Good engineering and proper installation can elevate the value of a conveyor system beyond the sum of its parts. As the main artery carrying feed into most plants, conveyors can make a production budget simply by performing to the level for which they were designed. Or they can break the budget by breaking down, under performing, or in general, just causing more problems than they're worth.

Eventually, even the best-designed conveyor will break down, wear out or under perform. Plant and site conditions can change, adding new challenges to the conveyor's basic task, and maintenance practices may fail to keep up with these changes. That's when the value of conveyor-system accessories, add-ons and repair parts increases as well — often adding a higher level of safety, performance and reliability to the original design. Here's a look at a cross-section of recent product releases in this category.

• ASGCO Manufacturing has introduced several accessories, including a Modular Impact Bed system and return-idler guard. The MIB system — the newest in its line of load zone support systems — is designed to provide impact protection for conveyor belts while helping to control spilling in the conveyor-loading zone. The system consists of 18-inch-long x multiple-belt-width units that are closely fitted to form the bed length needed. ASGCO says its impact bars allow the tight segment fit, eliminating material from getting caught between the bars. They are designed for easy change-out and maintenance by simply loosening two bolts per segment to remove the center portion of the bed, from either side of the conveyor. Installation involves bolting the cross-frame into the conveyor, sliding the center section into center of cross-frame, sliding two wing frames into each side, and bolting or pinning in place.

  All impact beds have two 3-inch channel-cross support members for resistance against impact. Multiple 18-inch beds can be assembled to make 36-, 54-, 72-inch and larger units. Wings are fabricated to match any troughing angle. The beds also are available with steel or impact rolls as an option or with a center module designed to accept rollers. ASGCO's lightweight Safe-Guard return-idler guard is designed to prevent injuries from pinch points and to catch the return idler if it should fall. Installation of Safe-Guard on a conveyor belt return idler helps protect workers from the hazard of contacting the exposed idler. The UHMW slotted cage is designed to prevent material build-up and for easy cleanup. Removing just two stainless-steel pins provides full access to the roller for ease of replacement and maintenance. The Safe-Guard's universal mounting brackets are made from powder-coated A-36 steel and can be used on CEMA B, C, D and E series idlers up to 7 inches in diameter. They are fully adjustable for a wide range of idler sizes and belt widths up to 96 inches.

• Richwood says its 1C-ITC-Magnum belt cleaner is built for extreme bulk-handling conditions on wide conveyor belts (84 to 96 inches). The company claims the 1C Magnum provides the same cleaning performance on wide belts that the standard Model 1C offers on smaller belt widths. The cleaner uses ITC blade media, a unitized blade cartridge with three media layers. The ITC tungsten-carbide matrix cleaning edge is molded directly to a shock-absorbing rubber cushion layer backed by a rear support layer. The rubber directly behind the tungsten cleaning edge allows the ITC to work with and conform to irregularities in the conveyor belt. The extreme-duty tensioning design works in all operating conditions, including highly corrosive and extreme service environments. The shock-absorbing design allows mechanical belt splices to pass across the blade without harm to blade or splices while debris and carry-back are stopped. Tension adjustments can be made with a twist of a dial.



• Martin Engineering improved the urethane blade used with its QC #1 heavy-duty conveyor belt pre-cleaner by giving it a beefier profile. The new design also has a more aggressive angle against the belt to improve cleaning. According to the company, the rigid-blade design resists blade-against-belt cleaning pressures more than twice the efficiency, with more than 25% more wearable urethane to extend wear life. The blade still has Martin's CARP (Constant Angle/Constant Area Radial Pressure) blade design, which maintains cleaning performance through all stages of blade life. The new blades will fit on existing Martin QC #1 heavy-duty pre-cleaner installations without modification and use the pre-cleaner's one-pin blade maintenance concept, allowing a worn blade to be replaced by removing a single pin.

