CONVEYOR ENGINEERING

Presented by

Dr. A. K. Dutta
Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department
Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur
June, 2012
 CONVEYOR ENGINEERING
PROPOSED COURSE CONTENTS IN ORDER
CONTENTS  INTRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM
 BELT POWER CALCULATION  BELT DRIVE
 BELT PROFILE  BELT PROFILE
 IDLERS  IDLERS
 PULLEYS PULLEYS
 BELT DRIVE TAKE-UP
 TAKE-UP  CHUTES & SKIRTS
 CHUTES & SKIRTS  SCRAPPERS
 SCRAPPERS  BELT WEIGHER
 BELT WEIGHER BELT POWER CALCULATION
 INRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM
• A conveyor system is a frequently used piece of mechanized handling
equipment that transfers material from one place to another primarily in a
constant path
• Its history dates back to 1830 when saw mills in USA applied flat belts sliding
in steel troughs to move saw mill waste away from the milling operation area

• The development of belt conveyors, capable of transporting virtually any bulk

material at thousands of tons per hour in a continuous and uniform stream,
has been one of the most important innovations for modern industry

• In transporting bulk materials conveyors have attained a dominant position

due to inherent advantages with respect to economy, safety, reliability,
versatility, almost unlimited range of capacities, low energy requirement and
better conformity to stringent environmental requirements
 INRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM

Conveyors can be classified in the following ways:

Type of product being handled: unit load or bulk load

Location of the conveyor: overhead, under ground, on-floor, or in-floor

INRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONVEYOR SYSTEM
1. Chute conveyor - Unit/Bulk + On-Floor
2. Wheel conveyor -Unit + On-Floor
3. Roller conveyor - Unit + On-Floor
a. Gravity Roller conveyor
b. Live (powered) Roller conveyor
4. Chain conveyor - Unit + In-/On-Floor
5. Slat Conveyor - Unit + In-/On-Floor
6. Belt Conveyor
a. Flat Belt conveyor - Unit + On-Floor
b. Magnetic belt conveyor- Bulk + On-Floor
c. Troughed belt conveyor - Bulk + On-Floor/Overhead/Under ground
This series of lectures will focus only on Troughed Belt Conveyor system
INRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONVEYOR SYSTEM
7. Pipe Conveyor – Bulk + On-Floor/Overhead/Under ground

8. Bucket conveyor - Bulk + On-Floor

9. Vibrating conveyor - Bulk + On-Floor
10. Screw conveyor - Bulk + On-Floor
Pneumatic conveyor - Bulk/Unit + Overhead
11. a. Dilute-phase Pneumatic conveyor
b. Carrier-system Pneumatic conveyor
12. Cart-on-track conveyor - Unit + In-Floor
13. Tow conveyor - Unit + In-Floor
14. Trolley conveyor - Unit + Overhead
Sortation Conveyor - Unit + On-Floor/Overhead
etc.
 INRODUCTION TO CONVEYOR SYSTEM

PRESENT STATUS OF BELT CONVEYOR SYSTEM

• The fastest conveyor belts run at a speed of 15 m/s on the biggest spreaders on
earth in the lignite mines of RWE in Germany and carry up to 40,000 tons of lignite
per hour
• Collahuasi mine complex in the Chilean Andes, the highest mine on earth, employs
belt conveyors at an elevation of almost 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
• The steepest overland conveyor belt has been employed in the Pierina mine in the
Andean Cordillera.
• Today designs are available for steep angle conveying up to 45 degree. They can
also convey material downhill while generating electricity that can be utilized to
run the other equipment
• The longest troughed conveyor belt in the world is 34Km (17 X 2). This has been
installed by Phoenix Yule to transport limestone from Meghalaya to Sylhet across
the border. The civil and mechanical work for the entire project has been done by
Larsen and Toubro
 NOMENCLATURE OF TYPICAL BELT CONVEYOR

Unloading Bin or Hopper

Tail
Carrying Idlers Pulley
Driving Pulley Belt
Take-up
Pulley

Scrapper Snub Pulley Structural Return Idlers

Take-up
Support
Weight
 TECH-STRUCTURES OF BELT CONVEYOR

Following components are called as technological structures

of a belt conveyor
Drive base frame
Drive stool
High speed coupling guard
Low speed coupling guard
Head pulley frame
Bend pulley frame
Tail pulley frame
Short supports
Stringers
Take-up frame
 CONVEYOR ARRANGEMENTS
Belt conveyors can be arranged to follow an infinite numbers of profile or
paths of travel. Among these are horizontal, inclined or declined; with the
inclusion of concave, convex or horizontal curves in combination

Typical Belt conveyor paths:

(a) Horizontal,
(b) Inclined,
(c) With concave and convex
transition curves,
(d) Combination of a
Horizontal conveyor with an
inclined one and (e) Horizontal
conveyor with moveable
Tripper
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL

Successful design of a conveyor system begins with an accurate appraisal of

the characteristics of the material to be transported
Parameters commonly used to describe material flow behaviour are:
Internal and effective friction
Cohesive and adhesive strength
Flowability
Boundary friction and adhesion
Angle of repose
Angle of surcharge
Particle size distribution
Abrasiveness
Bulk density
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL

BULK DENSITY
It is defined as mass per unit volume

Belt conveyor is required to transport certain quantity of material in tonnes per hour. The
material is accommodated on the belt forming certain cross-section of material on belt
Material being transported in unit time=Cross-section of material on the belt X Belt velocity
Thus, belt conveyor’s ability to transport material is volumetric in nature
The transported volume is converted into tonnes by multiplying it by the bulk density of the
material, in the condition as it is on the belt

Points to note:
• Bulk densities of materials in natural deposits are very high – never be used in design
• Individual lump or grain density is quite high than the bulk density - never be used in
design
• Bulk density marginally increases due to material settlement on vibration
• Bulk density of material increases somewhat on storage and compaction
• Bulk density greatly depend on the moisture content and particle size distribution
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL

BULK DENSITY

Conveyor belt design fundamentals:

PHONEIX, 2004
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL

ANGLE OF REPOSE
It is defined as the natural angle formed by gravity discharge of the material and measured
from the horizontal base
Repose angle (θ) is the indication of internal frictional
co-efficient of material i.e., on particle on other
particles.
θ
Flowability of material depends on repose angle.
Lower is the value of repose angle, higher is the
flowability of material.

- Maximum value of θ should be taken for guaranteed available volume on fixed area
- Minimum value of θ should be taken to find the maximum load that can occur on
fixed area

The repose angle considers stationary surface for resting of material and material is in
static condition.
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL
ANGLE OF SURCHARGE
It is defined as the angle to the horizontal which the surface of the material assumes while
is at rest on a moving conveyor belt.

