ScrapeTec Trading GmbH

New “tracking assistant” for conveyor belts prevents belt misalignment

1 The PrimeTracker can be easily installed in existing conveyor systems

2 The steering roller for automatic compensation of belt misalignment is mounted in the lower run of the conveyor belt – at a distance of about 3.5 times the conveyor belt width from the idler roller

3 The special bearing allows the PrimeTracker to move completely freely during operation and always maintain 100 % contact with the belt

ScrapeTec Trading GmbH will use POWTECH to present its PrimeTracker system. This is a steering roller system that takes over the function of an “alignment assistant” for conveyor belts and thus significantly reduces irregularities such as belt skew and the resulting wear. Although the system thus takes over an important task, it is conceivably simple in design and can be installed quickly.

In the lower run of the conveyor belt – at a distance of about 3.5 times the conveyor belt width from the deflection roller – a steering roller is installed that can move axially and can detect changes in the angle of the roller body to the axis. When the conveyor belt runs straight, uniform forces act on the roller. Even slight misalignment is detected immediately due to uneven friction acting on the roller. The cylinder body then swivels automatically so that the belt is steered back to the centre. This works equally well with slight and severe misalignment.

The special and novel bearing allows the swivel roller to move completely freely in a 360 ° radius during operation and always maintain 100 % contact with the belt. Other advantages of the PrimeTracker include the exceptional ease of installation, low maintenance and protection of the belt edges or conveyor belt.

The PrimeTracker operates maintenance-free in stand-alone mode, i.e. without the need for a power or signal supply. It is also suitable for reversing operation and has already proven itself in various practical applications. Wilfried Dünnwald, managing partner of ScrapeTec: “The PrimeTracker perfectly complements our sophisticated product range ‘all around the conveyor belt’. It automatically guides conveyor belts out of misalignment and back into the correct position. This happens frequently in practice, especially in open-cast mines – due to faulty belt connections, uneven loading or even one-sided sunlight.”

At POWTECH, ScrapeTec will present the currently available version of the PrimeTracker – and is expecting great interest from companies that transport bulk goods and bulk materials by belt. Wilfried Dünnwald: “The system significantly reduces belt wear and maintenance costs. And it avoids irregularities such as ejected material as well as unplanned downtime.” In addition, the company will be presenting innovative solutions in Nuremberg to minimise dust generation during belt conveying, in particular the innovative AirScrape system, which seals belt conveyors without contact by creating a highly effective air suction.

Only a few weeks later, at bauma in Munich, ScrapeTec will show a further development of the “alignment assistant” with the possibility of connection to higher-level condition monitoring systems, for example.

Hall 3, stand 471A