Common problems in pipe conveyors are

1.0Not selecting proper belt and belt manufacturer.

2.0Motor is short of power

3.0Pipe conveyor pulley failure

4.0Pipe conveyor belt skewing

5.0Pipe not opening at head pulley

Following precautions are to be considered while installing a New pipe conveyor

1.0Pipe conveyor expert should be involved in design of pipe conveyor

2.0Only experienced belt manufacturer to be selected for pipe conveyor belt

3.0Belt Selection is very very important. Most important is belt rigidity / Belt troughablity . If belt is not selected properly pipe formation will not be proper and conveyor may require abnormal power

4.0Motor shall have sufficient margin to cater for new Belt rigidity

5.0Belt profile should be very carefully selected considering proper horizontal and vertical curves considering pipe diameter, belt tension and belt rigidity

6.0Transition distances for pipe formation should be properly designed based on type of belt , tension rating and pipe diameter

7.0Idler diameter and spacing should be properly selected

8.0While selecting pulley shaft diameter higher shaft sizes to be selected to cater for higher tension rating due to stiff belts and higher motor ratings

9.0Fabrication and erection of conveyor Galleries and idler supporting structure should be very accurate particularly at curve portions.

10.0During commissioning alignment of idlers and pulleys is very important ■

Another major mistake is choosing a pipe conveyor. ■

Originally Posted by johngateley

Another major mistake is choosing a pipe conveyor.

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If these comments build no understanding, what is the point of the comment?

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Pipe conveyors are more complex due to added degrees of freedom in the belt's construction as noted by Mr. Singh.

Few of the designers of pipe conveyors have the necessary tools to keep from making same mistakes on belt construction, power analysis, wear life vs. idler configurations & installation tolerances, ....

Most local designers are not informed, not educated, don't have proper engineering tools to provide pipe necessaries including: installation accuracy, fabric reinforcements, fabric types, constructions, behavior, in concert with tensile reinforcements, and what influence they have on pipe conveyor power, wear life, behavior of seam twisting, spillage, alignment leading to edge tracking errors and spillage. Yet, Indian companies give these illiterates orders because they are cheap. In India, initial bid money trumps design, trumps safety, trumps client's own best interest and common sense.

They tell client belt warranty is 1-5 years. Rubbish. A well designed +1 km pipe conveyor should last 10 or more years unless abused. Many installations perform substandard to their potential, and is most often based on poor design.

People extoll the benefits of pipe conveyor and spillage control. Go to any cement plant and observe it's pipe conveyors covered in cement powder, walkways covered in cement powder, terminal equipment covered in cement. This is accepted, because they have no installation to copy where this is not the norm. You need to spend the capital to provide the control. ■

Originally Posted by nordell

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If these comments build no understanding, what is the point of the comment?

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..... Yet, Indian companies give these illiterates orders because they are cheap. In India, initial bid money trumps design, trumps safety, trumps client's own best interest and common sense.....

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One point of my comment was that pipe conveyors promise the earth and often deliver troubles. Somewhere between Indian and many other firms raising an enquiry/RFQ and giving orders to the cheapest bid there should be a tender review where the responsibility for correct selection is to the Client's account. Literacy is especially the Client's responsibility. If the initial enquiry was specifically pertaining to pipe conveyors then all other alternatives were probably excluded. With much EPC work, and similar, the Client places trust in his Consultant or main Contractor with or without prior knowledge. A Punter (Client) only wants to know what it will do for him? How much it will cost? When will he get it?

Pipe conveyors seem to be fashionable in some parts of the world and I personally suspect that this quest for fashion overrides well trodden and simpler technology. Covered troughed conveyors used to give weather protection in days of yore so what's the difference today? Pipe belts use considerably more rubber and rollers, and then some, so where is a blanket justification for their selection originating from?

Until mentioned by Larry, I was blissfully ignorant that cheaper Suppliers aligned stringer sections rather than individual idler sets. That, for me, explains a lower CAPEX price and at the same time raises suspicions about such a Suppliers quote and their subsequent detail design etc. etc. ■