  The company also has brought the specification of conveyor transfer-point components to the Internet with an on-line Transfer Point System Selector. Based on a few input parameters, the System Selector will generate a recommendation for proper components to improve a conveyor's loading zone. The System Selector then generates an itemized bill of materials, which can be used to order appropriate components. The System Selector includes a section where a user can evaluate the geometry of existing chutes to determine if replacement is necessary. The online system also includes tools to calculate the theoretical airflow, used to determine dust management requirements. It has tools to retrieve the CEMA material code, to describe material abrasiveness, density, lump size, flowability and other properties.

• Preform conveyor belt splicing from Goodyear Engineered Products is claimed to cut mine operation downtime and create stronger splices. Goodyear says tests indicate the patented splice process offers up to 33% more dynamic life than conventional splices. Conventional splices require the installation of individual rubber strips — known as noodles — between each steel cord across the width of the belt. To keep the cords and noodles in position, rubber cement is applied before the top and bottom rubber panels are put into place.

  Designed exclusively for Goodyear Flexsteel conveyor belts, Preform splice technology uses preformed, multigrooved top and bottom panels that replace noodles, insulation gum panels and cement. Individual steel cords are properly spaced and aligned, requiring no cord cement, which eliminates drying time. Static-pull splice strength tests conducted at an independent laboratory showed that Preform splices were 11% stronger than belts tested with conventional splices.

• SKF says its Speedi-Sleeve can be a cost-effective sealing solution when machine shaft surfaces have been damaged or worn in operation. Speedi-Sleeves mount by pressing them over the damaged shaft surface. Power tools or heating is not required. Each sleeve fits a specific shaft range and their thin walls (0.011 inch) allow users to retain the original seal size.

  SKF says the sleeves, made from stainless steel for corrosion resistance, often can deliver a higher quality counter face for the seal lip than that of the original shaft. Selected sleeve sizes also are available as Speedi-Sleeve Gold, with a special coating that reduces the rate of abrasive wear in contaminated operating conditions. Shafts with diameters up to 8 inches can be equipped with standard Speedi-Sleeves and, for larger shafts (diameters up to 45 inches), heavy-wall type LDSLV chrome-plated, carbon-steel wear sleeves can be specified. The sleeves feature a removable installation flange for mounting using a tool supplied with each sleeve. The flange can be retained or removed, if necessary, for clearance purposes (a pre-cut tear groove is provided).

  In addition, SKF's NILOS steel-disk seals for grease-lubricated roller bearings are said to protect against contaminants in equipment exposed to extreme levels of dirt, dust and debris. They can further prevent lubricant leaking and contribute to optimal bearing service life in a wide range of applications including idlers, crushers and conveyor rollers. The noncontact, grease-filled labyrinth sealing elements consist of laminated steel-seal disks and steel cores. The seals resist axial pressure and will not slip when clamped in the axial direction of both the inner and outer periphery of a roller-bearing ring. In use, these steel-disk seals minimize bearing friction losses and heat build-up. They are available in a wide range of shaft and casing diameters and are supplied ready-to-install. Steel-disk seals can be customized to meet application-specific requirements.

• Superior Industries' new Super Pulley features thicker wing caps, which the company claims can extend pulley life by three times over standard CEMA pulleys. The pulley is fabricated with precise robotic welds, thicker gussets, an end disk that adds support to stress points and thicker wings that will not bend easily, reducing maintenance and failure costs. The pulley requires no end support ring, which eliminates another catch point for material.

  

  Superior also introduced a model to its road-portable RazerTail Truck Unloader line. The 48-inch RazerTail is powered by a 50-horsepower motor, has a 6-foot discharge height, is 44 feet long and can handle 1,000 tons per hour. The company says the loader is equipped with hydraulic ramps for quick and easy cleanup of spilled material. The truck unloader line is designed to provide fast setup and takedown, eliminates contamination of material due to multiple handling, and can reduce operating costs by eliminating the need for a wheel loader in many setups.



