February 2021 Volume 3

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

experienced at some point, the take-ups run out of take-up and the belt is shortened by removing pans. This addressed the belt tension, but this normal wear is affecting other parts of the belt. As the bearing surfaces are worn away, they are no longer weighted evenly and can allow rollers to slide instead of roll. This creates flat spots and increases the rolling friction of the conveyor, reducing its load capacity. The slightly longer belt drive chains will naturally transfer the pull load onto the belt pan assemblies, which are otherwise designed only to provide a surface between the hinge pins to support the load and are not designed to support the chain-pull load. Transferring the chain-pull load to the belt will lead to crankshaft wear patterns on hinge pins, or through tubes as some manufacturers use, and will also cause the belt hinge loops to open unless they are welded shut or make with separate tube stock (standard construction with Transcon belts). Once the belt pans are carrying the chain pull, as the hinge loops open and the belt will continue to lengthen. One effective maintenance strategy is to replace the belt drive chains, and usually the hinge pins, before the belt pans themselves are compromised. The alternative is to replace the entire belt at a later point in the wear cycle. As this short discussion indicates, the normal use-wear of a conveyor, its normal operating adjustments, and alignment issues all interact. As such, the maintenance of a conveyor is best defined by

Belt Parts

identifying the appropriate loading and use of a particular conveyor and deciding, as best as possible, what maintenance steps will be taken prior to a planned replacement. There is clearly no single best way, but recognizing and noting the wear patterns that are being created with normal use goes a long way in avoiding unplanned downtime and minimizing costs. ■ This article was submitted by Transcon Conveyor, Mentor, Ohio. Please contact Mathew Frank, General Manager or JoshuaMacPhee, Sales Estimator, for more information or visit the website: www.transconconveyor.com. Phone number 440-255-7600.

HAMMER MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP MARCH 10, 2021 LIVE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP Register Today!

FIA’s Hammer MaintenanceWorkshop is designed to help you to understand, maintain, and improve your hammer operations. This live virtual workshop will feature presentations from forging industry experts about hammer foundations, hydraulics, controls, frames, die alignment, tooling setup, wear parts, maintenance pain points and more.

Who Should Attend?

• • • •

Maintenance Department Leaders Hammer Maintenance Specialists

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Forge Cell Leaders Plant Engineers

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Visit www.Forging.org for more information.

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2021 12