Martin Engineering has launched a new initiative to ensure its customers have accurately sized and professionally installed conveyor cleaner blades, direct from the factory.
Properly maintained conveyor belt cleaners reduce the accumulation of carryback under the conveyor and minimise dust buildup on rollers, a boon for both safety and production.
Excessive dust and spillage can foul rolling components and cause abrasion on the belt, reducing the life of equipment by as much as 30%. While a multiple-cleaner system can be abrasive when in contact with the belt, it often contributes less than 5% to the overall belt wear, delivering a significant net benefit.
The belt is typically the most expensive piece of equipment on a conveyor, so not removing carryback at the discharge will contribute to premature belt failure. Material buildup on the face of idlers and rollers due to inadequate cleaning is one of the primary reasons a belt will mistrack, causing it to drift toward the stringer and damaging its edges. Fouled idlers and rollers can also erode the covers of the belt through abrasion, leading to premature replacement.
Bulk handlers commonly have several conveyors carrying different types, sizes or grades of materials. Depending on the number of belts, monitoring belt cleaner wear and effectiveness can be labour intensive and require an experienced eye. Beyond carryback, dust and spillage, allowing a cleaner to go too long can lead to pull-through or detachment from the assembly, resulting in belt damage, potential equipment replacement and unscheduled downtime.
To ensure its customers have the right blade for the task, Martin Engineering has announced a new factory-direct replacement program to deliver freshly-molded polyurethane cleaner blades.
Custom-fitted on-site and installed free of charge, customers pay only for the replacement blades. The program assures customers of accurately sized and professionally installed replacement blades that are matched to their specific application, providing optimum cleaning performance and service life to minimise the cost of ownership.
Martin’s replacement blades are made with specially formulated, color-coded urethane to suit virtually any application. The blades have up to 53% more urethane in the wearable area than competitive designs, extending equipment life and durability.
To achieve consistent cleaning throughout all stages of blade life, Martin’s constant angle radial pressure technology incorporates a specially engineered curved blade to maintain optimum cleaning performance and efficiency.
Martin has designed its own equipment to manufacture molded blades, which improves quality control and eliminates shipping and labour costs.
Timing the replacement
Martin’s N2 remote monitoring system can track tension and wear on all cleaners without having to physically visit the equipment.
This technology offers the ability to monitor primary belt cleaner blades in real time and minimises the need for manual inspections. Customers have immediate access to details on the mounting assembly, tensioner and blade wear, along with total annual cost information for budgeting purposes.
The system notifies technicians and plant operations personnel before re-tensioning or replacement is required and/or when abnormal conditions occur. This reduces the need to expose personnel to moving conveyors, improving both efficiency and safety while lowering costs. It also allows service personnel to deliver and install replacement wear parts during scheduled outages.
Martin offers the components and monitoring service free of charge for qualifying customers. The company also supports the components with factory-direct service and provides customer alerts without cost. The factory-direct replacement program is just one element of the company’s decades-long push to develop new and evolving technologies, improve bulk material handling efficiency and reduce safety hazards.