17 July 2006

SERVICE BULLETIN
Conveyor Belt Basic Rules and Procedures for Tracking and Training

Number 06-9

"Tracking" or training is defined as the procedure required to make the conveyor belt run "true" when empty and also when fully loaded. Tracking the belt is a process of adjusting idlers, pulleys, and loading conditions in a manner that will correct any tendencies of the belt to run other than true. A normal sequence of training is to start with the return run working toward the tail pulley and then follow with the top run in the direction of belt travel. Start with the belt empty. After tracking is completed, run the belt with a full load and recheck the tracking. Tracking adjustment is done while the belt is running and should be spread over some length of the conveyor preceding the region of trouble. The adjustment may not be immediately apparent, so permit the belt to run for several minutes and at least three full belt revolutions after each idler adjustment to determine if additional tracking" is required. After adjustment, if the belt has overcorrected, it should be restored by moving back the same idler, and not by shifting additional idlers or rollers. If the belt runs to one side at a particular point or points on the conveyor structure, the cause will probably be due to the alignment, or leveling of the structure, or to the idlers and pulleys immediately preceding that particular area, or a combination of these factors. If a section or sections of the belt run off at all points along the conveyor, the cause is possibly in the belt itself, in the belt not being joined squarely, or in the loading of the belt. With regard to the belt, this will be due to camber. Its condition should improve after it is operated under full load tension. It is a rare occasion when a cambered belt (less than 1/2%) needs to be replaced. If the belt is not joined squarely, it is necessary to cut away the faulty joint and make a new one-properly squared. These basic rules can be used to diagnose a belt running badly. Combinations of these rules sometimes produce cases which do not appear clear-cut as to the cause, but if there are a sufficient number of belt revolutions, the running pattern will become clear and the cause disclosed. In those unusual cases where a running pattern does not emerge, it is quite likely

that at some point the belt is running so far off that it is fouling super-structure or mounting brackets, bolts, etc. This results in highly erratic performance and can be a real problem. We would suggest that in this event the full tracking procedure be employed. It is quite likely that the erratic performance will be resolved in the process. When replacing a used belt, go through the system and square and level all rollers, idlers, pulleys and bed before training a new belt. BASIC RULES OF CONVEYOR BELT TRACKING 1. The basic rule which must be kept in mind when tracking a conveyor belt is simply "THE BELT MOVES TOWARD THAT END OF THE ROLL/IDLER IT CONTACTS FIRST". The reader can demonstrate this for himself very simply by laying a small dowel rod or round pencil on a flat surface in a skewed orientation. If a book is now laid across the dowel rod and gently pushed by one's finger in a line directly away from the experimenter, the book will tend to shift to the left or right depending upon which end of that dowel rod the moving book contacts first.

Figure 1. In a straight warp or solid woven carcass design, however, skew is of little significance. It is a cosmetic defect and is not indicative of a cambered belt. 2. The conveyor structure must be TRUE (relative to the centerline) and LEVEL (side to side). 3. ALL pulleys, snub rollers, carrying idlers and return idlers must be SQUARE with the frame (perpendicular to the belt centerline) and parallel to each other. Check this by measuring diagonals, which should be equal.

4. Cleanliness is essential to good belt tracking. Foreign matter creates a new roll on the pulley face, adversely affecting tracking. 5. The conveyor belt must be straight (less than 1/2 percent camber) and the ends must be squared and laced properly. MEASURING BELT CAMBER If unbalanced warp tensions exist in a conveyor belt, that belt will usually assume a "crescent" or "banana" shape when laid flat upon a horizontal surface. This deviation from a straight line is defined as "camber." Unroll the belt on a flat surface such as the floor, a flat horizontal driveway, etc. Grasp one end of the belt and drag it in a perfectly straight line for 10-20 ft., (3-6 m). If the belt is too heavy for one person to move, clamp one end of the belt to a forklift and follow the same procedure. After pulling, the belt should be flat. (If the belt assumes a "crescent" or "banana" shape, unequal and unresolved warp tensions exist in the belt). Note: It is extremely important that the procedure described above be followed closely. It is difficult to have both edges of the belt at the same thickness particularly wide belts. According, if the belt is unrolled on a flat surface, that belt will always unroll in a banana shape due to geometry, not unbalanced warp tensions. "Dragging" one edge of the belt for 10-20 ft., (3-6 m) eliminates this geometrical consideration and shows whether the belt is cambered. Camber is measured by drawing a taut line along one edge of the belt (inward camber edge) and measuring the maximum deviation from the center point of the line to the belt. The percentage of camber is computed using the following formula: % camber = Maximum Deviation (inches) x 100 Length of Taut Line (inches) It is recommended that if the percent camber exceeds % on a polyester warp belt construction, or 1% on a nylon warp belt construction, the belt manufacturer should be contacted.

