What Is the Correct Procedure for Starting a Conveyor Belt?

Why Starting Procedure Matters

The moment of belt startup is when the highest stresses occur in the belt, splice, and drive system. A conveyor that starts correctly every time has fewer belt failures, fewer splice failures, and longer drive component life. Incorrect starting is a leading cause of splice failure, belt mistracking, and drive motor damage.

Pre-Start Checklist

1. Personnel clear: Confirm no one is on, under, or near the conveyor. Shout clear and use horn signal per site procedure.
2. