identifying and correcting

conveyor belt mistracking

 introduction
Keeping conveyor belts aligned is directly related to reducing the escape
of fugitive material and costly damage to the belt and conveyor
structure. In order to effectively keep belts in line, one must
understand the root causes of belt mistracking and how to
correctly rectify them. In this ebook, we will cover how to
properly prevent belt misalignment and the problems
that come along with it.

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 table of contents
Preventative Best Practices Corrective Best Practices

Belt Splicing 5 Train the Belt 14

Belt Camber 6 Belt Alignment Hardware 15

Cupped Belt 7 Belt Tracking Devices 16

Junction Joint Failure 8

Structure 9

Components 10

Off-Center Loading 11

Segregated Loading 12

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 preventative best practices

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 belt splicing
Improper, damaged, or crooked splicing can
be a contributing factor to misaligned belts. A
crooked splice is most easily recognized at the
tail pulley where the belt will quickly jump as the
splice is encountered.

Be sure to properly install, inspect, and

maintain splices.

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 belt camber
Belt camber is characterized by the warping of a
belt into a curved bow. Camber can be identified
as the belt runs. The belt will slowly “walk” or
track to one side and back again.

Incorrect storage is the main reason for belt

camber. Be sure to store the belt off the ground,
on a rack, supported through the core. Randomly
rotate the belt every 90 days to ensure the load
is evenly distributed throughout the carcass.
Finally, keep the belt covered with a tarp or
wrapped in an opaque, water-
resistant material.

Making sure the

conveyor belting is in
good condition plays a
huge role in keeping it
aligned.

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 cupped belt
Cupping of the belt is another symptom of poor
belt condition or incorrect installation. A belt can
cup when exposed to extreme heat, chemicals,
or over tensioning. These factors will cause the
belt to exceed its “troughability.”
Cupped belts do not properly contact the
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return rolls, making it difficult to keep the belt
on course.
To ensure the belt can be used to its full
potential, make sure it is properly tensioned
so it can lie down on the idlers and try to
eliminate stressors if possible.
 junction joint failure

Junction joint failure occurs when the outer

edges of the belt undergo greater stretch
than the center of the belt. The cause of this is
inadequate transition distance - either too little
or too much space provided for the transition.

Belts with junction joint failure can’t make

good contact with return rollers, negatively
affecting tracking.

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 structure
The structure in addition to all terminal pulleys
must be aligned. Out-of-align structural
components and pulleys will prevent the belt
from staying in line.

All pulleys must be square for the belt to

have any chance to run straight.

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 components
To maintain proper alignment, all carrying and Ensure that rolling components are aligned
return idlers must be able to roll freely. and free of built-up material.

In addition, it should be checked that there is

no excess drag from unevenly-tensioned belt
cleaners or improperly-adjusted skirting.

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 off-center loading
Material loaded onto one side of the belt will
guide it to one side of the conveyor.

Ensuring proper chute design will reduce off-

center loading.

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 segregated loading
Segregated loading disrupts the weight of the
cargo as small fines are loaded onto one side of
the belt while larger pieces fall to the other side,
ultimately steering the belt’s path.

Segregated loading can be reduced through

proper chute design.

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 corrective best practices

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 train the belt
Low-tension areas of the belt have more contact
with rolling components, therefore have more
influence on belt tracking and alignment. These
low-tension areas are always located after the
drive pulley meaning that there can be multiple
low-tension areas in multi-drive conveyor
systems.

Observe belt tracking in areas of low tension

and make adjustments as needed.

• Make 1/8” corrections by knocking the roll

prior to where mistracking occurs

• Run the belt two or three rotations

• If mistracking still occurs, adjust another

1/8”

• Track the belt when empty

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 belt alignment hardware
Belt misalignment switches provide notifications
of belt mistracking so crews can react in a timely
manner.

In addition to notifications, passive tracking

solutions use mechanical devices to prevent the
belt from traveling into structure or components.
This type of solution is utilized in an effort to
prevent catastrophic problems.

Dynamic solutions react to belt mistracking and

correct it. This type of solution is typically more
costly but also more effective.

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 belt tracking devices
A belt tracker provides immediate, continuous
precision adjustment of wandering conveyor
belts to reduce edge damage, prevent spillage,
and extend belt life.
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A reversing tracker provides adjustment of
hard-to-track reversing conveyors, effectively
centering the belt regardless of the direction of
travel.
A roller tracker eliminates belt wander with a
vibration-free rolling action and requires minimal
maintenance.
 on-demand webinar
Key Concepts Covered

The root cause of belt mistracking • Tactics to correct mistracking

Products to aid in belt tracking • 2 wildly important phrases to aid in tracking

click here to view

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