DUNLOP BELTING PRODUCTS

SECTION 1 Care of Belting

Rubber compounds are subject to attack by ozone (0 3 ), ultra violet light, heat, oils and solvents. The conveyor belting is continually subjected to varying degrees of human abuse. What are the effects of these on the life of the rubber conveyor belts?

Ozone and Ultra Violet Light

The presence of ozone is predominant in the atmosphere where electrical storms occur. South Africa ranks high in the world for this climatic condition. A high concentration of ozone together with ultra violet light causes oxidisation of the rubber. Degradation of the rubber compound from oxidisation manifests itself as surface cracking or perishing as it is commonly termed. Such attack is most severe when the rubber is static and under stress. Thus the rubber covers of a rolled up conveyor belt in storage can degrade. Also a belt left static on the structure for long periods would suffer from rubber degradation. In order to minimise the problem Dunlop Belting Products incorporate antioxidants and anti-ozonants into the rubber compound which act as a barricade against attack. The user can also assist by storing the belting in a position well sheltered from direct sunlight and sources of ozone such as operating electric motors and arc welding equipment.

Heat
Rubber compounds are degraded by heat. Some polymers withstand the effects of heat better than others but all are degraded. Additives can be added to the cover rubber of conveyor belts to enable them to perform under conditions of prolonged high temperature. These are termed 'heat resistant' conveyor belts. Conveyor belting should not be stored in a hot environment as it will seriously effect the life expectancy. Ideal storage temperature for conveyor belting is between 10C and 25C.

Oil and Solvents

As is the case for heat resistant belting, specially formulated oil resistant compounds are available. These oil resisting compounds are based on synthetic polymers. Standard Grade N and M rubber covers (which have a very high Natural rubber content) are readily attacked by oils causing swelling and reduction of physical properties.

Abuse
One of the most common enemies of the conveyor belt is abuse of one kind or another. Abuse arises either through ignorance or the desire for ever increasing achievement. The consequences of abuse are vast. Between 80% and 90% of all belts are replaced due to physical damage before they have worn out.

Handling of Conveyor Belt Rolls

The correct way to lift rolls of belting is with a bar passed through the centre core, then depending on the width and weight, the roll may be lifted by a fork lift truck or crane. If chains or slings are used on the bar at each side of the roll, a spreader bar should be used to prevent damage to the edges of the belt. If a spreader bar is not available use off-cuts of belting between the sling and the belt edge to help prevent damage.

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Correct Storage Procedures

The belt should be stored upright in its original packaging. If storage is likely to be for a long period it is preferable that the roll be suspended on a bar passed through the centre. This facilitates regular turning of the roll to relieve pressure concentration points. The belt roll should be rotated through 45 every 3 to 4 months. Always store belting out of direct sunlight. Never store belting in the vicinity of operating electric motors. Always keep belting clear of arc welding or other sources of high voltage. Ideal storage temperature is between 10 and 25C. Store belting on firm ground away from any possibility of oil contamination. A waxy film appearing on the surface of the conveyor belting is normal, It should not be removed as this provides protection against ozone.

Section 2
Protection of Conveyor Belting
The conveyor structure should be assembled so that the belt runs true on both the carry and return strands. The loading of the material onto the belt should not affect the true running. Clearances between the belt and structure should be sufficient to prevent fouling at all points. International standards for straight running of belting allow a movement of 5% of the belt width or 75mm whichever is the smaller, a larger clearance is required in the conveyor structure. Conveyor structure should have sufficient clearance to accommodate belt movement. Movement of the structure will require that regular inspection and adjustment is carried out to ensure that the belt always runs true and free. Long conveyors with high installed power are prone to extensive damage when foreign objects become jammed between belt and structure. Many belts have been ripped from end to end in such circumstances. Long conveyors should therefore be provided maximum protection.

