Conveyor belts tirelessly move materials from A to B. All the while, raw materials, such as stones, sand, coal and co., rattle and jiggle across the transport belt. Even the most durable conveyor belt is not immune to being affected by these permanent stresses. The inevitable shocks and vibrations take a toll on the rubber of the conveyor belt. And then it’s high time for a fast conveyor belt repair!
Acting fast is the most important part
Regular maintenance is important to detect damages on the conveyor belt at an early stage and to prevent production downtimes. Since: The longer the belt – and thus the production – stands still, the larger the economic damage for the operator of the conveyor system. Once a tear has occured, immediate action is required and the conveyor system needs to be switched off to carry out the necessary repair of the belt.
What now?
A conveyor belt repair can quickly become very time-consuming and expensive. If you hire a repair service, you usually have to allow for long downtimes and high costs. Often, it is not possible to simply remove the area around the damage, but instead, entire connecting pieces within the conveyor belt need to be replaced. In addition, conveyor belts are often custom-made and a reproduction costs even more time and money.
Repairing a conveyor belt – can I do that myself?
We have developed a DIY conyeyor belt repair kit, which keeps production donwtimes to a minimum and restores the functionality of the belt in a cost-effective way. Sounds to good to be true? Yet here it is!
The WEICON Belt Repair-Kit
The Belt Repair-Kit is an easy-to-use 2-component polyurethane system, which is ideal for the fast repair and coating of conveyor belts, rubber coatings and rubber surfaces, while providing a reliable, flexible wear protection against future stresses.
Advantages
High curing speed
High elasticity
Wear resistance
Impact and abrasion resistance
High tear resistance
High mechanical strength
Temperature resistance from -60°C to +100 °C
Fast processing without tools
Step-by-step conveyor belt repair
This is what you need to bond the conveyor belt:
- angle grinder (rasp or cup wire brush)
- Belt Repair-Kit 550 (work package) or 590 (double cartridge)
- dispensing gun (recommended for 590)
Belt Repair-Kit 550 (work package) for repairing wide horizontal cracks
- Remove coarse dirt.
- Sand and level the edges of the crack with an angle grinder.
- Clean the surface with WEICON Cleaner Spray S.
- Mix WEICON Primer G and shake for longer than 2 min.
- Apply WEICON Primer G to the damaged area with a paint brush.
- Allow the applied WEICON Primer G to flash off for a moment.
- Mix WEICON Urethane 85: Pour the resin entirely into the hardener. Blend resin and hardener well.
- Work WEICON Urethane 85 generously into the crack.
- Smooth the surface with the WEICON Contour Spatula Flexy.
Belt Repair-Kit 590 (double cartridge) for repairing narrow longitudinal cracks
- Roughen the edges of the crack (angle grinder).
- Rinse the crack with WEICON Cleaner Spray S.
- Mix WEICON Primer G and apply to the damaged area.
- Insert WEICON Urethane 85 cartridge into the dispensing gun (Dispenser 2K 10:1).
- Remove the cap and attach the WEICON Mixing Nozzle.
- Apply WEICON Urethane 85 and smooth with Contour Spatula Flexy.
Fast recommissioning
Shortly after the repair with the WEICON Belt Repair-Kit, the conveyor belt can carry mechanicals loads again (after 6-8 hours). The production can continue! The final strength is reached after 24 hours.
The step-by-step repair of a conveyor belt in a quarze mine shows how our Belt Repair-Kit works. Take a look at our video!
Written by guest author Lina Stoffer – working student public relations
