Richwood’s ON-Track® Eliminates Belt Misalignment for Conveyor Belt Tracking Issues
Conveyor belt tracking issues are not a new problem, but the design of the ON-Track® and the way it is eliminating belt misalignment deserves a look.
“Traditional designs are varied, but they all work similarly, reacting to a belt once it begins to travel off-center, then pushing the belt in the opposite direction, either by pivoting or edge rollers, and then repeating that process continuously,” said Scott Smith, Applications Engineer for Richwood.
“What makes the ON-Track® different is the fact that it does not need to respond to belt misalignment because it keeps it from ever going off-track to begin with- by applying tension to both sides of the belt. The belt’s own tendency to find equilibrium keeps it in the right place,” added Scott Smith.
It may sound simple, but even more interesting than the design, are the immediate results end users are experiencing in the field.
A surface mine in Wyoming, one of the largest coal mining complexes in the world, was experiencing severe belt tracking issues. Their first experience with ON-Track® was on a 72” belt running 6000 TPH and moving at 1200 FPM.
“One of the biggest problems was with the belt going off-track through the tail section, it was running under the seal and ruining their skirt rubber, not to mention creating a constant mess,” said Jeremiah Hinds, Richwood representative directly involved with this project.
The initial survey showed the belt traveling 8-9” back and forth on the tail pulley even though they were using a traditional belt trainer. Once the ON-Track® was installed, and the old trainer removed, this issue was resolved. They are very pleased with the results. (see field photo).
In another application, a coal mine in Southwestern Pennsylvania with a 72” belt running 4600 TPH and 800 fpm was finally able to find a solution for off-center belt tracking. This large overland conveyor system was experiencing persistent problems. A misaligned vulcanized splice in the system made the problem even more difficult. When the ON-Track® was installed, the belt immediately centered itself on the tracking unit and side travel was reduced from 10” to no more than 2”. Testing confirmed that even under variable loading conditions, the path of the return belt was controlled at all times. There have been no other units required or tracking issues since installation.
Results like these make the ON-Track® a “must see” for any application.
View more product details in the PDF file located in the upper right hand corner of this story.
For more information contact Richwood at 304-525-5436 or visit www.richwood.com
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