Tracker negates challenges linked to conveyor belts

Materials handling equipment specialist BLT WORLD’s comprehensive range of bulk materials handling equipment encompasses conveyor components designed to enhance productivity, minimise downtime and ensure extended service life of conveyor systems.

New to this range is the Scrapetec PrimeTracker belt tracker, which eliminates problems associated with conveyor belt systems including misalignment, abrasion and belt damage.

For optimum performance of a conveyor system, it is critical that the belt always runs straight on the conveyor, without sideways movement. BLT WORLD MD Ken Mouritzen explains that the company’s new Scrapetec PrimeTracker belt tracker has been designed to automatically guide a conveyor belt back into the correct straight-line position, to prevent costly downtime and component replacement.

“An advantage of the Scrapetec PrimeTracker is that it operates in the idling position at all times, unless there is sideways movement of the belt. This system corrects misalignment immediately, by guiding the belt back into the correct position, with no damage or abrasion to the belt or tracker,” he notes.

This, Mouritzen explains, is unlike conventional belt trackers that slide over the belt surface causing possible abrasion and belt damage – rather than adopting free rotation – because conventional belt trackers, with tapered edges, never idle and are always in a braking mode.

“What is also notable, is the cylindrical shape and pivot bush that allow this belt tracker to swing and tilt during operation and to always be in full contact with the belt. Added to this, the Scrapetec PrimeTracker has the same peripheral speed over the entire surface of the belt, where traditional crowned rollers have different speeds at the centre and edges of the system.”

Other advantages include easy installation, low maintenance requirements and protection of belt edges and structure of the conveyor belt.

Further, a strong corrugated Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer rubber hose protects this system from dust and sand, while the rubber pivot offers soft suspension of the tracker shaft, ensuring extended service life of the system.

This system can be installed in front of every return pulley, above and below the belt.

BLT WORLD also supplies and supports Scrapetec products for conveyor systems, which are designed to prevent dust formation, reduce material spill, enable thorough belt-cleaning and minimise the risk of explosion.