Lining rubber for drive drums of conveyors

An important task of the production process is to protect equipment from external mechanical impact. This primarily applies to the protection of the drive drums of conveyor lines. Protecting the drums by lining increases the time of trouble-free operation of the conveyor, increases the operating time of the equipment and increases the profitability of production.

What does a lining do

The lining protection in conveyor drums has two main functions. First, it increases the adhesion between the belt and the actual drum. Secondly, rubber protects the drum itself from damage. In addition, the lining material reduces the load on the belt, reducing its tension and protecting the butt joint, reduces noise and vibration of the conveyor, stabilizes the belt, and reduces the load on the drive. This ensures long and reliable operation of the entire conveyor, and also increases its productivity.

Special rubber lining reduces the chances of the following production failures:

• Tape off;
• Bead edge wear;
• Displacement of the transported cargo outside the conveyor;
• Slippage and vibration of the conveyor belt;
• Tape on fire.
• Materials and methods of lining

The choice of lining rubber depends on the operating conditions, loads, conveyor purpose and drum size. Depending on this, the thickness, hardness, and characteristics of the tread of the lining material are determined. During the lining process, a protective layer of rubber, rubber-ceramic material, polyurethane is formed on the surface of the drum.

Depending on the type of production, the following types of lining rubber are used:

• General use;
• Oil resistant;
• For work in mines;
• Wear resistant;
• For food production.

Smooth rubber is used to line deflector drums, which can run in different directions and are usually used on long conveyors. In the food industry, white lining rubber is used, which can have its own specialization, for example, for the processing of sugar or other bulk products or for the production of vegetable oil.

Methods of drum lining

The most effective method drum lining is hot vulcanization. It is carried out in the factory, in an autoclave. The required lining composition is applied to the drum, and then the actual vulcanization takes place, under conditions of high pressure and temperature. After vulcanization, the drum is covered with a monolithic protective layer, which is characterized by high abrasion resistance. Hot vulcanization can be applied to any type of drum lining. But the size limit of the drum may be limited by the dimensions of the autoclave. In addition, this lining method is the most expensive.

In cold vulcanization, all work is carried out on site. After cleaning the drum with abrasive agents, the lining rubber sheets are installed using special, multi-component, adhesive systems. The cold lining method is characterized by a high speed of work, since in this case the removal of the drum is not required, and the lining is carried out without the use of special equipment, directly on the conveyor.