April 2017
Material handling facilities use a great deal of energy. Conveying equipment requires motors and other equipment that use electricity for power. Conveying equipment can consume up to 50% of a facility’s energy usage.
Inefficient conveyor operations have many causes and all result in high and unnecessary energy usage. Some of these causes include:
- Friction – created as the conveyor belt runs on the steel slider bed
- Build up of dirt and belt fibers on the steel bed resulting in drag between the belt and steel slider bed
- Heavy loads on the belts
- The excessive use of high-horsepower drive motors to compensate for friction, drag, and wear between the belt and steel bed.
Belt conveyor systems inherently have high friction between the belt and the conveyor bed. The coefficient of friction is the ratio between the force necessary to move one surface over another and the pressure between the two surfaces. Typical friction for galvanized steel is 0.557.
Solution: Crown Plastics has found that lining the steel slider bed with DuraSurf ™ STS (Silicone Treated Surface UHMW-PE) with pressure sensitive adhesive backing will reduce the coefficient of friction between the belt and the steel bed. DuraSurf ™ STS (76mm wide by 2.36 mm thick) is applied to a cleaned surface. It is applied 100-150 mm apart, in the direction of belt flow.
UHMW-PE is abrasion resistant and very slick, with a low coefficient of friction. DuraSurf™ STS is even more so. The addition of silicone to the UHMW-PE resin blend helps maintain abrasion resistance while improving the already low coefficient of friction (49% less than galvanized steel). Heavy products, which normally increase belt contact and slow the system, move more freely. Energy requirements are reduced because the plastic allows the conveyor belt to function efficiently. In addition, maintenance costs to repair/replace belts and motors and conveyor system downtime are greatly reduced.
When applied to a slider bed conveyor, DuraSurf™ STS has been proven to reduce energy consumption from 15% to more than 30% while eliminating wear on the slider bed and extending the life of the belts and drives.
This solution can be easily tested on existing equipment. It is used by some of the largest retailers, airports and postal companies in the world to reduce energy costs in Europe, the U.S. and Asia.
CROWN PLASTICS
116 May Drive
Harrison, OH 45030
In Europe:
+1-513-367-0238
+41-22-548-0365
sales-europe@crownplastics.com