Just keep rolling: how to maintain your conveyor rollers
Anyone who works in production will tell you one thing: conveyor belts are tempestuous machines. They are one of the most essential pieces of modern manufacturing equipment, but they are also susceptible to breakdowns like any other piece of technology.
One part that is especially susceptible to trouble are conveyor rollers, and so knowing when and how to maintain them is essential to keeping your machine running at full capacity. The best conveyor rollers Melbourne has available will still require maintenance, especially as this saves time and money in the long run.
It also ensures that your products will roll and manufacture along the line in the most efficient way possible, providing you with a safe and effective operation that you can always rely on!
How to maintain your conveyor rollers
There are different parts that will display kinds of deterioration that require occasional maintenance. They include: gravity, plastic, steel, stainless steel and rubber variations, so you can imagine they will have different maintenance requirements.
Here are some important tips to ensuring they remain well-maintained:
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Don’t skip out on lubricating the pressure or drive screw as well as the nut. Use oil to lubricate, and eventually seal them with oil, too;
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Oil the drive chain and roller bearings after using the machinery. This should be an on-floor staff member’s role, as this ensures there is always a team member lubricating these importing parts;
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Regularly clean these important parts, including wiping down any residue or debris that may be found on the surface to maintain its cleanliness and avoid any system blockages. Different parts will have different cleaning methods, so be sure to look into whether you have the stainless steel, rubber, gravity or other variation before applying a specific cleaning method.
Whilst there are maintenance methods to handle specific problems, you should also practise preventative maintenance to avoid any future breakdowns. This means finding the problem before it can escalate into something bad for the machine and, consequently, your company.
How to practise preventative maintenance
There are numerous potential problems to look out for when it comes to the conveyor rollers Melbourne has available, including:
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Analyse the parts and their running efficiency, checking to see if the surface is level, if the drive chain belt is worn or if they’re flexible;
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Analyse how the parts are moving along the machinery, as they should be running smoothly and in the same direction. If one is stationary or wobbly, there is a problem that needs addressing. Check the bearings and see if the problem can be safely fixed on your own, and contact your maintenance expert if you don’t think it can be done safely;
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Check the lubricating part of the bearings’ temperatures after you have been running the machinery for an extended time period. If they are really hot then you need to immediately turn off the machinery. Wait for it to cool down and then check if there are any more problems occurring with its operation.
Routine maintenance is an essential aspect of extending your machinery’s lifespan. However, after time, your parts may start to incur problems that require replacing. Furthermore, if your business has undergone considerable growth, you may want to ensure that your system and its parts can keep up with your operation, as you might run an obsolete system into the ground which, consequently, will cost you far more than simply upgrading your system to match your growth!
