Why Manufacturing is Cool

If you've purchased some belt pulley systems equipment for your manufacturing premises, here are some tips to follow to ensure it remains functional.

Take Your Time When Tensioning the Belt Around the Belt Pulleys

It's very important to take your time when tensioning the belt around the belt pulleys, to ensure that it does not cling too tightly to the pulleys nor hang too loosely around them. When you think you've got the tension at the correct level, you should then test out the conveyor by putting the materials on it that you want to transport on this equipment. If the tension levels are correct, the pulleys should turn quickly and the materials should move smoothly along the belt.

If you rush through this part of setting up the equipment and don't get the belt tension just right, your staff will probably experience issues with the conveyor. If, for example, the belt is too loose, it will probably slip from side to side on the pulleys and cause the items that are on it to fall off. Items falling off the sides of the conveyor could not only result in damage but might also lead to staff members being injured due to the falling items hitting them.

If you tension the belt in a way that makes it cling too tightly to the belt pulleys, you may find that the materials that travel on this conveyor move too slowly. You might also find that the belt itself wears out much faster than it should, as it'll be subjected to an unnecessarily high level of friction from the pulleys that it is tightly wound around.

Check the Belt Pulleys’ Condition Regularly

Once you're satisfied that you've set up this system correctly and that it's functioning as it should, you should then ensure that your staff checks the belt pulleys' condition regularly. The reason for this is that the pulleys will constantly be in motion when the system is in use, which means they will probably be one of the first parts of the system to wear out. It's important to ensure that when this happens, your staff notices it right away.

If, for example, one of the belt pulleys cracks and no one notices this, it might cause the belt that's wound around it to rip. The ripped belt's resultant unevenness might cause any lightweight materials that are travelling on it to tip over and fall off the edge of the conveyor bed. However, if your staff are trained to check the condition of the pulleys every day, there will be a greater chance of them spotting any cracks or other issues soon after they develop and then turning off the conveyor system and getting the affected pulleys replaced before the belt or any materials get damaged.