Surcharge angle (ψ) is usually 5o to 15o less than the

repose angle (θ), though in some materials it may be as
ψ much as 20o less

During belt conveying, the material remains lying on moving belt which is supported
on spaced idlers. While passing on the idlers belt sags down in between two idlers and
rises up. Thus, material particles on belt is made to move up and down along the
moving belt. This creates presence of vertically fluctuating inertial forces in the body
of the bulk material. Also belt opens up slightly between two idlers and closes when
passing over the idler. This make the material particles to oscillate horizontally. This
phenomenon of alternating internal agitation to material on the belt resulting the
material to assume inclination at surcharge angle. The belt’s ability to accommodate
material is goverened by surcharge angle instead of repose angle.
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL
ABRASIVENESS

Abrasiveness affects wear of belt and other components of conveyor coming in

contact with material. The conveyor handling more abrasive material should have
lesser belt speed to get economic life of components.

At loading point, the incoming material velocity is different than belt velocity
resulting in momentary sliding of material on belt, which causes belt wear.
Furthermore, subtle oscillatory motion of material gives rise to agitated condition of
material, which in turn gives rise to wear.

Depending on their abrasiveness, materials are classified into the following groups:
1. Non Abrasive (cereal grains, wood pulp, fullers earth, soda lime, loam sand)
2. Mildly Abrasive (run-off- bank sand, gravel, coal, salt)
3. Abrasive (slag, spar, limestone concentrates)
4. Very Abrasive (Iron ores, tactonite, heavy minerals, granite, pyrites, coke)
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL

SIZE OF MATERIAL

 Belt conveyors are required to convey bulk materials of varied size such as
powdery, granular and lumpy
 Lump size indicates the longest single dimension of largest lump
 Material size greatly affects belt width, belt speed and belt construction
 Very lumpy material with sharp edges will necessitate comparatively less
speed of belt
 Lump size requires certain minimum belt width
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL
Flowability
Flowabilty of a material depends on the nature of material to be conveyed, and its repose and
surcharge angles. Materials are classified as very free flowing, free flowing, average flowing and
sluggish according to material class descriptions and assigned numerical ratings as 1, 2,3 and 4
respectively. Folwability is expressed as Equivalent Flow Function.

CEMA-
6th Ed.
CHARACTERISITICS AND CONVEYABILITY OF BULK MATERIAL

EFFECT OF INCLINES AND DECLINES

The nominal cross section of the material on a horizontal conveyor belt is measured
in a plane normal to the belt. On an inclined or declined conveyor belt, gravity
necessitates that the actual cross section of the load to be considered in a vertical
plane.

To maintain the total width of the material load on the belt and to maintain
unchanged surcharge angles, the cross section of the load on an inclined or declined
plane belt must be less than that of the horizontal belt. In most cases, the actual loss
of capacity is less than 3%.

Points to note:
Lumps are more likely to roll off the edges of inclined conveyor belts than the
horizontal ones - Local acceleration/deceleration, just beyond the loading point,
causes turbulence in the material.
Aerated materials (very finely ground cement) or slurry type materials must be
carried on inclines by fully offsetting the slide back tendency of the material.
 BELT DRIVE

Flexible Machine Elements

• Belt drives are called flexible machine elements.

• Flexible machine elements has got an inherent advantage that, it can
absorb a good amount of shock and vibration.

• It can take care of some degree of misalignment between the driven and
the driver machines and long distance power transmission is possible.

• For all the above reasons flexible machine elements are widely used in
industrial applications.
 BELT DRIVE
Typical belt drives

Open belt drive Crossed belt drive

• In open belt drive system the rotation of both the pulleys is in the same
direction, whereas, for crossed belt drive system, opposite direction of
rotation is obtained
• As there is always some slipping of the belt (from 1 to 2 per cent)
• Velocity ratio is not constant; but this is not essential in many classes of
machinery
• The slip and stretch of the belt reduce the shock when heavy machinery is set
in motion - an important feature in many cases.
 BELT DRIVE
Nomenclature and Formulae of Open Belt Drive
• D1- Diameter of the larger pulley (Considered here as Driving Pulley)
• D2 - Diameter of the smaller pulley (Driven Pulley)
• T1 – Tight side tension
• T2 – Slack side tension T1 T1 β
• φ1- Angle of wrap of the larger pulley (in radian)
φ1 D2 φ2
• φ2 – Angle of wrap of the smaller pulley (in radian) D1
• C- Center distance between the two pulleys
T2 T2
• φ1 = 180ο + 2β
• φ2 = 180ο - 2β where, C
Belt Length,
• For the transmission of a peripheral force of TE from the driving pulley,
• Euler and Eytelwein’s formula:
where, μ is the coefficient of friction and φ = φ1
• Power developed by Driving Pulley,
where, V is the peripheral velocity of the driving pulley (i.e., V=V 1)
 BELT DRIVE
Belt Tensions
The belt drives primarily operate on the friction principle. Due to the
presence of friction between the pulley and the belt surfaces, tensions
on both the sides of the belt are not equal. So it is important to identify
the higher tension side and the lower tension side.

When the driving pulley rotates (in this case, anti-clock wise) the belt
will oppose the motion of the pulley. Therefore, the friction force on
the driving pulley exerted by the belt surface would be opposite to the
motion of the pulley. The force on the belt acts in the direction
opposite to the direction of friction force on the pulley and imparts a
motion on the belt in the same direction. The force on the belt acts in
the same direction as T2. Equilibrium of the belt segment suggests that
T1 is higher than T2. Here, we will refer T1 as the tight side and T2 as the
slack side, i.e., T1 is higher tension side and T2 is lower tension side. The
same principle is applied to the driven pulley.
ENTERING SIDE OF BELT IN THE DRIVING PULLEY IS THE TIGHT SIDE
 BELT DRIVE
Elastic Creep and Initial Tension
Presence of friction between pulley and belt causes differential tension in
the belt. This differential tension causes the belt to elongate or contract and
create a relative motion between the belt and the pulley surface. This
relative motion between the belt and the pulley surface is created due to
the phenomena known as elastic creep.

The belt always has an initial tension when installed over the pulleys. This
initial tension is same throughout the belt length when there is no motion.
During rotation of the drive, tight side tension is higher than the initial
tension and slack side tension is lower than the initial tension. When the
belt enters the driving pulley it is elongated and while it leaves the pulley it
contracts. Hence, the driving pulley receives a larger length of belt than it
delivers. The average belt velocity on the driving pulley is slightly lower than
the speed of the pulley surface. On the other hand, driven pulley receives a
shorter belt length than it delivers. The average belt velocity on the driven
pulley is slightly higher than the speed of the pulley surface.
 BELT DRIVE
Elastic Creep and Initial Tension
The magnitude of the initial tension in the belt.
Tight side elongation ∝ (T1 – Ti )
Slack side contraction ∝ (Ti – T 2 )
Where, Ti is the initial belt tension .
Since, belt length remains the same, i.e., the elongation is same as the contraction,

i.e.,

It is to be noted that with the increase in initial tension; power transmission can be
increased. If initial tension is gradually increased then T1 also increases and at the
same time T 2 decreases. Thus, if it happens that T2 becomes equal to zero, then
T1 = 2Ti and one can achieve maximum power transmission.
 BELT DRIVE
Total resisting force and belt tensions at various points along the conveyor path
Belt tension does not remain constant through out the belt path of a conveyor; it
varies depending upon the different resisting forces it encounters during running.
The figure below shows how it varies at various points.
 BELT

