A conveyor belt facilitates the transportation of products during production. If the conveyor belt fails, the issue harms the functionality of your entire production system. This leads to downtime, which results in money and time wastage.
You must always look out for any signs of faulty conveyor belts. This vigilance helps you identify issues before they escalate to more significant problems that require more time and money to fix. Here are some common conveyor belt problems to look out for.
Also known as conveyor belt misalignment, this problem happens when the system cannot align or manage the belt to stay on a specific path. Mistracking belts may result from worn-out rollers, misaligned frames, or worn-out belts.
This conveyor belt problem may cause further damage.
Belt mistracking may cause material spills which pose hazards to employees. In addition, workers are at risk of injuries from falling materials and other dangers from unexpected pileups. In the worst case scenario, the belt may rub against your structures. This problem not only damages your belt, but may also cause structural damage.
If the belt is running out of track, damages are inevitable. For example, the belt will likely rub on structures that shave belt layers. And this issue may cause the belt's overall width to degrade. Consequently, the damages reduce the amount of materials the belt can handle, thus compromising productivity output.
Belt mistracking poses the risk of product spillage. You either have to reduce the belt's materials or be ready to suffer losses from spills. This problem adversely affects your productivity and profitability.
Failure to adjust the belt sooner may cause damage to the conveyor, forcing you to replace the whole system.
Belt slippage happens when the belt and pulley lack a firm grip. The issue mainly occurs around the head pulley when the pulley cannot turn the belt around itself properly. Consequently, this problem reduces productivity and the project's output.
If it is not identified soon, a slippage may cause additional issues — like material spillage, system blockage, and belt wear & tear.
Spillage will not just harm your productivity but also will pose safety risks to employees. Other possible causes of this conveyor belt problem are:
- Wrong Belt Installation - Improper belt installation translates to an inaccurate belt or pulley setup, which makes it hard for the system to work safely and effectively. Therefore, always entrust a reputable conveyor company to help with the installation.
- Wrong Belt - Not all conveyor belts are equal. The belts vary in size and weight, so you must get one that suits your system pulley. Otherwise, if the belt is too heavy for the pulley, the excess pressure will make the system fail prematurely.
If you have issues identifying the exact cause of your conveyor belt slippage, ensure to contact experts to inspect the system and rectify the problem immediately.
Belt blockage disrupts workflow — it makes the entire system stop. In addition, the belt can no longer transport materials efficiently, so if the belt gets blocked when one item is being moved, the rest of the materials in the queue will wait much longer for transportation.
Belt blockage primarily results from sharp edges and corners that cause unwanted snags. The issue may not appear like a big deal at first but may become a significant disruption if you don't deal with it immediately.
Mistakes can happen, and even the best quality and highly-maintained conveyor may fail. But by understanding the common conveyor belt problems, you are in a better position to rectify the issues as soon as they arise.
You can trust us at 3-B Welding LLC to help you get to the bottom of any conveyor belt problems. Our experts will get to you as quickly as possible to restore the efficiency of your belt.
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