THE ART OF CONVEYOR BELT CLEANING

MARTIN ENGINEERING BREAKS DOWN WHAT IT DESCRIBES AS THE "GATEWAY TO SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY".

- 

Belt conveyor operators in high-volume bulk handling industries often discuss the efficiency “sweet spot”, which refers to the balance between the amount of spillage beneath the system and dust emissions above, relative to the volume of material being transported and the total uptime. To put it bluntly, this balance is a myth.

There is no trade-off between maintaining a clean operation and ensuring productivity. In fact, installing the correct material discharge and belt cleaning configuration can effectively address both concerns, along with a variety of other issues throughout the entire conveyor system.

Quality and construction of belt cleaners are crucial for achieving optimal results. Two cleaners from different manufacturers, both made of polyurethane, may appear quite similar. But once they are installed and tensioned, operators will notice significant differences.

Typically, a lower-quality cleaner allows more material to carryback, requires more maintenance labour, needs to be replaced more frequently, may not be suitable for the application's volume or properties, and could damage the belt, which is commonly the most expensive component of any conveyor system.

This article will discuss the various issues caused by inadequate belt cleaning and their solutions.

Eliminating carryback improves efficiency

Carryback refers to material that is not discharged, bypasses cleaners, and remains adhered to the conveyor belt beyond the head pulley. In addition to the loading zone, the discharge zone is often a main area where fugitive material accumulates beneath the conveyor system as “spillage”.

This is caused by carryback. After passing through the cleaner(s), material drops at the snub pulley and/or the take-up pulley. It typically does not all come off at once. As stuck material travels along the belt return towards the tail pulley, it falls off along the belt path, disrupted by return rollers.