Conveyor belt is among the costliest components and fully functional conveyors are vital for the plant operations. The increasing cost of operations has made it important to ensure safe and efficient running of the systems.

1. Conveyor Belt Condition Monitoring – Predicting The Belt Life
Steel cord belts condition monitoring is not new, it has been in practice since late
70s, its uses have been reduced due to the complexity in interpretation of signals
and cost of diagnostic devices. Today new age machinery is used for showing 2D/3D
state of belts core and measurement allows for better interpretations and prediction
of the belt life and time for replacement.
Conveyor belt is among the costliest components and fully functional conveyors are
vital for the plant operations. The increasing cost of operations has made it
important to ensure safe and efficient running of the systems. Any unplanned
downtime and replacements can further complicate the flow of the operations.
Therefore, it is imperative to protect the conveyor belt and predict the life of the belt
accurately. It can help protect your business against unplanned downtime and
losses. It can put the manufacturer in a better control of events by cutting down on
the inventory and maximizing the mechanical availability.
Need for conveyor belt condition monitoring
With the rise in advanced technologies, the possibility of effective condition
monitoring has become a possibility. All this results in accurate and reliable
information. The importance of condition monitoring is to ensure the effective
operation and safety of the conveyor systems. Condition monitoring helps to protect
the belt from unforeseen damages and keep the operations going. Producing reliable

2. results is possible through effective monitoring, it ensures the longevity of the belt
and reduced breakdowns.
There are number of tools, procedures and systems for condition monitoring and it
comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. Starting from visual inspection
to 24/7 online system monitoring there are many methods. The ultimate aim is to
improve the life of the belt and two areas to focus include measuring the belt wear
and protecting against longitudinal rips. There are latest technologies for rip
detection and thickness measurement.
Understanding rip detection systems
Electro mechanical systems with gates and cables are available in the market. It is
linked with micro switches and attached to tripwire system.
Sensor Loop Systems are the most commonly used. There are many variations but
the basics are the same. The steel cord belt, inductive loops are loaded inside the
belt. Based on the width of the belt the loops are 320mm in width and 4.5 mm in
height. It come with a rubber flap fitted to the belt. The coils are fitted underneath or
over steel cords with a least over of 1 mm rubber. The electromagnetic signals are
transferred using inductive loops positioned against each other on the belt side.
During the operation of the belt, the coils pass on top of the transmitter pair and
signals are transmitted using the inductance coil from transmitter into the receiver.
The distance between the belt velocity and successive could can help calculate the
time interval.

3. In case of belt rip, the coil is open circuit and prevent signal from being transmitted.
The system acknowledges the fault and halts the belt. The sensor loop in the belt
become a bridge between the receiver and transmitter of the system interface.
NIPL Engineering Pvt. Ltd
90, Pantheon Road, 4th Floor, Hardevi Chambers,
Egmore, Chennai – 600 008
Phone: +91 444 214 5016 | +91 444 214 5017
Fax: +91 044 2855 1295
Email: info@beltpro.in
Visit Us: http://www.beltpro.in/