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Fig. 29
Curved Chutes
Engineered loading chutes to reduce abrasion, cut/gouge and impact
Curved chutes are engineered chutes
that allow the material to come in
contact with the belt at a matching
speed, with minimal drop height and
with less turbulence. Curved chutes
minimize abrasion, as well as cut/gouge
and impact damage. Curved chutes
may cost more than conventional
chutes, but help reduce wear and cut/
gouge damage tremendously and will
typically pay for themselves in a short
time. Curved chutes are definitely
recommended for new conveyors and
for existing conveyors.
Special material
flow modeling techniques are used to
design curved chutes (Fig. 29).
Typically,
the chute is designed by consultant
companies who have developed
specialized software for studying the
material flow inside the chute. With
this software, they can easily compare
the effectiveness of one chute design
against another. The customer should go
through the exercise of cost vs. return to
see if a specialized curved chute design
can be justified.
Conventional vs Curved Chute
Pulley Lagging
Lagging is recommended for drive pulleys for the following reasons:
›
Improved co-efficient of friction. This
permits a belt to be driven by lower
slack side tension and sometimes
results in lower total tension.
›
Reduction of slippage due to wet
conditions, if grooved lagging is used.
›
Increased life for pulley and pulley cover
of belt.
Other pulleys in the system, especially
those contacting the carrying side
of the belt, are often lagged to
prevent buildup of material. Grooving
improves cleaning action on the
lagging and the belt.
20
Installation, Maintenance & Troubleshooting Guide
Installation