Success Case: Modular belt solution in tyres industry

Process description

 

The collaboration of Eurobelt was proposed to help solving a frequent maintenance operation needed in the “Midcap vertical feed conveyor”.
This is the process that takes the rubber sheet coming out from the wig wag unit and metal detector and puts the rubber sheet into the extruder hopper feeder.
The belt is 1020 mm wide by 16.6 metres long and works at ambient temperature between 25 to 40ºC.
The rubber sheet conveyed has an ambient temperature and it does not imply any stress or strain due to thermal reasons.
The process is composed of 2 conveyors that work together.
Conveyor 1 (in red) collects the rubber sheet that comes out of the metal detector bringing it to its elbow pit where due to the pressure with the return axe of conveyor 2 (in blue) is vertically lifted up to the elbow of conveyor 2 where the rubber sheet bends to horizontal position and its driven to the hopper feeder of the extruder.

LINE DIAGRAM OF THE PROCESS:

 

 

 

Initial technical construction and Maintenance issues
Initially both conveyors were Flush Grid Friction Top, with 1016 mm, pitch 0.6 “, one side rubberised in PP Grey.
The process required maintenance every 2 to 3 weeks, which caused significant economic losses:
• Cost of maintenance intervention.
• Frequency of stoppage of the manufacturing line with production stoppage and loss of result.
The process suffered maintenance with a high frequency due to the following issues in the conveyors:
• Due to vertical application of the conveyor, the centre elements of the belt were leading with respect to the extreme modules. Therefore, it caused belt damaging and needing to replace modules and links every 2 or 3 weeks. (see pictures 1, 2 and 3)
• Since the application is Vertical Sandwich Feeding Line, the rubber sheets used to slip between conveyor 1 & 2 causing the issue of sheet jamming and resulting rejection of those rubber sheets.
• Conveyor 1 used to have severe tracking issue, due to uneven pressure by Conveyor 2 which caused conveyor 1 belt damage too.

 

 

Provided solution
We provided the client using Eurobelt – E 30 Flush Grid with Friction Top Material – PP Grey with PP Connecting rods for Conveyor 2 and so working together with Conveyor 1 of the previous construction and belt product. E30 Flat Friction Picture 4:

 

 

• It was changed the sprocket bore diameter from 40 mm to 60 mm with square bore to help distributing the rotational effort in longer bore side of plastic material and decreasing the deflexion effect at the shaft. This has caused the sprockets to last longer and stronger shaft.
• It was also suggested to lock only centre sprocket to avoid mechanical strength due to different coefficient of expansion of PP of the belt material and Iron of the shaft.
The provided solution works perfectly together with the existing belt as can be seen in the picture 5. In this image the left black belt is the initial belt of the Conveyor 1 and the right grey belt is the Eurobelt E30 Flat Friction.
In picture 6 can be seen the conveyor 2 Eurobelt E30 Flat Friction new belt by inside of the elbow pit and the initially installed 0.6 inches flush grid one side rubberised in the external of the elbow pit with the rubber sheet in between.
They work together without the need to change both belts at one time.

 

 

In the following pictures 7 and 8 it can be seen both belts, conveyor 1 with the initial product installed and conveyor 2 with Eurobelt E30 installed working together in the elbow pit of Conveyor 1. In the same pictures can also be appreciated that the same problem that Conveyor 2 had appears in Conveyor 1, that is being studied to be changed also shortly

 

Finally in pictures 9 and 10 it can be seen both belts working together in the elbow of Conveyor 2 where the rubber sheet turns horizontal and is driven to the hopper feeder.

 

 

Success of the installation
The installation was completed in June 2017 and from the moment it started working it has not been necessary to do any another maintenance intervention.
The Eurobelt E30 Flat Friction has not required replacement of lines / modules, or changes of rods.
The new sprockets have not been replaced and are working from the installation date without any problem.
The problem of slipping the rubber sheet between both conveyors vertically has been also solved.
It is expected to replace the Conveyor 1’s belt by Eurobelt E30 Flat Friction when it fails.
Our customer went from having an application with maintenance every 2 or 3 weeks to having an application without any maintenance for more than 2 years.
Eurobelt is not a simple manufacturer of conveyor belts, we provide solutions to your transport applications, helping you to save money.