Have you ever had such an experience?
The bucket elevator works fine when it’s unloaded, but as soon as materials are fed onto the belt, it starts to deviate;
After adjusting the tension and replacing the rollers, it returns to the same problem after a few days;
The edge of the belt is wearing out faster and faster, and more and more materials are being spilled…
It’s not bad luck on your part.❗️
Recently, we have just dealt with a real case – a plastic particle factory.
The PE particles were vertically lifted by 8 meters, and the elevator belt deviated severely to the right for 5 months. The customer tried to adjust it many times but failed. Below is our on-site investigation process and solution. Each step has key details that you should pay attention to, especially those “traps that are easy to fall into by yourself”.
Equipment details:
The lifting height is 8 meters. It conveys PE particles. The belt is a rubber-polyester elevator belt (PVC solid woven belt can also be used), and it is equipped with DS2314 deep-type elevator buckets.
Abnormal manifestations:
- The belt at the head drum pulley/ bootpulley(tail pulley)is significantly skewed to the right, and the right edge is severely worn.
- It operates normally without load, but quickly deviates when loaded.
- Tensioning and fine-tuning are ineffective, and the deviation position is not fixed.
| Problems | Reasons | Customers’ Mistake | Our Solutions |
| Boot pulley(tail pulley) tensioning mechanism stuck | The spiral tensioning screw got stuck with plastic powder, resulting in unequal tension on both sides. The belt tended to move towards the side with lower tension. | Just turning the screw by feeling makes it more and more off course. | Remove the screw, clean it and apply extreme pressure lithium-based grease, then re-align it. |
| Belt joint is deformed | When the mechanical coupling joint gets clogged with powder, a local bulge occurs, causing periodic deviation. | Not drilling vertical holes, the deviation will recur very quickly. | Re-drill the belt joint, install the belt fasteners, and ensure that the joint angle is perpendicular to the belt centerline. |
| Uneven friction coefficient of the head drum pulley | Plastic powder accumulation and rubber aging, uneven distribution of friction force, belt slipping and swinging. | Selected smooth rubber pulley . | Replace the diamond-shaped rubber lagging pads. The friction coefficient is 40% higher than that of the smooth surface, and it is difficult to be filled in by powder. |
Result:
After completing the above three treatments, the belt trajectory during no-load test operation was normal; after running with materials for one week and rechecking, there was no further deviation. The customer subsequently reported that the equipment has been running stably for more than half a year.
If you also encounter similar problems, the following three suggestions can help you avoid unnecessary detours:
- Monthly inspection of the wear condition of the rubber lagging padson the head drum pulley. If a smooth surface is observed, re-coating should be carried out promptly.
- Quarterly cleaning of the accumulated plastic fine powder inside the barrel, especially near the tensioning screw.
- Lubrication of the rolling bearings should be checked every three months. During the annual overhaul, thorough cleaning and oil replacement should be performed.
But if the deviation persists even after you have tried the above methods, or if you don’t want to spend time troubleshooting by yourself, you can directly contact us for assistance.
Please send your infomation to [email protected].
We will reply to you within 24 hours and provide a preliminary diagnosis and suggestions.
About Us:
We have been specializing in the field of complete material conveying equipment and its accessories for 26 years. Our services include:
- Free preliminary assessment
- 24-hour consultation service
- Belt customization
If you encounter a belt deviation, don’t keep trying and failing. Just send us a video and we can help you save tens of thousands of yuan in downtime costs.
Need a Similar Product?
Send us your specifications or requirements — our engineers will review and get back to you within 24 hours.
