Belt Conveyors

Belt Conveyor
Belt conveyors are the most widely used and versatile mode of mechanical conveying systems
employed to transport materials horizontally or on an incline either up or down.
Advantages
• It can easily convey the large volume of materials.
• It is cost efficient and has given a relief to the labor efforts.
• Increases the level of productivity rapidly.
• It can transport the materials both vertically as well as horizontally.
• It also helps to stack the transported materials at the end of the production line.
• It saves the product from getting damaged and also prevent injuries.
• It consumes less power and is durable in nature.
• It can transport the materials in all the directions and proves to be long lasting.
• It can be easily installed anywhere and used in numerous applications.
Applications
Manufacturing industries Power plants Flour mills
Pharmaceuticals Bakeries and confectioneries Ice-cream plants
Food producing industries Textile industries Chemical plants
Packaging industries Laundries Shipyards
1. Belt, which forms the moving and supporting surface on which the conveyed material rides.
2. Idler, which form the supports for the carrying and return strands of the belt.
3. Pulleys, which support and move the belt and control its tension.
4. Drive, which imparts power to one or more pulleys to move the belt and its load.
5. Structure, which supports and maintains the alignment of the idlers and pulleys, and supports
the driving machineries.
 Types of Belt Conveyors
1. Flat Belt Conveyor
• Active side of belt remains flat supported by cylindrical rollers
• short in length and suitable for conveying unit loads like crates, boxes, packages,
bundles etc. in manufacturing, shipping, warehousing and assembly operations.
• Flat belts are conveniently used for conveying parts between workstations or in
an assembly line in mass production of goods.
2. Troughed Belt Conveyor
• Wide flat belt is supported on troughed carrying rollers
• Return side of the belt is kept flat
• Higher capacity than a flat belt of equal width
• Used for materials which may slide off flat belts
• ‘‘normal’’ or ‘‘transfer’’ conveyors – used within a plant. Shorter
lengths, straight line path in horizontal or inclined plane.
• ‘‘long-centre’’ conveyors – used for long distances. Series of
conveyors over combination of inclines, declines and horizontal
section paths. High belt tension, low belt stretch, low acceleration
Long-centre conveyors are used for:
(i) transportation of the output of mines to the processing plants,
(ii) materials from shipping ports to the storage/transport loading sites,
(iii) materials from outdoor storage yards to inside plants,
(iv) movement of materials between plants etc.

3. Closed Belt Conveyor

• Specially fabricated belt, after being loaded with the
material, can be wrapped completely around the load.
• Forms a closed tube moving along with the material.
• It can handle fine bulk materials without being swept by air,
• Ability to handle corrosive and reactive materials without
contamination
• The tubed belt can travel around bends in more than one
plane and hence versatile in layout.
4. Metallic Belt Conveyor
• Cold rolled carbon steel/stainless steel strip belt of thickness 0.6 – 1.2 mm
Ends of the steel strips are lap jointed with special wide flat head rivets
• Apart from strip steel belts, wire-mesh belt (more flexible) is also used.
• Usually flat belt of short length is used.
• Used in food, chemical industry and for conveying hot and reactive loads.
• Used to handle lump materials from furnaces, and also for wetting, cooling,
dehydrating and similar operations.

5. Portable Conveyor
• Short length flat conveyors carried on a wheeled
structure.
• Particularly useful for loading and unloading of
trucks / transport vehicles.
• The inclination of the conveyor can generally be
adjusted to suit application.
Parts of a Belt Conveyor

1. Conveyor Belt 6. Loading and unloading devices

2. Idlers 7. Belt Cleaners
3. Conveyor Pulleys 8. Training idlers
4. Drives for Belt Conveyors 9. Conveyor structure
5. Take-ups or Belt Tensioning Devices 10. Transfer terminals
1. Conveyor Belt • Troughability (measure of belt
stiffness in transverse direction,
ability of the belt to make
sufficient contact with the center
roll of the troughed idlers)
• Bendability
• Impact strength
• Abrasion Resistance
• Heat/Cold resistance
• Chemical reistance
• Oil Resistance
• Fire resistance

• Most common type of conveyor belting is rubber/plastics covered textile belting.

