Belt Conveyor overview
(click on picture to enlarge)
Belt Conveyors: what are they good for ?
Belt conveyors are probably most often associated with warehouse or storage operations; carrying packaged goods (usually boxes) between area's, or from a "back office" storage area onto a shop floor, or even between different levels within a building. (a mezzanine conveyor)
Whillst a good general purpose machine, the belt conveyor excells in carrying;
- Small or fiddly items, all the way down to grains (sand, cement etc)
- Awkwardly shaped items, or items with protrusions etc
- Loads of no more than 20Kg per metre, or a maximum load of 150Kg
- Mixed or variable loads
- Delicate items that require smooth transport without jolts
- Movement in straight lines, or up/down inclines/declines
- Heavier loads; beyond around 20Kg/meter, or 150Kg overall
- Sharp or abrasive loads that might puncture or wear the belt down
- Bends (though see note below
- Accumulation or sorting/directional automation.
Central Conveyors are able to help with both, combining innovative and economical engineering design/manufacture with decades of experience in belting materials, ensuring that you have a system that best meets your business requirement.
"How they work.
A looped belt is stretched between two rollers. One roller is connected to a motor, and turns. The friction between the belt and the surface of the roller causes the belt to move, hence moving anything that is sitting on the belt.
The other (unpowered) roller is called the 'tail' or 'tension' roller, and is usually mounted on a screw thread. This allows it to be moved backwards and forwards by a few centimeters. This allows the tension of the belt to be set, and to compensate for the belt stretching with age. The roller can also be slightly twisted in the frame (by changing the tension thread by different amounts on the left and right sides) to ensure that the belt sits squarely in the centre of the roller, and doesn't rub against either side of the conveyor. (a process known as 'tracking' the belt).
A thin metal plate - called a 'skid pan', sits underneath the belt to provide support for the products being carried, and ensures that the belt doesn't "sag". On larger machines, the skid pan can be supplemented with a small number of additional rollers.
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