Power belt conveyors are for transporting product and can be used in a variety of applications including packing, inspecting, sorting, assembly, manufacturing and testing to name a few.

One important feature of power belt conveyor is it's very forgiving (compared to power roller conveyor) in terms of the product characteristics and product sizes it can transport. With roller conveyor the product must have a rigid and flat bottom and must have a minimum of three rollers underneath it at all times. You could not put a plastic bag of marbles on a roller conveyor but a belt conveyor would handle it no problem.

Another important feature of belt conveyors is when the product being transported gets to the end of the belt it has to go somewhere or the product has to trigger a sensor that stops the entire belt. You cannot put a stop at the end of a belt conveyor and let your product accumulate, it won’t. The belt will continue to drive the product that has nowhere to go creating product buckling, tumbling, falling, and or frictional damage. Some typical examples of handling the product at the end of a belt conveyor include, human or robotic workers processing the product as it travels along the belt or as it arrives at the end, letting the product fall into a large bulk container, transitioning the product to other transport medium such as, a gravity roller or skate-wheel conveyor, a power accumulating roller conveyor, a gravity ball transfer table or a low friction works surface. No matter which system you create if the product is forced to stop at the end of the belt, the belt has to stop or you will have problems.

To properly design your power belt conveyor you must first gather the following vital information about the product being transported.

Width – Length – Height – Weight – Characteristics (rigid vs soft/flexible bottom, balanced vs unbalanced weight distribution)

Some applications will have only one product being transported and “Step 1” is fairly simple, other applications may have a large variety of products that will be transported. For a successful design take the time to consider all the products involved.

When measuring your products for the purpose of this step it is important that all the products be measured and listed in the same way. How the product is placed on the belt conveyor will determine how the product is measured, use Drawing (1) as your guide.

Using the information gathered in “Step 1” it’s now time to determine the belt width for your application.

Drawing (2) View 2.A - This is the ideal design where the belt width is greater than or equal to your widest product.

Drawing (2) View 2.B - This design allows the widest product to be wider than your belt width but less than the bed width. This design is not the ideal but will work, but only with certain products. If your product has a pliable or soft bottom and or an unequal weight distribution this design will not work. For example if your product is a bag of flour, the section of the bag that extends beyond the belt could sag and make contact with the bed.

This design should only be used in situations where it is the exception not the rule. Most of the products to be transported should be the ”2.A” type with an occasional “2.B” type. It is important to note that any “2.B” product type should be centered perfectly on the belt.

Drawing (2) View 2.C - Anytime the product extends beyond the bed you’re asking for trouble, there are too many things that can go wrong. It is a bad design and should not be used. Having said that, if the bottom of your product is flat and rigid and the products weight is evenly distributed this would actually work. So if you are forced into accepting this situation the belt convyor would transport the product.

There is no formula or factory guidelines here, it really comes down to what are your requirements and what is the physical layout limitations you are working with.

There are two capacities that must be checked.

- Maximum Load per Lineal Foot: This is built into the design of the conveyor and cannot change. If you find that your Maximum Load per Lineal Foot is higher than the capacity listed for the Series MSB Belt Conveyor then you would have to change to a heavier duty series conveyor.

- Maximum Total Load: This capacity is determined by the HP of the motor and can change by ordering higher HP motor.

Example:

15' 0" Belt Conveyor Bed Length

15' 10" Belt Conveyor Overall Length

Seven different products listed below, (A thru G)

Calculaation - Maximum Load per Lineal Foot

12”/Product Length = “LPF” Multiplier

“LPF” Multiplier x Product Weight = Maximum Load per Foot

Product F:

12”/19” = .631 (round up, 2 decimal) = .64 “LPF” Multiplier

.64 x 60-lbs = 38.4-lbs (round up, no decimal) = 39-lbs Maximum Load per Lineal Foot

Overall Conveyor Length/Product Length = Maximum Number Product

Product F:

190”/19” = 10.000 (round up, two decimal) = 10.00 Maximum Number Product

Calculation - Maximum Total Load:

Maximum Number Product x Product Weight = Maximum Total Load

Product F:

10.00 x 60-lbs = 600.00-lbs (round up, no decimal) = 600-lbs Maximum Total Load

When determining the power belt conveyor capacity requirements the product with the heaviest “Maximum Load per Lineal Foot” & “Maximum Total Load” must be used. In the example above Product F is the winner, the conveyor must be able to handle 39-lbs per lineal foot and a 600-lb total load capacity.

The Series #MSB Belt Conveyor has a maximum capacity of 75-lbs. per lineal foot which is higher than the 39-lbs the heaviest load will generate. No problem here.

The Series #MSB Belt Conveyor as standard is equipped with a ½ HP motor that has a 435-lbs total load capacity. The standard motor will not handle the 600-lbs maximum total load required. For this to work you would specify and order a ¾ HP motor that has a 650-lbs total load capacity. Or you also could build in some extra capacity and order a 1 HP motor that has an 810-lbs total load capacity.

The height of the conveyor has to be known before ordering. The conveyor height is determined solely by your requirements. There is and almost limitless amount of scenarios that would determine the conveyor height. Here is a list or some that may be considered. As food for thought.

New belt conveyor to transition with an existing conveyor system. Either accepting product from or delivering product too. Matching the existing conveyor height would be the new belt conveyors height requirement.

New belt conveyor could be delivering product or receiving from a machine.

New belt conveyor could be used in a manufacturing environment where workbenches or tables are butted up to the new conveyor.

New belt conveyor could be used in a scenario where the conveyor is the work bench and workers are standing alongside. Ergonomic considerations would dictate the proper height.

Belt Speed: The standard belt speed for all “Quick Ship Power Conveyors” is a fixed 60 feet per minute. Which is slower than the average human walking speed, in fact, it is less than ¼ of this speed (average human walking speed is 273 feet per minute). The options available regarding belt speed in the “Quick Ship” program are very limited (there is one option and it is for ½ or ¾ HP, 1 Phase motors only). There are other fixed belt speeds and variable belt speed options that are available, just not in the “Quick Ship” program. Call for information.

Belt Direction: Single direction or forward/reversing direction. The Series #MSB is equipped as standard with an End Drive, which is ideal for a single direction application. If you need a forward/reversing belt conveyor there are three things you must do. One is to order a Center Drive to replace the End Drive, two is to order a Reversing Magnetic Starter and three is to order Forward/Reverse/Stop push button stations.

Electrical Controls: As standard all Quick Ship Conveyors are supplied less any electrical controls. Some basic controls are offered for sale as options, but they are not mounted or wired. It is important to meet with your electrical contractor to discuss the required sequence of operation for the new power belt conveyor, available power versus power requirements and all local, state and national electrical and safety codes.

Auxiliary Take-Up: Over time the conveyor belt will stretch, for proper operation the belt tension must be adjusted to make up for the belt stretch. That is what a belt take-up does. All belt conveyors with an End Drive have as standard a belt take-up unit at the opposite end of the conveyor. With this type of belt take-up as the belt stretches and the belt take-up is adjusted the overall conveyor length is actually increased. If changing the overall length of your belt conveyor would cause a problem you should order the Auxiliary Take-Up option, the belt take-up is mounted under the conveyor not at the end. Note: If you order a Center Drive it already has a built in under conveyor belt take-up.

Working Environment: All “Quick Ship Power Conveyors” are designed and built for indoor, dry working conditions.