Today it is difficult to imagine high-performance production without the use of a conveyor. Closed belts are used to move goods, including bulk ones. We can say that this is a continuous unit, which has a load-bearing body (flexible tape). Let's take a closer look at what a conveyor belt is, what its purpose, scope, and also, what are the subtleties of operating this equipment.
Scope and purpose
Today it is one of the most promising modes of transport, which is almost indispensable for large cargo flows. In addition, a conveyor belt is an indispensable part of any heavy and light production. It is used in metallurgy, for transportation of bulk materials, in the food industry, medicine and so on. The principle of operation and device in almost all cases are the same. Differences can be in the form of a tape, its carrying capacity and flexibility, as well as drive power. In most cases, this kind of conveyor can partially automate production and reduce the amount of manual labor. With this in mind, transportable vehicles are subject to stringent requirements. For the most part, this relates to the strength, performance, and interchangeability of a worn tape. Units are able to operate at temperatures ranging from -50 to +45, which is due to the technical characteristics of the supporting body.
Work and device of the conveyor belt
Tape - the working body of the conveyor, pre-stretched and connected. The friction force between the tape and the drive drum, it is driven. Moreover, the determining factor is the friction force, due to which the load-carrying and traction body moves. To exclude the deflection of the tape along the length of the conveyor, roller bearings are installed, on which it rests during movement. As you can see, the device unit is quite simple. An interesting point is the speed of replacing a worn tape. This is done as follows: during operation of the conveyor at the docking point, the load-bearing body is steamed and a new belt is fastened to it by riveting or vulcanization. After the drive drum makes a full cycle, the second end is fixed. This approach is good in that there is practically no downtime during operation, since installation is carried out in a few minutes, although much depends on the type of traction unit. Brushes are installed to clean the tape, and centering rollers are used to avoid skewing. The device of the conveyor belt is such that the unit can be used in many industries. Now let's move on.
Benefits of Using a Conveyor Belt
Let's look at the main advantages that this unit has. The main advantage of the conveyor belt is that with its help it is possible to transport goods over a very large distance. In some cases, the length of the carrying body can reach 3-5 kilometers. No other conveyor can be so long. This is due to the large weight, complex design and, most importantly, the high cost of equipment. There is no problem with the conveyor belt. Another indisputable advantage is high performance. Sometimes the speed can reach 6-10 m / s, with a belt width of 2.4-3.0 meters. In this case, the productivity can exceed 20-30 thousand tons per hour. In addition, the conveyor belt belongs to the universal conveyor lines. This is due to the fact that you can move a variety of loads. Another important advantage is the ability to move goods in an inclined position. With an increase in the angle and duration of the conveyor, its speed decreases.
Disadvantages of belt conveyors
It is worth mentioning that there are significant disadvantages that limit the scope of application of transporting devices of this type. The main disadvantage is the high price of the tape and rollers. In most cases, the traction and carrying body costs about 30% of the total cost of the installation, which is a lot. Although much here depends on the purpose, as well as technical characteristics (material, number of layers, etc.). Another disadvantage is that the conveyor drum moves the belt by means of friction. This limits the angle of elevation, so it cannot exceed 20 degrees. In addition, it is quite problematic to move dusty loads, which during movement can partially escape and crumble. It is difficult to work at too low temperatures, as well as at too high. Thermal exposure will change the characteristics of the flexible tape, and also leads to destruction.
Belt conveyor operation
As noted somewhat above, LC can work at high speeds. This makes the conveyor belt more productive than other conveyor units. The main feature of the operation is that it is possible to create complex routes. For example, you can make a difficult track with bends, horizontal and inclined sections. Even under difficult operating conditions (temperature extremes, high dust, etc.), the conveyor belt ensures reliable operation without failures. In most cases, with proper maintenance, you can clearly predict the period of failure of the traction body. This allows you to operate the device without downtime. To date, a huge number of drives have been developed that ensure the operation of the LC. With an increase in length, several engines are installed that ensure normal operation. When one drive exits, the second will work. In this case, although productivity will decrease, there will be no downtime.
The device and design of the tension and drive station
The conveyor belt drive consists of an engine, gearbox and several couplings. In places of bending, roller or deflecting batteries are installed, creating a smooth transition. The entire structure, together with the drive, is mounted on the foundation, which must be laid in advance. The drive station consists of a drive, as well as a loading box, and the part where the tensioner and loading funnel are located is referred to as a tensioning station. Between these two stations is the middle part of the conveyor, it is made of several linear sections. The latter consist of the same linear sections interconnected by bolts. Now let's talk about what are conveyor belts and what is their fundamental difference. There are some interesting points.
Classification of Belt Conveyors
There are some signs by which conditionally device data can be divided into several groups:
- by scope: there are general purpose, special and underground (transportation of people, rolling, as well as mobile);
- the shape of the route: simple (with a straight section), complex (with an inclined broken line), as well as curved or spatial (bending in the plane of the load-bearing body);
- in the direction of movement of the load: lifting and lowering;
- according to the shape of the tape and the placement of the cargo: there is a flat and grooved tape in various modifications;
- on the slope of the track: horizontal, inclined, steeply inclined (angle of more than 22 degrees) and vertical.
It should be understood that, in addition to this, the belt conveyor scheme provides for the use of various traction and load-carrying bodies. Tapes are rubber-fabric, rubber-wire, wire, and steel. The type of tape is selected based on the conditions in which it will work. For example, steel traction bodies are used to work at high temperatures (up to 850 degrees), just like wire ones that can transport goods at an operating temperature of 1100 degrees Celsius.
Mine conveyors
Separately, I need to say a few words about transporting devices operating underground. It is noteworthy that the scheme of this type of conveyor belt is somewhat different. The degree of reliability increases several times. This is due to the fact that the load-carrying body is used to transport people, as well as heavy piece goods, and all this is done in cramped conditions. The drive, for example, has two tension drums, which makes the device not only more powerful, but also provide sufficient reliability.
Conclusion
Today, the popularity of belt conveyors is constantly growing. For this simple reason, ever new types of load bearing bodies are constantly being developed. In particular, it is important to create high-strength heat-resistant parts. For example, you need to increase the life of the rollers that constantly go out of order. We can say that the work of the conveyor belt is considered quite cheap. If you move the cargo to a distance of 30 km using LC, it will be much more economical than doing it by road.