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Conveyor Belt Trough Angle

Belts are troughed to allow the conveyor to carry more material. As the trough angle is increased, more material can be carried. All flat rubber or PVC belts can be formed into a trough by idlers. The type of belt carcass, the thickness of the belt, the width of the belt, and the tension rating of the belt determine the maximum trough angle. On belting manufacturers’ technical data sheets, troughability is typically shown as the minimum belt width allowed for the various trough angles.

A belt conveyor overloaded with coal.
Exceeding its troughing capability can result in damage to the belt.

Exceeding the maximum trough angle of a particular belt can cause the belt to permanently deform into a cupped position. Cupping can make a belt difficult to seal, difficult to clean, and almost impossible to track. As the cupping increases, the surface contact between the conveyor’s rolling components and the belt is reduced, diminishing the ability of the rolling component to steer the belt properly.

If the belt’s troughability is exceeded, the belt may not form the trough correctly, creating sealing and tracking problems. If a belt is too stiff and will not properly trough, it will not steer (track) properly through the system. This will quickly evolve into spillage off the sides of the conveyor and damage to the edges of the belt.

Another problem that may occur if the belt’s troughing capability is exceeded is damage to the top and bottom covers and to the carcass in the idler-junction area. In addition, if the belt’s troughability is not compatible with the troughing idlers, it might take more power to operate the conveyor than originally designed.

Topics: Basics of Belt Conveyor Systems

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