To track a belt conveyor, the first thing to do is visually inspect the belt and the conveyor bed. You should look for any signs of damage or deformation of the belt, as well as for any blockages that may be preventing a proper tracking of the belt. Once you’ve identified any potential issues, you can begin to adjust the tracking of the conveyor belt.

To adjust the tracking of the conveyor belt, you need to first adjust the tension of the belt, as it may have become too loose due to wear or due to overloading. After adjusting the belt tension, you can adjust the alignment of the belt with the conveyor’s tracking system. This will involve moving the belt slightly to the left or right so that it sits on the bed of the conveyor correctly.

You may need to adjust the idlers which support the conveyor belt. These idlers may have become misaligned due to the wear of the belt, or due to any other external factors. Adjusting the idlers will require some basic tools. However, once the adjustment has been completed, the conveyor belt should be properly tracking. If the belt conveyor continues to track incorrectly after all of the above steps have been taken, then you may need to adjust the drive pulley. The drive pulley can be adjusted to increase the tension of the belt, in order to ensure that the belt is properly tracked.

Power Pack Conveyor routinely builds troughing idler belt conveyors commonly used in the salting mines industry. For that style conveyor, the belt at times can have difficulty tacking correctly. When that happens, you may need to install a tracking guide at the end of the belt. The guide should be able to keep the belt on the track and prevent it from slipping off the track. Typically, it’s installed by the conveyor manufacturer before it leaves the factory or it can also be installed in the field by properly trained maintenance personnel. This is not something that occurs on other types of belting conveyors.

Once you have adjusted the belt tension, aligned the belt with the tracking system, and installed any necessary tracking devices, you should then inspect the belt for any signs of damage or wear. As mentioned previously, belts experience wear and tear over its life. This depends on the size & shape of what’s being conveyed as the speed with which it’s moving. Again, if you notice any wear or damage, the belt should be replaced as soon as possible as it’ll only continue to deteriorate over time.