CONVEYER BELT DESIGN

INTRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM

A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical handling equipment that moves materials from one location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in applications involving the transportation of heavy or bulky materials. Conveyor systems allow quick and efficient transportation for a wide variety of materials, which make them very popular in the material handling and packaging industries.

TYPES OF CONVEYOR SYSTEMS

Belt conveyor Gravity skate wheel conveyor
Gravity roller conveyor Wire mesh conveyors Plastic belt conveyors Bucket conveyors Flexible conveyors Vertical conveyors Spiral conveyors Vibrating conveyors

Automotive conveyors Belt driven live roller conveyors

Line shaft roller conveyor Chain conveyor Screw conveyor Chain driven live roller conveyor Overhead conveyors Dust proof conveyors Pharmaceutical conveyors Pneumatic conveyors

1. BELT CONVEYOR

2. CHAIN CONVEYOR (AUTOMOTIVE CONVEYORS)

3. LINESHAFT ROLLER CONVEYOR

4. SCREW CONVEYOR

5. BUCKET CONVEYORS

6. SPIRAL CONVEYORS(VERTICAL CONVEYORS)

BELT CONVEYOR

A conveyor belt (or belt conveyor) consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley is called the idler. There are two main industrial classes of belt conveyors;
1. 2.

General material handling such as those moving boxes along inside a factory. Bulk material handling such as grain, coal, ores, etc. generally in outdoor locations.

In addition there are a number of commercial applications of belt conveyors such as those in grocery stores, airports etc.

1. Horizontal Conveyor

Discharges at intermediate points through fixed trippers or at end

2. Inclined

Will carry up varying slopes which depend upon the nature of material. Inclined or retarding conveyor for lowering material gently down slopes

DESIGN OF CONVEYOR BELT

Components of conveyor belt

DESIGN PROCEDURE
1.

Size of material.
1.
2.

Maximum lump size of material is considered. Material and width of belt is considered depending on the material.
Factors : lump size factor, abrasiveness factor, air borne factor.

2.

Selection of belt speed

1.

3.

4.

5.

Safe angle of Inclination/Declination & angle of surcharge of material. Type of supporting idlers and their spacing Calculations of tensions in belt for various conditions.

6.

7.

8. 9. 10.

11.

Selection of belt with breaking strength = (maximum operating tension X minimum factor of safety). Drive power with transmission losses and sources of power. Determining various pulley sizes. Selection if proper bearings for duty conditions. Location of take up and take down tensions. Location of hold back/brake with braking force and torque.

BELT

Selection of belt should be made depending on the properties of materials. Various type of material properties are shown below

High temperature Sticky Mildly corrosive Highly corrosive Explosive or creating harmful dust Very dusty Inflammable

Non-abrasive Abrasive Easily degradable Sharp abrasive Very abrasive Mildly abrasive Oily .or liable to react with rubber products

Hydroscopic

PULLEYS

PULLEYS: Based on percentage tensile force (ratio

between the working tensile force and maximum allowable tensile force the selected belt), diameters of pulleys shall be selected. of

The drive pulleys may be lagged, wherever necessary, to increase the coefficient of friction between the belt and the drive pulley.

CHUTES

Chutes are used to discharge and load material from conveyor. Chutes should be carefully designed. Placing of chutes should be carefully done depending on the calculated trajectory of the falling material

FRAMES OF HEAD AND TAIL

The following are the simple designs of head and tail frames which can be selected according to the requirement

IDLERS
CARRYING IDLERS
1. 2. 3.

RETURN IDLERS
1. 2. 3.

4.
5. 6.

Catenary type Garland type Impact cushioned idlers Transition idlers Training idlers Fixed guide idler

Normal return idlers Training return idlers Self-cleaning return idlers

ACCESSORIES

Motors Gear boxes Chain and chain drives Speed reducers Couplings Covers

Belt turner Belt cleaner Ladders and spiral chutes Ploughs Trippers

DRAWING
Calculation of various conditions and selection of belt width and its material, selection of pulleys, selection of idlers, selection of power motors, selection of frames and various accessories mentioned and drawing a conveyer belt system completes the project.