• Flexco has added a medium-duty belt precleaner to its Mineline conveyor product family. The Mineline MMP precleaner features Flexco's 10-inch TuffShear blade, which provides optimal blade tip tension on high-speed, high-load conveyor applications. It is designed with 6 inches of useable urethane, which Flexco says enables the blade to deliver 20% to 30% longer wear than conventional blades in most medium-duty applications. A faceted profile design renews the blade's cleaning edge as it wears. Self-contained Quick Mount Tensioners store sufficient energy to keep the blade powered to the belt, and a visual tension check feature allows the blade to quickly and easily be brought back to optimal tension on the belt. Just 4 inches of horizontal clearance is needed for installation, which also is simplified by the inclusion of universal mounting plates and assembled tensioners. Pole lengths are belt width plus 54 inches to fit varying conveyor or chute wall widths, and pole extensioners are available for extended-length requirements. The MMP is compatible with Flexco and other mechanical splices.

• AMETEK says it has brought the reliability and accuracy of its point-level sensors to materials-handling applications such as empty-conveyor detection. By adapting its RF admittance technology, the flexible sensor provides reliable indication of an absence of material on a conveyor belt, typically caused by a blockage or plugging in the upstream process that needs correction. The sensors are mounted above the conveyor, with the flexible tip riding on the material carried by the conveyor. As long as the sensor encounters the target material, the output remains unchanged. If the sensor does not detect the target material, it changes output condition. The change in output state can be used to trigger an annunciator, shut down the conveyor, or initiate other control system functions.

• Using a method for crimp-curving metal building panels, Curveline offers custom fabrication of metal panel conveyor covers in an expanded choice of panels. The rigid, self-supporting metal covers may be used wherever covered conveyor systems are required for weather protection or dust control. Crimp-curved into 180° clear spans, the covers are self-supporting, eliminating the need for structural framing. In addition, Curveline can curve panels into any desired radii and angles of curvature using chord width and height dimensions provided by the customer and can create customized covers from a wide range of exposed fastener panels available from leading panel manufacturers. Based on a 100-mph wind factor, a single 24-gauge steel panel can be curved to form spans ranging from 6 feet 1 inch up to 11 feet 9 inches, depending on the profile chosen. With an 80-mph wind factor, the clearspan range is 7½ feet to 14 feet 8 inches.



• Taking its name from its color, Innoveyor's YeloRoll is a heavy-duty, lightweight conveyor roller that is claimed to exceed CEMA D and CEMA E standards. In addition, Innoveyor says the YeloRoll is self-cleaning, maintaining a smooth, non-porous, non-stick surface to prevent belt walking and downtime. The conveyor rollers are corrosion-resistant when used in caustic environments.

  The titanium-enriched PVC (polyvinylchloride) conveyor rollers are available in standard 5- and 6-inch diameter roll sizes. The company makes special-order rollers to fit any style frame. YeloRoll's Combi-Cap shaft-cap system is claimed to protect shaft ends while reducing vibration and heat transfer to the bearing. Triple labyrinth seals keep dirt and other debris away from the roll and inside components. Innoveyor claims that, compared with the tapered bearings used in conventional steel-can rolls, YeloRoll runs smoother, cooler and 55% quieter. The carbon-fiber Combi-Cap reduces bearing noise as well as the shock and vibration that are encountered in steel-can systems.



• Thayer Scale has designed its single idler Quarry King conveyor belt scale for weighing of dusty fines and aggregate materials. The company says the unit has rugged construction and a spill-proof and jam-proof suspension design. Complementing Thayer Scale's proven Rocking Flexure fulcrums is a new pipe stem single-idler suspension system, which incorporates built-in storage for its calibration weight. No test chains are required. This combination of elements, says the company, provides important advantages for operations where on-going dust build-up and spilled aggregates are known to foul conventional suspension designs. Applications include troughed belt conveyors 18- to 48-inches wide, operating at speeds up to 600 feet per minute and inclines up to 18 degrees.

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