Means of protection can take the form of:

1. Overhead magnets to remove foreign magnetic material. 2. Magnetised head pulley for removal of small magnetic objects. 3. Regular checks for loose liner plates. 4. During inspections checks must also be made for jammed, seized and missing idler rolls. 5. Belt run out limit switches should be installed at loading and discharge points. 6. Blocked chute detection must be installed and checked regularly for correct operation. 7. Scrapers or other types of belt cleaning devices should be installed and correctly maintained to limit material carry back. 8. Vee ploughs installed on return strand to prevent material passing between pulleys and the belt. 9. Rip detection devices installed ahead of load point and immediately after discharge point. 10. If tramp iron is a hazard the belt may be protected by short feeder belt incorporating an overbelt magnet to remove the iron.

Section 3
Conveyor Belt Training
The important factor for continuous central belt training is stable alignment of the conveyor Alignment

1. The conveyor structure must be true. 2. All pulleys and idlers must be centred on the centre line 3. Pulleys must be perpendicular to the centre line. 4. Idler bases must be perpendicular to the centre line. 5. All idler bases or brackets must be horizontal. 6. Gravity take-ups and trippers must move centrally on the centre line and the moving pulleys must remain parallel to the other pulleys on the system. 7. All idler rolls and non-driven pulleys must rotate freely. 8. There must be no build up of material on idler rolls or pulleys. 9. The belt joins must all be true. 10. The belt must not be so stiff as to prevent troughing when empty. 11. The load must be placed centrally on the belt. If the basic alignment factors are thoroughly checked there should be no difficulty training the belt.

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Displacement from the horizontal causes a resultant force acting outwards.

Belt tracking basics:

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The belt will ALWAYS move to a position which will equalise tension distribution.

A horizontal troughed idler set causes equal and opposite resultant forces acting outwards.

Non horizontal idler set causes unequal resultant forces. A greater resultant force acts on the higher side.

Non parallel idlers steer the belt.

Non parallel pulley displaces the belt.

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Check that the belt has been correctly reaved. Make sure that belt alignment switches are active. Position observers at critical points such as the pulleys, loading chutes and any other points of least clearance. 8. It will prove convenient to mark the belt on both surfaces at each of the belt splices. Each splice should be uniquely marked. 9. Start the belt and while running empty observe the tracking. 9.1. Allow two to three complete revolutions before making any initial adjustments. During this time determine the general tracking characteristics to ascertain that all points along the belt length have a similar tracking position at a particular point of the conveyor. The general tracking characteristics are best observed at the lowest tension pulley. 9.2. Start immediately behind the drive pulley and check alignment along the return run of the conveyor, working toward the tail pulley. 9.3. Do not adjust any of the pulleys which must always be perpendicular to the belt centre line, central and horizontal. 9.4. If the belt runs out at any position. 9.4.1. Double check the horizontal alignment of the idlers in the vicinity of the belt run out and adjust if necessary. The belt will move toward the high side of idlers that are not horizontal. 9.4.2. Adjust the idlers preceding the point of run out to steer the belt back to the centre. Make small adjustments to a few idlers and wait for a few minutes or a complete belt revolution before making further adjustment. 10. Do the same to the carry side of the conveyor. Commencing at the tail pulley and working toward the head pulley. 11. When the empty belt runs true a load can be applied. Commence with a small percentage of the design capacity and check that the belt alignment does not alter. Then increase the load in gradual increments checking for true belt alignment after each increment. If the belt runs out of true when material is loaded then adjustments to the load chutes are necessary to ensure that the load is placed centrally on the belt. 5. 6. 7.

Aids for checking alignment of idlers and structures

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Optical idler alignment instrument. Theodolite. Spirit level. Plumb bob. Fish line. Measuring tape. Idler profiling jig.

How to establish if a belt splice is true

1. 2. Remove the idlers for 6 -10 metres on either side of the belt splice. Lay the belt flat on boards supported on the conveyor stringers. There must be no wavy edge as this indicates that the belt is not lying straight on the flat surface. (It is normal for the belt edges to curl up from a flat surface but pressing the edge down should cause the belt edge to lay flat without any waviness.) Construct belt centre lines on either side of the splice from a splice extremity to about 5 metres distance from the splice. Stretch a fish line from the furthest points of these centre lines, across the splice. The splice is true if the fish line runs on the two centre lines along the entire length of the centre lines.

