Customized belt conveyors

A belt conveyor is a conveyor system that is classified as a continuous conveyor. In common parlance, belt conveyors are also referred to as assembly lines, conveyor belts, transport belts, belt conveyors or belt conveyors. Belt conveyors can be either stationary or mobile, are used to transport piece goods and bulk materials, and can be used in many areas and industries.

Belt conveyors offer very high operational reliability and availability and have therefore proven themselves in many applications. Due to their low energy consumption, they are sustainable, environmentally friendly and productive.

The main design feature is an endless, flexible conveyor belt that is driven by a drive roller. MTF belt conveyors essentially consist of a base frame made of aluminium profiles, on which the drive and deflection roller(s) including the necessary tensioning devices, the actual drive motor and a sliding support for the belt are mounted. If required, additional components can be attached to the frame.

Belt conveyors can be used to transport both piece goods and bulk materials. Belt conveyors are available in many different performance, size and weight classes.

The belt conveyors from MTF Technik are primarily intended for industrial use. They are mainly used in buildings to transport and remove production machines. They serve, for example, as discharge conveyor belts from plastic injection moulding machines, as storage belts in robot cells, as feed belts for assembly lines, vibration pots or cutting mills, as transfer belts in assembly lines, as metering conveyor belts, as cooling or heating lines, as detection belts for metal parts, as buffer belts, as visual inspection conveyor belts, as water conveyor belts, etc.

Tasks in agriculture, in the stone and earth sector, airport logistics, etc. are not usually the domain of MTF Technik equipment.

The Multi-Tech conveyor belts from MTF Technik are based on various aluminium profiles that have been specially designed and constructed for use as belt conveyors. The profiles incorporate 50 years of expertise in conveyor belt construction to achieve optimum functionality and stability.

The design, consisting of an internal frame made of spar profiles with externally mounted guide profiles, is unique in conveyor belt construction. The main advantage of this design is that the outer profiles can be easily folded down for inspection and maintenance purposes and for belt replacement, while the inner structure of the conveyor belt, including all essential rollers, remains completely intact. This reduces downtimes and increases the availability of the belt conveyors.

Functional elements such as the tensioning devices are fully integrated into the conveyor belt design, do not protrude at the sides and are hermetically sealed against the ingress of foreign objects.

The seal between the belt and the side guide is achieved by means of specially designed aluminium sealing strips. These are simply "clicked" into the side guide profiles, i.e. there are no screw heads or similar that could interfere with the conveying process or damage the conveyed material. The sealing strip profiles are available in different heights so that they can be perfectly adapted to different belt thicknesses – another unique feature in conveyor belt construction. The sealing strips are also designed with a slight angle to the vertical to prevent jamming between vertical cleats and the side guide. Expertise in the details.

Another special feature are the sturdy end pieces made of cast aluminium, which are attached to the front of the side profiles to protect the conveyor belt and prevent sharp edges. They are an integral part of the conveyor belt design and ensure maximum work safety.

On angle conveyor belts, the stable cast aluminium bend covers provide further advantages. They are designed to consistently avoid impact edges and allow hopper plates, for example, to be easily integrated.

Last but not least, the automatic belt tension compensation for angled conveyor belts is a unique feature. Here, the mechanism developed by MTF Technik ensures that the belt tension remains constant over the entire angle adjustment range from 0° to 60°. This ensures operational reliability and reduces belt wear. This mechanism is also "invisibly" integrated inside the profiles.

The conical-cylindrical shape of the rollers ensures that the diameter on the outside of the roller is smaller than in the centre. When the belt runs out from the centre, it is slightly deformed and forms a kind of "curve", i.e. the tension in the belt is higher on one side than on the other. As with a rubber band, the conveyor belt tries to compensate for this excessive tension by moving back towards the cylindrical centre. The conical-cylindrical design of the rollers thus results in a self-centring effect of the conveyor belt.

With a pulling drive, the belt wraps around the drive roller at an angle of almost 180°. With a pushing drive, however, the belt lifts off the drive roller due to friction at the same belt tension, i.e. the wrap angle is less than 180°. Accordingly, less torque can be transmitted. To compensate for this, the belt tension would have to be increased.

However, this leads to higher belt wear and at the same time increases the power required from the drive motor. For this reason, MTF Technik uses pulling drives ("head drive") as standard

In principle, MTF Technik belt conveyors are available in almost any dimensions. In order to operate economically, we have defined certain standards for widths. We offer standard nominal widths of 200, 250, ... 500, 600, 700, ... In these increments, the corresponding width-dependent parts such as rollers, etc. are usually available from stock.

