Protect your Conveyor System from the rigors of summertime heat

Heat can affect conveyor performance

Summer is on the way, and with it comes the heat

With the heat comes environmental concerns when dealing with conveyors and conveying accessories. Even with the highest quality materials and stringent quality checks in the manufacturing process, it’s always best to keep a closer eye on conveyor equipment during warm weather. Like any machine, conveyor is affected by heat.   

How can warm weather affect your conveyor system? Is the location of your system air-conditioned? Are you in a naturally warm-weather climate? Many factories, warehouses, and distribution centers are not. If yours isn’t, this can lead to situations where a buildup of heat during the summer months might cause problems.  

It’s a given that friction leads to heat, and conveyor systems have many friction points. Couple that with hot summer weather, and the possibility of higher than normal temperatures in rotating or moving conveyor parts becomes a concern. Heat also expands—another challenge that heat presents to machinery in general, and conveyors in specific.

The good news is that for the most part, simple preventative maintenance can head off most heat-related issues.  Here are some steps you can take to keep your conveyor system running perfectly during the summer heat:

• Check the bearing seals.

• Check reducer oil periodically. This should be a part of your routine maintenance in every season, although summer heat in particular can put additional strain on the reducer parts.

• Keep a close watch on the motor and watch for potential overheating. In the summer heat, the amp draw will rise. Use the ampmeter to check this.

• Heat also affects conveyor belts, depending on the type. There could be some slight stretching, which in turn could cause slipping or belt tracking issues. In extreme situations, the belt might even become tacky.

Conveyors are designed to operate in the sometimes-brutal conditions of operational warehouses and plants. They can perform in the heat, and have for decades. Every heat-related issue can be avoided or solved outright with proper maintenance. Make sure your conveyor maintenance technicians are familiar with conveyors and know how to combat rising summer temperatures. Summertime heat is inevitable, but conveyor downtime due to heat-induced problems isn’t.

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