scholarly journals A Diagnostics of Conveyor Belt Splices

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Kozłowski ◽  
Jacek Wodecki ◽  
Radosław Zimroz ◽  
Ryszard Błażej ◽  
Monika Hardygóra

Damage detection in complex mechanical structures is important for cost-effective and safe operation. Conveyor belts with steel cords are used for bulk material transport in mining companies. Due to harsh environmental conditions, both covers and cords are subjected to damage. As lengths of conveyors may vary from dozens of meters to kilometers, a belt loop consists of many connected belt pieces. Thus, the condition of splices between belt pieces is also critical. For both steel cord damage/wear detection and splice condition evaluations the NDT techniques based on magnetic field measurement and variability analysis are used. To obtain appropriate resolution, multi-channel data are collected. Here we propose a pre-processing technique developed for signal synchronization for biased splices data. The biased splices mean a phase shift between signals from a multi-channel sensor due to the design technology of the splice. As the quality of the splice is related to the appropriate precision of splice production, splice evaluation is defined as a similarity analysis of each signal with respect to the estimated pattern. Due to the mentioned phase shift, signals should be "synchronized" first, before final analysis. In industrial conditions, many factors may influence the signal shape. Thus, the problem of automated synchronization by shifting the signals may be defined as a multidimensional optimization problem. Here, we proposed to use a genetic algorithm with an algorithmically simple cost function for that purpose. In this paper, the authors propose an automated procedure applied to real measurement data and final results. A multidimensional optimization has been compared to simple signal shifting according to several criteria, and GA-based results were the best.

Algorithms ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 284
Author(s):  
Chuanwei Zhang ◽  
Shirui Chen ◽  
Lu Zhao ◽  
Xianghe Li ◽  
Xiaowen Ma

Conveyor belts are key pieces of equipment for bulk material transport, and they are of great significance to ensure safe operation. With the development of belt conveyors in the direction of long distances, large volumes, high speeds, and high reliability, the use of inspection robots to perform full inspections of belt conveyors has not only improved the efficiency and scope of the inspections but has also eliminated the dependence of the traditional method on the density of sensor arrangement. In this paper, relying on the wireless-power-supply orbital inspection robot independently developed by the laboratory, aimed at the problem of the deviation of the belt conveyor, the methods for the diagnosis of the deviation of the conveyor belt and FPGA (field-programmable gate array) parallel computing technology are studied. Based on the traditional LSD (line segment detection) algorithm, a straight-line extraction IP core, suitable for an FPGA computing platform, was constructed. This new hardware linear detection algorithm improves the real-time performance and flexibility of the belt conveyor diagnosis mechanism.


Author(s):  
Allan Matthews ◽  
Adrian Leyland

Over the past twenty years or so, there have been major steps forward both in the understanding of tribological mechanisms and in the development of new coating and treatment techniques to better “engineer” surfaces to achieve reductions in wear and friction. Particularly in the coatings tribology field, improved techniques and theories which enable us to study and understand the mechanisms occurring at the “nano”, “micro” and “macro” scale have allowed considerable progress to be made in (for example) understanding contact mechanisms and the influence of “third bodies” [1–5]. Over the same period, we have seen the emergence of the discipline which we now call “Surface Engineering”, by which, ideally, a bulk material (the ‘substrate’) and a coating are combined in a way that provides a cost-effective performance enhancement of which neither would be capable without the presence of the other. It is probably fair to say that the emergence and recognition of Surface Engineering as a field in its own right has been driven largely by the availability of “plasma”-based coating and treatment processes, which can provide surface properties which were previously unachievable. In particular, plasma-assisted (PA) physical vapour deposition (PVD) techniques, allowing wear-resistant ceramic thin films such as titanium nitride (TiN) to be deposited on a wide range of industrial tooling, gave a step-change in industrial productivity and manufactured product quality, and caught the attention of engineers due to the remarkable cost savings and performance improvements obtained. Subsequently, so-called 2nd- and 3rd-generation ceramic coatings (with multilayered or nanocomposite structures) have recently been developed [6–9], to further extend tool performance — the objective typically being to increase coating hardness further, or extend hardness capabilities to higher temperatures.