In terms of length, the belt conveyors are very flexible and can be designed to meet customer requirements. The only restrictions here are, for example, depending on the drive units selected or a sensible length/width ratio.

MTF belt conveyors are designed with cylindrical-conical rollers as standard. This type of design gives the conveyor belts a certain degree of self-centring. For conveyor belts with a poor length/width ratio, i.e. less than 2:1, for conveyor belts with continuous reversing operation or conveyor sections with transverse forces, e.g. due to push-off processes, it may be necessary to use positive guidance. For this purpose, a wedge strip profile is usually fitted under the belt, which is guided in grooves along the belt body and in the rollers.

Yes. The belt conveyors from MTF Technik can be adapted to the special requirements of clean room production. For this purpose, special conveyor belts are selected, the drive is adjusted accordingly and other special materials and equipment features are configured. All measures are aimed at minimising abrasion and air turbulence.

Further information on this topic can also be found in our guide

No. As a rule, MTF Technik completely assembles the conveyor belts at the factory and also carries out appropriate test runs so that the devices can be easily set up by the customer. The electrical connections are usually designed so that only the plug needs to be connected to the power supply. On customer request, devices can also be delivered without wiring, in which case the electrical connection must be carried out by appropriately trained specialists at the customer's premises.

Yes. For this purpose, MTF Technik offers belt curves to bridge angles between 30° and 180° continuously in the horizontal plane.

The conveyed material retains its orientation and does not require additional guidance. The belt curves are therefore an integral part of linked conveyor lines and conveyor systems.

Since belt curves are used almost exclusively in combination with other conveyor belts, part transfers play an important role here. In order to transfer small parts safely, it is particularly important that small deflection roller diameters can be achieved. MTF Technik offers belt curves with cylindrical deflections ranging from Ø47 mm to Ø8 mm.

To the curved belts

Basically, yes. Belt conveyors have a closed conveyor belt surface – this is a basic requirement for transporting small parts. To prevent small or pointed parts from getting stuck between the moving belt and the fixed side guides, additional measures may need to be taken.

Corrugated edges applied to the conveyor belt to form a side guide that runs along with the belt are particularly helpful in this context. This eliminates the relative movement between the belt and the side guide.

Whether the small parts can actually be conveyed without problems depends on many factors. This starts with the conveying material. It is very important whether the material is fed evenly and calmly or whether it hits the conveyor with high kinetic energy and may scatter.

In addition, conditions such as static charging of the components, moisture, adhesion behaviour, angle of inclination, etc. can influence the conveyability.

Rubberised or knurled drive rollers are used where high loads have to be transported, high acceleration values are required or the belt tension needs to be deliberately reduced while maintaining the same drive force. This can be the case, for example, with wide, angled belt conveyors, where the conveyor belt would otherwise tend to bulge upwards in the bend area.

In addition, rubberised drive rollers are used, for example, when friction is reduced by moisture (water conveyor belts). For conveying tasks where friction is reduced by oil – e.g. when transporting oil-coated parts in punching shops – knurled drive rollers are used instead.

Knurled drive rollers are also used in particular on wire belt conveyors when hot products are being conveyed and the belt heats up to over 100°C on a permanent basis.

The maximum conveyor weight depends on various factors. The belt quality, conveyor width, belt speed, type of upper run removal, type of deflection and conveyor belt geometry play a significant role here.

Generally speaking, angled conveyor belts can only transport significantly lower loads than straight conveyor belts. Depending on the design, straight Multi-Tech belt conveyors can transport total loads of up to approx. 800 kg, while small conveyor belts are more in the range of up to 15 kg and belt curves up to 75 kg.

Belt conveyors stand out from most other continuous conveyors primarily due to their low price. Steel mesh conveyors, hinged plate conveyors and magnetic conveyors are generally significantly more expensive and complex.

The wide range of belt materials available ensures a broad spectrum of possible applications. The flexible belt material and the correspondingly soft surface ensure optimum protection of parts. The closed surface of the conveyor belts makes cleaning extremely easy and also prevents the uncontrolled release of abrasion, as can occur, for example, through gaps in hinged plates.

Thanks to the low weight of the conveyor belts, the belt conveyors can be operated with high dynamics, i.e. fast acceleration and deceleration ramps are possible. This also allows high overall conveying speeds, which, depending on the belt design and conveyor belt construction, are accompanied by low noise levels.

