Whether you are the engineering or maintenance manager at a redistribution center or snack food plant, there is no doubt you appreciate even the best-designed conveyor belts require repairs to avoid breakdowns and serve to the end of life. Indeed, breakdowns and poor performance might make the entire plant grind to a halt, but how can you avoid them?

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through five crucial tips for conveyor belt maintenance. Do not let the poor state of your conveyor belts hold back your success. Keep reading to see how you can maintain them in top condition for optimal production all the time.

Keep a Set of Conveyor Spares on Site

It is not a secret that progressive use of conveyor belts eventually results in wearing out and the need for maintenance. A successful maintenance program for your conveyor relies on having spares, especially for the common replacement parts. If even a small part, be it a nut or section of the chain, of the belt is damaged, it might result in production inefficiencies. So, make sure to buy parts, such as bearings and puller plates, and keep them on site ready for use. This way, you will be able to urgently repair unexpected damages, avoid extended downtimes, and maintain the plant’s productivity as high as possible.

Make Regular Inspection Part of the Daily Routine

When your conveyor belt breaks down, the chances are that it started developing issues several days or months away. This means that if you were keen on checking the belts, the chances are that issues would have been noted well before becoming serious trouble. Therefore, it is paramount to make the inspection a daily routine, putting the focus on sections and parts that break down quite often. You can even create a checklist of the things to check regularly, especially the following:

• Belts.
• Chain tension.
• Lubrication of bearing.
• Pulley alignment.
• Excess vibrations of rollers, shafts and motors.
• Sensors.
• Guards.

If you notice an issue with any of the parts, be it the belts or chain tension, have it checked and corrected immediately instead of risking further damage to the entire system.

Adopt Preventive Maintenance

If you only fix issues with your conveyor belt when it breaks down, it implies you will be using a lot of time to do repairs. This approach is also likely to increase downtime and the cost of maintenance. Instead, you should adopt a preventive maintenance model, which requires you to do regular repairs to fix issues before they result in major breakdowns. It is also a good idea to adopt automation in your facility and set key indicators  that show when specific equipment requires maintenance. For example, if your boiler starts overheating, it will be easy to note that and have the thermostat repaired before the entire system grinds to a halt.

Make sure to craft a good maintenance program that seeks to identify issues early enough and fix them urgently. The program follows the recommended service schedule, regular inspection, updates, and reviews of the belt’s performance. 

Working with Expert Technicians

Some of the most underestimated heroes in industrial facilities are the women and men with tool belts. One of the biggest mistakes your company can make is failing to hire expert technicians or underpaying them. Think of it this way, “Would you go for the cheapest doctor in town?”

A good plant technician will identify and correct issues before they can become serious problems. So, start by hiring highly qualified staff and train them regularly. It would be best if you also motivated the technicians to ensure they identify with the plant and put more effort into optimizing production. If your manufacturing facility is large, you might also want to consider a unit dedicated to maintenance only for prompt response to issues, repairs, and production optimization

Document the Conveyor’s Maintenance and Repairs

This is another crucial activity that can help you pinpoint parts that consistently fail and equip your workers with the knowledge necessary to identify signs of trouble. The documentation can also help with faster diagnosis in the event of emergencies to reduce downtime.

You can even add sensors to the conveyors and incorporate artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance. Remember to have an appropriate program installed on your system to increase the effectiveness of your predictive maintenance with AI and machine learning.

Conclusion

The tips we have listed in this post can help you keep your conveyor belts in top conditions, optimize production, and pull down the maintenance cost. Remember always to buy the best belts, parts and have them installed by professional technicians. Visit our site to see the list of top-rated conveyor belts and parts that you should have in your facility.