3. 4.

Procedure for tracking a newly installed belt

1. Check structural steel alignment. Even in the case of old conveyor structures, the alignment must be periodically checked and should always be checked when the belt is replaced. Using the procedure described above, check that all splices are true. Make sure that there are no obstructions to the belt along the entire conveyor length and that no foreign materials have been left on the belt. Position the belt centrally in the structure and check that it clears the conveyor structure at all points along the length.

2. 3. 4.

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Factors which influence belt training
Trouble Factor Material build up on return idlers Remedy Install belt scrapers or improve cleaning efficiency by adjustment of installed scrapers. Replace worn or damaged scraper blades. Replace belt fasteners with splices to improve efficiency of belt scrapers. High pressure sprays can be used in conjunction with belt scrapers to improve cleaning efficiency. Install idler rolls that have shells with a low coefficient of friction to assist in preventing material adhering to the shell. The shell can be painted with low coefficient paint or rolls manufactured of HDPE or having HDPE sleeves help prevent material build up. Replace worn guiding components or install new components with lower clearance tolerances For a vertical gravity take-up system. Distribute the take-up ballast evenly across the width of the take-up ballast box. Clean the take-up guides. Replace worn guide system components. For horizontal gravity take-up system. Replace worn sheave wheels. Adjust rope to ensure that forces are evenly applied about the centre line of the take-up pulley. Clean take-up guide system. Replace worn guide system components. Install sheeting along the length of the conveyor at a depth at least equal to the idler trough depth. Install deflector plates in the chute to centralise the load. Replace bowed section of belt. Replace splice. The splice can become mis-aligned through belt damage or due to a break down of adhesion within the splice. Install vee plough which applies even force across the width of the belt and has central steering effect. Replace worn pulley lagging. Install belt scrapers or improve cleaning efficiency by adjustment of installed scrapers. Replace worn or damaged scraper blades. Replace belt fasteners with splices to improve efficiency of belt scrapers. High pressure sprays can be used in conjunction with belt scrapers to improve cleaning efficiency. Clean pulley surfaces. Lag pulley with soft rubber which helps prevent a build up of sticky materials. Install efficient belt scrapers or adjust installed scrapers to provide more efficient cleaning. Replace worn or damaged scraper blades. Replace belt fasteners with splices to improve efficiency of belt scrapers. High pressure sprays can be used in conjunction with belt scrapers to improve cleaning efficiency. If build up occurs on pulleys in contact with the non-carry side of the belt. Install belt ploughs to clean the return belt or renew worn components of an installed plough. Rebate belt fasteners into the carry side cover and cover the fasteners with a rubber cover strip or polyurethane paste to prevent fine material spilling through to the return belt. Replace worn skirt seals to prevent spillage. Install longer skirts at the loading points to prevent spillage. Install deeper troughing idlers at the loading points to prevent spillage.

Too much lateral movement of take-up carriage Tension unevenly applied by take-up

Wind influences belt tracking Material loaded off centre Belt bowed Mis-aligned splice

Plough steers belt to one side Unevenly worn pulley lagging

Build up on pulleys

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Section 4
Conveyor belt service difficulties
Typical service difficulties that can be experienced with conveyor belts are tabled below. This table lists possible causes of the difficulty in order of precedence with the most likely cause having the highest precedence. Diagnosis criteria are given to help determine which cause is responsible for the particular difficulty.

Difficulty
Worn Covers Top Cover wears out quicker than predicted by the Dunlop belt wear formula.

Causes

Diagnosis

Remedy

Excessive pressure between skirtboard seals and the belt.

Relatively narrow strips of wear occur along line of skirt seals in contact with the belt.