BELT TENSION Belt tension must be great enough: A) To prevent slippage between the drive pulley and the belt, and B) To force the belt to conform to the crown on the crowned pulleys. Slippage will cause excessive wear to both drive pulley lagging and the belt. Further, an excessive heat buildup on the drive pulley lagging can result in rubber reversion. (Reversion is the softening of vulcanized rubber when it is heated too long or exposed to elevated temperatures. It is a deterioration in physical properties, and frequently results in tackiness.) Once the pulley lagging has reverted, it frequently will offset onto the bottom side of the conveyor belt, which will then distribute the reverted rubber throughout the slider or roller bed of the system. The resulting tackiness between the bed and the belt will certainly drive current consumption up; can actually result in a stalled system, and can cause severe tracking problems. If belt tension is not high enough to force the belt to conform to the crown on the pulley, then poor tracking is an almost certain result. A belt, which does not conform to the crown cannot be guided by that crown. This suggests a convenient rule of thumb for determining "proper tension" Simply stop the conveyor and depress the belt at the end of the crowned pulley. There should be no play between the belt and the crowned pulley. If there is play-increase the tension. Once proper contact is made between the edge of the belt and the end of the crowned pulley, that crown will be guiding the belt. Tracking will be improved, and in all likelihood sufficient tension will be on the system to avoid slippage at the drive pulley. Obviously, if slippage still occurs, increase the tension further. LENGTH Belt length is normally determined after the take-up pulley has been brought to within one inch of the position of minimum travel. This is done by turning the take-up screws, lifting the automatic counter weight, or counteracting the spring loading. The extra one inch of take-up allows for enough play to install the belt and lace pin. Once the belt has been tensioned, initial stretch will be sufficient to allow the take-up to assume its desired position. If your belt is to be made endless, add sufficient belt length to make the splice. TROUGHED IDLER SETS Troughed idler sets behave just like flat idlers. The belt will move toward that end of the set which, it contacts first. In addition, troughed idler sets exert a powerful gravitational tracking force. By virtue of the troughed configuration, a portion of each edge of the belt is held "aloft" at some vertical angle to the horizontal. Gravitational force is exerted on that raised portion of the belt. If the belt is not centered in the set, the gravitational force on the one edge will be greater than the other, tending to "center" the belt in the troughed set.

