38 n CONVEYORS AND MATERIAL-HANDLING April 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com Conveyor systems are complex mechanical assemblies with numerous moving parts that require regular maintenance. Common problems include belt slippage, motor burnout and seized rollers. In the food industry alone, it’s been reported that manufacturers lose a staggering £180bn to downtime annually – or £490m per day. Conveyor systems therefore must have robust maintenance strategies in place. Manual cleaning will always be necessary for some conveyors and applications. In fact, a report produced in 2023 by the conveyor manufacturer, Cablevey Conveyors, revealed that the top conveyor challenge is cleaning and maintenance, which came in rst by some margin, at 53%. Conveyors use belts, chains or rollers to transport items, each with unique advantages and maintenance needs. Manual roller conveyors use gravity to move objects, while powered rollers handle higher payloads and operate quietly. Maintaining roller conveyors involves keeping them clean and free from contaminants such as glue and chemicals. Yet accumulated debris, particularly in environments where welding is carried out, can increase friction and cause rollers to jam. In addition, rollers are equipped with clutches that control torque direction. These clutches should be checked and replaced when they reach their maximum adjustment point. Regular visual inspections of rollers are also recommended, with weekly checks for high-production environments, and monthly or quarterly checks for lower production areas. Marks on rollers may indicate process problems – such as issues with transfer pallets – rather than roller problems. Although conveyor companies are focusing on making cleaning more ecient, some have streamlined maintenance by reducing the tools required for disassembly. For example, Dorner's tip-up tail belt tensioning system allows conveyors to be prepared for cleaning in a minute. The entire conveyor can be disassembled in three minutes without needing tools. An optional belt lifter facilitates easy access to clean the underside of the belt and the conveyor frame. At BMW’s Regensburg plant, an advanced predictive maintenance system has been implemented to monitor and manage conveyors that it uses in its vehicle assembly processes. The system uses AI to analyse data from the conveyor components, allowing it to detect potential faults before they cause disruptions. By examining parameters such as power consumption and conveyor movement, the system can identify irregularities that might indicate impending issues. It operates without needing extra sensors, relying instead on data from current conveyor controls and load carriers. This data is transmitted to BMW’s predictive maintenance cloud platform, where it is processed by advanced algorithms that detect anomalies. If a potential issue is identied, the maintenance control centre receives a notication, enabling rapid response to take aected conveyors out of production. Currently, around 80% of the main assembly lines at Regensburg are monitored by this system and it is estimated to be avoiding around 500 minutes of downtime annually. This success has led to its use in other BMW plants. Maintenance costs precious time and money, and unplanned maintenance costs even more. Therefore, it’s no surprise that, in the Cablevey survey, 69% of respondents reported that clean their conveying systems three or more times per week, with 38% dedicating even more time to this task. It’s crucial to establish a well-planned maintenance schedule and employ advanced technologies, such as those mentioned, to ensure the longevity of conveyor systems and cut the cost of downtime. Automation suppliers can play a key role in supporting these strategies by providing the necessary parts and expertise to implement an eective maintenance approach. With the right approach and resources, companies can reduce the likelihood of unplanned downtime as well as the duration of planned downtime – at a time when maintenance budgets are decreasing. n If a conveyor fails, the downtime costs can be eyewatering. Tom Cash, director of the automation parts supplier, Foxmere, explains how the latest innovations in conveyor maintenance can help engineers to reduce the cost of planned and unplanned downtime. Regular inspection and maintenance of conveyor systems is essential if unplanned downtime is to be avoided Maintenance is key to cutting downtime costs
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=