Conveyor Transitions

Bulkmaterialconveyorswithfreeflowingproductscommonlyusetroughedidlerssetsalongitslength, increasingthebeltloadcarryingcapacity.ChangingthecrossbeltprofiletoawideUshapedhigh capacityconfigurationthebeltmustpassaroundflatfacedterminalpulleysateachendofthesystem. Withintheseareaswefindtheconveyortransition.

Astheconveyorbeltchangesfromaflatprofiletoatroughedprofileinitspassagefromthetailpulley andthetroughedprofiletotheflatprofileattheheadpulleypossiblebeltdamagingtensionand compressiveforcescanoccur. Attheareaofprofilechange,thistransitionmustoccuroversufficientconveyorlengthinordertoavoid excessivetensioninthebeltedges(splicetearing)andavoidbeltcompression(centerbuckling).The conveyorsystemoperatingtensionhasastronginfluenceonthetransitionlengthasnotedinthebelow tables. Transitiondistancesaremeasurementsfromthecenterlineofaterminalpulleytothefirstfullangle systemidler(LI).Oneormorebeltsupportinglowangletransitionidlersmaybebetweentheterminal pulleyandthefirstfullanglesystemidlerandshouldnotbeincludedinthismeasurement. Thetwomostcommontransitionprofiletypesarethefulltroughdepthandtroughdepth.Thefull troughistypicallyfoundatthetail,withthetroughtypicallyfoundatthehead.Thefulltrough terminalpulleymayberaisedslightlytogiveatroughconfiguration. Asyoucanseefromthefollowingfulltroughedprofiledrawingsandcharts,thebeltisflatovera terminalpulleyandhasvariouslengthsoftransitiondistance.Thebelowchartstotherightofeach transitiondrawingshowhowthecrossbelttensionsareaffectedbythechangeintransitionlength. Thefollowingthreedrawingsaretypicalofafabricbeltsystem.Fulltroughtransition,operatingat70% ratedbelttension,using35troughingidlers. Thefirstdrawingshowsameasuredtransitiondistanceof3/4thebeltwidth.
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TransitionDrawing1

InTransitionDrawing1,thecrossbelttensionisfartoogreatattheedges(morethan130%)andless thanzerointhemiddleofthebelt.Commonlyresultinginspliceedgefailuresanddelaminatinginthe centerofthebelt. Youcanvisuallyidentifythisinthefieldasthebeltcenterwillhaveabuckle(liftingoffthecenteridler roll).Leftuncheckedanadhesionbreakdowninthecenterofthebeltwilloccurandthuspropagate alongtheentirebeltlength. TransitionDrawing2

InTransitionDrawing2,thetransitionlengthisincreasedto2timesthebeltwidth.Theedgetensionis droppingtoaworkablelimit.Howeverwithoutadequatetransitiondistance,aninsufficientamountof tensionispresentandisnotgreatenoughtokeepthebottomofthebeltinthetroughandavoidsome buckling.Whilethiseffectisnoteasilyseen,longtermsubsequentproblemswiththebeltandthe spliceswillbeencountered.

TransitionDrawing3

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InTransitionDrawing3,thetransitionlengthisincreasedto2.5timesthebeltwidth.Thisistheproper lengthforthisconfiguration(seetable).Excessiveedgetensionsareeliminatedbykeepingthecarcass withinitselasticrange.Centerbelttensionsareincreasedtospreadthetotalcrossbelttensionsmore evenlyacrossthewidth. Thenextthreefollowingdrawingsaretypicalofafabricbeltsystem,withhalftroughtransition, operatingat70%ratedbelttension,using35troughingidlers. Aproperlyconfiguredhalftroughedtransitionhasauniquecrossbelttensionprofile.Sincethisis commonlyusedathightensionterminalpulleylocations(headpulley)crossbelttensionsareaveraged bysettingtheterminalpulleysoatangentlinefromthepulleytop(rim)isabovetheidlercenterrollby anamountequaltohalftheheightofthefirstfulltroughingidler. Thefirstdrawingshowsameasuredtransitiondistanceof1/2thebeltwidth. TransitionDrawing4

InTransitionDrawing4,thecrossbelttensionispoorlyaveragedandthusthebeltedgesandthebelt centeraremorethan120%ratedtension.Theidlerjunctionareaofthebeltislessthanzero.Asthe beltmovesontothepulleythetensionsmustequalizequicklyacrossthebeltwidthandbeltcreepin thelowtensionareascanoccur. Adequatetransitiondistancesareextremelycritical withtheuseoftodayshighmodulus,lowstretch, conveyorbeltcarcasses.Thestressesresultingfroma shorthalftroughtransitiondistanceatthehigh tensionterminalpulleycanbedramaticallyvisibleon therubberpulleylaggingwearpattern. Thebeltcreepsaroundthepulleyfaceinthelow tensionareasneartheidlerjunctionresultinginskidding,wearingacorrespondingchannelintothe rubberlagging.
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 TransitionDrawing5

InTransitionDrawing5,thetransitionlengthisincreasedtothebeltwidth.Thecrossbelttensionat edgeandcenterdroptoworkablelimits.Butwithoutsufficienttransitiondistance,toomuchshearing forceacrossthesplicewidthisencountered. Leftuncheckedanadhesionbreakdownintheidlerjunctionareasofthesplicewilloccurandthus propagatealongtheentirebeltlength. TransitionDrawing6

InTransitionDrawing6,thetransitionlengthisincreasedto1.5timesthebeltwidth.Thisismorethan theproperlengthforthisconfiguration(seetable).Excessiveedgeandcentertensionsareeliminated bykeepingthecarcasswithinitselasticrange.Idlerjunctionareatensionsareincreasedthusallowing bettertensiondistributionacrossthebeltwidth. Thefollowingtablesprovideaguidetothepropertransitionlengthbasedonsystemidlerangleand percentofratedbelttension.Multiplyingthebeltwidth(inches)bythetabletransitiondistancefactor willgivetheminimumrecommendedtransitiondistance(inches).

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 Remember,Transitiondistance,asdefinedbyNIBAisthelengthfromthecenterlineofthefirstfully troughedidlerrolltothecenteroftheterminalpulley(eithertheheadortailpulley). Sincethereareavarietyofbeltconstructionswithdifferentproperties,manyconveyorsystemswith uniqueconfigurations,beltmanufacturersshouldbeconsultedfortheirspecificrecommendation. Ifyouwouldliketolearnmoreaboutthistopicandothermysterysoftheconveyor,attendanAlmex trainingseminar.Clickonwww.Almex.com/trainingtofindouthowtohostaclassatyourlocation. MichaelCremeens VPBusinessDevelopment,AlmexGroup

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