Conveyor Belt is one of the most important components of conveyor system

Function of a Conveyor Belt:

Carrying the load on one hand and providing a link-up between the conveyor pulleys
on the other hand .
The belt must meet the following requirements:
o Adequate strength
o Good longitudinal and lateral flexibility
o High wear and impact resistance
o Freedom from ply separation due to repeated bending
o Low elastic and permanent elongation
o Low water absorption
o Negligible effect of moisture

Belt costs nearly 30 to 35% of the total cost of the conveyor

 BELT
Conveyor belt primarily consists of carcass and cover

Material carrying face Top cover

Carcass t1

t2

Bottom cover t3
Material non-carrying face
Belt width

Top cover thickness t1

Carcass thickness t2
Bottom cover thickness t3
Total belt thickness t4 = t1+t2+t3

Schematic diagram of belt cross-section

 BELT

CARCASS – FUNCTIONS AND TYPES

Carcass is the body of the belt, which provides basic strength to take care of
all the forces generated in belt during the course of conveyor operation:

 It withstands the main tension occurring along the length of the conveying

 It supports the covers and thereby the material being conveyed

 It provides longitudinal and transverse stiffness to belt

 It withstands the impact force of the falling material at the feeding point

Two types of carcass: (i) Textile fabric and (ii) Steel cord
 BELT
COVERS – FUNCTIONS AND TYPES
Carcass needs protection against material abrasion, impact, wear and other
effects, so it is encased all around by rubber or PVC. This casement is known
as cover
The rubber layer on carrying side is known as ‘Top cover’ and non-carrying
side is known as ‘Bottom cover’
Covers performs the following functions:
 Top cover protects the carcass by bearing the abrasive action of material
 Top cover withstands the impact force of the falling material at the feeding
point
 Bottom cover transmits the driving force from pulley to the carcass
 Both covers take care of the wearing effect of belt as it moves on the idlers
 Covers give protection to the carcass against weather, heat and chemical
effects
 BELT
COVER GRADES
Rubbers of various characteristics, which are popularly known as grades, are
used to suit application and standards are followed.
Widely used cover grades are:
Grade-M or M-24
Excellent resistance to cut/tear and abrasion, ideal for handling difficult class of
materials, which are heavy, lumpy, abrasive and sharp edged
Grade-N or N-17
Excellent resistance to abrasion, but less resistant to cut/tear compared to Grade-M,
ideal for handling general class of materials, which are not very lumpy or sharp edged
Grade-HR (Heat Resistant)
Cover compound consisting of butyl (and bromo/chloro butyl) or EPDM can resist the
degrading effects of high temperature up to 200oC. Neoprene and hypalon based
compunds exhibit good heat aging properties. Belting with silicone or Viton
(Flurocarbon polymers) covers withstand temperature up to 370oC
 BELT
Grade-FR (Fire or Flame resistant)
Reduces occurrence of and spread o fire hazards, used for underground
mines, made in accordance with stringent statutory regulations. FR belts have
further sub-grades for average, stringent and more stringent needs
Oil resistant grade
Retains its strength even with the contamination of oil and grease. This belts
have further sub-grades for average, stringent and more stringent needs
Other Grades
Low Temperature grade for les than -40oC ambient temperature ‘Hygienic
grade’ for carrying food stuff, ‘Chemical grade’ for handling chemicals etc.
PVC Grade
Excellent combination of varied properties such as wear, impact, fire and oil
resistances. Frictional coefficient with respect to conveying materials and
drive pulley is comparatively low. It deteriorates under sunlight. Widely used
in underground mining operations
 TEXTILE FABRIC BELT
Expanded name: Textile fabric rubber/PVC belt
Carcass made of textile fabric and covers are of rubber or PVC
Textile fabric carcass is composed of single special ply or more number of plies. The
‘Ply’ is the fabric body which is designed to withstand the load.
Ply is formed by weaving yarns placed as warps and wefts. The yarns along the belt
length are warps and along the belt width are wefts (fillings).
Most commonly used fabrics:
Nylon – Nylon (NN type, Warp Nylon, Weft Nylon, also known as Ployamide)
Polyester - Nylon (EP type, Warp Polyester, Weft Nylon)
In case of specialized application belt manufacturers make fabrics with varied
combination of materials
Belt carcass designation, Example: NN 1000/4
Carcass material - NN
Breaking strength – 1000 KN per m of belt width
No of plies - 4
 TEXTILE FABRIC BELT
Various features of Textile fabric belts:
Skim coated plies:
Multiply carcass often includes skim coating between plies. The arrangement includes
a thin additional layer of rubber between plies. More bond between plies remarkably
improves ability to withstand impact forces, used for handling heavy, lumpy materials.
Breaker ply:
Additional plies made of different yarn and with different weaving pattern (from main
plies) are provided on the top of the top cover and at the bottom of bottom cover to
diffuse impact forces reaching carcass. The breaker ply is often coated with softer
cushion rubber which provides durable adhesion to carcass and improves the belt life,
used for handling very lumpy materials and to transmit high tractive pull to carcass.
Transverse cord protection:
This arrangement, alternative to breaker ply, remarkably improves impact resistance
by providing nylon cords in top cover in transverse direction with regular spacing.
Being placed width wise do not have much effect on minimum pulley diameter and
troughability.
 TEXTILE FABRIC BELT
Various features of Textile fabric belts:
Moulded edge construction
In this arrangement, the carcass terminates slightly before belt edge. The carcass
edges are also covered by rubber. Very useful type of construction if shielding the
carcass from the effects of moisture and heat is necessary

Multi-ply Belt Multi-ply Belt

with Transverse Reinforcement
 STEEL CORD BELT

 Steel cord belts have carcass made of steel cords ( sometimes mentioned
as steel wire ropes or steel cables). The steel cords are spaced parallel
along length in single layer and are encased in rubber to form a
continuous belt surface.
 The bottom cover, cords, bonding rubber layer and top cover are unified
into single entity by hot vulcanizing process during final stage of
manufacturing.
 Utmost care is necessary during manufacturing for equal ‘tensile status’
of all the cords, so that tensile force acting on belt during operation is
equally shared by all cords. This is essential for straight running of belt
and to prevent belt failure due to over of some cords.
 Steel cord belts are also available with transverse reinforcement with
textile strings in top and bottom cover.
 STEEL CORD BELT
Protected steel cords with rubber

A = Protective covering for cords during the entire belt life

B = Amount of top cover used for the service life of the belt
C = Amount of bottom cover used for the service life of the belt
D = Diameter of the cord
E = Rubber encapsulating the steel cords and especially compounded for
compatibility with the cover rubber and bonding to the steel cords
F =Thickness of the rubber to protect the cords during service. This
protective rubber is not part of the top or bottom wear covers used to
estimate belt tonnage
 STEEL CORD BELT