This "gravitational" tracking force is so pronounced that bulk conveyors usually depend upon it as their major tracking force ... choosing to use uncrowned pulleys in order to minimize the unequal tensions across the belt which are the result of pulley crowns. PULLEY CROWN A crowned pulley can be regarded as a special case of our primary rule of tracking as stated above. The right half of the belt is contacting the center of the pulley sooner than it contacts the right edge of that pulley and therefore will tend to move toward the center. The reverse is true of the left half of the belt. The two forces tend to balance one another by centering the belt. In addition to this surface effect, however, there is a strong internal "balancing of warp tensions occurring". Consider any warp yarn not directly on the centerline. If the belt is forced off-center and this warp yarn is drawn toward the mid-point of the crown, tension will be increased on that yarn. As the belt revolves and that yarn seeks to move back to its normal position, this tension will diminish. Yarns on both sides of the belt seek that position which results in the least stress to them, consistent with the physical structure across which they are stressed and consistent with their individual position within the matrix of the belt carcass. Accordingly, the belt will shift on the crowned pulley until these stressing forces are balanced and minimized-centering the belt. Experiment has shown that a crown is most effective when it has a long unsupported span of belt approaching the pulley. The lateral position of this span can be influenced by the location of the belt on the crown most easily when there is a minimum of resistance being offered by a supporting slider bed or by supporting idlers. In most non-unit-handling conveyors this optimum condition does not exist on the top run and consequently, crown on the head pulley is of little value in training the belt. Further, it is a distinct detriment as far as lateral distribution of tension in the belt is concerned. Head pulleys therefore, should be uncrowned in normal circumstances. Tail pulleys and take-up pulleys, which may have a fairly long approaching span without support, can be crowned with beneficial results. The effectiveness of the crown is increased as the length of the unsupported span of belt approaching the pulley is increased up to a length of approximately 10 feet. Lengthening the unsupported span beyond 10 feet does not seem to increase the effectiveness of the crown. Diminishing the length of the unsupported span on the other hand, does diminish the effectiveness of the crown. The shorter the unsupported span, the less effective the crown will be. We recommend a standard pulley crown of 1/16 per foot of pulley face. This results in an increase in pulley diameter at a point 12 from the edge of the pulley of 1/8 above the edge diameter. A crown of 1/8 per foot should be considered maximum. It is further recommended that the crown not be carried beyond a point 18 in from the edge of the pulley. If the pulley width is greater than 36" it is recommended that a trapezoidal pulley be used. In other words, that pulley will have a flat face in its center equivalent to the amount that the pulley width exceeds 36". A double pulley crown can also be used with great effectiveness depending upon the individual conveyor design.

EQUIPMENT INDUCED CAMBER Camber can be induced into a perfectly straight belt by the roll or rolls preceding the camber. If the roll is cocked, the belt will react and will move toward that end of the roll, which, it contacts first. This, of course, throws the belt off-center. If now, subsequent structural adjustments center that roll, the belt installation will be left with a cambered appearance. This camber may be removed by simply aligning the roll or rolls, which, are cocked.

SAFETY BULLETIN This notice is issued to advise you that some previously accepted shop practices may not be keeping up with changing Federal and State Safety and Health Standards. Your current shop practices may not emphasize the need for proper precautions to insure safe operation and use of machines, tools, automatic loaders and allied equipment and/or warn against the use of certain solvents or other cleaning substances that are now considered unsafe or prohibited by law. Since many shop practices may not reflect current safety practice and procedures, particularly with regard to the safe operation of equipment, it is important that you review your practices to ensure compliance with Federal and State Safety and Health Standards. IMPORTANT The operation of any machine or power-operated device can be extremely hazardous unless proper safety precautions are strictly observed. Observe the following safety precautions: Always be sure proper guarding is in place for all pinch, catch, shear, crush and nip points. Always be sure that all personnel are clear of the equipment before starting it. Always be sure the equipment is properly grounded. Always turn the main electrical panel off and lock it out in accordance with published lockout/tagout procedures prior to making adjustments, repairs, and maintenance. Always wear appropriate protective equipment such as safety glasses, safety shoes, hearing protection and hard hats. Always keep chemical and flammable material away from electrical or operating equipment. Always maintain a safe work area that is free from slipping and tripping hazards. Always be sure appropriate safety devices are used when providing maintenance and repairs to all equipment. Never exceed the rated capacity of a machine or tool.

Never modify machinery in any way without prior written approval of the Besser Engineering Department. Never operate equipment unless proper maintenance has been regularly performed. Never operate any equipment if unusual or excessive noise or vibration occurs. Never operate any equipment while any part of the body is in the proximity of potentially hazardous areas. Never use any toxic flammable substance as a solvent cleaner. Never allow the operation or repair of equipment by untrained personnel. Never climb or stand on equipment when it is in operation. It is important that you review Federal and State Safety and Health Standards on a continual basis. All shop supervisors, maintenance personnel, machine operators, tool operators, and any other person involved in the setup, operation, maintenance, repair or adjustment of Besser-built equipment should read and understand this bulletin and Federal and State Safety and Health Standards on which this bulletin is based.