After Covid 19, businesses are very concerned with their spending and budgets. Many companies face the challenge of keeping old conveyors and need help meeting customer needs. Unlike fine wine, mechanical equipment doesn’t usually get better with age. Don’t worry yourself thinking in the same position as we are here with a few conveyor system maintainable tips. These seven tips will extend your machine’s life; later, you will thank us. So here we go!
1. Maintenance Technician
If your system goes down and you can’t get the goods out the door, would you rather spend money on missing sales or a professional maintenance technician?
Toolbelt-wearing employees are the unsung heroes of every firm. One of the firms’ most significant mistakes is not employing or paying maintenance professionals. Would you see the cheapest doctor if you were sick? Skilled technicians fix small faults before they become worse.
2. Spare Parts
Mechanical components wear down with time and break at the worst possible times.
A breakdown might cause a significant delay in output, depending on the nature of the failure. Leaving a broken component or part for too long without replacing it might cause irreparable damage to the rest of the conveyor. We strongly advise always having a backup supply of any urgent or time-consuming to get conveyor components.
3. Preventive Maintenance
If you repair things as they break, you’ll have a lot of broken things to mend. Conveyors and other mechanical equipment need regular upkeep. Preventative maintenance for various body systems might vary in complexity. It’s the same as driving your automobile. If you do regular maintenance, it will last for a long time. You’ll spend much time idling on the shoulder if you have yet to service your vehicle. You should always remember to use your machine regularly so that it runs smoothly.
4. Keep your belt clean.
Hygiene and safety are many reasons to keep your conveyor belt clean. Conveyors with unclean belts, particularly on the bottom, can only handle this much weight before the belt slips. Similarly, residue on the belt rollers and other conveyor elements may shorten the service life of the belt and the motor. Keeping your conveyor belt clean will last long in your conveyor’s life.
Think about getting a conveyor with built-in belt scrapers, belt lifters, and CIP systems to keep your belt clean without taking it apart every time.
5. Keep the motor clean.
Dust, grime, oil, or food debris on a motor may block airflow, leading to overheating and potential failure. Overheating a motor causes it to fail and need replacement. Have your cleaning crew maintain your conveyor motor routinely to keep it from overheating.
6. Check your bearings.
Be sure to check the conveyor’s bearings regularly. A common reason for conveyor failure is loose or dry bearings. You should never forget to grease the bearings, which should be in your daily routine. Self-aligning sealed bearings are also available, which eliminate the need for frequent lubrication.
If your bearing needs lubrication, remove any oil from the belt that may have gotten on it. Conveyor belts are susceptible to harm from some lubricants if kept on for too long.
7. Repair Wisely
Keeping up with routine maintenance on a massive material handling system is a challenging task. We should focus on repairs based on how much time they will take. For instance, if a center drive’s bearing fails, it is more affordable to replace only the bearing rather than the whole drive. Changing the components often takes less time than taking the drive section apart. Intelligent problem-solving is essential.
Extending Conveyor Life
If you follow these seven tips, your belt conveyor will serve you well for many years before purchasing a new conveyor or relocating an old one to a different area of your plant. You must confirm the conveyor’s product rating with the manufacturer and adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintenance and upkeep. If you do this, your belt conveyor will continue functioning at peak efficiency.