Steel Cord Belt Steel Cord Belt with Transverse

Reinforcement
 STEEL CORD BELT
Steel cord belt characteristics and application
Steel cord belts have high breaking strength over 8500 N/mm compared to 3000
N/mm for textile fabric belts. Therefore, steel cord belts used when belts have to
withstand enormous tension, beyond the range of textile fabrics. Steel cord belt is
used for conveyors with very long length or with great level differences between head
and tail ends.
 Have very low stretch, which results in very less movement requirement of take
up pulley for absorbing belt stretch.
 These are easier to trough, as carcass does not create bending resistance to
troughing. Bending resistance is offered only by rubber which has high stretchability.
 Steel cord belts have smaller pulley diameters compared to fabric belt of equal
strength resulting in lesser cost for pulleys and drive component.
In steel cord belt, most of the rubber acts as single mass without any discontinuity.
In fabric belts, rubber mass from top face to bottom face is connected tgrough
interstices of fabric and rubber mass is weaker. Steel cord belts can have much ticker
covers to suit more severe duty conditions.
 STEEL CORD BELT
Cover thickness,
belt mass, thickness,
steel cord diameter
and spacing

Conveyor Hand Book: Fenner Dunlop, 2009

 STEEL CORD BELT
SPLICING
Steel cord belts are made endless by hot
vulcanized splice with cords overlapped
from each end in a symmetrical pattern
which is determined by the cord spacing
Single
and cord diameter. Higher strength belts step
with heavier cords require more steps to splice
ensure that there is a sufficient gap
between cords in the splice.

Two
step Three
splice step
splice
 STEEL CORD BELT
SPLICE DETAILS

AS1333:
Australian code
for belting

Conveyor Hand Book: Fenner Dunlop, 2009

BELT STRENGTH

Conveyor belt design fundamentals: PHONEIX, 2004

COMPARISON OF FABRIC AND STEEL CORD BELTS

Conveyor belt design fundamentals: PHONEIX, 2004

 CHOICE OF CARCASS TYPE
Choice of carcass is governed by technical needs and economy.
When both the types are technically acceptable, the decision is
governed by economy.
Observations:
 Steel cord belts are only choice when the belt tension is beyond the range
of textile fabric belts

 Preferred for long distance conveyors due to high demand for tension
rating and take up limitations

 Steel cord belts are more costly and weight per unit length is more
compared to textile fabric belts
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Points to note:
• Generally, for a given belt width, the belt speed and the belt conveyor capacity
decreases together with a increasing speed factor
• The width of the narrower belts may be governed by the size of lumps to be
handled. Belt must be wide enough so that any combination of prevailing lumps
and finer materials does not load the lumps too close to the edge of the conveyor
belt
• The inside dimensions of loading chutes and the distance between the skirt boards
must be sufficient to pass various combinations of lumps without jamming
• Consideration must be given to spillage and dust that can be created by
misalignment, overloading and speeds
Belt width:
Belts are manufactured with standard widths (mm), which are as follows:
500, 650, 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2200, 2400, 2600, 2800, 3000 and
3200
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Lump size considerations:
The lump size influences the belt specifications and choice of
carrying idlers

Empirical relationship between lump size and belt width

• For 20o surcharge angle 10% lumps and 90 % fines the recommended
maximum lump size is 1/3 of belt width
• For 20o surcharge angle with all lumps and no fines the recommended
maximum lump size is 1/5 of belt width
• For 30o surcharge angle 10% lumps and 90 % fines the recommended
maximum lump size is 1/6 of belt width
• For 30o surcharge angle with all lumps and no fines, the recommended
maximum lump size is 1/10 of belt width
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Higher belt speeds:
An increase in belt speed permits decreases in belt width and
belt tension and will generally require lower capital cost
Higher belt speeds may be suitable when:
• Conveying length is very long (>1500 m)
• Loading and unloading points are well designed and material
is directed onto the belt near the same speed as the belt in
the same direction
• Uniform lump size
• The belt is suitably tensioned to limit sag below specified level
• Critical lift of speeds over the idlers are much greater
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Disadvantages of higher belt speeds:
• Increased belt wear
• Material degradation
• Wind losses
• Lump impact on carrying idler
• Higher loading-unloading transfer maintenance
• Generally reduced life of all conveyor components
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Lower belt speeds:
• Powder or fine materials should be conveyed at speeds low
enough to minimize dusting, particularly at the loading and
discharge points.
• Fragile materials to be conveyed at lower speeds so as to
prevent material degradation at the loading and discharge
points, moreover, the as the conveyor belt and material is
carried over the idlers.
• Heavy, sharp-edged materials should be carried at moderate
speeds
• Hazards associated with material spillage, leakage and dust
generation are of special concern in coal fired power plant
application.
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Maximum recommended belt speeds
as per IS:11592: 2000
Speed Belt Width (mm)
Factor
Up to 600 to 750 to 950 to 1200 to
500 650 800 1050 2000
Maximum Belt Speeds (m/s)
1 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00 4.50
2 2.30 2.75 3.20 3.65 4.12
3-4 2.00 2.38 2.75 3.15 3.55
5-6 1.65 2.00 2.35 2.65 3.00
7-8 1.45 1.75 2.05 2.35 2.62

Speed factor = Lump size factor + Air borne factor + Abrasiveness factor
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Selection of belt width and speed
During loading with conventional chutes there is often a turbulent transition from a
loose profile confined by skirt boards and finally the steady state unconfined condition
of the belt governed by the surcharge angle.
There are at least 3 cross section conditions that must be considered in the selection
of belt width and speed
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Dependence of material flow on the belt width carrying idler
configuration
DIN 22101

The area of load cross section can be considered

as two geometrical shapes. One is trapezoidal
area; the other is the circular segment area for the
standard profile based on the surcharge angle and
standard edge distance (CEMA, 6th Ed.)
 CAPACITIES, BELT WIDTHS AND SPEEDS
Theoretical volume flow (m3/h) with 3-part equal length carrying idler
arrangement, conveying speed V= 1 m/s and the equivalent angle of repose,
β=15o (DIN 22101)

Conveyor belt design fundamentals: PHONEIX, 2004

 IDLERS
Belt Conveyor Idlers
Idlers are required for proper support for the belt and the load
being conveyed, and for protection of the belt
Belt conveyor idlers for bulk materials are designed to incorporate
rolls with various diameters. The rolls are fitted with antifriction
bearing and seals, and are mounted on spindles
Frictional resistance of the idler roll influences belt tension, and
consequently power requirement. Roll diameter, bearing design
and seal requirements constitute the major components affecting
frictional resistance

Types of Idlers
There are two basic types of belt conveyor idlers:
•Carrying idlers which support the loaded run of the conveyor belt
•Return idlers which support empty return run of the conveyor belt
 IDLERS
Carrying idlers
General configurations:
Horizontal carrying idler for supporting flat
loaded belts consisting of a single horizontal
idler roll positioned between brackets which
attach directly to the conveyor frame

Two roll throughing idlers for troughed

belts consisting of two identical idler rolls,
inclined upward to facilitate the belt to from Three/Five roll throughing idlers for troughed
a trough belts consisting of two/four outer rolls, which are
inclined upward and a horizontal central roll
IDLER ARRANGEMNT
IDLER ARRANGEMNT
 CARRYING IDLERS
Type of carrying idlers
 The most commonly used type of carrying idlers consists of three in line
idler rolls of equal length. For a given width of belt, roll inclination and
surcharge angle of the material, the three equal length roll troughing idler
forms the belt into the best troughed shape to carry a maximum load
cross-section

