Tracking Methods. Solid steel belts can be tracked on a conveyor by several different methods. The belt can be furnished plain which requires some external tracking method or can be furnished with v-ropes attached to the bottom side which either rides in grooves or on the outside of the rotating drums or sheaves.

Plain Belts. With plain belts, terminal drums are used in the construction of the conveyor. The belt can be tracked by increasing or decreasing the pressure on one edge of the belt. The belt will move in the direction of the lower pressure. There are different methods of applying the pressure--mechanical or by oil or air cylinders.  Details of these methods will not he covered in this bulletin.

Belts with V-ropes. V-ropes can be attached to the backside of a solid steel belt.  The steel belt can then be tracked by either running the v-ropes in grooves machined into sheaves or drums or by running the v-ropes outside of the drum or sheave width or a combination of sheaves and a drum. In either case, the attachment of the v-rope to the steel belt is very critical.

Bonding Method.  V-rope can be attached to the steel belt by a number of bonding methods. The most popular method is with the use of a hot-bonding tape. In this method, vulcanized v-rope is bonded to the surface ot the belt. For the bond to hold, it is necessary that the vulcanized v-rope be acid etched to create a cracked surface to which the bond can become attached.  Likewise, the surface of the belt has to be prepared so that the bond can make an attachment.  V-ropes attached by this bonding method have an upper operating limit of less than 212° F (100° C)

Vulcanizing Method. Un-vulcanized v-rope is directly vulcanized onto the surface by heat and pressure. There is no intermediate bonding agent and the rubber of the v-rope is directly attached to the steel belt. This method provides the strongest attachment and the highest heat resistance of all the methods used today for steel belts. V-ropes attached by the vulcanization method have heat resistance up to 356° F (180° C). Belts using this method of v-ropes can be used for applications requiring higher temperatures such as belts heated by steam. Also, v-ropes attached by this method works extremely well for side dams because it provides higher temperature resistance than bonded v-ropes.

Studded Method.  Studs can be spot welded to the steel belt to which  v-rope is mechanically attached. The temperature resistance is determinated by the v-rope. However, the spot welding of the studs alters the structure of the belt and has been know to cause premature fatigue cracking at the location of the studs. One has to take this into consideration when using this method of attaching v-rope.

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.