Best Practices for Winter-Proofing a Conveyor Belt

Best Practices for Winter-Proofing a Conveyor Belt

In Anti-Icing Deicing, Ice Free Conveyor®, Ice Free Switch® by Dan Carpenter

Don’t let frigid weather interfere with your coal facility’s continued operation. Here are our tips for protecting a coal-handling conveyor belt in the most extreme conditions.

Coal rigs operate year-round in some of the harshest climates on Earth. Unrelenting sunlight, heavy humidity, subzero cold or stifling heat, driving snow and sleet — whatever the weather, the show must go on.

Proper conveyor belt maintenance is crucial to successful coal handling, especially in the winter months when temperatures can plummet into the negatives and machinery is covered in films of moisture and thick layers of ice. Here are some best practices for protecting your conveyor belt, so that you can keep operations up and running no matter how harsh the winter weather becomes.

Pre-Treat to Prevent

When it comes to ensuring that your coal handling operation runs smoothly even in severe winter weather, there’s no better solution than proactive protection. As conditions worsen and the cold bears down, it becomes increasingly difficult to minimize the effects of frigid weather on your conveyor belt.

That’s why experts recommend pre-treating machinery with an anti-icing solution that creates a defensive barrier before a winter event hits. You should spray anti-icing agents on belts, idlers, and pulleys in order to prevent ice glaze and precipitation buildup on each of these vital components.

When applying anti-icing materials to a conveyor belt, the goal is to produce cover friction that allows the belt to carry coal up even the steepest and oldest belts that have become extremely hardened. Belt cover friction inhibits backsliding and minimizes carry-back by giving the coal a rough surface to grip.

Regular Application for Optimal Results

As important as anti-icing is for preparing a conveyor belt to handle nasty weather, deicing is equally essential for maintaining that layer of defense you established beforehand. There’s no telling how much snow could accumulate and how much coal could be lost to moisture when exposed to the elements, so you need a deicing solution that can quickly and effectively break down build-up.

Spray a reliable deicing agent on top of the belt and directly to tail pulleys and bottom covers, and your conveyor belt will be well defended against every obstacle Mother Nature throws its way.

Picking the Right Solution

The best anti-icing and deicing agent should be long lasting and cost-effective, and continue to work as advertised in temperatures as low as -70 degrees Fahrenheit. Midwest offers a variety of solutions to meet your specific needs.

For best results, anti-icing and deicing solutions should be applied with a spray system that utilizes minimal material to prevent puddling and overspray. Frequency of application depends on the operating conditions, including temperature and level of moisture in the air and coal supply.

At Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc. we know a thing or two about thriving in tough climates, which is why our powerful anti-icing agent Ice Free Conveyor® is utilized by coal operations around the globe to keep their conveyor belts fully functional in the most extreme conditions. Applied evenly with one of our Cobra Winter Spray Systems, this patented anti-icing solution dries up moisture and cuts through solid ice to give your conveyor belt a sturdy grip on materials. When record-low temperatures and record-high snowfall threaten to interfere with your coal handling operation, count on Midwest’s industry-leading deicing and anti-icing products to keep your conveyor belt running safely and smoothly.