Conveyor Belt Troubles – Causes and Corrections

As a guide some of the common problems encountered with Conveyor Belting and the means to overcome them are listed below:

	Troubles	Causes	Correction
A1	Excessive Edge Wear, Broken Frayed due to rubbing	Off-Centre Loading	Adjust chute to place load on centre of belt discharge material in direction of belt travel.
A2		Material Spillage and build-up	Improve loading and transfer conditions, install cleaning devices, improve maintenance.
A3		Bowed Belt.	For new belt this condition should disappear during breaking in rare instances belt must be straightened or replaced check storage and handling of belt rolls.
A4		Belt hitting structure	Install training idlers on carrying and return run.
A5		Misaligned running	Check Conveyor alignment and realign belt.
A6		Inadequate edge	Clearance Minimum recommended clearance between belt edge and structure is 75 mm.
A7		Belt too stiff for adequate troughing	Install a more flexible belt.
B1	Excessive top cover wear, uniform around belt width.	Dirty, sticky, or misaligned return roll.	Remove accumulations, install cleaning devices use self-cleaning return rolls, improve maintenance
B2		Cover quality too low.	Replace with belt of heavier cover gouge or higher quality rubber.
B3		Material Spillage & build up	Same as A2 above
B4		Off center loading	Same as A1 above.
B5		Excessive sag between idlers and Incorrect Idler Spacing.	Increase tension if unnecessarily low, reduce idler spacing.
C1	Grooving, Gouging, or stripping of cover.	Skirt boards improperly adjusted or of wrong material.	Adjust Skirt Board support to minimum 25 mm between metal and belt with gap increasing in direction of belt travel. use skirt board rubber (not old belt).
C2		Belt spanking down under load impact	Install cushion idlers.
C3		Material hanging up in or under chute.	Improve loading to reduce spillage, install baffles, widen chute.
C4		Impact of materials on belt	Reduce impact by improving chute design, install impact idlers.
C5		Worn or seized return idler roll.	Replace all unserviceable with new ones.
D1	Severe Pulley cover wear	Sticking Idlers.	Free Idlers and Improve maintenance.
D2		Spillage on drive pulley	Increase tension, lag drive pulley, increase arc of contact.
D3		Material spillage and build up	Same as A2 above
D4		Material trapped between belt and pulley.	Install scrappers on return run ahead of tail pulley.
D5		Bolt heads protruding above lagging.	Tighten bolts, replace lagging, use vulcaniser on lagging.
D6		Excessive forward tilt of trough rolls.	Reduce forward tilt of idlers to no more than 2 degrees from vertical.
E1	Cover harden or crack	Heat or Chemical damage. Improper storage or handling	Use belt designed for specific condition Refer proper storage & handling instructions.
F1	Cover Softening/Swells in spots or streaks.	Contamination by spilled oil/ grease, overlubricating of idlers.	Improve housekeeping, reduce quantity of grease used, check grease seals.
G1	Cover Blisters or sand blisters.	Cover cuts or very small punctures allow fines to work under cover and cut cover away from carcass.	Make spot repair with vulcanizer or self-curing repair material.
H1	Short breaks in carcass parallel to belt edge, start break in carcass.	Impact of material on belt.	Same as C4 above.
H2		Material trapped between belt and pulley.	Same as C4 above.

I1	Transverse breaks	Belt edges folding up on structure.	Readjust idlers in affected area, install limit switches provide more clearance.
I2		Improper transition between troughed belt and terminal pulley.	Adjust transition as recommended.
I3		Severe Convex (Hump) vertical curve.	Decrease idler spacing in curve, increase curve radius
J1	Lengthwise carcass break with covers intact.	Belt running off centre and folding over.	Use limit switches and determine reasons for belt running out.
K1	Belt breaks at or behind fasteners, fasteners pull-out	Fastener plates too long for pulley size.	Replace with smaller fasteners, increase pulley size.
K2		Wrong type of fastener, fasteners too tight or too loose.	Use proper fasteners, set up schedule for regular fastener inspection.
K3		Tension too high.	Increase speed, same tonnage, reduce friction decrease tension by increase arc of contact or go to lagged pulley reduce counterweight to minimum amount.
L1	Ply separation	Pulley too small	Use larger diameter pulleys.
L2		Heat or Chemical damage.	Use belt designed for specific condition.
L3		Too many reverse bends.	Use more flexible belt.
L4		Mildew or dust penetration into carcass.	Prevent cuts etc, arrange for immediate repairs.
M1	Excessive Belt stretch	Excessive starting and operating tensions.	Same as K3 above. Replace with lower elongation higher strength belt.
N1	Belt wandors at random	Too stiff, does not confirm to contour of idlers.	Use belt with more transverse flexibility.
O1	Particular section of belt runs to one side at all points on conveyor.	Belt not joined squarely.	Remove affected splice and resplice.
P1	Belt runs off at head	Pulley lagging worn.	Replace pulley lagging.
P2		Idlers on pulleys out of square with centre line of Belt.	Readjust idlers in affected areas.
P3		Material spillage and build up	Same as A2 above.