How to Troubleshoot Conveyor Belts

A conveyor belt is nothing more than a large piece of material that is wrapped around a motor and a lot of moving rollers. Troubleshooting problems with a conveyor belt is a simple process because it is a simple machine.

Things You'll Need

• Tools
• Metal lubricant
• Multimeter

Instructions

1. Inspect the belt. If the conveyor is not moving at all, start with inspecting the motor. The motor of any conveyor belt should be easily accessible and is usually located on the end or near the power outlet. If the motor is not moving, determine if power is getting through to it or not. Do this by testing the outlet using a multimeter or socket tester.

2. Unplug the motor. Before you begin work on the conveyor belt, make sure that the motor that moves the conveyor belt is unplugged. If there are other people working around you, make sure that they are aware that you are doing work on the conveyor.

3. Replace the motor. If the outlet is in proper working order, test the motor with the multimeter as well. The multimeter will tell you if electricity is getting through. Recent models of the multimeter are made so that anyone can perform the test. If the motor has a short, it will need to be removed and replaced. The motor can normally be replaced by removing the bolts and lifting it off of the bracket that is holding it in place. Remember that even the small electric motors are very heavy, so don't let the size mislead you.

4. Locate any rips in the belt. There are conveyor kits for available for you to purchase that will seam the belt back together and will allow you to continue to use the belt for a much longer period of time.

5. Lubricate the wheels. Encountering a problem with the wheels is the easiest of all to fix. Sometimes, the overworked wheels lock up and cause the conveyor belt to not work properly. This problem can be fixed by applying metal lubricant such as WD-40, to aid the wheels in moving more fluidly. The better the wheels move, the less resistance you will have and the entire system will last longer.