Belt Cleaning

Adequate Belt Cleaning

It is important that adequate means are provided for belt cleaning, particularly where materials are damp or sticky and have a tendency to build up on pulleys or return idlers and will cause the belt to run out of line.

Brushes

Dry materials may be removed from the belt with rotating bristle or rubber vane brushes, driven at a higher surface speed than the belt. The brushes however, wear rapidly, require constant maintenance and are likely to clog if used with moist, wet, or sticky materials.

Scrapers

These are normally mounted adjacent to the head pulley, care should be taken that the scrapers are help against the belt surface with only sufficient pressure to remove the materials, without causing damage to the belt. With sticky materials, it is usually necessary to apply a scraper to the snub pulley.

Water Sprays

Water sprayed onto the surface before wiping with a rubber scraper will assist in releasing the materials from the belt surface.

Ploughs

Ploughs should be placed immediately in front of the tail pulley or other pulleys on return run, to prevent material falling on return run from being carried between the belt and pulley. Ploughs set at an angle of approximately 45^o with the direction of belt travel, are usually held against the belt by gravity.