Maintenance Matters: 6 Tools That Keep Conveyors Moving
While there may be some Hytrol technicians who can tell you the difference between your conveyor making a “crc-kee” sound and a “Shh-PLUNK” sound, we have yet to invent a noise interpretation tool. We do however have a small arsenal of useful tools, gadgets, and gauges that we think are beneficial to keeping your automation systems performing at their best.
Like any other machine, conveyor systems have specialized tools to make maintenance and measurements easier. It’s important to do these checks on your systems periodically to ensure they’re performing as efficiently as possible.
Let’s examine a few helpful tools and gadgets Hytrol has for material handlers to gauge proper working order.
Belt Tension Gauge: A belt tension gauge is primarily used for properly timing belt tension adjustments. Proper belt tension is essential to conveyor operation, particularly with timing belts.
For more on belt tension check out these Hytrol resources:
- Knowing When Belt Tension Requires Your Attention
- Should You Tighten the Conveyor Belt? Understanding Belt Tension
- Ask Hytrol: How to Determine Proper Timing Belt Tension
Sorter Tool Set: These pry bars are used for lifting the chain while changing out sorter shoes and flight tubes. Firstly, the bar with the flat fork is used to get under the chain and lift it. Once the chain is lifted, the bar with the curled fork supports a link of the chain while the sorter is being serviced. It can be used with ProSort models as seen here.
Center Drive Take-up Tool: This 12” long socket makes adjusting tension on a Center Drive a breeze. All you have to do is slip the socket over the end of the take-up rod. You can use the take-up tool with a regular ½” drive hand ratchet or a power tool.
Motor Coupler Gauge: When changing out a motor or reducer with a C-face adapter, this gauge is your go-to. Properly spacing the shaft gears that coincide with the coupler is crucial. Improper spacing can cause binding of the shafts, resulting in unwanted noise and damage to the bearings. The Motor Coupler Gauge is designed to properly space shaft gears with respect to the motor flange and the reducer adapter.
Pin Guide Alignment Bar: Another tool used for shoe sorters, the Pin Guide tool fits snugly inside making pin guide sections to ensure proper alignment while the fasteners are secured.
Chain Pull Bar: This piece, resembling an elephant, is another tool you will want to keep in your kit. The “trunk” will hook under a section of chain and is valuable when shortening a chain or checking for proper timing.
Consider a Maintenance Technician
If you don’t already have a maintenance technician employed at your facility, it might be a great time to consider hiring one or maybe even a team. These technicians will maintain service records and parts, plus they can implement a preventative maintenance plan to ensure system longevity.
Hytrol conducts many training seminars every year that can boost the knowledge of such technicians. Our company’s Customer Care team is also very knowledgeable when quick answers are needed about Hytrol products. Feel free to reach out to them anytime by phone, email, or chat.
