09-02-2015 12:53

notmattlythgoe

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

Two years ago we used rubber belts and just placed a sticky piece of rubber about a cm wide in the center of where we wanted the belts to ride. They would want to center on this piece of rubber.

In this picture you can see the place rubber on the rollers where we have belts prior to removing them.

09-02-2015 13:13

Mr. Lim

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

If this is flat belt, build up the area under where you want the belt to stay with tape.

Flat belts will track to stay on top of a RAISED area of your roller.

It sounds very counter-intuitive, but try it and it will keep your belts in place.

09-02-2015 13:28

obselete1

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

Thanks for the ideas folks!!

09-02-2015 13:29

JamesCH95

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

We have done this in the past with great success. Electrical tape works well for this purpose.

09-02-2015 13:31

Fields

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

I concur, look up information on "crown roller" for the "why" in how it works. For your axles you'll have multiple crowns.

09-02-2015 16:03

JesseK

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

Any chance the 'crown' method works for timing belts? We're adjusting our approach to one of our designs, and pulley alignment may not be perfect afterwards.

09-02-2015 16:09

RoboChair

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

Crowned Pulleys, make them your friend. My first robot I made I discovered this phenomena by accident, it was a very happy accident.

09-02-2015 16:16

JamesCH95

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

Flanged pulleys, for us, have always been adequate in cases of slight mis-alignment.

09-02-2015 16:23

Alan Anderson

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

The physics works for flat belts on a smooth shaft. Teeth are going to complicate things a little.

09-02-2015 16:28

GeeTwo

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

Timing belts usually run in sheaves (V-belt grooves) rather than on crowns. The flanges around the sheaves maintain alignment. Note that sometimes only one pulley will have these flanges, and the others are wide enough to work where the guided one leads. The drive belts on this year's KOP drive are a good example.

Here's a better example showing one flanged pulley and one unflanged pulley.

10-02-2015 14:23

colin340

Re: pic: Conveyer belt tracking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sM0Qjumyro