 Troughing idler arrangement having a relatively long horizontal roll and

two short upward inclined rolls does not form a given belt into a trough for
maximum load cross-section but is useful under certain conditions, for
instance, where conveyor‟s load must be spread for manual inspection,
picking up or sorting. The inclined end rolls turn up the belt edges to
prevent or greatly minimize the spillage

 In an offset troughing idler, the inclined rolls (two numbers on both the
sides) and the horizontal roll are located in two different vertical planes.
 CARRYING IDLERS
Type of carrying idlers
 Catenary type – Troughing idler consists of a flexible catenary member on which
integral small diameter rolls or multiple roll assembly is mounted. The rolls can be
moulded either in the flexible member, which rotates as an assembly in fixed bearings
at the ends of the catenary member or in the individual rolls which may rotate on
bearings supported by the flexible catenary member
 Garland type – This type of idlers are suspended from the stringers by suitable
suspension methods. This type of idlers consist of rolls connected in between with the
flexible links and can be used for both on carrying and return side

 Impact cushioned idlers – Impact type idlers having rolls made of resilient material,
are used at loading points where the lump size and the weight of the handled material
may seriously damage the belt, if the belt was rigidly supported. For moderate impact
absorption, idler rolls are covered with a thick layer of tough rubber. In case the impact
at the feed exceeds 50 Nm, impact idlers shall invariably be used
Where the garland type carrying idlers are used, garland impact idlers, connected in
between with flexible links, shall be used as impact idlers
 CARRYING IDLERS
Type of carrying idlers
 Transition idlers – Transition type troughing idlers are used adjacent to the head
and tail pulleys on wide, high tension, low stretch belts, supported on 20° or above
troughing idlers. With these idlers the loaded belt is properly supported near the
head and tail pulleys without excessive stretch of the belt edges. The transition
idlers are designed with concentrator (end) rolls and long centre rolls, to suit the
troughed belt contour between the last regular troughing idler and the adjacent
pulley. In case of adjustable transition idlers, the end rolls are adjustable. Troughing
angle of transition idlers shall be kept as 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, and 30°

 Training idlers – Training idlers are used to train or align the belt to a central
position since conveyor belts tend to displace transversely. In case of transverse belt
displacement, both troughing idlers and flat carrying idler scan be so arranged that
they automatically move the belt to its central position on the idlers. For this purpose
the troughing or flat belt carrying idlers, as units, are pivotally mounted, with the
pivot axis approximately vertical.
 RETURN IDLERS
Three general types of return idlers to perform various functions:
 Normal return idlers – These idlers are used to support the flat return belt and
consists of a long single roll, fitted at each end with a mounted bracket. Idler roll
length, bracket, design and mounting hold spacing shall allow for adequate
transverse belt movement without permitting the belt edges to come in contact with
any stationary part of the conveyor or its frame
 Training return idlers – These idlers are used to train and align the return run of
the belt and can be mounted to train or align the return belt in a manner similar to
the carrying side training idlers
 Self-cleaning return idlers – The idlers are used to clean the belt carrying sticky
material which adhere to the belt. Several types of self cleaning return idler rolls are
available. For very sticky material metal-cage, rubber disc, or double covered
helically shaped self-cleaning return idlers are used. Disc rolls, helical and metal-
cage idlers present only very narrow surfaces for adhesion and thus reduce the
tendency to build up
IMPACT TROUGHING SET

Three roll off-set impact idlers with frame

TROUGHING SET

3 roll off-set frame & idlers

 ROLLER SECTION

Steel Roller with Bearing and Spindle

 ROLLER COMPONENTS
Precision External
bearing wiper
Roller Labyrinth seal Stone
Bearing Internal
shell housing Spindle seal seal Circlip Cover guard

Steel Roller Assembly- Different Components

 IDLER SPACING
Carrying idler spacing
For determining the idler spacing for carrying idlers of a belt conveyor the following points
shall be considered carefully:
1. Increased idler spacing increases the belt sag and hence the power loss due to friction is greater
2. Very low belt sag means higher belt tensions resulting in high cost of the belt
3. The practical upper limit of belt sag is 2 percent of the idler spacing after which the force required to
pull the load increases steeply. However, for all practical cases, the belt sag shall be limited to 0.5 to
2.0 percent of the idler spacing
4. The belt tensions, especially for a long centre conveyor, vary considerably along the length of the
conveyor, which means different idler spacings are required to limit the belt sag to a fixed value.
5. Idlers at the feed point of the conveyor shall be closely spaced to avoid higher belt sag due to impact
of load
6. To determine the idler spacing towards or at the head, the following factors other than the limiting belt
sag shall be considered:
i) There shall be no side spill of the material as the belt flattens out in going from the last
troughing idlers on to the head pulley
ii) The load shall not change its cross-section between idlers that is the edges of the belt
shall not flatten down
iii)The load on each idler shall not exceed the load rating value
 IDLER SPACING
Recommended idler spacing as per IS:11592: 2000
Belt Width Troughed Belt Flat Belt Return Idler Sets

(mm) Carrying Idler Sets for materials of Troughed and Flat

Bulk Density (t/m3) Belt
0.40 to 1.20 1.20 to 2.80
Recommended Spacings (mm)
300
400 1500 1200
500
650 1000
800 1200 1000
1000 3000
1200
1400 1000 1000 750
1800
2000
 IDLER SPACING
Special considerations should be given for spacing the idlers
• At head end
• At loading point
• On curves (convex or concave)

Idlers spacing for belt conveyor

Carrying side

aI Carrying idler spacing in transition zone

ao Carrying Idler spacing in steady zone
au Return idler spacing
Lt Transition length
 PULLEY
CLASSIFICATION OF CONVEYOR PULLEY ACCORDING TO ITS FUNCTION
 PULLEY
PULLEY TYPES
The most common used conveyor pulley is the standard steel pulley. They are manufactured
in a wide range of sizes and consist of a continuous rim and two end discs fitted with
compression type hubs. In most wide-faced conveyor pulleys, intermediate stiffening discs
are welded inside the rim. Other pulleys available are self-cleaning wing types, which are
used at the tail, take-up or snub locations where material tends to build up on the pulley
face. It is not recommended to operate standard drum pulleys above a belt speed of 4 m/s.
For higher speeds, manufactures should be consulted.
 PULLEY
MINE DUTY PULLEY
Standard size drum and wing pulleys are available in mine duty construction. Typically, a
mine duty pulley is one whose material thickness has been increased for a rigid,
conservative design. Mine duty pulleys were originally specified and used for
underground mining operations where the abusive environment and high cost of
installation demanded a more conservative design. Mine duty pulleys can be appropriate
for conveyors with frequent starting and stopping, overloads exceeding 150% of running
tensions, or where increased reliability is necessary.

