Belt Tracking on the Aeroconveyor

Details courtesy of Aeroconveyor

PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS:

(1)  Check all holes are drilled into the trough
(2)  Check all trough joints are level
(3)  No top covers or end covers are fitted.

The following must be undertaken before the belt is pulled-in to ensure a problem free pulling-in procedure.

The following must be undertaken before the belt is pulled-in to ensure a problem free pulling-in procedure.

(1)	Head pulley, tail pulley, head and tail snub pulleys and gravity take-up pulleys must all be parallel and a spirit level laid across the top of the pulleys to ensure that all pulleys are level. Conveyor snub pulleys and gtu snub pulleys must be in the centre of the adjustment slots.
(2)	The gravity take-up pulley must be lifted from its normal position and secured in its "non-tension" position.
(3)	All return idlers must be parallel and level (in the center of the adjust slot).
(4)	Any belt cleaning devices must be removed prior to the installation of the belting.
(5)	The blower fan must be electronically connected and rotation tested, with the air pipe fitted and secured to the box section.
(6)	The connection and rotation of the gearbox drive should also have been completed.

INSTALLATION OF BELTING:

The roll of conveyor belting must be put on a trestle support behind the tail pulley. A proper belt-pulling clamp must be attached to the free end of the conveyor belting. This clamp must cover the whole width of the belting.

Sufficient manpower must be stationed at the conveyor belt roll to rotate the roll and also prevent the roll rotating too freely.

Commencement of the pull-in can now begin. When the resistance of the belt dragging in the trough becomes too great, the fan must be switched on.

Once the belting has gone around the head pulley, the drive unit can be activated. This will assist greatly in pulling in the rest of the belt.

BELT SPLICE:
See belt splice procedure.

BELT TRACKING:

• Belt tracking can commence 12 hours after the cold belt splice and 1 (one) hour after the hot splice press is cooled. 
• Gravity take-up pulley can now be released and checked for alignment as above.
• A visual inspection must be carried out to check the belt sag between return idlers on the return.
• With the return idlers at 3,0 metre centres, the belt should not sag more than 50 mm. If this is not the case, additional mass must be added to the take-up.
• Replace belt-cleaning devices.
• Competent personnel must be stationed at the following points, preferably with 2-way radios for communication preferences.
  • Head pulley
  • Tail pulley
  • Gravity take-up pulley
• Ensure that before start-up all safety procedures are in place and that there are no obstructions on the belt i.e. tools, objects or waste.
• On initial start-up with the head pulley being square there should be no need for adjustment.
• At the gravity take-up, should the belt run off the gtu pulley, adjustments to correct this must be done by adjusting the gtu snubs via their jacking bolts.

Once the belt is free from any obstruction e.g. steelwork at the head, gravity and tail end, the belt must be allowed to run at least 5 complete revolutions of the conveyor before tracking of the return idlers begins.

Tracking of the aeroconveyor must begin at the first return idler at the head pulley end.

Patience must be observed in tracking, as the belting has to take 2/3 complete revolutions to compensate and settle for any adjustment.

Please note that the conveyor belt always runs to the highest point
i.e. the belt moves toward that end of the roll it contacts first.

Begin by adjusting every 3rd or 2nd return idler if necessary.

Once the belt is centralised and running in the centre of all idlers and pulleys, the belt must run for at least 24 hours before product is loaded onto the belt.

HOT COMMISSION:

On start-up ensure that the material is fed into the centre of the conveyor belt. If not modify the inlet or chute but it is of paramount importance and good engineering practice to load centrally onto the conveyor belt.