Conveyors - Troubleshooting
Liquid Packaging Solutions manufactures a number of different conveyors and conveyor systems. LPS conveyors are available in aluminum construction, stainless steel construction or HDPE construction! Various belt width and belt types are available as well, along with custom systems that may include curved conveyors, serpentine conveyors or other custom conveyors. Below you will find some of the most common issues faced over time by the users of different conveyor types along with some possible solutions! Keep in mind that many different conveyors and conveyor belting exist and the notes below will not apply to ALL conveyor types! If you have a question about your conveyor, feel free to contact Liquid Packaging Solutions toll free at 1-888-393-3693!
EXCESSIVE BELT WEAR
Most commonly, excessive belt wear comes from a conveyor frame that for one reason or another is no longer level or square. Simply check to ensure that the machine is level and make any necessary adjustments to the conveyor before running the system again!
Another common issue when excessive conveyor belt wear is noted comes from abrasive material accumulating on the conveyor belt. Care should be taken to blow off the conveyor and keep it clean if using such a product or when such build up is noticed. A good practice is to clean the conveyor every day at the end of the production run. However, caution should be taken if using water or cleaner on the conveyor, as not all conveyors come equipped with washdown motors and controllers! Any cleaner used on conveyors should be checked against the material of the belting to make certain any chemicals in the cleaner will not eat away the belt! In most cases, conveyor and conveyor belting life can be prolonged by keeping them clean with air or a simple wipe down with water!
IMPROPER TRACKING OF THE BELT
There can exist several reasons for an improperly tracking belt on a conveyor. Again, one of the first things to check is the levelness or squareness of the conveyor frame. If the machine is not level, realign it before restarting the machine and check the tracking of the belt again.
If the machine IS level, next check the conveyor shafts to make sure these are also level and square. If the shafts have been offset for any reason, the belt may bind and track improperly. A simple adjustment to the conveyor shafts may also fix this issue.
Finally, material build up on the underside of the conveyor belt has been found to contribute to improper tracking of the conveyor belt. Material build up on the underside of the conveyor can cause the teeth on the sprockets to incorrectly engage on the belt, in turn causing improper tracking of the conveyor belt. Simply cleaning the belt and the sprockets will often correct the issue!
HINGE PINS MIGRATING OUT OR SPROCKETS MOVING LATERALLY
On some conveyor belting, hinge pins are seated in the belting itself. If the conveyor hinge pins are moving outside the edge of the belting, check to see if they are properly seated in the belting. Alternatively, inspect the conveyor shafts to ensure they are level and square. Make the necessary adjustments and hold the shaft in place with a set collar!
If you find your sprockets straying from position, check the keystock! The keystock is the small piece of metal that fits between the shaft and the sprocket. Stray sprockets probably mean either a missing or misaligned keystock!
FLIGHT WEAR/DAMAGE
Certain conveyor belting will come equipped with flights. For example, the conveyor belting on a cap elevator uses flights to hold caps in place to be delivered to the capper chute! Excessive flight damage or wear is normally caused by snagging flights on a return or at a corner. Often, the conveyor will be set up next to another packaging machine and the flights can catch on the adjacent machine. Excessive wear to flights is most often corrected by readjusting machine alignment to stop friction or by tightening a conveyor belt to remove excess slack that causes flights to catch on the underside of the conveyor!
Conveyor flight wear may also be caused by a change in product or product size! Flights are normally set up on a conveyor to handle a specific product or products. If a new product or container is introduced, it may not align quite as well to the flights! In this scenario, new belting or new flights may be necessary!
Again, these are only some of the most common challenges faced by users of some of the most common conveying systems over time! If you have any questions about your conveying system or any other packaging machine on your packaging system, do not hesitate to contact Liquid Packaging Solutions, Inc. directly at:
1-888-393-3693