Conveyor belt systems are found on most mine sites across the globe. They are perhaps the most critical and essential piece of equipment in the mining industry, which maximise the production of materials, such as iron ore, by transporting them efficiently to save customers time, energy, and costs.
These conveyor belt systems are comprised of several different components, including conveyor pulleys. There are also several types of pulleys to suit different types of conveyor belt systems.
Choosing a suitable pulley for your conveyor belt system does not have to be a difficult task. PROK is a leading manufacturer of pulleys, and our team of technical experts can help you decide on the right pulley for your application.
What is a Conveyor Pulley?
Conveyor pulleys are mechanical devices used to change the direction of a belt in a conveyor belt system along with tensioning and driving the belt. A conveyor system will always consist of a head pulley and a tail pulley.
All pulleys are comprised of these components which include:
- End discs
- Locking element
- Bearing assembly
- Shell
- Shaft
See for yourself one of our conveyor pulleys and get up close with the components in 3D.
PROK is a leading manufacturer of pulleys, and our team of technical experts can help you decide on the right pulley for your application.
Common types of Mining Conveyor Pulleys
Live Shaft Pulley
Live shaft pulleys are where the shaft is fixed to either end of the pulley and allows the shaft and the body of the pulley to rotate simultaneously. The bearing assembly is also installed externally on the end disc of the pulley.
These pulleys make up the vast majority of all pulleys found in bulk material handling (essentially all) and can be customised/engineered to suit light/heavy-duty, fast/slow, or unfavourable environmental conditions.
Dead Shaft Pulley
The bearings on a dead shaft pulley are installed within the pulley, fixing the position of the shaft. This means only the body of the pulley rotates around the shaft, hence why we call it a “dead” shaft pulley.
Dead shaft pulleys are advantageous by eliminating the bending moment transmitted through the locking element and depending on the load-case can sometimes significantly reduce the shaft diameter & its weight.
Our custom-designed dead shaft pulleys make these pulleys suitable for any application.
Gearless Drive Pulley
With a Gearless Drive pulley, a low-speed synchronous motor is installed directly to the shaft of the drive pulley. As large mine conveyors increase in size, the installed capacity also increases.
If the installed power is greater than 3 Megawatts, then a gearless drive pulley can reduce power demand by eliminating the need for speed reducers (gearboxes) and increasing system reliability by eliminating high maintenance pieces of equipment.
Stub Shaft Pulley
Where two separate stubs are attached to each end disc, removing the locking element & the shaft inside of the pulley body to drastically reduce the weight & a solution for pulleys in confined and hard-to-reach locations.
Stubs shafts require a high-level of design competence including detailed numeric & experience.
Engineered Conveyor Pulleys
PROK offers a wide range of engineered conveyor pulley solutions, available in custom designs to meet specific customer requirements.
Investing in quality engineered pulleys leads to increased safety, lower weight, longer life, and improved reliability.
When a single pulley fails, the belt must stop, and sometimes the whole production for the mine ceases.
In simple words, when the belt stops, production stops.
It is important for mining companies to invest in quality engineered pulleys to reduce overall costs and improve production and prevent mining operations from coming to a halt.
Summary
All conveyor systems will consist of at least two pulleys, but there is no one size fits all.
PROK’s range of engineered pulleys can help you optimise production for your conveyor belt system. If our standard range of conveyor pulleys doesn’t suit, our team of engineers can customise the design to suit your application.
As leaders in conveyor pulleys, PROK can assist you in selecting the right pulleys for your conveyor system.
Contact us to speak to a technical expert and find out more.