• The internal carcass of woven fabric gives the longitudinal strength of pulling the loaded belt and transverse
strength for supporting the load. The cover of rubber/plastic protects the carcass from damage.
• Specification, requirements and testing procedures of rubber/plastic covered textile belts given in IS 1891:1994.
• Tensile Strength: The maximum tensile force per unit width that the belt can withstand before breaking.
Measured in psi, N/mm, or kN/m.
• Load Carrying Capacity: The maximum weight the moving belt can safely carry per unit width or overall. Usually
specified in kg/m or lbs/ft.
• Elongation: How much the belt stretches under rated load. Expressed as a percentage.
• Troughability: Ability of the belt to flex and shape to conveyor idlers and pulleys. Based on belt thickness and
construction.
• Temperature Range: Maximum and minimum ambient temperature range for operation. Important for special
environments.
• Incline/Decline Angle: Steepest incline or decline angle the belt can handle when loaded. Up to 18° inclination.
• Belt Speed: Typically given in m/min (meters per minute) or ft/min. Max speed based on belt and drive specs.
• Skirting Rating: Abrasion resistance rating for the belt’s edge based on cover compound.
• Fire Resistant Rating: Measured in minutes of fire exposure survival time. Important for flammable contents.
• Oil/Chemical Resistance: Ability of belt cover to withstand exposure to oils or chemicals without degradation.
 Grades of Belt Covers
1. Grade M24: Natural rubber compound with superior resistance to cutting and abrasion.
2. Grade N17: Compound rubber with high abrasion resistance with inferior cutting resistance compared to M24 grade
3. Grade N17(Synthetic): Composed mainly of synthetic rubber with higher abrasion resistance. Belt made of carcass with
chemical or other superior bonding system should be used for this grade.
4. Grade HR: Suitable for handling load at high temperatures, upto 150°C for lumps or 125°C for powdered materials.
5. Grade FRAS: Used for underground mining and processes where fire resistance and antistatic charge properties, are required.
6. PVC Grade: Used in fire resistance, oil resistance and hygienic belting.

Belt Designation
• As per IS 1891 (Part I): 1994, belts are designated by IS No., grade of the cover, the ‘‘type’’ of belting defined by the full
thickness breaking strength in KN/m and number of plies.
• For example, a conveyor belt with cover grade N17 and type 250 having 4 plies shall be designated as: Conveyor Belt IS
1891 (Part I) N17-250/4.
• Steel cord belting is designated by prefix ‘‘ST’’ followed by the full thickness breaking strength in KN/m. Example ST-1800.
Belt Width (standard widths of belting as per IS specification)
• 300, 400, 500, 600, 650, 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1800 and 2000 mm with a tolerance of ± 5 mm up to
500mm width and ± 1% of belt width for widths higher than 500 mm.

Belt Splicing
• Two ends of a belt may be joined either by metallic belt fasteners or by
vulcanization.
• Metal fastener joining is easier and acceptable for flat belt conveyors.
• Vulcanized belt splicing is a superior technique suitable for troughed belt
conveyors. Several plies of two ends of the belt are vulcanized together to
make a joint of strength almost equal to the solid belt.
• Vulcanization is the preferred method of belt splicing, due to the superior strength, and longer service-life.
Vulcanized splices are really the only option for the long-term performance of high-tension steel-cord belting.
Due to their superior strength, vulcanized splices allow the application of maximum belt tension, resulting in
better pulley-to-belt traction.
• There are two types of vulcanization: hot and cold. In hot vulcanization, the layers of a belt are stripped in a stair-
step or finger fashion and overlapped with glue and rubber. A heated press then applies heat and pressure to
“vulcanize” the belt into an endless loop. In cold vulcanization, the belt’s layers are joined with an adhesive or
bonding agent that cures at room temperature.
Steps in Vulcanizing a Belt
1. Preparation of the belt ends: Ends of the belt are cut at the correct angle and then stripped or pulled apart to
expose the various plies to be joined.
2. Application of cement, gum, or other intermediary material: The layers are built up, which will form the
completed splice. Appropriate bonding agents are applied to the exposed carcass. Fill and cover rubbers are
then laid in place, and the belt is cured in the same manner for both steel-cable and fabric belts.
3. Curing of the splice: The assembled materials are pressed together and cured, through the application of
heat/pressure to form the finished splice.