Replace worn skirtboard sealing material. Install wider skirtboard sealing material or more efficient skirtboard seals so that pressure can be reduced for the same sealing efficiency. Increase gap between skirtboard and belt surface. Increase tension applied by the take-up to reduce sag between the idlers at the loading point. Reduce the incline angle at the loading point. Split the material feed so that fine material is fed onto the conveyor first.

Loading conveyor at too steep an angle.

Wear is concentrated in the centre of the belt. Material accumulates at the loading point. Little or no material velocity in the direction of belt travel. Cover cut and gouged at line of skirt- board contact with belt.

Material trapped between skirtboards and belt.

Alter gap between skirtboards and belt to prevent material entrapment. Increase inter-skirt board width. Install garland impact idlers at the loading point. Install wider skirtboard sealing material or more efficient skirtboard seals. Increase the ground or floor clearance of the conveyor. Most commonly the problem is associated with a low ground clearance at the tail pulley. Replace worn skirtboard sealing material. Increase troughing angle at the loading points. Extend the length of the skirtboards. Improve house keeping. Install blocked chute detector with alarm condition and belt trip. Increase clearances in the discharge chute. If the conveyor discharges to another conveyor install interlock between the two. Install efficient belt scrapers at all discharge points. Replace worn belt scraper blades. Adjust belt scraper to improve cleaning efficiency. Adjust belt scraper to meet the manufacturer's specifications. Replace worn scraper blades. Clean accumulated material from the belt scraper blades and blade mounting bracket. Replace faulty torsion mountings. Replace seized idler rolls. Replace or repair idler brackets or frames that cause idler rolls to jamb. Locate idler rolls correctly in the idler brackets or frames. Align return idlers as described in section 3. Ratio of top to bottom cover thickness should not be greater than 3 to 1.

Material spillage falling under the conveyor.

Wear occurs across the full width of the belt. Longitudinal cuts and gouges into the cover. Very often more severe wear and damage to cover occurs nearer belt edges. Material accumulated under the conveyor to the extent that it makes contact with the return belt. Longitudinal cuts and gouges across the full belt width. Cover torn from the belt carcass.

Blocked discharge chute.

Excessive material carry back on the return side. Poorly adjusted belt scraper or belt scraper incorrectly installed.

Material build up on return idlers and pulleys in contact with the carry side of the belt. Piles of material accumulate under return idlers. Sinusoidal wear pattern. Width of wear pattern related to the width of the scraper blades.

Seized or jammed return idler rolls

Longitudinal wear coinciding with position of faulty idler rolls. In severe cases the idler shell is worn through resulting in cutting of the cover. Even wear across the width of the belt. Poor tracking of the return belt. Belt curls up at edges. Top cover wears near edge because of concentration of weight at the edge.

Badly aligned return idlers. Excessively high ratio between thickness of top\and bottom covers.

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Difficulty
Bottom cover worn.

Causes
Material build up on deck plates.

Diagnosis
Wear in centre third of belt width. Longitudinal cuts and gouges in the cover. Material spillage at loading point.

Remedy
Replace worn skirtboard sealing material. Increase troughing angle at the loading points. Extend the length of the skirtboards. Increase tension applied by the take-up to reduce sag between carry idlers at the loading point. Improve house keeping. Install vee return scrapers to prevent material carry back into pulleys. Adjust scraper blades of existing vee return scrapers. Replace worn vee return scraper blades. Replace seized idler rolls. Remove material that may cause idler rolls to jamb. Replace or repair idler frames that cause idler rolls to jamb. Locate idler rolls correctly in the idler frames. Lag drive pulleys or replace worn drive pulley lagging. Use grooved pulley lagging if water is present. Increase force applied by the take-up. Ensure that the take-up pulley moves freely along its travel length. Align idlers and pulleys as described in Section 3. Replace the affected belt join. Correct the alignment of the conveyor structure. Alter the load chute angle. Increase the vertical velocity of material through the load chute thereby increasing the effective angle of impingement.

Material trapped between belt and a pulley in con- tact with the bottom cover. Seized or jammed carry idler rolls.