Author(s):  
Sabri Bahrun ◽  
Mohd Shahrizan Yusoff ◽  
Mohamad Sazali Said ◽  
Azmi Hassan

Belt conveyors are generally used in mining plant areas, both surface and underground mines. The belt conveyor is mainly applied to transport the extracted bulk material from the mining site to delivery. The effectiveness of the extraction process depends on the reliability and durability of the conveyor belt system. In addition, conveyor performance is very important specially to control material flowability to prevent spills or other operational disturbances to optimize production throughput. However, the transfer chute and settling zone can cause some problems during the transfer process, such as material spills. This problem can reduce the function and performance of the conveyor belt. This paper discusses a design model to reduce the problem of spillage in the settling zone. The model was developed by compiling the previous defecting data from the durability of the conveyor system, then analyzed using Discrete Element Method (DEM) software and compared with bulk characteristics. The initial performance of certain conveyors is only capable of serving with an average production of 76% of the designed capacity while energy is consumed at full load. By applying the DEM simulation result, the blade gate can reduce the peak angle break in the depositional zone before exiting. After the analysis is completed using DEM, the conveyor increases the average production to 95% of the designed capacity. In conclusion, controlling the maximum belt load without spillage will reduce interruption on conveyor belt operation and maintenance costs therefore increase plant reliability and availability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4436
Author(s):  
Fei Zeng ◽  
Cheng Yan ◽  
Qing Wu ◽  
Tao Wang

For the conveyor belt, variable material flow influences the energy efficiency of the speed control technology significantly. The fluctuation of material flow on the conveyor belt will lead to the detrimental vibrations on both the belt and the conveyor while the conveyor works at certain speeds. In order to improve the model inaccuracy caused by the uniform bulk material flow assumption in the current conveyor belt model, the paper establishes a high-precision dynamic model that can consider speed control of a conveyor belt under non-uniform bulk material transportation. In this dynamic model, a non-uniform bulk material distribution model is firstly proposed based on laser scanning technology. Then, a high-precision longitudinal dynamic model is proposed to investigate the dynamic behavior of a belt conveyor. Considering the micro-units of actual load on a conveyor belt, it can well describe the transient state of the conveyor belt. These models can be used to determine the optimal speed for safety and energy conservation in operation. Experimental results are used to validate the proposed dynamic model for analyzing belt mechanical behavior under non-uniform bulk material distribution on the belt. The results show that the proposed models can be used for optimizing the operating procedures of belt conveyor systems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1450141
Author(s):  
MUHAMMAD AKMAL CHAUDHARY ◽  
JONATHAN LEES ◽  
JOHANNES BENEDIKT ◽  
PAUL TASKER

This paper presents a fully automated time domain, waveform measurement system, capable of measuring multi-tone waveforms up to a frequency of 14 GHz. Multi-tone waveform measurement capabilities will prove useful in enhancing the understanding of the response of devices under realistic operating conditions, and allow for detailed investigation into device problems leading to memory effects. The system, which is based around a standard sampling oscilloscope, is capable of measuring all four traveling waves simultaneously. It is a cost effective solution, capable of capturing high quality measurement data, it consists of two test sets one to measure RF components of the signal and one to measure IF components, which are then recombined before being measured by the sampling oscilloscope. Vector error correction is applied to the measured data to fully calibrate the system to the device plane, ensuring any dispersion in the connecting hardware is removed. A multi-tone waveform sampling method is employed, ensuring the waveforms are captured in the most efficient manner. Device results are presented showing the multi-tone voltage and current waveforms at the device plane. Some useful applications of the system are demonstrated and explained.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1082 ◽  
pp. 505-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tasnim F. Ariff ◽  
Muhd. Fahmi B. Jusoh ◽  
Malek Parnin ◽  
Mohd. Hanif Azenan

Conveyor belts are used widely to carry and transport various materials ranging from fertilizers to foods items from the cargo ship to the packaging site. Spillage and carryback problems are common issues relating to transportaion of these types of materials at Malaysian ports. This leads to lots of wastage in fertilizers and food. In addition, extra manual labour work is required to shovel the spillage into the container. This raises the concern of hygiene especially when relating to food items. Furthermore, improper washing and drainage system has also lead to corrosion on the floor. This has resulted in a lot of inefficient work and lack in productivity in the material handling system. Therefore, in order to solve this problem, primary and secondary belt cleaners were designed using CATIA software. These newly improved simple and cost effective designs of the primary and secondary belt cleaners together with a spray shaft and efficient washing box were fabricated, tested and implemented successfully. The spillage was eliminated and with the new washing system, corrosion on the floor can be prevented from occuring in the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 109 ◽  
pp. 00057
Author(s):  
Vitalii Monastyrskyi ◽  
Serhii Monastyrskyi ◽  
Borys Mostovyi

