Gaining the edge in belt cleaning efficiency
Efficient cleaning of belt conveyors is key to economical conveyor system operation. To be efficient, however, belt cleaners must deal not just with normal problems, but with abnormal ones as well. Ideally, they must work harmoniously with other conveying components if the system is to be kept running clean and trouble-free. The most popular kind of cleaner used today is the belt scraper. There are two types: [1] continuous scrapers, where one blade runs across the belt width, and [2] intermittent scrapers, where a series of overlapping blades run across the belt width. This article discusses the application of intermittent scrapers.
Under the worst conditions in which a conveyor is expected to perform -- such as moving sticky, wet material -- cleaning costs and associated maintenance and repair costs are likely to exceed all of the operating costs of the belt conveyor installation itself. For example, consider a 4-foot-wide coal-conveying belt running at a speed of 500 ft/min, where there is an estimated 2 grams of spillage for each square hot of return belting. This seemingly insignificant amount can mean that up to 2.12 tons of carryback spillage per shift falls from the belt. Consequently, reducing this "insignificant" amount can justify the economics of using an efficient belt cleaner to drive expense down to virtually zero.