Martin Engineering launches conveyor belt tracker

A mistracking belt produces excessive spillage, which increases labour costs for cleanup and may cause contact with the mainframe. This seriously damages both the belt and the structure and increases the potential for a friction fire. The Martin Tracker HD upper and lower units provide immediate, continuous, and precise adjustment of the mistracking belt. The result is greater productivity with less unscheduled downtime from both equipment replacement and spillage cleanup for a lower cost of operation.

“Since most OEM mistracking devices are only designed to prevent contact with the stringer and do not actually realign the belt, operators can spend a lot of time monitoring the system and adjusting idlers to achieve consistent alignment,” explained Dave Mueller, Product Manager for Martin Engineering. “With enough manual adjusting, operators find that idlers must be recentered if there is a change in cargo characteristics or to install a new belt. The Tracker HD automates the alignment process, eliminating the need for constant monitoring and manual adjustments and reducing the labour and downtime for maintenance.”

The Martin Tracker HD’s precision comes from sensing rollers that ride either side of the belt edge and are attached to the end of an arm assembly. As the rollers detect slight variations in the belt path, the force of the wandering belt causes the arms to automatically position a pivoting idler in the opposite direction of the misalignment. The lever action requires less force to initiate the correction and only slight adjustments mean the consistent contact between the belt and idlers reduces the energy needed to bring the belt back into alignment.

“Certain countries cannot buy the square tubing, so we are now manufacturing the equipment from readily available plate steel without any changes to the performance or life of the unit,” Mueller pointed out. “This allows the Tracker HD to be produced and supplied across all global business units.”

Since the basic design of the Martin Tracker HD is similar to that of its predecessors with square tube construction, the testing focused on performance, durability, and installation time. Tested in bulk handling operations, including mining and cement where mistracking leading to spillage had historically been a concern, the unit performed up to Martin Engineering’s high standards.

“Martin Engineering believes safety should be a core function in any conveyor accessory we design, and the Tracker HD is no different,” Mueller said. “By automating consistent belt tracking, this solution reduces equipment wear, maintenance time, and downtime. These factors lower the cost of operation, offering the best return on investment of any tracker on the market.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/product-news/26012024/martin-engineering-launches-conveyor-belt-tracker/