The main causes of belt conveyor deviation in spring and summer and solutions

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Conveyor belts are generally used in outdoor environments; during the rainy seasons of spring and summer, once the conveyor belt gets wet, the drums and idlers of the conveyor belt also tend to become damp. The wet friction coefficient between rubber and metal is relatively low; if the idlers do not rotate smoothly or if there is material stuck to the surface of the drums, the force exerted on the conveyor belt by those drums becomes uneven, or the resistance encountered on the two idlers is not equal. In such cases, the conveyor belt loses its balance and starts to deviate from its path. So what should we do if a belt conveyor starts to deviate from its path? 1. Adjusting the idler roller sets: When the belt of a belt conveyor is misaligned in the middle of the conveyor, the position of the idler roller sets can be adjusted to correct the misalignment ； During manufacturing, the holes on both sides of the idler roller set are made as long holes to facilitate adjustment. II. Installation of self-aligning idler sets: There are various types of self-aligning idler sets, such as those with a central rotating shaft, four-link mechanisms, or vertical rollers. This method is generally more appropriate when the total length of the belt conveyor is short or when the conveyor operates in both directions, as shorter conveyors are more prone to deviation and are harder to adjust. It is better not to use this method for long belt conveyors, as the use of self-aligning idler sets can have an impact on the service life of the belt. III. Adjusting the positions of the drive drum and the redirecting drum – The adjustment of these drums is an important aspect in correcting belt deviation. Since a belt conveyor has at least 2 to 5 idlers, the installation position of all these idlers must be perpendicular to the centerline along the length of the conveyor; if there is too much deviation, misalignment will inevitably occur. Its adjustment method is similar to that of the adjusting idler set. IV. Adjustment of the belt tension – Adjusting the belt tension is a very important aspect of correcting misalignment in belt conveyors. The two redirecting drums located above the weight tensioning point should not only be perpendicular to the length direction of the belt but also perpendicular to the line of gravity, thereby ensuring that their axis centers are horizontal. When using spiral tensioning or hydraulic cylinder tensioning, the two bearing seats of the tensioning drum should be translated simultaneously to ensure that the drum axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the belt. V. The impact of the material dropping position at the transfer point on belt deviation: The location where the material drops at the transfer point has a significant effect on belt deviation, especially when the projections of the two conveyor belts in the horizontal plane are perpendicular to each other. Generally, the relative height between the upper and lower belt conveyors at the transfer point should be taken into consideration; if this relative height is too low or too high, it becomes difficult to keep the material centered. During the design process, the relative height between the two belt conveyors should be increased as much as possible.