Rubber-topped fasteners keep conveyors quiet

Two additional sizes of Flexco Bolt Solid Plate conveyor-belt fasteners now offer a patent-pending, rubber-topped version that adds longer life, faster installation and reduced noise.

Two additional sizes of Flexco Bolt Solid Plate conveyor-belt fasteners now offer a patent-pending, rubber-topped version that adds longer life, faster installation and reduced noise to this proven heavy-duty belt splicing method.

Like the mid-sized 190VP introduced earlier, smaller 140VP and larger 2VP sizes combine multiple steel top-plate fastener segments (six with 140VP and four with 2VP) under a single-piece, vulcanised-on rubber top cover, for installation as a unit over individual Flexco Quick-Fit bottom plates pre-assembled with special piloted bolts.

When used as recommended in skived (countersunk) installation, VP fasteners shield their top plates from abrasive loads, become "invisible" to tight-fitted belt cleaners, muffle 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 similar to most belt covers, 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.

For the most abrasive applications, 140 and 190 sizes designated VPMA also offer bottom plates of MegAlloy, a proprietary heat-treated steel alloy developed by Flexco for two to three times the wear resistance of standard steel.

Maximum splice life is achieved by installing VP fasteners 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 each belt end to half the plate length lets the VP 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, allowing mechanical splicing to simulate the continuous surface of a vulcanised splice.

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

Similar to standard Bolt Solid Plate installation, bolt holes are drilled through the belt ends guided by a distinctive yellow dichromate VP templet, then bottom plates and bolts are inserted upward from the underside of the belt.

Flexco Quick-Fit bottom plate assemblies feature a special clip that holds bolts and plates together for easy one-hand insertion, eliminating the need to insert each bolt separately.

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 final 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, VP assemblies can cut splice installation time by up to 10%.

Adding the time saved by Quick-Fit bottom plates and Piloted Bolts, net downtime can be cut 30-40% compared with conventional bolt solid plate splices.

The three sizes of Flexco VP fasteners accommodate conveyor belts ranging from 5 to 21mm thick with mechanical fastener ratings up to 75kN/m, or running on conveyors with pulley diameters as small as 360mm.

Like standard Bolt Solid Plate fasteners, the new VP versions can form a 45-degree diagonal splice that operates smoothly over pulley diameters 25% smaller than the 90-degree minimum.

The rubber 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 Bolt Solid Plate splices.

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.

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