Punctures into the cover. Wear across the full belt width. Excessive noise in vicinity of pulley.

Wear coincides with position of the seized or jammed idler rolls. In severe cases the idler shell is worn through resulting in cutting of the bottom cover. Cover worn across the full belt width. Very often this is an intermittent problem resulting in intermittent wear along the belt length. Belt fouls the conveyor support structure. Belt in close proximity to a join, fouls the conveyor support structure. Belt fouls the conveyor structure at the position of misaligned structure. Effective angle of impingement with the belt cover between 18 and 28 . Material cuts the cover as it strikes the belt. Many random cuts in the centre third of the belt width. Belt surface takes on an appearance similar to a well used chopping board. Longitudinal cuts in top cover along line of skirtboard contact with the belt. Seized or jammed idler rolls. Cuts in cover coincide with seized idler rolls.

Slip on the drive pulley.

Damaged or worn belt edges.

Misaligned idlers or pulleys. Misaligned belt join. Misaligned belt structure. Material impinging with belt at a critical angle.

Cut Cover.

Inadequate clearance between skirtboard and belt. Worn idler roll shell.

Increase gap between skirtboard and the belt surface. Replace worn idler rolls. Remove material causing idler roll jambs. Replace or repair idler brackets which have poor clearance between idler roll and bracket. Alter position of idlers at the load point in relation to the material flow path. Increase spacing of idlers at the load point. Alter arrangement at the load point. Increase gap between skirtboards and impact bars. Skirtboard gap must increase in direction of belt travel. Alter angle of material feed to reduce velocity difference between belt and material.

Loaded material falls directly over an idler roll.

Large material lump size. Material flow path directly onto an idler roll. Insufficient idler spacing to accommodate material lump size at the loading point. Impact bars installed at load point having insufficient clearance to prevent entrapment of material. Large material lump size. Large velocity difference between belt and material being loaded.

Large material trapped at the loading point.

Excessive material turbulence at load point.

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Difficulty
Cover swelling.

Causes
Oil, grease or solvent contamination. Belt fouls with belt structure or chutes. Belt slip on a pulley.

Diagnosis
Soft cover in the area of the swelling. Belt curl induced by the cover swelling. Relatively high belt speed. Distinctive smell of 'burning rubber'. Most commonly on drive pulley during starting but can also result from a jammed pulley. Loud screeching noise. Intermittent areas of soft cover on surface in contact with pulley. Top cover smeared with soft, sticky rubber. Often smear occurs along width coinciding with width of single scraper blade. Embrittlement of the cover rubber. Non heat resistant cover compound or material temperature exceeds temperature rating of SBR heat resistant cover compound. Fine surface cracks. Fine surface cracks. Fine surface cracks. Belt left standing in the same position for long periods.

Remedy
Remove the source of contamination or change belt to a type that is not affected by the contaminant. Provide sufficient clearance between the belt and conveyor structure. Rectify jammed pulley. Increase take-up force to prevent belt slip during starting.

Soft and sticky rubber cover.

Badly adjusted belt scraper. Pressure between scraper blade and belt too high. Cracks in the belt cover. Material conveyed is excessively hot.

Adjust scraper blade pressure. Replace blades that have worn. Ensure even contact pressure across the belt width. Change belt specification to one that is more appropriate for the temperature.

Prolonged exposure to sunlight. Exposure to ultra-violet light. Exposure to ozone.

Protect the belt from direct sunlight. Screen the belt against exposure to ultraviolet light. During storage of the belt keep changing its position and rotate the roll at regular intervals. While on the conveyor the belt should be turned regularly. Reduce vertical fall in the loading chute or break the fall with drop boxes in the load chute. Alter position of idlers in the loading area. Increase thickness of top cover. Reduce number of plies in the belt carcass or increase the belt class. Increase the cord diameter if the belt has a steel cord carcass. Install or adjust vee return plow to prevent material carry back.

Belt carcass damage.

