Conveyor Troubleshooting

Symptoms: Belt slows or stalls under load, squeal at the drive pulley, product backing up. Likely causes: Low belt tension; Worn or glazed pulley lagging; Overload or jam; Wet/contaminated belt. Fixes: Re-tension to spec at the take-up; check for permanent stretch. Inspect and replace lagging; clean a contaminated drive pulley. Clear the blockage; confirm load is within rated capacity. Fit scrapers/wipers; fix spillage upstream. Prevention: Scheduled tension checks, pulley-lagging inspection, keep belt and pulleys clean.

Symptoms: Belt drifts to one side, edge wear, rubbing on the frame, spillage. Likely causes: Frame/pulleys out of square; Uneven or off-centre loading; Material build-up on a pulley; Worn idlers. Fixes: Check level and squareness; align idlers and pulleys. Centre the load at the feed point; add load chutes/skirting. Clean pulleys; add a belt cleaner. Replace seized or worn idlers; add training idlers if needed. Prevention: Routine alignment checks, belt cleaners, centred loading.

Symptoms: Grinding, knocking or squealing; vibration felt at the frame. Likely causes: Failing roller/idler bearings; Debris in the mechanism; Drive chain/coupling wear. Fixes: Locate by touch/listening; replace the faulty roller. Lock out and clear debris from rollers and return path. Inspect chain tension and coupling; replace worn parts. Prevention: Vibration/bearing checks, guarding to keep debris out, lubrication schedule.

Symptoms: Motor hums or is dead, no movement on start command. Likely causes: Tripped overload or blown fuse; E-stop or interlock open; Jam/mechanical seizure; Control/sensor fault. Fixes: Check the starter overload and fuses; reset and find the cause of the trip. Verify all E-stops, guards and pull-cords are reset/closed. Lock out; turn by hand to find the seizure; clear it. Check start signal at the PLC and the run permissive. Prevention: Periodic interlock testing, overload sizing review, keep transfer points clear.

Symptoms: Material drops along the return run, housekeeping and slip hazards. Likely causes: Worn or missing belt cleaners; Mistracking spilling at edges; Carryback sticking to the belt. Fixes: Fit/replace primary and secondary belt scrapers. Correct tracking; add skirting at load points. Address material moisture; add belt washing if needed. Prevention: Belt-cleaner maintenance, tracking, load-point skirting.

Symptoms: Longitudinal rips, gouges, edge damage, frequent repairs. Likely causes: Trapped or sharp material; Seized idlers gouging the belt; Tracking causing edge wear. Fixes: Fix loading; add rip detection and chute design. Replace seized idlers; inspect the return run. Correct tracking; protect belt edges. Prevention: Loading/chute design, idler maintenance, tracking control.