Thanks to the force-locking drive, the belts run quietly and there is no polygon effect, as occurs, for example, with chain conveyors.

On angled conveyor belts, the belts tend to form a "bulge" in the area of the belt kinks. While the conveyor belt is pressed down by the side pressure rollers, it tries to arch upwards in the intermediate area.

This tendency is stronger the wider the conveyor belt and the higher the belt tension. In addition, the quality of the conveyor belt plays a decisive role. Only high-quality conveyor belts with a stable fabric structure and high transverse stability can be used effectively on angled conveyor belts.

The conveyor angle also plays a role. The tendency to form a bulge is greater at fairly flat conveyor angles than at steep angles.

The angled Multi-Tech belt conveyors from MTF Technik are infinitely adjustable between 0° and 60° as standard. A special mechanism developed by MTF Technik, known as belt tension compensation, ensures that the belt tension remains constant across this entire angle adjustment range. This is a special feature of MTF Technik belt conveyors.

In order to reduce bulging overall, MTF Technik first uses conveyor belts with a high degree of transverse stability that are appropriate for the belt width and conveying task. In addition, rubberised or knurled drive rollers are used if necessary. This ensures that the necessary belt drive is guaranteed even with lower belt tension and at the same time minimises the tendency to form bulges.

Furthermore, the side pressure rollers in the profiles are dimensioned so that the conveyor belt is guided with the appropriate width, thus minimising the tendency to bulge. The width of the pressure rollers also ensures that the surface pressure on the belt is as low as possible, thus reducing wear.

Even though belt conveyors are relatively low-maintenance, they should still be inspected at regular intervals and undergo preventive maintenance. You can find detailed info on this in the device's operating instructions. No matter what device you're using, keeping the conveyor belt clean is super important for it to work properly.

To clean the conveyor belt, it is essential that the conveyor belt is disconnected from the power supply. Rough cleaning can then be carried out. It is advisable to remove coarse dirt manually, using a vacuum cleaner if necessary.

Depending on the belt material, further cleaning can then be carried out. For felt belts or other open-pored belts such as plush, cleaning by vacuuming is usually sufficient.

For smooth belts, we recommend cleaning with lukewarm water first. A damp cloth is usually sufficient, as not all belt materials are water-resistant. Heavy grease can be removed from PVC belts with spirit and from PU belts with isopropanol or cleaning solvent, for example. Afterwards, the belt should be rinsed with clear water and dried.

All conveyor belts undergo a test run lasting at least two hours at MTF Technik before delivery to the customer. The belt tension and alignment are preset during this test run.

Transport, the basic belt tension, installation on site and running-in effects – especially in the first few weeks after commissioning – can cause the conveyor belts to lengthen and affect their straight-running. In this case, you should first check whether the belt conveyor has been set up completely straight. To do this, use a spirit level to check whether the conveyor is aligned flat over its entire length in both the longitudinal and transverse directions.

The device must then be checked for cleanliness, i.e. in particular whether there is any dirt between the belt and the slide pads and between the belt and the rollers.

Next, check that all rollers in the conveyor belt construction are aligned at right angles to the conveyor belt frame and that the belt is sufficiently tensioned.

As a rule of thumb, the belt should only be tensioned as much as necessary – not as much as possible. It is important that the tension is high enough to ensure that the conveyed material can be transported safely and that the self-centring effect of the cylindrical-conical rollers is effective.

The tension is only ever applied at the tensioning stations. It is not a problem if the belt does not run 100% centrally. Even if the belt swings back and forth, this is not a problem. It must not, however, come into contact with the side guides, as this would damage the belt.

The belt tension must be checked at regular intervals as it can change over time, especially depending on the load. At the same time, the straight running should be checked and adjusted if necessary.

The belt tension and straight running must only be adjusted by trained personnel to avoid damage. For more detailed information, please refer to the operating instructions for the device.

In mechanical engineering, a strand is generally defined as a pulling mechanism between two wheels, e.g. a bicycle chain running between two sprockets. A distinction is made between the pulling strand and the empty strand.

In relation to the conveyor belt, the load strand is the upper strand, i.e. the side of the belt on which the material is transported. The lower strand is the empty strand, i.e. the return of the belt.

Depending on the size of the conveyor belt, the upper strand and the lower strand must be supported. As a rule, the upper strand slides over metal sheets or smooth surfaces to create a level contact surface for the conveyed material. This is referred to as upper strand support.

If necessary, the lower run is supported, e.g. by rollers, metal sheets or similar, so that it does not sag downwards during return.