• Disadvantages of vulcanization are the higher initial cost and the length of time required to preform the splice
when compared to a mechanical splice. It is not justified in emergency repair, and in applications where frequent
extensions or retractions of the conveyor length are required.
Splice length calculation

Belt width = B
Number of plies = N
Bias Angle = q
Bias Length = X = B tan q
Step length = S
Total splice length = L = X + S (N – 1)
2. Idlers
The rollers used at certain spacing for supporting the active as well as return side of the belt
are called idlers. There are two types of idlers used in belt conveyors:
1. straight carrying and return idlers, which are used for supporting active side of the belt for
a flat belt conveyor and also for supporting the return belt in flat orientation in both flat or
troughed belt conveyor.
2. troughing idler set consisting of 2, 3 or 5 rollers arranged in the form of trough to support
the active side of the belt in a troughed belt conveyor.
• Idlers are generally made from steel tubes conforming to IS 9295:1983.
• The tubes are mounted on antifriction bearings over a fixed steel spindle.
• The idlers may be made of heavy steel tubes for severe service condition (like in material
loading section) or cast iron in corrosive application (handling coke etc.).
• Idler dimensions are standardized in IS 8598 :1987. Carrying and return idler diameters in
mm are : 63.5, 76.1, 88.9, 101.6, 108, 114.3, 127, 133, 139.7, 152.4, 159, 168.3 and 193.7.
Roller diameter increases with bulk weight of load in kg/m3, particle size and belt speed.
• Length of the idlers vary from 100 mm up to 2200 mm. The smaller lengths are generally
made in smaller diameters while longer lengths are made in larger diameters.
• Troughing angle (angle of inclined roller with horizontal) in troughed idler sets is 15°, 20°,
25°, 30°, 35°, 40° and 50°. Troughing angle of 15° is applicable only to 2-roll troughed idlers.
Types of Idlers

Self Aligning Carrying Idler

Guide Idler
Fixed Frame Carrying Idler

Impact Idler

Return Idler
3. Conveyor Pulleys
• At each of the two ends of a belt conveyor, one large diameter pulley is installed against which the belt turns and changes
direction. These pulleys are called terminal pulley.
• Drive is imparted to the belt through friction by one of the terminal pulleys called drive pulley.
• As the conveyor belt passes around these terminal pulleys, the plies of the belt are elongated in proportion to the distance
of the ply form center of the pulley. The differential elongation of one ply over the other is taken up by the rubberized
bonding between two plies. Larger the pulley, less is differential elongation between the plies hence less tendency to ply
separation. This is the reason the terminal pulleys are made large.
• The conveyor pulleys are either fabricated from rolled steel plates or of cast iron construction. The central steel shaft is
keyed into the pulley drum and then the finished dimensions are machined.
• The pulleys are generally given a crowning at the face for keeping the belt at the centre of the pulley. The face length is
generally 100 mm to 200 mm more than the belt width.
• The surface of the pulley may be left bare smooth, or may be covered up to a thickness of 6 to 12 mm by rubber,
polyurethane or ceramic layer with grooves of different patterns to increase the friction between the pulley and belt.
• The pulleys are mounted on heavy duty antifriction bearings in suitable bearing housings.
Pulley Lagging
Pulley lagging is the layer of material which is bonded to the drum/shell of a conveyor pulley. Its function is to (i) protect the shell
from damage, (ii) increase friction with the conveyor belt, (iii) reduce belt slippage, (iv) dispense water off the pulley, and (v)
lengthen the overall service life of the roller.

