacing throughout the length.
3. Correct the loading chute so that material falls at the center of the belt. Adjust deflector plates and guides to ensure symmetrical loading. Ensure there is no material deposited in chute.
4. Re-do the belt joint ensuring proper alignment.
5. Clean pulleys, idlers, and belt surface regularly. Install effective belt cleaners and scrapers. Improve housekeeping to prevent coal dust accumulation and moisture-induced sticking.
6. Check pulley alignment using string or laser line. Adjust bearing housings so pulley shafts are at right angles to the belt centerline. Ensure all pulleys are in the same vertical plane.
RELATED SEARCHES:
Introduction of Conveyor Belt
Conveyor Belt Commissioning