Urgent: Conveyor System Maintenance is Required!

When considering the purchase of an automated conveyor system, you should also be considering the maintenance aspects of the system. If you have implemented a conveyor system already, then you should be doubly aware of the maintenance requirements!

Every conveyor system will require some maintenance in order to perform as designed and to prevent downtime and breakdowns. With some simple awareness, maintenance and cleaning, your conveyor system will give you many years of reliable service and many more than if you did not pay any consideration to this essential aspect of conveyor system ownership. So here are some handy things to consider:

The Signs of a Conveyor System in Need of Some TLC
The danger signs are often poor or noisy operation, a build-up of metal filings or even dirty conveyor components. These signs will almost certainly lead to a loss of efficiency, loss of operation or a complete breakdown with downtime. Breakdowns and downtime can occur at the worst possible time when product is required urgently by customers.

A Cleaner Conveyor is a Healthier Conveyor
The most important aspect of conveyor system maintenance is system cleanliness. Dirt and other foreign material can cause damage if lodged in the moving components of a conveyor system. Cleanliness is and should be considered the prime responsibility of the maintenance department as well as with other employees who come into contact with the conveyors.

More or Less Lubrication?
Another important aspect of conveyor system maintenance is that of lubrication. More harm can be done to moving components in your conveyor system by over lubrication than by under lubricating. It is not uncommon for a grease seal to burst under the pressure of excessive lubrication thereby ruining the bearing. If in doubt about the amount of grease required, lubricate sparingly, or not at all.

The Nuts and Bolts of Maintenance
To ensure problem free operation, nuts and bolts should be checked and tightened regularly. All mechanisms with moving linkages and pivots should be checked for freeness and kept clean and oiled with a light oil at regular intervals. Lubrication is also required between bearing pin and bush and roller and also between link plates at the pinch points.

What About the Chains?
In the case of chains and sprockets, the lubrication should be applied immediately after the chain leaves the sprocket and with the chain running. Chains can be best lubricated with a brush and lubricant. The chain and sprocket should be kept clean and lubricated. Remove old dried oil by wiping with a solvent soaked rag. Finally, check sprocket alignment using a straight edge and re-align if necessary. The chain should have 10 – 25mm of movement to maintain proper tension. The sprocket set screws should be checked for tightness.

Motor Oil!
Where geared motors or worm boxes have been used in your conveyor system it is recommended that the oil levels are checked and re-filled periodically. Roller bearings are lubricated and sealed for life. No attention is required other than inspection for correct operation.

What about Conveyor Belting?
An initial stretch of 3% can be expected with this type of belt. Whilst most of this is taken up during commissioning, it is recommended that the belts be checked after 6 weeks of operation and the take-ups further adjusted if necessary. During commissioning, the conveyor belts have been adjusted to run along the approximate centreline of the conveyor. When adjustments are made for tensioning of the belts, it is imperative to take great care in adjusting both sides of the roller by an equal amount to retain this tracking. Please note that bad tracking will cause belt edge wear and will considerably reduce the life of the conveyor belt.

Take Care
So far as it is practical, maintenance on conveyors should only be performed when the equipment is correctly isolated. If it is necessary to power the conveyor while performing start up checks, extreme care should be taken to avoid catching clothing, fingers, tools, etc. in the moving parts.

To assist you in your own conveyor system’s maintenance (or to help you in your decision making process regarding the purchase of a new conveyor system and what it involves), you can find a general maintenance check-list (you should be referring to this check-list in order to ensure your conveyor system provides continuous high performance) below:

If you are experiencing conveyor reliability issues, require spare parts or are seeking advice on servicing requirements, talk to Adept Conveyor Technologies. We manufacture high quality conveyor systems, in Australia, for a broad range of industries. We have an enormous depth of experience and knowledge. We will help you with any materials handling project, at every step of the way, and never walk away until the job is completed to your satisfaction.

A typical regime of maintenance checks for a powered conveyor system would include the following tasks:

Daily Checks
(1) General Housekeeping and cleaning;
(2) Cursory Inspection for correct operation;
(3) Removal of foreign objects from the conveyor system.

Weekly Checks
(1) Check that all rollers are rotating;
(2) Clean or wipe PE sensor lenses and reflectors.

Monthly Checks
(1) Inspect roller chain condition;
(2) Lubricate bearings if necessary;
(3) Check gearbox oil levels;
(4) Check that gear motor is running correctly;
(5) Inspect conveyor drive and remove any foreign material;
(6) Inspect chain drive for correct tension;
(7) Check for correct operation of limit switches and PE sensors;
(8) Lubricate universal joints on curves.

Quarterly Checks
(1) Check roller and bearing condition;
(2) Check drive sprocket and chain condition and adjust if necessary;
(3) Check for loose guard rail and correct if necessary.

Annual Checks
(1) Grease conveyor drive chain;
(2) Inspect components for wear and tear and replace if required;
(3) Check conveyor bed condition, splice plates, support mounting and adjusting bolts for loose equipment and tighten if required;
(4) Visually check condition of electrical equipment.

DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2014