Conveyor belt mistracking is often the root cause of broader productivity and safety issues. Whether it be material spillage, componentry damage, or premature belt wear – it all leads back to how well (or poorly) the conveyor belt is tracking.
A well-aligned conveyor is essential to efficient, reliable, and safe operations. To address this, Kinder Australia developed the K-Commander Series, an innovative range of belt tracking solutions engineered to keep belts aligned, level, and true.
One of the versatile in the range is the K-Commander Prime Tracker. Designed for both standard and reversing belt applications, the K-Commander® Prime Tracker offers 360° rotational capability for correct, optimal, all-direction conveyor belt tracking.
It can be installed either above or below the conveyor belt, providing adaptability across different system configurations. It has been designed with two key stages.
The first stage focuses on the inner shell which contains the shaft and an engineered pivoting bush allowing the axial movement of the tracker. The inner shell is protected by a flexible EPDM rubber boot.
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The second stage focuses on the roller bearings, which allow the rotational movement of the tracker. Steering of the roller is activated by additional mass and friction to one side of the roller, which drags the roller drum forward and steers the belt back to the centre.
Results in the field have shown there is no downside to this design compared with a fixed axis design, and it has been found that the rubber coupling is a more reliable unit, due to its simplicity and given it is not affected by contamination like a conventional greased bearing.
A well-tracked conveyor isn’t just about avoiding problems – it’s about maximising efficiency, safety, and productivity. By ensuring proper belt alignment with a flexible belt tracker such as the K-Commander Prime Tracker, operations can optimise material flow, minimise downtime, and extend the lifespan of conveyor components.