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TrainingProblemConveyors
Thepurposeofthisinformationistogiveyouabasicunderstandingoftheproceduresfortrainingproblemconveyors,andtheinfluenceof
conveyorcomponentsonconveyorbelttracking.Youwillfindthatmostproblemconveyorshavesimpletrackingsolutions.

Conveyortroughingidlersareofferedinawidevarietyofstyles.Troughinganglesinclude20,35,&45.The
standsareprimarilytwo(2)typesandvarywitheachmanufacturer.
1. "Straight"(over90)Thisstandhasnotilt,andisdesignedfortheconveyorbeltstoruninbothdirections.
Ithasnorealassistinbelttracking.
2. "Tilted"(2)Inthedirectionofbelttravel.Conveyorbeltsaretoruninthisdirectiononly.The2tiltoffers
goodresultsinconveyorbelttracking.
Straightstandscanbetilted2forwardbyplacinga1/8"thickwasherunderthebacksideofidlerstandindicated
byarrows.Remember,thisconveyoronlyrunsinonedirection.

Manytimesonreversingconveyors,thebeltrunsgreatinonedirection,onlytorunoffwhenreversed.Question?
Whatareyouusing?Ifyouareusingtiltedstands,theyaregoodforonedirectiononly.
Onreversingconveyorswheretiltedstandsarealreadyinserviceandgivingproblems,youcanneutralizethetilt
byplacinga1/8"thickwasherunderthefrontsideoftheidlerstandoppositethesideindicatedbyarrows.Now
withthetiltedstandsneutralized,youcanrunyourconveyorbelteitherdirection.
Theonlypartofthetroughingidlerthathasanytrainingeffectontheconveyorbeltisthecenterrollindicatedby

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thearrow.Rereadthisstatement.

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Therollersindicatedbythearrowsformthetroughintheconveyorbelteither20,35,or45.Theyofferload
support,butdonothaveanytrainingeffectontheconveyorbelt.

Thisexampleaccountsforthelargestsinglecauseofconveyorbelttrackingproblems.Youwillnotethatthe
conveyorbeltdoesnotcontactthecenterrollofthetroughingidlerwhichistheonlypartofthetroughingidler
thathasanytrainingeffectontheconveyorbelt.Youcanturnthistroughingidleruntilyouareblueintheface
andyouwillseenoresults.
Howmanytimeshaveyouheardthissaying?"MyconveyorrunsgreatemptybutwhenIputaloadonit,thebelt
goescrazy."Well,let'slookatourexampleindicatedbythearrow.Thereisnocenterrollcontactuntilyouputa
loadontheconveyorbelt.Atthistimetheweightoftheloadmakestheconveyorbeltcontactthecenterrolls
whichareturnedinalldirections.Nowthetrainingeffecttakesplaceandtheconveyorbeltdoeswhatitistoldto
dobythecenterrollofthetroughingidler.
Thisexampleshowsthecorrectconveyorbeltcontactwiththecenterrollofthetroughingidler.theconveyorbelt
shouldnotjustbarelytouchthecenterrollsbutshouldtouchhardenoughtoflattentheconveyorbeltoverthe
wholerollsface.
Itmaybenecessarytoshimrollerframesseveralinchestocontactcenterrolls.Concavecurvesinconveyorshave
thetendencytolifttheconveyorbeltsoutofthecurvesandthetroughingidlers,resultinginBigProblems.

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Whichwaydoweturnoradjustidlerstomoveconveyorbeltstoacorrectiveposition?Theeasiestwayto
rememberistothinkofthetroughingidlerorflatrollsasbeingthehandlebaronabicycle.Lookattheconveyor
beltinthedirectionofbelttravelandsteertheidlersinthesamewayasbicyclehandlebarsuntilyoumovethe
conveyorbelttothedesiredposition.Thetrainingeffortiscausedbythefrictionforceofthescruffingactionof
theconveyorbeltasitpassesoverthecockedidler.

Thisexampleshowsatroughingidlerwiththeconveyorbeltrunningtothefarright.Thecorrectadjustment
wouldbedrivingthesideofthetroughingidlerforwardasindicatedbythearrow.Smalladjustmentsshouldbe
madeandtheconveyorbeltshouldmaketwo(2)revolutionsbeforemoreadjustmentsaremade.

Thisexampleshowsatroughingidlerwiththeconveyorbeltrunningtotheleft.Thecorrectadjustmentwouldbe
drivingthesideofthetroughingidlerforwardasindicatedbythearrow.

Thisexampleshowstwo(2)flatreturnrollswithconveyorbeltrunningfarright(toproll)andconveyorbelt
runningfarleft(bottomroll).Thecorrectadjustmentswouldbedrivingtheendoftheflatreturnrollforwardas
indicated.

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Thisexampleshowsatailpulleywiththeconveyorbeltrunningtothefarleft.Thecorrectadjustmentwouldbe
tomovethesideindicatedbythearrow.Fortrainingpurposes,thetailpulleybelongstothereturnsideorbottom
sideoftheconveyor.
Note:Thetailpulleyshouldneverbeusedinanefforttotraintheconveyorbelt.thetailpulleyshouldbeleft
square.Thelastreturnrollcomingtothetailpulleyandthefirsttroughingidleronthetopsideoftheconveyor
determinehowtheconveyorbeltrunsorcentersonthetailpulley.
Thisexampleshowsatailpulleywiththeconveyorbeltrunningtothefarright.Thecorrectadjustmentwouldbe
tomovethesideindicatedbythearrow.

