Conveyor belting systems have the potential to make employees safer and more productive. When designed and functioned efficiently, conveyor belts rationalize the movement of finished products, packaging, components, and more. However, a rubber conveyor belt malfunction has the latent to throw manufacture floors and warehouses into chaos, piling up material, bottlenecking workflow, damaging valued inventory, and potentially endangering employees.

Tips for pre-production belt system selection:

Even before your conveyor belt system goes into operation, considering several factors can influence your conveyor system efficiency.

Consider the loads your conveyor belt systems are handling. The weight, size, dimensions, and other features of the load your rubber conveyor belt will be transporting; help determine the conveyor material, drive, motor, and hardware that is right for your application and need. Other product features like temperature and material can also affect the selection of conveyor belts. To start, learn about the primary differences between conventional belting system and plastic modular belting system. It is generally adequate to review design options with a conveyor belt expert to consider all different belt system options.

Set your conveyor beltings to pull rather than push – Pulling force is a lot more efficient than pushing power. Your rubber conveyor belt system can lose up to 50-70% of its load capacity when pushing.

How fast and precisely you want materials to be fed by the conveyor might require specific equipment. For example, in the distribution and airport industries, a fast-moving conveyor belt is paramount. You will expect fasteners, endless splicing equipment, segmented transmission plates, and maintenance tools for fast-moving conveyor belts.

If you are transporting food and beverage products or pharmaceutical ingredients, material density should be considered, along with sterile and sanitation factors. In several cases, you need an FDA approved conveyor belt.

During production, tips for conveyor belt selection

Taking the time to examine conveyor belts and perform preventative maintenance saves money in the long run. It can prevent a significant failure that spoils products, puts workers in danger, or causes stoppage.

Follow the conveyor belt manufacturer’s recommendations for daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly examination of pulleys, bearings, and other components. Whether internal or hired externally, you insist that your maintenance team record respectively inspection and the preventative actions taken.

While this is serious for food, cosmetics, dairy, and pharmaceutical firms, all industries will see their metal or rubber conveyor belt efficiency rise through even cleaning and lubrication. A cleaning regimen will reduce energy usage and friction and slippage that can groove the life from motors, rollers, and other moving parts. Depending on your industry, investing in a clean-in-place belting system can be worthwhile.

Predictive maintenance cannot only help you prevent catastrophic failures but also maintain productivity. Bad moving parts are more likely to break, which creates production binds. But they are often responsible for a less-than-optimal workflow that eats into expenses and profits. To practice predictive and preventative maintenance, manufacturers recommend having critical parts on hand or at least having a rubber conveyor belt supplier in your corner that can get you back up and running fast.