Industry
Glass
Application
Recycling Belt
Product
FGP Precleaner
Objective
Increase belt life
Conveyor Detail
PVC belt, 12" wide by 50' long
Problem:
An East Coast glass manufacturer was experiencing serious problems on its recycling belt. The homemade belt cleaner that was being used was not effectively cleaning of the belt. The result was glass embedding in the belt, which caused it to crack on the edges and fail. Additionally, the design of the homemade cleaner – a piece of UHMW bolted on to the structure – was actually doing more harm to the belt by digging into it. Because there was no “give” to the blade, the belt was being further damaged and the blade was wearing at an alarming rate, meaning more frequent maintenance.
Solution:
After inspection, the distributor advised the maintenance team at the plant to replace both the belt and the homemade cleaner. The PVC belt was replaced with a red urethane belt, which discouraged cuts from the bottles. The installation of the FGP Precleaner with a spring tensioner allowed the cleaner to work with the belt without causing damage or belt wear.
Result:
Not only did the belt life increase, but the amount of maintenance on the conveyor decreased thanks to the FGP. The blades on the FGP are now lasting an average of six-times longer than the homemade cleaner, meaning less downtime. That means the maintenance team can focus more of their time on proactive maintenance and not have to worry as much about the life of the belt or the cleaner blades.