The paper considers problems concerning optimization of service life of a conveyor belt in terms of its bulk material loading. Statement of the problem of belt life optimization is in the determining minimum of difference between squared velocity of a conveyor belt and projection of horizontal component of the load velocity when it contacts a belt onto the belt motion plane. The problem was solved numerically taking into consideration the objective function, varied parameters, and their limitation. Cases of direct-flow loading and loading with the help of special devices with straight and curved trough profiles have been analyzed. Regularities of changes in the belt service life due to significant factors in terms of direct-flow loading and loading with special device have been obtained to perform comparative analysis of different variants in terms of similar value of the objective function. The variants with maximum belt life and minimum objective function have been selected. For short conveyors, in terms of direct-flow loading, belt life decreases by 1.5–2.0 times comparing to the use of a loading device, and in terms of long conveyors, it decreases by 5–6 times, if value of the objective function is 0.5–1.0 m2/s2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 4490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Kumar Sharma ◽  
Haidang Phan ◽  
Jaesun Lee

Road surface monitoring is an essential problem in providing smooth road infrastructure to commuters. This paper proposed an efficient road surface monitoring using an ultrasonic sensor and image processing technique. A novel cost-effective system, which includes ultrasonic sensors sensing with GPS for the detection of the road surface conditions, was designed and proposed. Dynamic time warping (DTW) technique was incorporated with ultrasonic sensors to improve the classification and accuracy of road surface detecting conditions. A new algorithm, HANUMAN, was proposed for automatic recognition and calculation of pothole and speed bumps. Manual inspection was performed and comparison was undertaken to validate the results. The proposed system showed better efficiency than the previous systems with a 95.50% detection rate for various road surface irregularities. The novel framework will not only identify the road irregularities, but also help in decreasing the number of accidents by alerting drivers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaide F. Olabode ◽  
Simon Fletcher ◽  
Andrew P. Longstaff ◽  
Naeem S. Mian

Temperature measurement is one of the most important aspects of manufacturing. There have been many temperature measuring techniques applied for obtaining workpiece temperature in different types of manufacturing processes. The main limitations of conventional sensors have been the inability to indicate the core temperature of workpieces and the low accuracy that may result due to the harsh nature of some manufacturing environments. The speed of sound is dependent on the temperature of the material through which it passes. This relationship can be used to obtain the temperature of the material provided that the speed of sound can be reliably obtained. This paper investigates the feasibility of creating a cost-effective solution suitable for precision applications that require the ability to resolve a better than 0.5 °C change in temperature with ±1 °C accuracy. To achieve these, simulations were performed in MATLAB using the k-wave toolbox to determine the most effective method. Based upon the simulation results, experiments were conducted using ultrasonic phase-shift method on a steel sample (type EN24T). The results show that the method gives reliable and repeatable readings. Based on the results from this paper, the same setup will be used in future work in the machining environment to determine the effect of the harsh environment on the phase-shift ultrasonic thermometry, in order to create a novel technique for in-process temperature measurement in subtractive manufacturing processes.


Author(s):  
Fadi Abu-Farha

While friction stir processing (FSP) has been used to refine the grain structure in sheet metals, this work explores the potentials of refining the grain structure of bulk material using the friction stirring phenomenon via the novel concept of spiral friction stir processing (SFSP). With this concept, the rotating stirring tool is plunged into the material, rather than being traversed across it as in FSP; this imposes severe plastic deformation on the material while pushing it radially outwards in complex spiral paths. By confining the material within a closed cylindrical die, the processed material is microstructurally-refined while forming a tube via a special form of SFSP called “friction stir back extrusion” (FSBE). The hypothesised concept was investigated using samples from the AA6063-T52 aluminium alloy and the AZ31B-F magnesium alloy. The preliminary results presented here demonstrate the viability of SFSP, and the special form of FSBE, in producing tubular samples that are structurally sound, with no signs of voids or internal channels. Optical microscopy was performed at key locations within selected tube specimens, and the obtained micrographs clearly show the presence of a stir zone with a fine grain structure; grain size measurements demonstrate the effectiveness of the processing technique in refining the microstructure of the starting material.


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