Maintain conveyor belts with conveyor brushes

Conveyor belts can easily be termed as the heart of your machinery and your assembly. Most companies that have a high end production line maintain the conveyor belts in pristine condition.

You might think that maintaining the conveyor belts and getting rid of the dirt, debris, loose material and contaminants would require more manual labor and increased costs. But this is where you are wrong.

A completely automated conveyor belt cleaning system which involves conveyor brushes is the need of the day. An oven brush or a shaft on core brush can help you to clean and maintain your conveyor belt and keep it running at all times.

This also reduces the risk of your employees sustaining injuries and burns while attempting to clean the belt.

Advantages galore

You can get custom designed brushes to coordinate with the mounting and drive mechanisms. Depending on the kind of conveyor system, you can choose from a wide variety of brushes.

From carbon steel or high temperature nylon fill brushes for oven conveyors to spiral open wound brushes for cooling conveyors.

There are several ways in which you can further save costs.

• If you buy a heavy duty core brush, then you can simply refill the brush and save costs on a new assembly.
• On the other hand, if you choose an un-mounted brush, you can save costs by in house assembly.
• You can also buy use and throw brushes which can simply be disposed and replaced for fresh use.

Spiral conveyor brushes

Spiral conveyor brushes are the latest ones to hit the circuit and are fast replacing all conventional cleaning systems.

These brushes improve quality, productivity and reduce on the conveyor system downtime. Designed by experienced engineers, these brushes can give a new lease of life to your conveyor belt system.

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When you are in a place where you want to think about moving goods from one place to another in your facility, you’ll discover that getting a conveyor system is one of the best options open to you. They are reliable, they are straightforward, and once you get them installed, you’ll find that they can run quite smoothly with a minimum amount of basic maintenance. But, you will need to remember – if you want to make sure that your conveyor belts continue operating for years – that you are going to need to pay some special attention to your conveyor belts tracking or alignment at the time of installation.

Basics to achieve an effective Conveyor Belt Alignment  

Let’s talk about alignment and what it takes for conveyor belts to be properly aligned. To be properly aligned, conveyor belts consistently need to have their edges within the width of the pulley face and within the confines of any other rolling elements, like the return rolls and the idlers. This should be tested while the belt is under a full load condition. To complete this task, the components need to be set at ninety degree angles to a common centerline and perfectly level across the width of the belt.

There are some things that will affect the alignment and acuity of your conveyor systems. Though this sounds like an extensive list for your conveyor systems, you’ll discover that it is fairly easy to achieve. These things include:

1. The amount of power and tension that is run through the belts by drives, rolling elements and take-up systems.

2. The centering of the load at the point of dumping the material onto the conveyor belts.

3. The accuracy of the alignment of each rolling component to the belts.

4. The construction of, deformities in the belts as well as its type and how long it is has been in operation.

5. Accumulation of dirt and water on the backside of the belt.

‘Power and Tension’ Factor  

Consider the place of power and tension and as to how they affect the efficiency of your conveyor belts. For instance, if you have a belt that is under too much tension, you’ll discover that this will put extensive unnecessary wear on your rolling elements. This can result in premature failure of splices, the belts edges curling up or cupping and in a surprisingly short amount of time, you’ll find that you need to realign your belt yet again. When you have a belt that is too loose, it will be significantly more prone to slippage and sagging between the idlers. Not only does this make for less than optimal performance, you’ll find that there are going to be some severe issues when you got to start it up and also, reduces your ability to get the most work out of the horsepower that is going in.

‘Backside of the Belt’ Factor  

When you think about your conveyor system, you might first think of the rolling elements and the top of the conveyor belt, but also be aware that the backside of the belt is important too. This part will provide the friction that transfers the drives’ torque to the belts and essentially, it is the part that creates the rolling action of the idlers and the tail pulley. The backside of the belt is hard to see, and the problem is that too many people simply think ‘out of sight, out of mind’. The truth is that unless you pay attention to the backside of the belts and the condition that it is in, you are certainly going to see the delays and disasters that come with belt slippage. Take some time and make sure that you check the backside for dirt and water by installing the requisite belt cleaning supplies. These are very straightforward and will do the job well.

‘Effective tracking of conveyor belts’ is one of the most important things to consider when you are ready to take on installing your conveyor belts, so don’t rush and take some time to ensure that everything’s done to a tee.

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Did you know that contamination and low lubrication levels account for 80% of premature bearing failures?

As one of the most demanding industries for both clean and contaminated environments, the food and beverage industry offers a unique challenge due to the need to safely lubricate bearings in a contaminated environment. From conveyor belts, to electric motors, to pumps, there are a multitude of components with the potential to interrupt uptime and reduce productivity.

Conveyors, for example, are at the heart of every facility in the food and beverage industry. Products need to be moved throughout the production process and throughout the facility itself and it is essential that conveyors run for long predictable periods of time. When a conveyor goes down for either planned or unplanned maintenance, there is no time to waste. Productivity and profits are quickly compromised when raw materials or finished goods aren’t reaching their destinations.

WHERE CONVEYORS FAIL

A belt conveyor consists of a structural framework, an endless belt which is guided on idlers, a motor and gearbox, and various pulleys. Which of these is the primary point of failure? Pulley bearings and motor and gearbox bearings are generally the areas most susceptible to contamination and lubrication issues and subsequently are the most likely to experience premature failure.

REDUCE BEARING FAILURES

1. Molded oil bearings: Even in applications without direct hygiene requirements, molded oil bearings are a superior option for conveyor applications. They eliminate the need for re-lubrication, negate leakage risks and are appropriate for contaminated environments that may also encounter frequent washdowns.

2. Bearing specifications: Bearings made with stainless steel, for example, offer the best protection from corrosion, whether from washdowns, chemical contamination or product wear and tear. Contamination can result in peeling paint or general corrosion that will compromise bearing life and possibly lead to machinery damage.

3. Conveyor design: Investigate options that locate bearings outside of frames, and keep motors and gearheads outside of the frame or under the conveyor. This type of conveyor design makes lubricant contamination virtually impossible, and is a popular choice in food manufacturing applications.

4. Preventative maintenance: Ensure that staff are well versed in maintenance procedures and schedules for the bearings currently in use. Additionally, the proactive assessment of failed bearings upon replacement aids in the identification of potential problems before they result in machinery failure. Cracks, wear, fretting and flaking are all symptoms that can be identified on failed bearings and point to specific machinery defects or improper bearing selection or installation.

Getting the most out of your equipment ensures that your business runs smoothly and efficiently. When you think about keeping your equipment in the best possible condition with quality components and industry-specific solutions, Think NSK.

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