On-site conveyor repairs
The mineral processing industry relies heavily on the ability to transfer products from A to B using tracked and wheeled plant and/or a system of conveyors. Some conveyors operate over very short distances, while others may cover distances measured in miles.
The nature of the mineral products being conveyed almost always guarantees one particular maintenance headache for the operator, namely wear. This normally occurs in small, often inaccessible areas on the conveyor and can manifest itself as tears, rips or just thinning of impact areas.
The replacement of part, or parts, of any conveyor system can be an expensive and time-consuming exercise, leading to loss of production and the additional costs incurred as the direct result of this. Thus, any system or product that allows the damaged section(s) to be repaired immediately, with the minimum amount of disruption and downtime, is of obvious benefit to the quarry operator.
The Flexi-Tech range of elastomeric repair materials meets such a need and offers an ‘instant repair’ solution. The Flexi-Tech formulation is based on a complex blend of polyols and polyester resins which, in combination with amine catalysts and activators, produces a range of elastomeric compounds specifically developed to provide high levels of performance in situations where the repair and rebuilding of rubber components and equipment is required.
Flexi-Tech is supplied in three grades: EG: a paste grade; FG: a casting grade; and RG: a rapid-curing grade. The properties of Flexi-Tech are designed to match those of factory produced rubber and, according to the manufacturers, repairs using the cured product can often outlast the original component.
The use of Flexi-Tech involves a cold-vulcanizing process to form a tough elastomeric repair with no shrinkage. When fully cured the material can be machined or sanded to aid the finishing process. The product is designed to deliver a Shore ‘A’ hardness of 60 and offer high levels of resistance to many acids/alkalis and solvents. It is suitable for the repair and rebuilding of flexible components such as conveyor belts, hoses, gaskets, rubber rollers, rubber impellors, flexible ducting, chutes, hoppers, valves and expansion joints.
Figure 1a shows a situation where the reinforcement on a conveyor belt had worn away. Two layers of Flexi-Tech reinforcement tape were embedded into the Flexi-Tech material and completely encapsulated (fig. 1b). The damaged area was then fully repaired. This was achieved quickly and delivered a major saving compared with the cost of a replacement conveyor.
Figure 2a shows a situation where a long conveyor belt had been damaged in several places by the aggressive action of rocks impacting on its surface. The damaged areas were degreased, abraded and primed, prior to the application of Flexi-Tech (fig 2b), resulting in rapid repair of the damaged areas with minimum downtime.
Proweld UK Ltd, Field House, Darklake View, Estover Ind. Est., Plymouth PL6 7TL; tel: (01752) 695522; fax: (01752) 695848.
The nature of the mineral products being conveyed almost always guarantees one particular maintenance headache for the operator, namely wear. This normally occurs in small, often inaccessible areas on the conveyor and can manifest itself as tears, rips or just thinning of impact areas.
The replacement of part, or parts, of any conveyor system can be an expensive and time-consuming exercise, leading to loss of production and the additional costs incurred as the direct result of this. Thus, any system or product that allows the damaged section(s) to be repaired immediately, with the minimum amount of disruption and downtime, is of obvious benefit to the quarry operator.
The Flexi-Tech range of elastomeric repair materials meets such a need and offers an ‘instant repair’ solution. The Flexi-Tech formulation is based on a complex blend of polyols and polyester resins which, in combination with amine catalysts and activators, produces a range of elastomeric compounds specifically developed to provide high levels of performance in situations where the repair and rebuilding of rubber components and equipment is required.
Flexi-Tech is supplied in three grades: EG: a paste grade; FG: a casting grade; and RG: a rapid-curing grade. The properties of Flexi-Tech are designed to match those of factory produced rubber and, according to the manufacturers, repairs using the cured product can often outlast the original component.
The use of Flexi-Tech involves a cold-vulcanizing process to form a tough elastomeric repair with no shrinkage. When fully cured the material can be machined or sanded to aid the finishing process. The product is designed to deliver a Shore ‘A’ hardness of 60 and offer high levels of resistance to many acids/alkalis and solvents. It is suitable for the repair and rebuilding of flexible components such as conveyor belts, hoses, gaskets, rubber rollers, rubber impellors, flexible ducting, chutes, hoppers, valves and expansion joints.
Figure 1a shows a situation where the reinforcement on a conveyor belt had worn away. Two layers of Flexi-Tech reinforcement tape were embedded into the Flexi-Tech material and completely encapsulated (fig. 1b). The damaged area was then fully repaired. This was achieved quickly and delivered a major saving compared with the cost of a replacement conveyor.
Figure 2a shows a situation where a long conveyor belt had been damaged in several places by the aggressive action of rocks impacting on its surface. The damaged areas were degreased, abraded and primed, prior to the application of Flexi-Tech (fig 2b), resulting in rapid repair of the damaged areas with minimum downtime.
Proweld UK Ltd, Field House, Darklake View, Estover Ind. Est., Plymouth PL6 7TL; tel: (01752) 695522; fax: (01752) 695848.
