Normally a solid steel belt is damaged by some outside element that makes it necessary to replace the belt. The belt should only contact rotating parts such as pulleys, sheaves, idlers, etc., which were specifically designed to be contacted. If the belt should ever contact any other member of the conveyor, the belt should be immediately stopped and the problem should be rectified.

All rotating parts should be constantly checked to make sure that they rotate freely. If an idler or backup roll does not rotate freely, the belt should be immediately stopped and the part should be corrected. A part that does not rotate will rub the belt and can cause the belt to lose shape. It is not uncommon to see flat spots worn on a idler or backup roll that has stopped rotating. If this happens, the solid steel belt can be deeply scratched by the non-rotating part and this can cause the belt to lose shape.

The conveyor should be checked for proper alignment. An improperly aligned conveyor can cause tracking problems on a plain belt or excessive wear on the v-ropes of belts which are used for belt tracking.  If excessive wear is noticed on one of the v-ropes, the alignment of the conveyor should be checked. Excessive wear of the v-rope can cause the v-rope to loosen from the belt.

The surface of pulleys or sheaves should be kept clean. Any item that might get between the pulley or sheave and the belt can cause damage to the belt. Damaged spots if not repaired can eventually lead to cracks.

The v-grooves on tracking sheaves or pulleys should be kept clean. Any buildup of product or other contamination in the groove could cause damage to the belt edge. If the belt edge is damaged, it should be repaired.

The edge of the belt should be occasionally inspected to make sure something has not contacted the edge and deformed the edge. If the edge of the steel belt has been deformed and/or has a sharp edge or burrs, the edge should be filed to remove the sharp edge or burrs and should be made round.

If an edge crack should occur, it should be immediately repaired. Welding is the suggested method for repairing a crack. If properly performed, the repair can last a long time.

An inspection procedure which checks rotating parts, the v-rope for wear, the belt edge, the pulley and/or sheave surfaces, the alignment can be very important to the life of a belt. This procedure which takes only a few minutes every week can save many hours of production time.  

Contibelt Systems believes the information herein to be reliable. However, the technical information is given by Contibelt Systems without charge, and the user shall employ such information at own discretion and risk. Contibelt Belt Systems assumes no responibility for results obtained or damages incurred from the use of such information in whole or in part.