Position: For aiding in Idler Belt Scale and conveyor design Thayer maintains a Belt Scale Suspension Testing Conveyor at its corporate headquarter in Pembroke, MA. This test conveyor was originally designed to study the effects of changing conveyor parameters on the accuracy of a particular scale’s loading signal as well as to compare the long term stability and reliability of speed measurements made at various locations within the conveyor. Currently it is used as an evolutionary development tool, where proposed design recommendations are simultaneously tested under identical conditions against existing configurations.
This test conveyor is 24” wide, 50ft long, and can be equipped with 20 or 35 degree troughed idlers at variable spacing. It can operate under controlled belt tension from 500 to 1500 pounds, and belt speeds from 10 to 400 fpm by belt scale controller. The conveyor is located outdoors to best simulate a customers installation and the effects of the environment (temperature swings of -15 to +90) on scale performance.
Belt Scale Suspension Testing Conveyor
Variable Belt Tension Belt Take-up
The conveyor is equipped with a Thayer single idler Model “Quarry King” and 4 idler Model RF, Rocking Flexure Belt Scales. Both scales are outfitted with Thayer’s various instrumentation packages.
The potential performance level of a conveyor belt scale installation is dependent on things other than the belt scale itself. Major factors include: conveyor design, scale suspension design, location of load and speed sensors in relation to both conveyor terminal equipment and loading points, installed alignment conditions, duration and constancy of loading cycle, condition of rolling conveyor elements, the uniformity and stiffness of the belting itself, condition and size of take-up apparatus, the precision with the system can be routinely calibrated, adherence to calibration schedule, and operating environment.
Two Idler Model RF” Rocking Flexure Belt Scale
Single Idler “Quarry King” Belt Scale
While the Belt Scale Suspension Testing Conveyor can not simulate all the factors that directly effect a belt scales performance, it does provide many of the crucial variations in order to assure that a Thayer Belt Scale is designed for optimal belt scale accuracy and performance.
