Warning systems increase conveyor belt safety

Conveyor belts are subjected to heavy loads in many applications – whether in mining or else in other industrial use. Years of stress and conveyance of sharp-edged objects can leave their mark on conveyor belts.

ContiTech has developed a new electronic conveyor belt warning and inspection system, which looks to detect damage at an early stage and determine the state of conveyor belts. The durable systems aim to enhance safety at operations where conveyor belts are used.

Protect

Conti®Protect warning systems protect conveyor belt systems from major damage, thereby making an important contribution to increasing operational safety, thanks to a reduction in damage-related idle times. The system’s splice elongation measurement element is designed to monitor large conveyor belt systems, and detects irregularities in the splice length with the help of magnetic markings.

"Monitoring the splice increases the operational safety of conveyor systems with ever lower safety factors and ever higher conveyor belt strengths," says Arndt Bunzel, application engineer of the Mining World segment at the ContiTech Conveyor Belt Group.

The system’s belt rip detection detects longitudinal rips in the conveyor belt early on with the help of vulcanised conductor loops. With improved conductor loops and a lower electromagnetic susceptibility to faults, the belt warning system prevents incorrect messages and thus expensive system standstills. Moreover, online support is also available: On request, company experts can log into the system and check and optimise processes via remote maintenance.

Inspect

Conti®Inspect systems supply data that can be used to make prognoses regarding the remaining service life of the conveyor belt and to estimate the investment costs more accurately. This makes an important contribution toward reducing operating costs and protecting the environment. The mobile belt thickness measurement system measures the thickness of the conveyor belt across the entire length of the belt.

Surface damage can be detected at an early stage with the continuous surface inspection system. Modern scan technologies are used to inspect the conveyor belt surface and to gain a detailed image of the belt surface and quality. Belt warning systems can be used during ongoing system operation. System holding times for painstaking inspections can therefore be avoided, and the outlay for conveyor belt inspections reduced.

Cord monitoring, meanwhile, monitors the steel cord of the carcass with a magnetic-inductive procedure and allows its condition to be assessed precisely.

Warning systems meet high standards

The newly developed belt warning systems by the ContiTech Conveyor Belt Group meet the high standards from the automotive field, and guarantee a high level of safety.

Adapted from press release by Sam Dodson

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/product-news/05062014/conveyor_belt_warning_systems_pr37/