BELT CONVEYORS

OVERVIEW

By R.Jayaraman
 MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS -
INTRODUCTION
Material Handling Systems generally
include the following
• Belt/Screw/Flight Conveyors
• Bucket Elevators
• Hoppers, Bins and Bunkers
• Withdrawal Feeders
• Open/Closed Storages
• Stacking/Reclaiming Equipments
• Hauling Dumpers
• Rail Wagon Handling Equipments
• Sizing Equipments such as
• Screens (Fixed and Vibrating )
• Crushers
• Grinding Mills
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MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEMS -
INTRODUCTION

Belt conveyor is the most employed
equipment in the Material Handling
Systems for transporting bulk
materials.

Bulk materials can also be
transported with chain as a pulling
member.

Bucket Elevators are also used
extensively for transfer of materials
in a Material Handling Systems.
Overview of Chain conveyors and
Bucket Elevators will be part of
another presentation.

Screw Conveyors and Pneumatic
Conveying are other options
specially for very fine materials.

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 BELT CONVEYORS - INTRODUCTION

This presentation will cover the
features, applications, some aspects of
design related to layouts and codes
and standards governing the various
types of BELT CONVEYORS.

Broadly Material Handling Systems
can be grouped into two types. ‘Bulk
Material Handling’ and ‘Unit load
handling’.

Bulk Material Handling is about
materials which are transported in
bulk form such as lumps, fines &
powders.

Unit Load Handling refers to
transportation of materials in the
bags, Containers, Drums etc. Small
parts handling which is part of Unit
load handling is again a special type
used in many manufacturing units.
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 TYPES OF BELT CONVEYORS

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 APPLICATION OF BELT CONVEYORS

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 APPLICATION OF BELT CONVEYORS

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 BELT CONVEYOR - BASICS
A belt conveyor is an arrangement of mechanical components
which support and at the same time propel a conveyor belt,
which in turn carries the bulk material to be conveyed. The five
principle components of the conveyor are:-
A-The Belt-Which forms the moving and supporting surface
on which the conveyed material rides.
B-The Idlers-Which form the supports for the carrying and
return strands of the belt.
C-The Pulleys-Which support and move the belt and control
the tension.
D-The Drive-Which imparts power to one or more pulleys to
move the belt and its load.
E-The Structure-Which supports and maintains the alignment
of the idlers, and pulleys, supports, and driving machinery.
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 BELT CONVEYORS-
CONVEYORS- ANATOMY

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 BELT CONVEYOR - TYPES

TROUGHED BELT CONVEYOR

FLAT BELT CONVEYOR

SIDEWALL CONVEYOR

PIPE CONVEYOR
FLAT BELT CONVEYORS
Limited Application
For same capacity, larger width
6 deg max slope,0.6m/sec max speed
High Angle of repose- Moulding Sand etc
Ploughs/Deflector Plates
Picking & Sorting
Belt Support – Wood/Steel slider beds, Rollers
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BELT CONVEYOR DESIGN PROCEDURE

Determine Belt width.

Select the shape of idler.

Determine Spacing of idlers.

Establish Belt Tension.

Calculate Horse Power requirement.

Select the location of drive.

Select the Motor and Controls.

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 BELT CONVEYOR DESIGN PROCEDURE

Fix up take up arrangements.

Select Pulleys, shafts and Bearings.

Select speed reduction gearing.

Select Belt Cleaning equipment.

Design receiving and discharge
arrangements.

Fix up other accessories necessary such as:
holdback, brake, deck plate.

Design conveyor supporting structure.

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 BELT CONVEYORS DESIGN

In order to design a belt conveyor for a specific duty, certain basic facts
must be established first. The following essential facts will prove helpful
and will serve as a check list.

Before attempting the design of a belt conveyor, it is necessary to have a
complete knowledge of the characteristics of the material that is to be
conveyed.

The specific information that must be available is listed below:
a. Bulk density, expressed in kg Per cubic metre or other suitable units.
b. Maximum lump size and the proportion of lumps to fines.
c. Condition of the material - whether dry, wet, sticky, dusty or oily.
d. If it is a chemical, is it corrosive or hazardous to human health?

How abrasive is it?

