Belt Conveying in Building Materials Plants

Abrasive mineral at high tonnage attacks belt covers, skirt seals and chute liners, and the fines released at each drop become the plant dust problem.

Carryback on the return side builds up on idlers and under the conveyor.

A conveying line that delivers the rate without spillage, keeps the product in the condition it arrived in and can be cleaned and maintained without a shutdown.

The transfer chute is the key component: it should guide the stream onto the receiving belt at a matched speed and in the direction of travel.

Skirting systems that seal without pressing on the belt reduce both spillage and cover wear, and modern designs use an air-sealed gap rather than a rubber strip under tension.

Belt cleaners are maintenance items: a cleaner that is not tensioned correctly leaves carryback and wears the cover at the same time.

• Chute geometry derived from the material trajectory at design speed.
• Skirt and sealing system chosen to avoid cover damage.
• Belt cleaner inspection as a scheduled task.

• Particle size, abrasiveness and moisture of the material.
• Belt speed and loading, which set cover life.
• Drop height and the available space for a designed chute.
• Dust control requirement at transfer points and at loading.
• Access for belt cleaner and skirt maintenance.