PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTIONS

GENERAL PROBLEMS
1. The first and foremost thing is that the conveyor belts are exposed to
different climatic conditions. This causes the decrease in the strength and
life of the belt.
2. The materials handled being heavy, abrasive and sticky makes the
operation and maintenance of the equipment to be difficult due to
frequent chocking, over loading
3. As the belt conveyors run in sequence and heavy any week link in the
chain can bring the entire operation to a halt causing appreciable down
time.
4. Since large number of rotating parts like rollers, pulleys, gear boxes, idlers
are in operation patrolling and up keep of these conveyors pose on
challenge to maintenance department.
5. Provision of adequate communication and illumination facilities throughout
the conveyor s length, to ensure safe and efficient working poses
problems.
6. The wide spread nature of the belt conveyors working at different depths
lead to problems of transportation of men, materials and equipments
7. Handling of huge abrasive boulders results in considerable damages to
conveyor belts, rollers and structures.

TECHINICAL PROBLEMS
1. Problem: due to less clearance between ground and return run of the belts
the bulk accumulation under the return belt takes place? This causes swaying of
belts besides damaging the belts.

Suggestion: the clearance between the floor and return belts should be
sufficiently increased by suitable modifications.

2. Problem: the movable diversion chutes at conveyor head ends causes the
down time in handling. The height of fall into the conveyor belt through chute is
high, this causes excessive damage to the belting and also builds up of ore in the
chutes resulting in clogging of chutes

Suggestions: Suitable design of the chutes is to be done according to the

height of fall of material, and the forces adopted during the impact of material on
the chute.

3. Problem: Steel cord belt is most vulnerable for longitudinal rips. Temporary
repairs made by affixing belt clips are positively harmful to the longevity of the
belt. Holes made for mechanical fasteners/clips hasten oxidation and
degradation of steel cord belts.

Suggestions: For this problem the splicing with vulcanization should be done
so that there is no question of oxidation of the fasteners. This makes the
increased life when compared to mechanical fastening.

4. Problem: Structural misalignment causes the conveyor belt to sway and

constantly fouling with structures damages the belt edges.

Suggestion: Frequent inspection should be done along the structures and the
garland type of idlers help in self aligning and by providing vertical rollers the
edge damages can be reduced.

5. Problem: In the conveyor belts wear occurs principally at the loading point.
Loading at an opposite angle to the direction of the belt travel increases abrasive
wear of cover and the forces imposed by material being loaded may cause to
claim the idlers which intern results in edge damage.

Suggestion: The design of the chute is to be changed i.e. the chute is to be

raised high so that the material may strike the belt with less impact.it should be
noted that the fall of the ore on the belt is in the same direction as that of the
belt direction for this, the chute should be cleaned regularly.

6. Problem: The skirt is used to eliminate the spill of the loading materials and
to stabilize the materials on the belt. But in the operation irregular abrasion
takes place in the longitudinal direction of the belt at the clearance between
wear of the belt, which reduces the life.

Suggestion: The clearance of the skirt board to the belt should be minimum.
The bottom parts of skirt board is to be cleared regularly.

7. Problem: The trapping of the material on the belt causes the overloading
and this reduces the strength.

Suggestion: To avoid the trapping of material on the belt the skirt boards are
to be replaced in a divergent order.

8. Problem: The wear of the belts is more at the pulley drives where it reduces
the belt strength.

Suggestion: To prevent the wear of the belt, the pulleys are to be lagged with
diamond grooving.