Intelligent conveyor belt scrapers

Solution

First, our type 286nl carbide primary scraper and our STARCLEAN® Smart Scraper with belt monitoring on the type 256n secondary cleaner have been installed at the transfer point from tunnel conveyor to the removal conveyor. The scraper combination ensures continuous and optimal mechanical cleaning of the conveyor belt directly at the transfer point. This effectively prevents carryback into the downstream conveyor section.

Moreover, with belt damage detection, the scraper can do a lot more than merely clean: The STARCLEAN® Smart Scraper detects and continuously records the performance characteristics of the conveyor belt in running operation. These characteristics include typical status parameters and the behavior of these parameters over time. This is the basis for a continuous image of belt status and of our scrapers over the entire service life. Deviations from these “normal characteristics” are detected early on and signaled to the control system to trigger either a warning or shutdown. If such anomalies arise, the operator is actively informed so that a specific monitoring of the conveyor belt can occur. This principle enables predictive maintenance, in which potential damage is identified before it develops into more significant defects or failures. And especially for a conveyor belt with a current length of 42 kilometers, this continuous status monitoring is a decisive advantage for operational reliability. In this particular case, the ability to detect and precisely locate belt damage is an immense advantage because the conveyor belt runs directly under the tunnel dome along the alignment.  Consequently, troubleshooting without knowing where the belt damage is located would take hours. Thanks to this detection function, the STARCLEAN® Smart Scraper also stores the precise position of the detected damage. This capability aids not only in locating belt damage. It also helps in moving the belt to a suitable point where the belt damage can be inspected or repaired.

Another advantage relative to conventional scrapers, is the automatic fold-on and fold-off function. This function is especially effective when uncontrolled or controlled conveyor belt return occurs or when serious belt damage is detected. In these cases the scraper moves back into the optimal scraping pretension. This ensures that the possibility of the scrapers wedging or conveyor belt damage is excluded.