Fasteners offer faster belt installation

A Flexco (Flexible Steel Lacing Company) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 16, 2003

A new, patent-pending, rubber-topped bolt solid plate conveyor-belt fastener adds longer life, faster installation and reduced noise to this proven heavy-duty belt splicing method.

A new, patent-pending, rubber-topped version of Flexco bolt solid plate conveyor-belt fasteners adds longer life, faster installation and reduced noise to this proven heavy-duty belt splicing method.

Designated 190VP, this new addition combines six steel top-plate fastener segments under a vulcanised-on rubber topcover, for installation as a single piece over six Flexco Quick-Fit bottom plates pre-assembled with special piloted bolts.

When used as recommended in skived (countersunk) installation, new 190VP fasteners shield their top plates from abrasive loads, become "invisible" to tight-fitted belt cleaners, eliminate the rhythmic "clank" of plates striking return idlers, and further assure the sift-free performance of tightly butted solid-plate splicing.

The 3mm-thick layer of natural rubber with 65 durometer hardness increases the service life of both fasteners and belt-cleaner blades substantially, varying with site-specific conditions of load material and weight, type of installation, and belt-cleaner characteristics.

The splice cover's working temperature range spans from 4 to 82C, and its flexibility between plates allows the splice to conform to belt troughing angles as easily as a standard 190 splice.

Maximum splice life is achieved by installing 190VP in a skived trough approximately 6mm deep, to position the rubber cover's surface flush with the belt top cover.

Ideal skived installation needs belting with top cover at least 5mm thick.

Skiving to 37mm from the belt ends (half the plate length) lets the 190VP rubber cover snugly fit between leading/trailing edges of the skived trough.

This guides belt-cleaner blades smoothly across the covered splice without dipping into the skive or contacting any steel fastener components.

Fastener bolts are secured with specially tapered nuts that normally tighten low into matching recesses in the 190 splice's steel top plates, but here benefit from additional recess clearance due to the surrounding rubber cover.

As in standard bolt solid plate installation, bolt holes are drilled through the belt ends guided by a special yellow dichromate VP templet, then bottom plates and bolts are inserted upward from the underside of the belt.

Flexco Quick-Fit bottom plate assemblies include a special clip that holds bolts and plates together for easy one-hand insertion, eliminating the need to place the bolts individually.

Flexco piloted bolts feature a 6mm threadless shank at the tip of each bolt, which allows the installer to place the special nuts loosely onto the upward protruding bolts without pausing to secure them in that position by hand-turning.

The threadless shank length keeps the nuts in place until the power wrench is applied for tightening.

It also narrows the bolt tip, quickening the usually blind insertion of Quick-Fit assemblies from beneath the belt.

By eliminating the need to position the top plates individually, 190VP can cut splice installation time by up to 10%.

Adding the time saved by Quick-Fit bottom plates and piloted bolts, the net downtime reduction can reach 30-40% compared to conventional bolt solid plate splices.

Flexco 190 bolt solid plate fasteners are intended for conveyor belts ranging from 8 to 14mm thick with mechanical fastener ratings up to 60kN/m, running on conveyors with pulley diameters no smaller than 450mm.

The new 190VP rubber covered design, like the standard 190, can be used to create a 45-degree diagonal splice that operates smoothly over pulley diameters as small as 225mm.

Belt skiving to countersink mechanical fasteners is quickly and easily accomplished on-site during fastener installation with the Flexco FSK belt skiver.

This compact, manual tool uniformly strips away conveyor-belt cover to leave a smooth, flat-bottomed trough, with a rounded inside corner to prevent the belt cover from splitting.

The process takes only a few minutes, and the skived material comes off in one continuous strip, eliminating airborne debris and dust that can result from powered grinders.