CONVEYING TECHNOLOGY
proximity allows guide rolls to sense very slight misalignments and make immediate corrections . Rather than waiting for a powerful mistracking force , the longer arms require considerably less pressure to move the pivot roller . The result is better correction with no pinch points and less wear on conveyor and tracking equipment , for a longer and more efficient service life . Specific designs are available for both the load-carrying belt path and the return run .
Martin Engineering Multi-Pivot Trainer
hammer to move it slightly and realign the belt . Equipment manufacturers have also designed components to help align a belt , and these solutions can be successful in specific applications . They include specially-shaped rollers , angled idlers and devices that apply pressure to the belt edge to push it back in line .
“ While these mechanisms can improve a belt that ’ s consistently off-centre in one direction , they do not react to dynamic belt movement , meaning that they don ’ t correct intermittent belt wander ,” Marshall continued . “ To combat such changing conditions , engineers designed the tracking idler . Unlike the edge correction approach , the device senses belt movement in either direction , and pivots the idler slightly to steer the belt back into position . It doesn ’ t apply a great deal of force to the edges , which can damage a belt and splices . When the belt is running true , it remains centred , and when it senses a misaligned condition , it gently corrects the belt .”
Unfortunately , Martin Engineering argues that to accommodate limited space availability , tracking idlers typically have short sensing arms . This requires a fairly large belt displacement to create a small movement of the idler . While these designs do tend to improve tracking , there are limits to how much correction they can deliver , and short sensing arms can actually pinch a belt if the idler pivots too far . To combat this , some operators choose to “ tie off ” a tracking idler to limit its movement . While the practice can help preserve the belt , it doesn ’ t address significant mistracking .
To overcome the limitations of existing belt alignment devices , Martin Engineering has invented and patented a Multi-Pivot Belt Tracker , which employs sensors , pivoting idlers and geometry to align a wandering belt . The sensors avoid pinching the belt , and the engineered geometry amplifies any detected misalignment to
create a greater pivot . Multi-Pivot Belt Trainers use longer arms than other designs , positioning the guide rolls further from the pivot roller , as well as closer to the belt edge . The closer
Repair innovations
Unplanned breakdowns of conveyor systems and long downtimes due to repairs often lead to high costs . REMA TIP TOP ’ s new two-component repair paste REMAREP ULTRA 10 “ Black ” made of solvent-free PU and available in a new cartridge size can help mine operators significantly reduce repair time , especially for major damage to conveyor belts as well as to PU , PVC and
FEBRUARY 2022 | International Mining 61