ENGINEERED PULLEY
All components making up the pulley and shaft assembly must be integrated to provide
a fully capable power transmission system. Several factors must be considered to
design reliable and economical conveyor pulleys for the intended operating conditions
 PULLEY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PULLEYS

T-Section pulley
Squirrel cage pulley

Mine duty pulley Spiral drum pulley

 PULLEY
PULLEY OVERLOADS
Excessive belt tensions may result in premature failure of pulleys, shafting, or bearings.
Differentiating between transient tension increases and steady state running tensions is
important for proper pulley design.
Transient, or dynamic, tension increases happen for a short period and then subsides.
These periods generally last for a few minutes or less and represent less than 1 percent
of operating time. Some examples are starting, stopping, and jam-ups. Transient loads
should not exceed design loads by more than 50 percent. If greater than 50 percent or
more than 1 percent of running time engineered pulleys are recommended.

PULLEY FACE WIDTHS

Pulley face width is the length of rim, wing or contact bar along the shaft axis. Standard
pulley face width is normally equal to the belt width plus 50 mm for belt widths up to 1050
mm and belt width plus 75 mm for belt widths over 1050 mm
 PULLEY
PULLEY CROWN
There are currently four types of pulley crowning available, straight face, taper crown,
trapezoidal crown and curve crown
Straight Face
Straight face pulleys have no crown and are favored by the belt manufacturers. They are
recommended for all the installations using reduced ply, high modulus, low stretch belts,
such as those with a carcass of steel cables or high strength tensile members.
Taper Crown
On taper crown pulleys, the face forms a “V” with the rotating axis larger in diameter in the
center of the pulley.
Trapezoidal Crown
Trapezoidal (Trap) crown pulleys have a flat surface in the middle portion of the pulley
face with the ends tapered. Trapezoidal crown pulleys may be appropriate for wider face
width pulleys.
Curve Crown
Curve crown pulleys have a long, flat surface in the center of the pulleys with the ends
curved to a smaller diameter. Except on short pulleys, the curved surface extends in
approximately 200 mm from the edge.
 PULLEY
PULLEY WEIGHTS
Pulley weights must be used to determine pulley and shaft selection. Average weights for
standard steel drum and standard wing pulleys are available from the manufacturer. There
are some variations in manufacturing practices that will affect the weight of the pulleys.

ABRASIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Drum pulley rims are usually manufactured using low carbon steel plate, pipe, or tubing.
Wing pulley contact bars are usually manufactured using low carbon steel bars or plate.
The rim and contact bars are not designed to be a wear item. For some belt conveyor
applications, these materials provide sufficient pulley life. For abrasive conditions, the
pulleys should be lagged to prevent wear. The lagging should be monitored for wear and
replaced before it wears down to the steel. Another consideration for increasing pulley life
is to specify thicker rims or contact bars. Wing pulley contact bars can also be
manufactured from abrasion resistant (AR) steel to increase the life.
 PULLEY
PULLEY LAGGING
Conveyor pulleys can be covered with some form of rubber, fabric, ceramic, urethane or
other material. Lagging is used on driving pulleys to increase the coefficient of friction
between the belt and pulley. Lagging is also used to reduce abrasive wear on the pulley
face and to effect a self cleaning action on the surface of the pulley. Abrasive wear and
material buildup can substantially decrease pulley life. Drive pulleys should always be
lagged. Non-driving pulleys, especially on the carrying side of the belt, should be lagged
whenever abrasive or buildup conditions exist.

THICKNESS AND ATTACHMENT OF LAGGING

Lagging thickness can vary from 0.1 mm, as with a sprayed-on coating, to thicknesses
upto 50 mm, as with some solid rubber vulcanized coatings. Common methods of
attachment are bolting, cold bonding, welding, and vulcanizing. Cold bonded and
vulcanized lagging are the preferred methods for heavy duty or severe service
applications. Of the preferred methods, vulcanized lagging is the most common and most
economical. In applications where added rubber elasticity is needed, the cold bond
method is preferred.
 PULLEY
RUBBER LAGGING HARDNESS
Rubber lagging used on drive pulleys normally has a durometer hardness of 60 on the
Shore A scale. The lagging used on non-driving pulleys may have a hardness of 45 or 60,
depending on the application. For snub and bend pulleys, which contact the carrying side
of the belt, softer rubber tends to better resist buildup on the pulley face. With high tension
belts, lagging of 70 hardness is sometimes used.

LAGGING GROOVING
Drive pulleys, which operate in wet or damp conditions, commonly incorporate grooved
lagging. These grooves generally take a shape designed to shed water and slurry
materials that can build up at the lagging interface and lower lagging drive efficiency.
Common shapes used include diamond, herringbone, and chevron patterns.
 PULLEY
RUBBER LAGGING HARDNESS
Rubber lagging used on drive pulleys normally has a durometer hardness of 60 on the
Shore A scale. The lagging used on non-driving pulleys may have a hardness of 45 or 60,
depending on the application. For snub and bend pulleys, which contact the carrying side
of the belt, softer rubber tends to better resist buildup on the pulley face. With high tension
belts, lagging of 70 hardness is sometimes used.

LAGGING GROOVING
Drive pulleys, which operate in wet or damp conditions, commonly incorporate grooved
lagging. These grooves generally take a shape designed to shed water and slurry
materials that can build up at the lagging interface and lower lagging drive efficiency.
Common shapes used include diamond, herringbone, and chevron patterns.
 PULLEY
CERAMIC LAGGING
In applications where belt slip or high wear are a concern, ceramic lagging may be used.
Ceramic lagging commonly consists of a series of tiles embedded in a rubber substrate
forming a bar profile. The tiles may be smooth or have raised surfaces on each tile. Those
with raised surfaces tend to have better drive characteristics under wet, sloppy conditions.
Due to the raised surface on the tile and the nature of ceramic, this type of lagging
exhibits a superior coefficient of friction and greater wear resistance than rubber lagging.
Depending upon application conditions, dimpled ceramic lagging can provide
approximately 2 times higher traction than rubber lagging.

WING PULLEY LAGGING

There are many types of lagging just for use on wing pulleys. Much of what has already
been covered applies to lagging for wing pulleys. Each manufacturer has their own
design.
 PULLEY
GROOVING PATTERNS

Herringbone Chevron Diamond

 PULLEY

Ceramic lagging pulley

Rubber lagging pulley

Ceramic lagging pulley

Utherene lagging pulley
 PULLEY
SHAFTING

Suitable shafting to be used with a steel pulley cannot be selected independently of the
pulley load rating. In fact, the load capacity of a given pulley is a function of the shaft that
is installed in that pulley. The shaft and the pulley must be treated as a composite
structural assembly. This is because the structural rigidity of the assembly depends upon
both the shaft and the pulley and their interaction.

