Conveyor Belt End Encapsulation for Contamination-Free Splicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor belt systems face contamination and damage to belt ends prior to splicing, leading to structurally compromised splices and prolonged plant shut-downs during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An encapsulated belt end containment system that protects belt ends from environmental contaminants and damage by encapsulating the exposed cables in containment bags, allowing for controlled preparation and storage before splicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If belt ends are prepared and stored before splicing, then splice time during maintenance is reduced, but belt ends are exposed to contamination and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The belt end is prepared in advance by removing rubber material and organizing cables into groups before the actual splicing operation. This preliminary preparation reduces the time required during maintenance shutdowns while the containment bag protects the prepared state from contamination and damage during storage.
Solution Approach 2:
A containment bag made of flexible material is used to enclose the prepared belt end and its cable groups. This flexible shell protects the belt end from environmental contaminants and physical damage during storage and transport, while allowing easy deployment when needed for splicing.
2Ease of manufacture
If belt ends are exposed for preparation, then splicing can be performed, but the exposed cables are vulnerable to environmental contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The containment bag acts as a flexible shell that encloses the exposed cables and belt end during storage and transport. It provides a physical barrier against environmental contaminants such as dust, moisture, and debris, while still allowing the splicing operation to proceed when the bag is opened at the splicing location.
Solution Approach 2:
The containment bag serves as an intermediary between the prepared belt end and the environmental contaminants. It mediates the protection of the vulnerable exposed cables during storage and transport, enabling the belt end to be prepared in advance without direct exposure to harmful environmental factors.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple cable groups are organized in the belt end, then splicing quality is improved, but the complexity of encapsulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cables in the belt end are divided into multiple separate groups, with each group contained within its own containment bag. This segmentation allows for organized and precise splicing of individual cable groups while simplifying the encapsulation process by treating each group as a separate, manageable unit rather than a complex tangled mass.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple containment bags, each containing a cable group, are nested within a larger outer containment bag. This nested structure protects multiple cable groups simultaneously while maintaining individual organization, balancing the need for splicing precision with manageable encapsulation complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~2C
Figure 2D~2E
AI summary
One general aspect includes a method (100) for generating an encapsulated belt containment system (100). The method includes cutting (302) a belt (102) and removing rubber material from a portion of the belt to generate exposed belt end. The method also includes removing excess material (303) from exposed cables (104) of the exposed belt end. The method also includes organizing (305) exposed cables into a plurality of cable groups (208) and secure each group. The method also includes inserting (308) the plurality of cable groups (208) into a containment bag (234).