The Martin self-adjusting skirting, design-engineered to fit virtually any conveyor, prevents spillage and equipment breakdown caused by fugitive material by creating a constant tight seal to the belt.
The unit self-adjusts to rubber skirt wear, regardless of material volume and size diversity, allowing it to be an adaptable solution for an entire bulk material processing system across many different industries.
“As bulk material is processed, the conveyor belt speed, load and volume can change, which can affect the integrity of the skirting seal,” says Dave Mueller, senior product specialist.
“One skirting system across the whole line that adjusts automatically to these diverse variations dramatically cuts man-hours needed to maintain it.”
As the friction from the belt wears down the seal strip of standard skirting systems, workers have to shut down the conveyor and use tools to manually adjust it. Without this type of regular maintenance, fugitive material escapes from the belt, getting into bearings and other components, which can cause expensive and unnecessary production delays, says Martin Engineering.
The company solves the problem by using a pressure arm attached to a clamp plate, which assures a constant belt seal, thus eliminating the need for manual adjustment.
The skirt requires 33mm of free belt area, while the rubber sealing strip is 19mm wide and provides 51mm of wear life, at speeds of up to 3.55m/second.
“By designing a self-adjusting skirting system, customers not only save time and money on maintenance, but also mitigate the potential for injury and liability, says Mueller.