The shaft diameter required for a pulley assembly is a function of two criteria, strength
and deflection. Depending on the exact pulley assembly, either strength or deflection can
be the determining factor for shaft diameter selection.
 PULLEY
DRIVE PULLEY ASSEMBLY DRAWING
 BELT TAKEUPS
A Takeup is an assembly of structural and mechanical parts which provides
the means to maintain the proper tension and to adjust the length of the belt

Takeup functions:
1. To ensure the proper slack side tension, T2, at the drive pulley to
prevent belt slip
2. To ensure proper amount of tension at loading and other points along
the conveyor (necessary to prevent loss of troughening contour of the
belt between idlers, thus avoiding spillage of material from the belt)
3. To compensate for change in belt length due to stretch
4. To allow belt storage for making replacement splices
 BELT TAKEUPS
TAKEUP TYPES:
1. Fixed take-up devices that are adjusted periodically
2. Automatic take-up devices (constant load type)

Fixed take-up devices

In this type of take-up devices, the take-up pulley remains fixed between successive
periodic adjustments. Take-ups of this type generally used are:
a) Screw take-up
In this system the adjustment is manually effected by means of two screws acting
upon the pulley bearings and which are tightened simultaneously or successively.
The screw is normally of non-extendable type.
In this system, the applied tension is not fully determinable. This generally leads to
excessive tension of belt. This excessive tension is unavoidable and shall be taken
into account when determining the size of the belt, designing the mechanical
components and calculating the adjustments. For this reason, these devices are
used only in case of short conveyors of up to 60 m lengths and under light duty
cycle condition.
 BELT TAKEUPS
Fixed take-up devices
b) Winch take-up

In this system, the tension is adjusted by means of a mechanical

motorized device which does not automatically compensate for belt length
variations. A tension indicator may be included between winch and pulley.
This system also requires careful checking of tension and leads to
excessive belt tension in order to avoid too frequent take-ups

It may be used for long conveyors and under heavy duty conditions
provided that these conveyors are equipped with belts having very low
elongation coefficient under the effect of load and over a long period, for
example, steel cord belts which are used almost exclusively
 BELT TAKEUPS
Automatic take-up devices

In this system, take-up pulley is mounted on slides or on a trolley and travels

freely while a constant tension is automatically maintained to ensure normal
conveyor operation in all cases. The most frequently used type is gravity
weight operated take-up device

Hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical take-up devices of various types are also

used

All types of automatic take-up devices shall include a system for adjusting belt
tension
 BELT TAKEUPS
Features Automatic take-up devices:

• It is self-adjusting and automatic

• Greater take-up movement is possible

• It is suitable for horizontal or vertical installation

• It is preferred for long centre conveyors

• It can be located at drive end (preferred for low tensions)

• In case of underground mines, provision of loop at drive end may be

made to cater for take-up and small extension of belt conveyor lengths
 BELT TAKEUPS
Automatic take-up devices:

Winch take-up (automatic)

Winch take-up device can be used as automatic take-up arrangement when

automatic tension regulation (ATR, by employing load cells, electronic sensing
devices etc.) is provided to signal for the winch motor to run in any direction
for specific number of turns or to stop as governed by ATR.

This is highly recommended for long centre high capacity belt conveyor, since
it requires less space (horizontal/vertical) and do not unnecessarily put the
belt always in heavy tension as imparted by the constant counter weights
necessary for operation at maximum design load in a gravity take-up.
 BELT TAKEUPS

Typical loop of takeup device

Typical Screw
operated takeup
at tail end of
conveyor
 BELT TAKEUPS

Typical Gravity Weight Operated Takeup at Intermediate Point of Conveyor

 BELT TAKEUPS
Selection of Take-up:
The choice of take-up and their location has to be decided depending on
the configuration and length of the conveyor and available space. But
acceleration and breaking of conveyors have certain effects on the take-up.
These have to be taken into account while deciding the location of take-up

Take-up Weight:
After having decided the location of take-up, the belt tension at this location,
the take-up weight can be calculated as follows:

Take-up weight mechanical advantage = Belt tension at point of take-up –

Weight of take-up pulley and its frame + Friction force of take-up carriage
rope, sheave, etc .
 BELT TAKEUPS
Takeup Movement
It consists of two parts:
a) Allowance for belt elongation
b) Allowance for contingencies and factor of safety
i) Belt jointing system;
ii) Belt carcass determining the elastic and permanent stretch values which
shall be provided by the manufacturer;
iii) Ratio of operating tension to the maximum allowed tension;
iv) Starting up system and magnitude of resulting dynamic force on the belt;
v) Position of take-up device;
vi) Possibility, when take-up device has reached the end of its adjustment
length, of its being brought back to its former position by cutting and
rejoining the belt;
vii) Weather conditions in which the installation is operated (wide temperature
deviations between day and night)
viii) Influence on some types of belts of the physical characteristics of conveyed
materials (heat or excessive moisture content) especially if covers are not
carefully checked and maintained periodically.
 BELT TAKEUPS
Determination of Takeup Movement

a) To determine the belt elongation according to manufacturers‟ recommendations,

b) To check the operating tensions at critical points through the circuit
c) To calculate the average belt tension throughout the circuit with belt starting in
fully loaded (TAS) condition
c) The find out the average belt tension with conveyor empty and stopped (TAE)
d) To the determine the load factor:
VLF = ((TAS - TAE ) / Belt Rating) ) X Total Length of Belt
e) Actual Belt Elongation = VLF X Belt Elongation at reference load
f) To add allowance for contingency and safety = 0.300 m +0.5% of belt length in
mm
g) To add belt reserve for splicing. It shall be equal to allowance for one minimum
splice length
 CHUTES & SKIRTS

Conveyor Loading and Discharge

For a successful belt conveyor installation, it is absolutely necessary that

the conveyor belt be loaded properly and discharged properly for good
performance of the conveyor without spillage. A properly designed
loading and discharge system would add considerably to the belt
conveyor life.
 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Conveyor Loading:
Some of the main considerations for proper loading of the material and
transfer of the material on to the belt conveyor are as follows:

a) Placing of material centrally on the belt

b) Avoiding too frequent surging of loads
c) Material velocity being in the direction of belt travel and as close to the
velocity of the belt as possible
d) Loading of the lumps near the centre
e) Keeping the loading in case of transverse transfer close to 90°
f) Providing a suitable skirt plate extending along the sides of the belt
serving to confine the load while it is in a state of agitation before it
settles down into a quite moving stream

contd …..…
 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Conveyor Loading:
g) Feeding the sloping conveyors where the size of lump or absence of
fines would indicate danger of lumps rolling specially for downhill
conveyors.
h) Inclining the loading chute both forwards and outwards
i) Keeping the width of the chutes generally not greater than 2/3rd the
width of the receiving belt, inside width being 2.5 to 3 times the largest
dimensions of uniformly sized lumps.
j) Providing the back or bottom plates of the chutes in a manner so that
the material is guided from the back of the chute to the belt.
k) Keeping the transfer heights to the minimum
l) Providing minimum angle of slope, it should preferably be about 20°
to 30° higher than the static angle of repose of the material.
m) Avoiding direct impact of the material on to the roller
 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Conveyor Loading: Skirt Board
To retain the material on the belt after it leaves the loading chute and until
it reaches belt speed, skirt boards are necessary for centralizing the
material on the belt. These skirt boards are usually an extension of the
sides of the loading chute. The length of the skirt board is generally
between 1.2 m to 2.0 m for every 1 m/s speed of belt depending on the
loading conditions but in any case not less than 1.6 m in length. The skirt
board preferably should terminate above an idler rather than between the
idlers. The skirt boards are normally covered with rubber strips of
adjustable type both at the back and at the sides. At times, the skirt
boards are provided with rubber screen, that is, rubber flapper to
minimize the dusting due to air turbulence
 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Conveyor Loading

Loading Chute with Skirt Board Skirt Board Arrangement

 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Discharge chutes:
A carefully designed discharge chute is necessary for successful
operation as besides meeting the operational requirements of discharging
or apportioning the material in to the various directions.

