Every machine tends to deteriorate over time. It is essential to look for signs to understand whether the machine needs replacement or refurbishment. The same applies to pulleys because damaged conveyor tail pulleys can cause catastrophes and fatalities that may impact the business if ignored for a long period.
However, detecting the symptoms that point toward a possible pulley failure is not too difficult. This blog accumulates information from pulley manufacturers so that it is easy for people to look out for signs that may hint that your conveyor tail pulley needs to be refreshed or replaced.
Visibly Worn Pulleys
To understand whether your drive pulley conveyor is damaged or not, the people responsible for the maintenance should check for any prominent signs that are visible to the naked eye. This includes:
- Ensuring there are no deterioration signs on the end plate, bearing, shaft, and lagging
- Checking for build-up or rust signs on various parts of the conveyor idler pulley
- Looking for any signs of lagging or wear
- Checking for unusual sounds from other parts
Out of Square Pulleys
A drive pulley conveyor is known to be out of the square when it shows signs of misalignment from the center caused by missing rollers or hindrances on the belt due to unhinged bolts. Oftentimes, it also occurs when the guide liners or lagging of the conveyor tail pulley are worn out. To ensure that the pulley is not out of square, there are a few things to check:
- Damaged or missing rollers
- Check for skews in the trolley
- Worn lagging of conveyor idler pulley
- Inspect for noise or heat within bearings
- Ensure there are no buildups or sticky spots
Damaged Bearings
One of the major concerns that may require drive pulley conveyor replacement is damaged bearings. Damaged bearings are the biggest reason why many casualties occur due to pulleys. Things to inspect include:
- Build Up in the bearing sections
- Corrosion or rusting
- Sticking or resistance
- Sounds or vibration
- Issues with lubrication of bearings
Pulley Lagging Issues
Pulley lagging is one of the most vital parts of the conveyor tail pulley. It plays a key role in shifting the energy of the pulley to the belt. There are a few signs of damage to look out for:
- Wearing due to longer travels of the belt
- Splitting of the shell due to rocks being caught
- Bulging due to separation with the shell
The best thing to do is to schedule monthly maintenance for pulleys so that it is easy to keep track of the problems associated with the pulley.
Looking for a company that would offer the best services for pulley maintenance? Contact us or visit our website for more details. We are happy to assist you with all your pulley-related issues.
