Page 9 - ConveyorBeltMaintenanceManual2010

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INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE & TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
i n s t a l l a t i o n
TRAINING THE BELT
Training the belt is a process of adjusting idlers, pulleys, and loading conditions in a manner that will correct any tendency of
the belt to run other than centrally. The following causes of common belt performance are considered axiomatic.
When all portions of a belt run off through a part of the conveyor length, the cause is probably in the alignment or leveling of
the conveyor structures, idlers, or pulleys in that region. If one or more portions of the belt run off at all points along the
conveyor, the cause is more likely in the belt itself, in the joints of the belt, or in the loading of the belt. When the belt is loaded
off-center, the center of gravity of the load tends to find the center of the troughing idlers, thus leading the belt off on its lightly
loaded edge (Fig. 6).
These basic rules can be used to diagnose belt running ills. Combinations of these rules sometimes produce cases that do
not appear clear-cut as to cause, but if there are a sufficient number of belt revolutions, the running pattern will become clear
and the cause disclosed. The usual cases when a running pattern does not emerge are those of erratic running, which may
be found with an unloaded belt that does not trough well, or a loaded belt that is not receiving its load uniformly centered.
Spill
Edge Wear
Fig. 6
Effects of Off-Center Loading