Parts and Functions of a Conveyor

System

2012 Dr. B. C. Paul

Note- These slides include figures and tables taken from the Conveyor Equipment
Manufactures Association. Credit is given for these figures and tables. These slides
also include material from the authors own earlier work.

Major Components of
Conveyor

Long Continuous belt

Carried on rolls - rollers held by frame
Belt wrapped around pulleys at ends
Pulleys coupled to gears and motors
Peripheral Devices to drop on belt,
direct around corner, clean, discharge
etc.

Conveyor Parts

Conveyor Parts

How Conveyors Function

Material Falls on moving belt that
carries it along
A continuous haulage system that is not
limited by cycles of batch movement
Requires a continuous frame and
structure before can transport material
over route

Significant Variations
Belt may ride on a frame with air holes a compressor blows air under belt. Belt
rides on a cushion of air.
Rollers wrap belt entirely around
material - used to allow vertical
conveying of material

Conveyor Belting Parts

Carcass - woven fabric or material for
tensile strength
Skims - rubber layers between carcass plys
Braker - fabric coat above carcass to break
impact of load
Top Cover - A rubber that resists cutting
abrasion and sometimes chemical action

Conveyor Belting Types

Multi-Ply - multi-ply carcass separated by skims traditional - trade-off between stiffness and
strength
Reduced Ply - complex interwoven carcass not
dependent on separate plys thinner less stiff for
same strength
Steel - carcass lengthwise steel belts - high tensile
strength - heavy ores long runs
Solid Woven - Carcass impregnated with
elastomer

Conveyor Belting Elastomers

Most Elastomer Covers in Mining for
bump and abrasion resistance - good
natural or synthetic rubber
Oiled Stoker Coals may need chemical
resistance - neoprene rubber
Hot process Ores may need heat
resistance - check the carcass too usually limit to 75% of rated

Elastomer Covers

Conveyor Belting Splices

Mechanical
Fast
Done by Hand
Easily done and undone (even when dont
want it undone)
collects dirt looses strength

Vulcanized
Needs big machine and time
Once done hard to undo
Provides Superior Strength

Idlers
Supports Belt and Material Load
Built with
Shaft surrounded by bearings
Then roll of steel or rubber

Two main types

Carrying for material and belt
return supports belt on return trip

Idler Size and Duty

Rated by Diameter
ranges 4 to 7 inches
smaller is less costly but higher wear and
frictional losses
5 inches common for mining

Rated by Weight Carriage

ranges A to E for increasing duty
A and B light C and D heavy duty E extra
B and C common for mining

Carrying Idlers
Usually troughed with 3 equal size rollers
on a frame in mining applications
Some suspended catenary systems have 5
rollers

Troughs usually 20 , 35, 45 degrees

Deeper trough more volume
Requires thinner belt to lay in trough which
limits strength
35 common choice for mining

Carrying Idlers

Return Idlers
Usually Flat and one piece
Sometimes two piece V for belt training
Spiral roll to self and belt clean

Specialty Idlers
Impact Idlers for taking material
dropping onto belt
Belt Training (Training means keeping
in line in trough)
Can put idler off center to pull to side
Can put wheels on edge but wear belt
Can put v return to pull one way or other.

Pulley
Like Roller only belt wraps around
Head Pulley - turns belt back around to
return - may be coupled to drive
Tail Pulley - turns empty belt around for
loading - occasionally coupled to drive
Drive Pulley - Coupled to motor pulls
belt - usually special grip surface

Pulleys
Snub Pulley - usually used to change
direction of belt and increase the
contact angle with the drive pully (more
surface area to transfer power)
Take Up Pulley - Used to maintain
tension on a belt left loose enough for
some flexibility

Pulleys

Drive Pulley Considerations

Pulley should be large enough to avoid to
hard bend at point of tension application
Pulley should have grab - risk of slippage
is function of grab and tension - more grab
- less tension - could mean a cheaper belt
Place Drive in practical location to
minimize the highest tension in the belt - a
head pulley location often good on a belt
up a slope

Loading a Conveyor Belt

Need to get even load on belt and get
material traveling in same direction to
minimize belt strain
Chute - may use scalping bars so fines
fall on first and provide cushion
Transfer Conveyor - wear on short
replaceable belt get things up to speed
Vibratory feeder

Methods of Loading a Belt

Methods of Loading a Belt

Loading a Conveyor Belt

Skirt board along edge for about 8 to 10
feet to keep material on belt and line it up
Loading points or transfer points are
common spill locations
Production rate is not really constant
Simulation programs can aid in determining
speed and belt size for network.

Unloading a Belt
Over the end of belt
Flatten to fast and stretch the belt
Flatten to slow material will spread and
spill over sides
for 35 degree trough need about 1.5 times
belt width to flatten

Often have brushes to belt after

material discharge

Methods of Cleaning Belt After

Discharge

Unloading a Belt
Plow - V on belt pushes off to sides.
Limited speed about 200 fpm
Need flat belt

Tripper - moving plow to one side

can trip from one conveyor to another
good for loading multiple silos

Plow for Discharging Material

from Belt

Tripper for Belt Discharge