Everything you need to know about keeping conveyor belts clean
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motorised brush cleaner

Maintaining clean and functional conveyor belts is vital in a materials recycling (MRF) plant to avoid productivity loss and safety risks. Spillages, carryback, and downtime on conveyor belts can result in higher maintenance expenses, decreased output, and potential workplace accidents. As a manager of a recycling plant, implementing preventative strategies is critical to keep the conveyor belts in prime condition and circumvent these problems.

Let’s run through some practical ways to keep your conveyor belts clean and operational, preventing spillages, carryback, and downtime at a materials recycling plant.

Regular Maintenance and Inspection

To ensure your conveyor belts remain clean and operational, consistent maintenance and inspection are crucial. A well-structured maintenance plan should encompass routine inspections, thorough cleaning, and proper lubrication of the conveyor belts, along with the replacement of parts that are worn or damaged. These inspections should be carried out by skilled personnel capable of detecting and addressing potential issues before they escalate into major problems.

Compliant Cleaning Techniques

Effective cleaning methods are crucial to avoid spillages and carryback on conveyor belts. Techniques like vacuum and air blast cleaning are excellent for removing dirt and debris in a way that prevents corrosion. While water and detergents are often employed for cleaning conveyor belts, it’s important to be cautious with moisture levels, as excessive water can lead to rust and harm components like bearings, rollers, and other parts.

Conveyor Belt Scrapers

Using conveyor belt scrapers is a highly efficient method to prevent carryback and keep the conveyor belt surface clean. These scrapers function by removing material from the conveyor belt before it gets to the end pulley. This action helps in preventing the accumulation of material and reduces spillages. There are various scraper systems available, such as primary, secondary, and urethane scrapers, each offering different levels of cleaning effectiveness.

Motorised Brush Cleaners for Conveyors

Hoverdale UK Limited’s motorised brush cleaner for conveyors presents a modern solution to a longstanding industry challenge. This system helps keep conveyor belts clean and functional, resulting in lower operating costs, enhanced safety, and heightened efficiency for facilities. This exemplifies how simple innovations can often yield significant and impactful results.

Training and Safety

It is essential to implement training and safety protocols to avoid accidents in MRFs and guarantee the correct usage of conveyor belts. Employees need to be trained in operating, maintaining, and inspecting conveyor belts to prevent hazardous working environments and expensive mishaps. The installation of safety barriers, conveyor guarding and sensors is also crucial to identify blockages and enable automatic shut-off during emergencies.

Conveyor Belt Tracking

Conveyor belt tracking issues, commonly encountered in recycling plants, can lead to belt misalignment and increased wear on components. To improve belt tracking, consider installing tracking rollers, maintaining appropriate belt tension, repairing any damage to pulleys or supports promptly, and minimizing material spillages.

Stay clean, stay operational – keep materials moving in and out safely.

Ensuring that conveyor belts are clean and operational is crucial in a recycling plant to avert spillages, carryback, and unnecessary downtime. Implementing measures such as regular maintenance and inspection, employing proper cleaning methods, using conveyor belt scrapers, conducting training and ensuring safety, and focusing on conveyor belt tracking can significantly contribute to keeping your conveyor belts in prime condition and preventing costly interruptions. As a manager of a recycling plant, adopting these strategies is vital for the safety of your employees, the efficiency of your operations, and the longevity of your equipment.

Conveyor Belts Glossary of Terms

There are lots of different types of conveyor belts: So, if you’re struggling with your knowledge of conveyor belt terminology, or you just want to brush up (excuse the pun!) on what keeps your conveyors operational, the A-Z of Conveyor Belts is available here to download!

different types conveyor belts

 

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MATT BEVERLEY

A time served Mechanical engineer Matt’s background includes many high-profile projects within the Automotive Industry: The Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, Spyker Le-Mans racing teams, Bentley, Aston Martin, and Airbus A380. This history and knowledge of complex manufacturing and engineering projects have been transferred and further developed into the bulk material handling sector. Matt has work in Europe, North America, Indonesia, and China

He joined the bulk solids and bulk handling industry in 2019 as Managing Director of Hoverdale UK Ltd and subsequently completed a Management buyout in July 2020. The business has grown yearly, increased employment, its customer base, and worldwide reputation, and disrupted the market with groundbreaking innovative technology. Since Matt took over Hoverdale, the company has filed four patents for innovation; one was granted in 2023 for a design to improve bulk handling. The success had been driven by delivering tailored solutions to the waste recycling sectors that keep material flowing out and money flowing in.

Awards Include

  • 2024 – Shapa company of the Year
  • 2024- Shapa Innovation in Technology
  • 2024- MHEA Engineer of the year
  • 2021 – MHEA Innovation of the year
  • 2021- IMechE Innovation award

Current Positions Include.

  • Group Chairman Hoverdale UK Ltd
  • President (MHEA) Material Handling Engineers Association
  • Vice Chairman: IMechE Bulk Material Handling Committee
  • Council Member: (SHAPA) Solids Handling & Particle Association
  • Member: Chartered Management Institute

Matt has been happily married to Julie for 22 years and has 4 children, 3 of which are involved within the Hoverdale group of companies. He is an RFU level 2 qualified coach and referee having been in several head coaching roles at various age groups from under 6’s to adults for his local team Nuneaton RFC. He believes in the core values that rugby teaches of Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline, Sportsmanship and try’s to carry this through in his day to day business activities. He is passionate at brining the next generation of young, diverse engineers into the sector through promotion of apprenticeship scheme and further education routes.

DAVID BARTER

David is an experienced leader, with a background covering Operations, eCommerce, Finance, Compliance, HR and IT. His career spans Banking, Retail and Engineering, spending the majority of his career working for ALDI as they grew to become 4th largest supermarket in the UK, including seven years on their UK board as Managing Director of IT and eCommerce.

David joined Hoverdale’s Senior Management Team in 2023 to seek a fresh challenge in a completely different industry sector. He has applied his approach to Process Improvement, Efficiency, Customer Service and Teamwork to great effect during Hoverdale’s sustained growth.

Married to Jane, with three adult sons between them, David volunteers on the board of the Nottingham Playhouse theatre as well as his local rugby and football clubs. Any spare time he spends enjoying walks with their Golden Retriever, Buzz, who is also regularly seen in the Hoverdale office.

BEN DUCHESNE

Ben is a time serviced field service engineer in the busy waste and recycling sector, who’s career moved into to managing service teams and beyond. Originally beginning his career with a HGV repair and maintenance apprenticeship with IVECO, from there travelling and working in multiple countries moving towards waste processing shredders.

Ben joined the Hoverdale team in September 2024 seeking to apply his extensive knowledge to a new area. His values and ethics fit perfectly within the Hoverdale ethos.

He is happily married to Kristina, with 4 wonderful young children; 14, 11, 8 and 5. We the children he doesn’t get much spare time. He is a family man, who enjoys spending as much time with them as possible.