There are several different types of pulley lagging, such as plain rubber, grooved rubber and ceramic lagging. Each type of pulley
lagging has different variations, specifications and are used for a variety of purposes.

1. Rubber Lagging: Rubber is the most common type of pulley lagging as it is one of the most affordable conveyor component
options. Rubber is a versatile material that varies in thickness, hardness and type of grooves. The two main types of rubber
lagging are:
(a) Circumferential grooved/Plain Rubber Lagging for non-drive pulleys to provide better traction for the conveyor belt.
These types of lagging won’t excessively increase the friction that could cause the belt to wear faster.
(b) Diamond/Herringbone/Chevron Grooved Rubber Lagging is ideal for pulleys that require more friction on the
conveyor belt. Thus, they are applied on the drive end pulley.

2. Ceramic Lagging: Ceramic lagging is commonly used for harsh environments where long service life and the use of durable
materials on conveyor components are a necessity. There are two types of ceramic lagging options:
(a) Dimple Ceramic Lagging – The dimples in this type of lagging adds significantly more friction and grip compared to
other materials. The dimples press into the belt, assisting in driving the conveyor efficiently. The amount of ceramic coverage
selected will depend on the amount of friction and grip required for your application.
(b) Smooth Ceramic Lagging is typically used with non-drive pulleys and offers a middle ground between dimple
ceramic lagging and rubber lagging.
• Grooves meet at pulley centre • Grooves do not meet at pulley centre • Used in reversible drive pulleys
• Grooves are oriented in the • Grooves are oriented in the direction • Sheds water from belt
direction of rotation. of rotation.
• Sheds water from belt • Sheds water from belt
 Circumferential lagging Plain lagging

• Grooves around pulley circumference • Smooth rubber lagging surface

• Used on non-drive pulley • Used on non-drive pulley

Ceramic lagging
• Bi-directional pulley rotation
• Used in reversible drive pulleys
• Sheds water from belt
• Useful in conveying of highly abrasive
bulk material
• Dimpled ceramic lagging provides more
traction than plain ceramic lagging
Dimpled ceramic lagging Plain ceramic lagging
4. Drives for Belt Conveyors
• The belt conveyors are generally driven at the head end pulley, where material is discharged.
• The drive pulley is connected to the drive motor through suitable speed reduction gear box and flexible shaft couplings.
• Drive of an inclined conveyor necessarily includes a braking device which prevents downward movement of the loaded belt in
case of power failure of the motor.

5. Belt Tensioning Devices

• Endless conveyor belt need to be tightened so that sufficient frictional force is developed between the drive pulley
and the belt, to make the belt move. Belts working under tension invariably gets elongated with time, which needs
to be taken-up to maintain the desired tension in the belt.
• A belt conveyor generally have a screw-type (mechanical) or a gravity-type counterweighted take-up unit, also
termed as belt tensioning device.
• In the screw-type take-up, the bearing blocks for the tail end pulley are located in guide ways, so that these may be
moved by rotating two screws as and when belt tension needs to be increased.
• In gravity take up, the tail end pulley is mounted on a movable carriage which is pulled backwards along the length of
the conveyor by a vertically hanging counterweight connected through a steel rope and deflecting pulleys. In an
alternate design, the return side of the belt passes by the bottom of a counter-loaded deflector roll which is free to
move down to keep the belt taught.
 Screw Take-up
Used in small conveyors
Horizontal Gravity Take-up
Used in medium and long conveyors if there is
vertical space constraint
Vertical Gravity Take-up
Used in medium and long conveyors if there is
not any vertical space constraint