Rubber Conveyor Belt: Wear Resistance A conveyor belt's cover wear resistance is a very important property.

In recent years, there has been a vast qualitative improvement in conveyor systems. Due to better alignment and improved maintenance, there has been a reduction in premature failure. Due to the above reasons, belt covers are wearing down gradually and this is one of the most common reasons for belt changes. The carcass has to be protected from the conveyed material and this is one of the key properties of the conveyor belt. The most common kind of gradual wear happens when the material conveyed rubs against the thermoplastic or rubber cover. The process is called abrasion resistance. Here the belt cover wears down evenly and smoothly. The material that the belt conveys can also affect wear. Take for example, taconite and hard rock pellets will wear down covers very fast whereas coal is not as abrasive. The speed with which the material is conveyed and the material density affect the rate of wear. Faster speeds and heavier material will increase wear rate. Gouging and cutting is a more aggressive kind of abrasion. This results from sharp and jagged edges in materials like granite, ores, and limestone. Abrasion rate is affected by the factors given below: Faster the conveyor moves, greater the wear. What happens is, the material will abrade and bounce during the loading until the belt and the material move with one speed. At higher relative speed differentials, more wear occurs. The wear increases as the system's center-to-center length decreases. The reason for this is the short cycle time. For example, though a 100 ft long conveyor loads material faster than a 1000 foot conveyor belt, the former wears out quicker than the 1000 ft conveyor. As the incline angle (at loading point) increases, the wear increases. Since the angle is higher, the material has to work harder to catch up with the belt speed. Therefore a conveyor inclined at 15 degrees will wear down faster compared to a conveyor that is flat. As the chute angle increases, the wear increases. The wear will be lesser when the material moves on the conveyor in a horizontal direction, compared to a vertical direction. Also, the horizontal velocity of the material will be greater in a chute where the angle (to horizontal) is 30-degree, compared to a chute where the angle is 90 degree. This will lead to reduced wear. With an increase in drop height, the wear increases. As the angle at which a conveyor is fed from another conveyor becomes higher, the wear increases. This means, a conveyor fed at a 90-degree angle will see more wear than a belt fed inline by another conveyor. Also, if you don't pay attention to the loading, a conveyor feeding another conveyor at an angle of 90 degrees will put the conveyor material off the center. When the chute width is lowered, a localized area will see higher wear.

The belt's scrapper pressure is also critical. If the pressure is too low, the material will not brush off the cover. If the pressure is too tight, the cover wear will be significantly faster. Trapped material, frozen idlers, and pulleys that are not smooth will cause the belt to wear down faster.

Gouge rate and higher cut is affected by the following factors The carcass and the cover of the belt will see more damage, as the drop height increases. If it is practical, install bars inside the chute or the crusher, which will slow the material down. This will reduce impact energy and material speed. Load the belt with fines before loading materials with large diameter. The impact damage will be dramatically reduced. The belt cover is protected by the fines, which absorbs the high energy of the larger material. Impact idlers can reduce the impact damage on a belt more compared to traditional impact beds. This is because there is more room for the belt to deflect.

Curved chutes Chutes can also be engineered so that the material and the belt contact each other at matching speeds, with a minimal drop and lower turbulence. This job can be done well by a curved chute. Abrasion, impact damage, and cut/gouge are minimized. Conventional chutes cost lesser than curved chutes but the latter can reduce wear as well as damage from cut/gouge to a great extent. Therefore, curved chutes will break even very soon. They are recommended for existing and new conveyor systems. To design conveyor chutes, flow modeling techniques (for special materials) are used. Consultant companies will typically design such chutes with the aid of specialized software that study the flow of material in the chute. Through the software, different chute designs can be compared and studied for effectiveness. Customers should perform a cost vs. return exercise to know if it is possible to justify a chute design that is curved. Increasing an existing conveyor belt's life It is possible to reduce cut/gouge and abrasion rates by making modifications on the chute. For example, you can use rock boxes to reduce impact. Like this the height from which the material drops will be lowered to two feet from eight feet. The material flow can also be directed where the belt is traveling, especially if the conveyor is being loaded at an angle of 90 degrees by another conveyor. If the cover is wearing out from abrasion, try increasing the thickness of the cover a little, say 1/16 inch. The improved wear life is well worth the increased belt cost. It is now known that as the cover gauge decreases, there is an increase in the wear rate. The cover wear can also be decreased by selecting different compounds. Each compound has properties that are unique to it. A commonly used standard for rubber covers is the RMA grade (Grade 1/Grade 2). RMA is an acronym for Rubber Manufacturer's Association.

RMA test criteria for belt covers Compound Grade 1 Grade 2 Minimum Tension 2500 pounds per square inch 2000 pounds per square inch Elongation (Minimum) 400.00% 400.00%

The test criteria for covers has been established by the Rubber Manufacturer's Association so that customers can evaluate the performance of rubber compounds used in belts. The characteristics for abrasion have not been specified by RMA. The 'DIN abrasion' test method is used to measure abrasion resistance. It is designed based on the DIN53516, which is a German test, and also the tests under ISO4649. A puck is prepared from the cover and this sample is subjected to abrasion. It is pushed against sandpaper (contained on a drum that rotates). The puck is rubbed with a specific force. A specific type of sandpaper is used. The number of revolutions the drum does and its speed are controlled. The volume loss the sample undergoes is recorded, before/after the tests. Cubic millimeter is the unit of measurement used to express the loss. The relation between the DIN number and abrasion resistance Consider this: There are two compounds, A and B. Compound A carries a DIN of 100, while compound B carries a DIN of 200. Compound A has higher resistance to abrasion compared to compound B. Higher gouge and cut resistance can be provided in two ways. One way is to choose different compounds. All compounds can't resist cuts/gouges equally. The harder a cover compound, the more is the gouge/cut resistance. The gauge on the top covers can also be increased to improve resistance. When the cover gauge is higher, the protection against abrasive material is better. To select compounds best suited to your process, you can consult belt manufacturers or their brochures. If belt wear is costing you money, you should immediately take steps to minimize the wear. Regular cleaning/maintenance of the belt can reduce wear If the conveyor belt is made from synthetic material, little maintenance is required other than regular cleaning. Checking the tension on the belt Check the belt tension periodically, particularly when the belt is operating under harsh conditions. For example, when starting the belt under full load frequently, check the temperature fluctuations if they are significant. If you notice that the tension is low, retension it till it begins to work properly. Do not exceed the belt's maximum elongation admissible. Cleaning the belt

All installed parts that come into contact with the belt should be kept as clean as possible. Grease, rust, moisture, oil, conveyed product traces on rollers, pulleys, slider beds, and other installations touching the belt can lead to belt performance and operational issues. This will lead to increased wear, shortening the life of the belt. Belt cleanliness with respect to tracking response, drive, and the life of the belt cannot be emphasized enough. And the problem doesn't affect the belt alone. Process breakdowns may also be caused by dirt when it is lodged on the conveying side of the belt. Given below are some general points on cleaning conveyor belts that will prolong their life. Whenever possible, carry out the cleaning when the system has stopped (highly recommended to reduce risk to life). In case of dust or other light dirt, soft cloth is to be used to clean. It can be either dry or moistened cloth (with water or solvent). Spot cleaning can also be performed with the application of a damp rag. Greasy and oil soiling can be removed with hot water or a non abrasive cleaning detergent. Heavy soiling can be removed either by using a mild solvent or a hot soapy water scrub.

Belt Power LLC 2355 Church Rd SE Smyrna, GA 30080 (404) 419-3700 www.beltpower.com