Like any mechanical machinery, it is important to maintain your system to avoid reactive maintenance, pretty much like cars need servicing, your conveyor should be serviced regularly, but what about in-between services? Regular check-ups, give you the ability to see faults before they actually happen, meaning less unplanned down time. Here are our top tips for keeping them in tip top condition.
Top Tips
- Always keep manufacturers documentation safe and nearby, this then gives you a quick reference to workings, cleaning and maintenance required inbetween each service. It also provides trouble shooting tips and part numbers should the need arise.
- Again like a car, your conveyor should have a full service history, so when you clean or maintain it, make sure you keep a log of what work has been carried out. Make a note of what the reasons are behind the work carried out, the reason the work was needed. This will then inform the service engineers who services your conveyor to understand what might have failed and highlight any issues with future repeating issues.
- Have a set cleaning routine. Clear any foreign objects regularly, to avoid the belt slipping, if this happens your machine has to work harder and will reduce the amount of weight that can be pulled, as well as creating unnecessary wear on the belt, so that it lasts longer.
- Do you have an old conveyor? It is important to understand that just like car parts. Conveyor parts do become obsolete and can be hard to source, so that overtime it becomes more cost effective to purchase a new one, rather than keep continuously purchasing parts and repairing worn out systems.
- Most conveyor systems need to be fully operational, if one part is not working correctly, it will affect the whole of the system. As a spare part can sometimes take up to 6 weeks, to be delivered especially if they have to be manufactured, keep a set handy in your stores.
- Check for loose bearings, sealed bearing don’t need much lubrication. But if they become dry can create bigger issues with the conveyor in the future. Be sure to check which oil or lubricant should be used to avoid damage to your belt.
- Only use your conveyor for what it is designed for, as using other products can cause jamming and more wear and tear on the belt, as well as causing other faults including motor failures, not to mention it becoming an health and safety risk for users.
- Check pulley alignment tension on the belt. If the pulleys are not aligned this could cause stretching and result in extra wear. The belt tension should be the same on both ends.
- Avoid seizing, don’t allow your machine to stand idle for long periods of time. It’s important to run regularly to avoid costly maintenance to restore parts.
- Keep the machinery services annually, this is preventative maintenance instead of reactive maintenance.
Contact us for more help
Being in business since 1995, we have the expertise to offer full service and maintenance packages, these services will prevent costly repairs, so that you can get the best out of your machine for as long as possible and protect your investment.
If you would like to discuss one of our service packages, or indeed discuss any of our services or product range, give us a call on 01623 424 442, or you can drop us an email on sales@asmechsystems.co.uk, and one of our friendly experts will be in touch.
