Winter Maintenance for Conveyors: Keep Your Belts Running Smoothly

The long winter freeze means your equipment is dealing with longer wear and tear. Conveyors, often overlooked, are one of the most neglected pieces of equipment on a crushing spread. Yet, when you tally up costs, conveyor belting likely represents the single largest parts expense. Investing some time and money in conveyor maintenance now can help your lines withstand another season of challenging conditions.

When maintaining conveyors, focus on these three main goals:

  1. Keep the belt turning
  2. Keep the belt in one piece
  3. Keep the material on the belt when carrying, and off the belt when returning

1. Keeping the Belt Turning

Your power transmission components are crucial for this.

  • Pulleys
    • Prolong pulley life by maintaining the lagging.
    • Use weld-on slide lagging for quick and easy replacement.
    • If re-vulcanizing the head pulley, make sure it’s stripped and sandblasted first.
    • Consider wing-lagging options for tail pulleys.
    • Many pulleys are interchangeable across locations; replace worn pulleys with new ones and rebuild the old ones as critical spares (Replace and Rebuild).
  • Bearings
    • Check that bearings are in good operating condition and confirm they’re appropriate for the application.
    • Audit all bearings on your conveyors and consult your supplier to determine which are readily available and which have extended lead times. Plan your stock and critical spares accordingly.
  • Sheaves and V-Belts
    • Some operators prefer to replace all sheaves and v-belts at once to ensure a full season of uninterrupted operation.
  • Gearboxes
    • If your gearbox has over 2,000 hours, consider changing the oil.
    • Remove and clean all breathers to prolong seal life.
    • If there’s leaking oil, prioritize replacing and rebuilding the gearbox.

2. Keeping the Belt in One Piece

  • Splicing and Patching
    • Splice or patch any concerning areas on the conveyor belt.
  • Rollers and Frames
    • Inspect every roller frame and bracket for damage. Turn each idler by hand to check for any seized rollers, and plan your idler inventory accordingly.
  • Self-Aligning Rollers
    • On belts 60 feet or longer, add a self-aligning trough-set or return roller to aid in belt tracking.
  • V-Plows
    • Install v-plows where possible to keep debris out of tail pulleys. Replace worn rubber on existing v-plows.

3. Keeping Material on the Belt When Carrying, and Off When Returning

  • Lining Chutes and Hoppers
    • Line any chutes and hoppers with wear-resistant rubber to reduce material buildup and improve flow.
  • Flashing
    • Inspect and replace all flashing to prevent spillage and contamination.
  • Conveyor Frame
    • Inspect the frame structure itself; years of neglect and abuse may have left it in need of welding repairs to strengthen it for the challenges ahead.

If your inspection turns up any areas of concern, address them now before production deadlines are impacted. Prepare your conveyors to keep them moving all season long, no matter how hard winter hits.