Pubdate：05-12-2021 Views：1576
Conveyor belt damage is inevitable. In most cases, the damaged belt can be repaired by engineers. If we ignore the damage, it may cause heavy accident. So, how can we repair the conveyor belt? You can learn the method to repair conveyor belt.
These are the main methods used to repair a damaged conveyor belt.
Vulcanization — the use of heat, time and pressure to re-splice a belt — is the most reliable conveyor belt repair method, as it creates the highest return to original belt strength. The vulcanization technique depends on the type of belt cover material: Thermoset rubber covered or thermoplastic covered.
Thermoset rubber belt cover examples are natural rubber, SBR, neoprene and nitrile and are common in non-food applications. Thermoplastic belt covers include PVC, polyurethane and polyolefin and are used in applications with direct food contact. For more information on the difference between these belt cover materials, check out this resource from the NIBA.
To repair belts with thermoset rubber covers, low heat (around 250 degrees Fahrenheit) vulcanization and an hour cooling period is used. For thermoplastic covers, high heat vulcanization is used (325 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit) with a cool time of around six minutes.
Vulcanization is the best and most dependable repair method for its speed and reliable return to original belt strength. When a thermoset rubber covered belt is damaged, this is the first choice for maintenance managers. However, it should be noted that when there is cover damage on a food-grade belt (a.k.a. thermoplastic covered belts), the damage is almost always non-repairable for sanitation concerns; in those scenarios, replacement is the best option.
A second option for conveyor belt repair, metal fasteners are quick and easy to apply. On the downside, metal fasteners offer considerably less strength than vulcanization, and there is also potential for lacing to pop up. This can cut workers, the product, or even break off and end up in the production line — making them unsuitable to repair food-grade belts.
Metal fasteners are a good back-up repair option for non-food-grade belts and should be used only to provide a temporary solution until the belt can be vulcanized or replaced. Given their risks for safety and belt reliability, metal fasteners are not meant to act as a permanent solution.
The final and least desirable repair method is cold curing (also known as cold vulcanization). The two-part cement is made up of a base compound and a curing agent. Under time and pressure, the curing agent solidifies and bonds with the surface.
Cold curing is used only when space constraints in the plant don’t allow vulcanization equipment to access the belt. This method is the least desirable, however, because you must wait 24 to 36 hours for the curing agent to set, and the cement creates a stiff, rigid surface that poses issues at transfer points. This repair method should only be utilized by maintenance managers if no other repair option is viable and immediate replacement isn’t possible.
To summarize, vulcanization is the first choice for maintenance managers for repairing belts, with metal fasteners providing a quick-fix option until there is a window of downtime for vulcanization or replacement. Cold curing or cold vulcanization is a last resort repair method.
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