How Do You Fix Misalignment In Industrial Conveyor Belts?

Industrial conveyor belts play several vital roles in the construction and manufacturing sectors, but slight issues with misalignment can cause a conveyor belt to wear out more quickly or even snap entirely, necessitating urgent repairs.

 

Regardless of the types of conveyor belts your business uses, their reliance on the synchronicity of various rollers, bearings and motors means that timing and alignment are exceptionally important in order to ensure efficiency and durability.

 

Arguably the single most common cause of issues related to conveyor belts is tracking issues or misalignment of the belt, which can over time cause not only drifting loads from entry to exit, but also long-term damage that may necessitate vulcanisation or even outright belt replacements.

 

Learning how to fix misalignment issues starts by learning about the causes, the potential escalation that can emerge if a broken belt is left untreated, and potential fixes tailored to the particular causes.

 

What Causes Conveyor Belt Misalignment?

The golden rule of conveyor belts is that the belt will move towards the roller it first contacts. This means that if the underlying mechanism is tilted even slightly, friction will inherently steer it towards one side rather than another.

 

The specific cause can vary, but the best way to troubleshoot it is to look at the exact way in which the conveyor belt is misaligned:

 

 

• • Belt Shifts To One Side At Specific Points Of Your Installation – This is typically caused by damage, debris or the build-up of detritus at these specific points of your conveyor belt.

• • Constant Drift Across the Entire System – This can either be an issue with roller alignment or a sign that the conveyor belt tension has not been calculated properly.

• • Sudden Unexpected Misalignment – A damaged roller or unexpected change in load can knock the whole system out of alignment. 

• • Wearing Across The Edges Of The Belt – If the guides or rollers are misaligned, it can cause a fast-moving conveyor to wear along the edges more rapidly than normal.

• • Slippage Of The Belt – A slip in the belt could be caused by wear on the surface of the pulley or a conveyor belt that is too loose.

• Regular Adjustments – Often this is a sign of a systemic issue, where the belt has not been installed properly, or the frame of the conveyor belt has broken.

Can A Misaligned Conveyor Belt Snap?

Yes, it can, as constant wear can take its toll on the conveyor belt surface over time, which can contribute to system failures, delays, downtime and ultimately additional costs for businesses reliant on industrial tools that are not working.

 

Whilst choosing materials that resist abrasion, wear and stretching can help delay this, the key is to avoid disproportionate damage affecting particular parts of your conveyor belt, which causes damage that can be increasingly difficult and expensive to fix. 

 

How Do You Repair A Misaligned Conveyor Belt?

Because misalignment has so many causes, there are a lot of options when it comes to repairing and fixing a misaligned conveyor belt.

 

Thankfully, most misaligned belts can be fixed easily if caught quickly enough, although if there are more serious systemic problems with your conveyor belt, you may need professional intervention or automatic tracking systems.

 

The best way to tell is to turn the conveyor belt system on and examine the whole system thoroughly, particularly where there are inconsistencies where the belt meets the frame.

 

Adjust The Tracking Of A Conveyor Belt

 

• • Determine which direction the belt is drifting towards (typically belts move from most tension to least).

• • Adjust the tracking mechanism on the side in question. Usually this involves finding a particular set of screws, but each system is different.

• • Make a small adjustment at a time and allow the belt to revolve completely before determining if further adjustments are necessary.

• Keep adjusting until the conveyor belt stays in the centre of your system.

Clean The Conveyor Belt

If your conveyor belt regularly deals with dirt, debris or loose materials, thoroughly clean around areas which are prone to more significant examples of drift.

 

Once done, realign the belt and test the system again to make sure it is functioning properly.

 

Do You Need An Automatic Tracking System?

Automatic tracking systems will continually monitor your conveyor belt system and make adjustments as and when you require them to.

 

If your conveyor belt frequently goes slightly out of alignment but not in ways that cause significant disruption, an automatic tracking system can help save you time and effort making small tweaks.

 

However, if there is a more fundamental problem with the structure of your conveyor belt, this will need professional realignment work to fix permanently.