Thisexampleshowsheadpulleywithconveyorbeltrunningtofarright.Thecorrectadjustmentwouldbeto
movethesideindicatedbythearrow.Fortrainingpurposes,theheadpulleybelongstothetopsideorcarrying
sideoftheconveyor.

Thisexampleshowsaheadpulleywiththeconveyorbeltrunningtothefarleft.Thecorrectadjustmentwouldbe
tomovethesideindicatedbythearrow.

Thecenteringoftheconveyorbeltasitpassesoverthetailpulleyandthecenteringoftheloadontheconveyor
beltasitpassesundertheloadingpoint,arethetwomostimportantfactorsinassuringastraightrunning
conveyorbelt.

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Thisexampleshowsconveyorbeltrunningcenteredontheconveyortroughingidlers,buttheloadingchuteisoff
centertotherightoftheconveyorbelt.Theresultistheconveyorbeltwillstartmovingtotheleft.

Thisexampleshowstheconveyorbeltfinallytrackingofftotheleftsideoftheconveyor,spillingmaterialthe
entirelengthoftheconveyor.
Thecorrectionwouldbetorelocatethechutetothecenteroftheconveyorbeltorbaffleanddiverttheflowtothe
center.

Thisexampleshowstheapproximateamountofsagonreturnrollersrequiredforgoodtracking.Sagisregulated
bytheamountofweightplacedonacounterweighttakeuportheamountofforceappliedtoascrewtakeup.The
takeupservesfourneeds:
1. Takeupmaintainsslacksidetensiononconveyorbelttopreventslippingondrivepulley.
2. Compensatesforvariationsinthebeltlengthresultingfrombeltstretchorshrinkage.
3. Reducesexcessivesagbetweentroughingandreturnrollers.
4. Takeupprovideslivestorageforextrabeltingwhichcanbeusedforresplicing.
Concaveconveyorswillheadyourlistofproblemconveyors.Thisisduetothefactthattheconveyorbeltwilllift
offthetroughingidlersandreturnrollsasindicatedbythedottedlines.Therewillbelongdistancesofnoroller
contactadlackoftraining.

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Thebeststartonsolvingthisproblemwillbereducingthecounterweight(ifpossible).Youmayalsoalternate
returnrollsoverandundertheconveyorbeltonthereturnsidetoassuregoodrollercontactandtracking.(see
nextexample)

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Exampleshowsreturnrollsalternatedoverandunderconveyorbelttoassuregoodbeltcontact.Techniquecanbe
useconcavecurveswhereconveyorbeltwillliftoffreturnrollersonreturnside(seenextexample).This
techniquemayalsobeusedonbowedconveyorbeltswhichonlycontactreturnrollsontheveryedgesofthe
conveyorbelt.Thistypeofcontactmakestheconveyorbeltimpossibletotrain,butbyneutralizingthebow.the
conveyorbeltcanbetrained.

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Thisexampleshowsaconveyorbeltthatisundertheinfluenceofexcessivecounterweight.Excessiveweight
willcausetheedgesoftheconveorbelttocurluponthetroughingidlersonthetopsideoftheconveyorandcurl
downonthereturnrolsonthebottomsideoftheconveyor.
Reductionofcounterweightwillrelaxthebowing,butitmaybenecessarytoimplementthetechniqueshownin
priorexampletoreturnside.

Whenreducingcounterweighttorelaxconveyorbeltsinconcavecurvesorjusttogetthepropersagonrollers
fortracking,itisimperativethatthedrivepulleysontheconveyorbelaggedwitha60durometerrubbermaterial
topreventslippageoftheconveyorbeltonthedrivepulley.Wateranddustactaslubricantsonthedrivepulley
andcausetrackingproblems.Chevrongroovesinthelaggingcoverwillassistwiththeirremoval.Thechevron
groovedpulleyaboveisaonedirectionalpulley.Ifitisinstalledwiththechevronsrunninginthewrongdirection
orisusedonareversingconveyor,trackingproblemswillmostlikelyoccur.Wateranddustwillbechanneledto
thecenterofthedrivepulley.Onreversingconveyors,adiamondpatternofgroovesmustbeusedtoshed
materialineitherdirectionofrunning.
Ifyouhavereducedcounterweight,andconveyorbeltslippagetakesplaceonthedrivepulley,otherstepswill
havetobetaken.Toaddtheweightbacktothecounterweightwillonlycausetheproblemstoreturn.

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1. Lagandgroovethedrivepulley.
2. Snubdrivepulleytoincreasethepulleywrapfactorfromtopexample180tobottomexample220.This
actionshouldeliminatetheconveyorbeltproblem.

Materialbuilduponconveyorrollers,primarilyonthereturnrollerswhichcontactthedirtycarryingsideofthe
conveyorbelt,accountforaneverchangingtrackingproblem.Asthebuildupchangesontherollers,the
conveyorbeltwillalsochangetofollowthebuildupwhichisafalsecrown.Notonlyisthebuildupaproblem,
butalsothecarrybackwhichisdepositedundertheconveyorsandahstobeconstantlyshoveledandhosed
down,requiringextensivelaborcost.
Theonlyanswerisaconveyorbeltscraperinstalledtooperateonthefaceofthedischargepulley.Thereareas
manydifferenttypesandbrandsofbeltscrapersastherearestarsinthesky.Theyincludedrubber,urethane,
ceramic,plastic,stainlesssteel,tungstencarbide,carbonsteel,wood,air,water,etc.Theyarepoweredbyair
bags,carshockabsorbers,torquearms,counterweights,hydraulics,aircylinders,andheavenonlyknowswhat
else.Therearemanyfromwhichtochoose.

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