Are the particles angular or rounded? Are they hard, soft, brittle or will
13 they pack together in a mass?
 BELT CONVEYORS DESIGN
Rate of Transport

The rate of transport will determine the desired capacity of
the conveyor, but consideration must be given to the
following:
a. Normal Capacity.
b. Peak Capacity.
c. Design Capacity.

The successful operation of the belt conveyor will depend
upon the ability of the conveyor to handle the material at all
rates that can be foreseen.

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 BELT CONVEYOR SPEED

The belt conveyor speed depends largely on the characteristics
of the materials to be conveyed, the capacity desired and the
belt tension employed.

Heavy, sharp edged materials should be carried at moderate
speeds only, because the sharp edges are likely to wear the belt
cover unduly, particularly, if the loading velocity of the
material in the direction of belt travel is appreciably lower
than the belt speed.

Certain material such as Coal, Coke and other friable
substances when transferred from one conveyor to another
suffer breakage and deterioration of lumps. Other materials
that are highly abrasive may cause severe damage to the belt
when transferred from one conveyor to another.
Consequently certain maximum speeds are recommended by
the Belt manufacturers.
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 BELT CONVEYOR CAPACITIES

For a given speed, belt conveyor
capacities increase with an increase in
the width of the belt.

The capacity of a belt conveyor also
depend upon the degree of surcharge
angle and the inclination of the side rolls
of three pulley troughing idlers.

Based on uniform feed, the cross-
sectional area of the load on the
conveyor belt is determinant of the belt
conveyor capacity.

Formulae have been set up for
calculating the cross-sectional area of
the load.

The area of load cross section is divided
into two parts. One is the trapezoidal
area. The other is the circular segment
area, which is termed the surcharge area.
The sum of these two areas is the total
16 cross sectional area.
 BELT CONVEYORS –
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Class 1
Angle of surcharge- 5 deg
Angle of repose- 0-20 deg
Flowability- Free flowing
Materials:
Very small rounded particles,
very wet or very dry, such as dry silica sand,
cement, wet concrete, etc.
Class 2
Angle of surcharge- 10 deg
Angle of repose- 20-30 deg
Flowability- Free flowing
Materials:
Rounded dry polished particles of
medium density such as whole grain,
beans, salt, sugar, etc.
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:
 BELT CONVEYORS – MATERIAL
PROPERTIES
Class 3
Angle of surcharge- 20 deg
Angle of repose- 30-35 deg
Flow ability- Average
Materials:
Irregular, granular or lumpy materials of medium density, such as
anthracite coal, clay, certain mineral ores, etc.
Angle of surcharge- 25 deg
Angle of repose- 35-40 deg
Flow ability- Average
Materials:
Common materials such as bituminous coal, stone, rock, most ores,
Class 4
Angle of surcharge- 20 deg
Angle of repose- 30-35 deg
Flow ability- Average
Materials:
Irregular, stringy, fibrous, interlocking materials, such as bagasse,
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wood chips, wet earth, tempered foundry sand, etc.
 BELT CONVEYORS – OPERATING
CONDITIONS

Operating conditions must be taken into account
if the belt conveyor is to have an economical
design.

Hours of service expected, per day and per year.

Climatic conditions – range of temperature,
humidity, velocity and direction of prevailing
winds.

Site conditions –dust nuisances, health hazards
from handling chemicals or siliceous materials,
proximity of other processes which may affect the
parts of the conveyor.
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 BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS -
IDLERS

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 BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS-
COMPONENTS-
PULLEYS

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 BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS-
COMPONENTS-
DRIVES

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 BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS -
BELTING

There are two basic categories
into which all troughed
conveyor belting falls namely,
Fabric Belting and Steel Cord
Belting.

Externally both types of belt
appear to be identical however,
the difference is in the internal
structure of the belt

In fabric belts the carcass
comprises 'plies' or mats of
reinforced fabric separated by
cushioning rubber layers.

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 BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS-
COMPONENTS-
BELTING

Steel cord belts on the other hand
have a series of steel cables
embedded into the belt, separated
by rubber.

When tension is applied to the
belt, the carcass absorbs the force.

The greater the required tensile
force to move the transported
material, the greater is the
required strength of the belts'
carcass.

