To optimise production and extend the lifespan of tubular drag cable conveyors, it is ideal to involve an expert OEM for total preventative maintenance.
Processors in a wide range of industries rely on tubular drag cable conveyors to move sensitive materials and powders; therefore, it is important to properly design, install, and proactively maintain these systems to minimise production downtime and maximise longevity.
In today’s fast-paced processing environment, it is a standard practice to run conveyors until something breaks or needs to be repaired, which can lead to significant unnecessary downtime.
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Processors traditionally have relied on third parties such as local millwrights to install and maintain conveyors. These third parties may not have access to technical specifications or have not had the opportunity to read the manual and can therefore be unaware of system acceptable specifications and best practices. This can result in not only excessive downtime and maintenance, but also costly repairs and even premature system replacement.
Instead of reacting to individual problems as they arise, a more effective approach is to implement total preventative maintenance (TPM) for conveyors. This involves ongoing service and engineering support, resulting in reduced downtime and lower Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs. The goal of a TPM program is to work with processors to maximise the output of their conveyors and extend the lifespan of their critical capital equipment.
The Value of Prevention
With the sophistication of state-of-the-art conveyors, proactive, preventative, and predictive maintenance is an effective strategy. This is the case with tubular drag cable conveyors, which gently move product through a sealed tube using a coated, flexible stainless-steel drag cable pulled through on a loop. Solid circular discs (flights) are attached to the cable, which propel the product through the tube without the use of air.
While it is possible to utilise third parties to install the systems and in-house maintenance teams to maintain them, there are considerable advantages to involving an OEM Supervisor, since they possess unparalleled training and expertise on the system.
OEM Expertise
OEM technicians typically have years of experience exclusively servicing and troubleshooting tubular drag style conveyors. Some OEM technicians have conducted hundreds of inspections in plants worldwide that run any material imaginable, from powders and blends to bird seed, pet food, cereals, coffee beans, nuts, and more.
Many recurring problems stem from incorrect installation, which can involve improperly positioning the conveyor’s hangers, excessive tension, misaligning tubing, leaving gaps, or insufficient supports. All these defects can generate friction, noise, and prematurely wear parts, requiring replacement.
An OEM can proactively recommend the appropriate spare parts kits or high wear parts such as cables, connectors, or sweeps that are known to have shorter lifecycles. This method encompasses assessing both the condition and usage of the conveyor, while also leveraging predictive data to efficiently resolve numerous issues before any downtime occurs.
An OEM can analyse system usage as well as component wear and lifecycle data to accurately predict when vital parts will likely need to be replaced and have them replaced before something breaks.
The more a processor adheres to this type of total preventative maintenance schedule, the more likely the conveyors will provide optimal service throughout their anticipated lifespan.
Comprehensive Inspection
A comprehensive annual inspection of the conveyor system by the OEM is highly recommended. With the shortage of skilled mechanics combined with high employee turnover, an OEM can perform in-depth inspections and recommended maintenance. This solution is mainly for processors that have one or multiple tubular drag conveyors running constantly throughout the year.
Detecting problems such as gaps or misalignments requires camera inspection. The annual inspection also assesses the conveyor’s tubes, walls, sweeps, connectors, input, and output. In addition, cables should be checked for integrity and tension, discs and sprockets for wear, and joints should be validated.
During the inspection process, the OEM can recalibrate or replace any components outside of system specifications. In the case of one OEM, service technicians also advise on the use of any available update or retrofit kits that can further facilitate increased output.
While the frequency of the annual service visits depends on the system application and environment conditions, several factors can help determine the optimal frequency. As a partial list, this can include the type of conveyor systems in the facility, system length and complexity, average daily use, environment conditions and the type of material conveyed. When these factors are analysed, a service visit might be scheduled once or twice per year, as the situation warrants.
Comprehensive Preventative Maintenance
Many processors can benefit greatly from collaborating with a knowledgeable conveyor OEM to establish a comprehensive preventative maintenance plan.
For example, in one instance, a coffee processor aimed to revamp their maintenance strategy. The processor had expanded operations and was about to double their capacity. Although their conveyors were running well, they did not want to risk unnecessary downtime. So, they told the OEM that they would like to avoid the ‘break/fix’ approach and move forward to a total preventative maintenance culture.
Likewise, many processors would find it helpful to work with an expert OEM that could assist them to proactively mitigate issues and minimise downtime to meet demands and address needed services. In this way, processors can focus on their core business with confidence in the performance of their conveyors.
