The main considerations to select a proper conveyor belt

It is obvious from the preceding that selecting the correct conveyor belt for your application involves a myriad of considerations. Final selection may very well represent a compromise between what is desired and what is available. It is often necessary to modify one requirement in order to get a more important requirement satisfied. To assist you in obtaining the proper information required to select a proper belt construction, the following check list is provided.

1. Material Conveyed

• General description
• Density, pounds per cubic foot (pcf)
• Lump size
• Presence of oils or chemicals, if any
• Maximum temperature of load, if hot
• Requirements of fire resistance

2. Maximum loading rate or required maximum capacity, tons (2000 Ibs.) per hour (tph)

3. Belt width, inches

4. Belt speed, feet per minute (fpm)

5. Center of center distance (length) of belt

6. Profile of Conveyor

• Profile distance along conveyor path
• Elevations
• Locations of all vertical curves and angle of slope

7. Drive

• Single-pulley or two-pulley
• If two-pulley, geared tandem or dual￾drive
• If dual-drive, distribution of total motor horsepower at primary and secondary drive pulleys
• Angle of belt warp on drive pulley(s)
• Location of drive; Pulley surface, bare or tagged; Type of lagging.
• Type of starting to be employed.

8. Pulley Diameters. These may require confirmation according to the belt requirement.

9. Take-up

• Type
• Location

10. Idlers

• Type, roll diameter, angle of trough
• Spacing, including transition distance at head and tail.

11. Type of loading arrangement

• Chutes
• Free-fall distance, lumps to belt
• Skirt board length

12. Lowest cold weather operating temperature anticipated if applicable Type of belt splice to be used  

Note: It is obvious that all of the above information is not required for the short method of belt selection. But, it is well to learn to look for this information.

To assist you in collecting as much information as possible on the conveyor system, a copy of the SKE “Belting Data Sheet” is shown on the following page. When asking for Belt Wizard assistance in selecting a conveyor belt, please fill out as much of this information as possible.

Belt length and width are, of course, determined by the conveyor system. It is wise to actually measure both, since memories are frequently faulty and conveyors are modified from time to time.

When measuring length, the take-up is run to the minimum position, the length required is determined by steel tape and a short length added for ease of splicing. The length should be such that the take-up pulley will be 30% down the slide for installation and splicing. This will allow for additional footage, in case another splice is required before the belt stretches to its final position. This will also allow 70% of the take-up area for belt stretch.

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