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Conveyor belt adjustment (tension and alignment)

Timing & conveyor belts with mechanical joint system

When a belt drifts to the right or left, it's a problem of alignment or tension.

Instructions

The joint should be as straight as possible.
It can be made at an angle, but the cut must be precise.

If the rollers are not parallel to each other and/or the conveyor is not rigid enough, it can be very difficult to adjust the belt.

In all cases, take care to tension the belt gently and symmetrically at the start, and not to pull too hard on the joint to avoid damaging it.

Jonction de bande aussi droite que possible
  1. Check that the belt is sufficiently taut (it must not slip on the rollers).
    Caution: excessive tension can damage the splice and/or the roller bearings.
  2. Tension the belt gradually, once to the right, once to the left, to keep the rollers relatively parallel.
  3. Keep the belt clean and free of any objects that might interfere with adjustment.
Bande serrée à gauche
  1. Check that all rollers are parallel to each other. Individual rollers can interfere with adjustment.
  2. Make sure rollers are perpendicular to the belt and conveyor structure.
  3. Start the conveyor and rectify the tension to adjust the belt: if you tension to the left, the belt should run to the right (see images 2 and 3).
Bande serrée à droite
  1. If the setting is correct, check with the load. A loaded belt may react differently.
  2. If the belt is too tight, slacken on the opposite side instead of tightening on one side.

Recommendations and warnings

A few tips on belt alignment:

Bande serrée à gauche vue de haut
  1. A thin belt will always be easier to adjust than a thick, rigid belt, because it wraps more easily around the rollers.
  2. A loss of coating on the drive roller can lead to belt instability.
  3. If you notice that the belt reacts in the opposite way to what we have seen previously, i.e. if, when tensioning to the left, the belt goes to the left, then the applicable rule is not the one seen previously. In this case, it's not guided by the tension, but by the orientation of the rollers. See images 4 and 5.
  4. In fact, if the belt is wide in relation to its length and rather thick in relation to the diameter of the rollers, it can be difficult to adjust. Use as thin a belt as possible to facilitate adjustment.
Bande serrée à droite vue de haut
  1. An untensioned belt cannot be adjusted properly. The belt should be tensioned and adjusted before a load is placed on it, to avoid slippage on the rollers.
  2. An off-center heavy load or a side load will systematically push the belt to one side. In this case, use a drive guide under the belt.

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