In both fabric and steel cord belts,
the carcass is covered by
rubberized covers to protect the
24 carcass or cables
 BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS-
COMPONENTS-
BELTING

Belting selection criteria

Tension Rating (Tensile Strength of belt)

Load Support ( Min number of plies)

Troughability (Max number of plies)

Minimum Pulley Diameters

Rubber Cover Gauge Types and thickness

M24 & N17 Grade

HR Grade

Oil Resistant Grade

Fire Resistant Grade

Top Cover thickness 3mm min for Fabric & 5mm min for Steel Cord

Bottom Cover thickness 1.5mm min for Fabric & 5mm for Steel Cord

Top cover thickness based on loading cycle

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BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS-
COMPONENTS-
TAKE-UP UNITS
TAKE-

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BELT CONVEYOR COMPONENTS-
COMPONENTS-
CLEANING DEVICES

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 BELT CONVEYORS-
CONVEYORS-
INSTRUMENTATION

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 BELT CONVEYOR PROFILES

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 BELT CONVEYORS-
CONVEYORS- TRIPPERS

Belt trippers are designed for
continuous operation and are
specifically developed to discharge the
material from the belt at one or more
points, or along the length of the
conveyor.

There are (3) three basic designs of belt
trippers. Each tripper can be a single
discharge, a double discharge or a
combination of either of the two with
the added ability of feeding over the
tripper head back to the belt through a
diverter gate arrangement.

Belt trippers are efficiently used to
distribute the conveyed material along
the main conveyor or on the side as in
the case of fixed trippers.

Traveling type Trippers are of three
types i.e. Motor Propelled, Cable
Propelled and Belt Propelled.

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 BELT CONVEYORS - FIXED
TRIPPERS
Fixed trippers are used where the discharge of the
material is to be done at a particular location. More than
one fixed tripper can be used on a belt conveyor either to
discharge material from belt at definite locations or to
direct material back again to the conveyor belt for
discharge over the succeeding fixed tripper or the head
pulley.

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 TRAVELLING TRIPPERS

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 BELT CONVEYOR LAYOUT-
LAYOUT-
LOADING CONDITIONS

Belt wear occurs mainly at loading points. Wear factors include
feed direction relative to belt movement, belt speed, material
characteristics and the impact of the lumps on the belt.

Loading should be central with material feeding at same speed
and in same direction as belt travel

Reduce the free fall of material at loading point.

Cushion lumps by screening out fines in front of the toe of the
chute.

Use impact idlers to absorb the impact energy of the lumps.

If skirting is used, keep it just clear of the belt. At loading
points the distance between skirt boards and the belt should
increase in the direction of travel to prevent trapping.

Ensure that the delivery chute is not choked.
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 BELT CONVEYOR LAYOUT–
LAYOUT–
DISCHARGING CONDITIONS

Material Trajectories

Wherever material is discharged from
a belt conveyor the product or
particles will follow a path or
trajectory which is determined by
influences such as the conveyor belt's
speed, gravity, depth of the load
stream and so on.

When the centrifugal force equals the
radial component of the material
mass, the material will no longer be
supported by the belt and its free fall
trajectory will commence. The angular
position around the pulley at which
this occurs is dependent upon the
conveyor belt inclination.
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 BELT CONVEYOR LAYOUT –
MATERIAL TRAJECTORIES

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 CHUTE DESIGN

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 CHUTE DESIGN

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 EXTERNAL BELT SCRAPERS

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 PLOW SCRAPERS

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 SKIRTBOARDS

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 SKIRTBOARDS
"C"

Belt Width Skirt Width "A" Skirt Height "B"

θ = 20 θ = 25 θ = 35

350 85 150 55 60 65

400 100 150 55 60 75

450 115 150 60 70 80

500 125 150 70 75 80

600 150 180 75 80 80

750 225 200 90 105 125

900 275 250 100 115 145

1050 350 300 120 140 180

1200 400 350 130 150 195

1350 450 350 130 150 195

1500 500 400 155 180 240

x x x x x x

x x x x x x

x x x x x x

x x x x x x
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 BELT FEEDERS

The belt feeder is composed of a
conveyor belt which is supported
by rollers. The length can vary from
1.5 to 6 m and speed from 0.005 to
0.5 m/s. Power requirements vary
from 3HP to 30HP.

This feeder type is ideal for close
volume control of for dry and fine
materials. It has a simple and cheap
structure, easy to adjust. The power
requirement is low and the volume
can be controlled within 1% from a
remote station.