Impact of large materials.

Cuts and gouges in top cover. Material flow path directly onto idler roll or impact bar. Materials loaded onto the belt have a high vertical velocity component.

Material trapped between belt and pulley.

Most commonly associated with the tail pulley and material spillage at the load point. High modulus belt carcass. Punctures in the cover which is in contact with the offending pulley face. Carcass breaks at the edges. Rapid wear of pulley lagging where the belt edges contact the pulley.

Short transition distance.

Reduce the troughing angle of the idlers in the transition zone. Increase the distance between terminal pulley and the closest troughing idler. Remove obstructions to the belt path. Correct belt alignment.

Ply separation

Belt fouls with the convey or structure

Ply se paration confine d to belt edges. Cover separated from the carcass at the belt edges. Edges badly worn. In most i nstances there will be sections where the covers have been torn from the carcass. Ply separation coincides with the idler junctions. Ply separation coincides with the idler junctions.

Vertical alignment of idlers varies excessively. Spacing of idlers in convex curve too large.

Profile idlers to within a 3 mm vertical alignment tolerance. Check that all idler sets are in place. Decrease idler spacing in the convex curve so that maximum change of angle at any particular idler is within specification. Replace belt with a construction that provides adequate load support. This is normally achieved by increasing the number of plies or increasing the belt class.

Belt carcass too light for adequate load support.

Ply separation coincides with the idler junctions.

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Difficulty

Causes
Pulley diameter smaller than required minimum.

Diagnosis
Ply separation across full width of belt. Belt splices fail regularly.

Remedy
Replace all pulleys that are smaller than the recommended minimum. Reduce the number of plies to suit the installed pulley diameters checking first that the replacement belt will provide adequate load support. Remove source of contamination. Correct alignment of conveyor structure. Replace the belt join.

Oil, grease or chemical contamination.

Rubber soft and swollen in the vicinity of ply separation. All sections of the belt run off at the misaligned section of the conveyor. Belt runs off in close vicinity of the join at all points of the conveyor structure. Belt runs off in the vicinity of the pulley. One section of belt runs off at all points of the conveyor.

Belt mis-tracking

Conveyor structure misaligned. Belt join mis-aligned.

Build up on pulleys.

Clean the pulley face. Soft rubber pulley lagging (40 shore hardness) will assist in prevention of build up on pulleys. Avoid storing belts in telescoped condition. In some instances the bowed section of belt can be straightened by applying additional force in the take-up. Beware of exceeding the pulley shaft and bearing load capabilities.

Belt bowed.

Section 5
70

Rate of Wear vs Velocity Difference

Chutes
The primary purpose of chutes are to: 1. Deposit the material centrally and evenly on the receiving conveyor at a velocity approaching the belt velocity. 2. Receive the material from the discharge point of a conveyor and direct it to the required location. Well designed chutes meet the following requirements: 1. All chute openings are large enough to provide unrestricted flow of the material. 2. Material degradation is minimised 3. The discharge chute collects all the material including that which is removed by the belt scraper. 4. Conveyor loading chutes direct the material at an angle and velocity which minimises belt wear.

60
DUNLOP BELTING PRODUCTS

50 Rate of Wear 40 30 20 10 0

Grade M rubber Grade N rubber Fire resistant or heat resistant rubber

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 Magnitude of Velocity Difference

Rate of Wear vs Angle of Impingement

Factors effecting rate of wear of the covers of a rubber covered conveyor belt. Velocity difference between the material and the belt has a profound effect on the rate of wear of rubber compounds. Typically the rate of wear is proportional to the magnitude of the velocity difference squared.
120 100 80 60 40

DUNLOP BELTING PRODUCTS

Angle of impingement of the material with the belt cover also effects the rate of wear of the cover. A critical angle occurs at about 22 where the wear rate is up to 100 times greater than an angle of 0 or 90 .

Rate of Wear

Grade M rubber Grade N rubber Fire resistant or heat resistant rubber

20 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Angle of Impingement