Ask Hytrol: How to Determine Proper Belt Tension on a Belted Conveyor

Today, we’re going to talk about how to determine proper belt tension on a belted conveyor.

Proper belt tension is one of the most important practices in maintaining the life of your conveyor. Everything on a belted conveyor is built on the premise of rotation, and an improperly tensioned belt will cause damage to the bearings. The longer the life of the bearings, the longer the life of the conveyor.

There are some signs to look for to help determine if a belt is improperly tensioned. Look for signs of belt discoloration, belt dusting, or a loud squealing noise when the conveyor is fully loaded. These signs can point to a belt that is too loose and needs to be tightened. A belt that is too tight will have the following symptoms: belt lacing will start to pull apart, the edges of the belt will start to cup or curl, and there may be premature bearing failure or motor overload faults.

If you need to tension the belt, starting with a completely empty conveyor, tension the belt until it does not slip. Then, begin to add product and tension the belt as needed until the conveyor will move the heaviest load without the belt slipping. Then, stop the conveyor and start it again with a full load. If the belt slips, tension as necessary. The end goal for belt tensioning is to have the minimum tension required to move the heaviest load. In addition to this manual take-up assembly, Hytrol also offers an optional spring-tensioning assembly. This assembly has an indicator to show you when the belt is properly tensioned.

You should now be able to determine proper belt tension on a belted conveyor. For more maintenance tips and information, contact your Hytrol solutions provider.