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 BELT FEEDER INSTALLTION

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 BELT FEEDER INSTALLATION –
WITH TRAVELLING HOPPER

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 WEIGH BELT FEEDERS

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 BELT CONVEYOR SUPPORTS

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 BELT CONVEYOR WALKWAYS &
GALLERIES

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 CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT OF BELT CONVEYORS
IN MATERIAL HANDLING PLANT

Before starting the layout preparation of flow diagram is
necessary which will show the passage of material through
the system.

Layout of Belt Conveyors depends on the method of feeding
and discharging.

Transfer of materials need not always be from one conveyor
to another.

Other factors to be kept in mind are:
Multiple Conveyors with same feed and discharge.
Duplication (stand by)
By pass arrangement.
Sampling Arrangement
Recycling of material
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 CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT OF BELT CONVEYORS
IN MATERIAL HANDLING PLANT

There are many other equipments in a material handling
plant which feed or receive material from a belt conveyor.
Some very common such equipments are:
Reciprocating/Vibrating Feeders,
Vibrating Screens,
Crushers,
Hoppers
Other equipments closely associated with belt conveyors
include:
Magnetic Separator,
Metal Detector,
BeltWeigher
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 BELT SCALES

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 BELT SCALES

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 MAGNETIC SEPARATORS

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 METAL DETECTORS

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 MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM –
FLOW DIAGRAM

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 MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM –
PLOT PLAN

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 MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM -
SECTIONS

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 SIDEWALL CONVEYORS
Compared with conventional belting,
sidewall belting carries abrasive or
corrosive material with substantially less
wear than bucket elevator, drag or screw
conveyors. It also carries a greater volume
than is possible with these traditional
methods.
Capability for inclined transport of
virtually all types of materials at any angle,
up to and including 90°, sidewall conveyor
enables design of high-capacity, high-
performance transport systems at reduced
capital cost.
For belt cleaning rotary belt thumper is
used instead of conventional scrapers. The
rotary thumper imposes intense vibration
on the base belt to dislodge the carryover
material.

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 SIDEWALL CONVEYORS
Sidewall conveyors can be
integrated in complete
conveyor systems that
eliminate the need for
discontinuous transport
and/or complex lift
systems. Benefits include:
Faster installation
Lower power consumption
No transfer points
Lower maintenance costs

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 SIDEWALL CONVEYORS
The sidewall, cleats and base belt
are all molded into one rugged
piece of homogeneous product.
When higher sidewall(>150mm) is
required, a separate bucket is
attached to the belt without
piercing the base belt.
Hold down assemblies are
provided at the transitions for “L”
and “Z” configurations for long life
of the belt.

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 SIDEWALL CONVEYORS
Sidewall belts are designed for
horizontal, inclined and vertical
transport of all types of bulk
materials, from coal, ore, sand or rock
to fertilizer and grain. Lump size may
be anything from small particles to
400 mm. Throughput can vary from 1
m³ to 6,000 m³/h.

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 BELT CONVEYORS – CODES AND
STANDARDS

CEMA (Conveyor equipment Manufacturer’s Association)

IS:4240-1984;Glossary of Conveyor terms and definitions

IS:4776(PartI)-1977; Specification for Troughed Belt Conveyors for Surface Installations

IS:4776(PartII)-1977; Specification for Troughed Belt Conveyors for Underground Installations

IS:7465-1974; Specification for Mobile and Troughed Belt Conveyors

IS:8597-1977; Specification for Flat Belt Conveyors

IS:11592-1985;Code of Practice for Selection and Design of Belt Conveyors

IS:1891-1994 (Part-1); Conveyor and Elevator Textile Belting- Specification/General Purpose
Belting.

IS:1891-1993 (Part-2); Conveyor and Elevator Textile Belting- Specification/Heat Resistant
Belting.

IS:1891-1988 (Part-3); Conveyor and ElevatorTextile Belting- Specification/Oil Resistant
Belting.

IS:1891-1978 (Part-4); Conveyor and ElevatorTextile Belting- Specification/Hygienic Belting.

IS:8598-1987;Specificationfor Idlers and Idler sets for Belt Conveyors

IS:8531-1986;Specification for Pulleys for Belt Conveyors

IS:7155-1974;Code of practice for Conveyor safety
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 STACKER/RECLAIMERS

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