The following are some of the main features for designing a good
discharge chute:
a) The upper end of the discharge chute should enclose the cleaning
device and catch material cleaned from the belt if necessary by
employing a separate dribble chute
b) The material falling from the end of the discharge pulley should fall on
the back plate of the loading chute
c) Removable of liners should be provided in case of abrasive material
contd …….
 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Discharge chutes:

Features for designing of good discharge chute

d) Providing sliding surface at an angle of about 20° to 30° higher that
the static angle of repose
e) Avoiding abrupt changes of direction in the chute to eliminate material
build up and plugging
f) Provision of rock boxes for abrasive, lumpy and heavy material
g) Providing cross-sectional area of 4 times the load cross-section and
minimum for three lumps
 CHUTES & SKIRTS
Ladders and Spiral Chutes
Ladders and spiral chutes are used to lower loads vertically by gravity at
a retarded rate and prevent its landing with an impact

Ladder chute for bulk material is a vertical square pipe, the inside of
which holds alternately spaced shelves. The material being lowered is
held up by falling from shelf to shelf. The layer of material covering the
shelves protects them against rapid wear

When a fragile load has to be lowered from a great height (within a

hopper, for instance), spiral chutes may be used to arrest the material
degradation

Load lowered along a spiral chute slides down the spiral surface and
reaches the lower level without impact. The spiral chutes have the
property of automatically keeping the speed of the load within definite
limits
 BELT CLEANERS
At the discharge end of a conveyor the material leaves the belt due to forces by gravity
and centrifugal action.
However, all the material do not leave the belt at discharge pulley; a little portion of
material clings to belt (dirty side), and tends to travel towards the tail end. The dirty side
of the belt faces downward during return travel, consequently the stuck material starts
falling down because of flapping action of belt and return idler obstruction.
However, in the process, the dirty side of the belt passes through the bend and snub
pulleys and return idlers depositing small amount of material on them during each pass.

Bend and snub pulleys on

Take up pulley on
 BELT CLEANERS
The material particles enter in between the belt and the return rollers, and are
rolled between them. The material when particularly being abrasive, causes
fast wear of return rollers, pulleys and belt.

If the material is sticky, it will tend to build-up on return rollers and pulleys with
operational problems. Although the material sticking to belt is initially of tiny
proportion, but is converted into quantity of considerable magnitude during
long run. Therefore it is necessry to provide external belt cleaner at discharge
pulley to remove material sticking to belt.

Belt conveyor needs belt cleaners at two locations. One location is

immediately after discharge pulley, and the other location is just before tail
pulley. The belt cleaners at discharge pulley/s is known as „External belt
cleaner‟, and the belt cleaner prior to tail pulley is known as „Internal belt
cleaner‟.
 BELT CLEANERS
The external belt cleaners of various types are available to suit the material
being conveyed. Some of them are:
Single blade external belt scraper (cleaner)
This is simplest type of belt cleaner. The cleaner has single blade, generally
of rubber, which is pressed against blade by counter weight levers. The
blades scraps off the material particles from belt surface. The construction
permits easy replacement of worn out blade. The material being removed by
scraper merges with the main material flow into chute. The scraper is sturdy
in nature. The cleaning pressure is by never-fail / non-maintenance gravity
force.
Double blade external belt scraper (cleaner)
Constructionally it is similar to single blade external scraper, except that the
cleaning blades are two in number, instead of one. This obviously enhances
the belt cleaning action.
 BELT CLEANERS
Skew multi-blade external belt scraper (cleaner)
This scraper has short length multiple blades, which are positioned at
approximately 20° to 40° to belt travel. The blade cleaning area overlaps each
other so that full width of belt is cleaned. The cleaning action is smooth and free
from vibration / jerks, because cleaning is at shallow angle instead of right angle
to belt travel.
(a) Spring loaded scrapper
(b) Weight operated scrapper
(c) Hydraulically operated scrapper
(d) Rotating helical scrapper
(e) Vibrating scrapper
 BELT CLEANERS
Internal belt cleaner
The internal belt cleaner is in the form of belt scraper. This is located prior to
tail pulley and other bend pulley on return side, where spilled material on
return belt is likely to be trapped between pulley and belt.
In the event of material spillage from carrying run, some portion of this
material is likely to fall on return run. Maintenance spanner or similar objects
left on return belt, if trapped between belt and pulley, creates damage. The
internal scraper removes such item for protection of belt and pulley.
The scrapper has cleaning blade in V-form to deflect and discharge the spilled
material at belt-sides. The internal scraper works more as a safety precaution.
The scraper blade is made from rubber or polyurethane material. The blade in
scrapper assembly freely rests on belt to impart cleaning pressure by self-
weight.
 BELT CLEANERS

1. on drive pulley,
2. at about 200 mm after the tangential point where belt leaves pulley,
3. on internal side of belt on the return section and before snub pulleys or bend
pulley,
4. on internal side of belt before the return pulley

Ideal positions of installation of belt cleaning devices

 BELT WEIGHER
Belt weighers are incorporated in the bulk material conveyor system at critical
points, to know the flow information which includes (i) Flow rate (tph) and (ii)
Quantity being conveyed (tonnes)

The belt weigher measures material weight on belt segment supported by its
weigh bridge. This is proportional to material mass per unit length (kg/m). It
also measures belt speed by speed/rpm sensor. The processor unit of the belt
weigher calculates the product of the aforesaid two quantities, which reflects
the flow rate (tph).

These indications are useful to set discharge rate of various feeders in the
system, and thereby the operating capacity and efficiency of the entire plant.

The belt weigher should be installed in straight length zone of conveyor, away
from concave radius (belt tension should not effect load on weighbridge).
BELT WEIGHER
 REFERENCES
1. Engineering Science and Application Design for Belt Conveyors by I. G. Mulani
2. Materials Handling Equipment by M. P. Alexandrov
3. Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials – CEMA , Sixth Edition, 2005
4. Indian Standard: Selection and Design of Belt Conveyors – Code of Practice,
IS 11592: 2000
5. Conveyor Handbook - Fenner-Dunlop, 2009
6. Conveyor Belts Design Fundamentals (DIN 22101), Phoneix, 2004
7. Idler Catalogue- RULMECA
8. Latest Developments in Belt Conveyor Technology - M. A. Alspaugh,
Overland Conveyor. Co., Inc. - Presented at MINExpo 2004, Las Vegas,USA