Ocular or visual inspections are an important part of conveyor maintenance; there are often visual clues that can alert you to a conveyor breakdown before it happens. Performing an ocular inspection should be part of routine maintenance, but you need to know what to look for during your inspection. Here are four elements of visually inspecting a conveyor belt that can ensure you stay on top of preventive maintenance.

1. Is the belt intact? Start with the overall basics and inspect the integrity of the belt. Are the belt and joints worn, frayed or have any signs of deterioration? Look for residue, metal dust or dirty areas that could be signs of parts wearing down.
2. Check the moving components. Look at the moving components and bed of the conveyor. Check the pulleys, spindles, rolls, bearings and sliding bed to ensure all pieces are in good condition and complete.
3. Watch the belt movement. Without product, test the belt movement. Does the belt pull to one side or is it centered? A worn bearing can cause the belt to pull to one side – misalignment of pulleys, rolls and wheels can also pull the belt off-center. Adjust as needed to align the belt.
4. Inspect product transportation. A conveyor belt can function fine without weight, then have issues under load. Carefully inspect the belt as it is transporting product – look for rubbing or slipping that can cause wear and malfunction.

Periodically doing self-inspections on conveyor belts can identify issues before they cause a belt breakdown that can stop production. It is also important to schedule professional maintenance and thorough inspections to replace parts as needed to extend the lifespan of your equipment and reduce emergency repairs. Just remember, preventive maintenance is always cheaper than loss of production and costly repairs.

Posted on behalf of:
The King Group, Inc.
6865 Shiloh Road East, #100
Alpharetta, GA 30005
(770) 886-1113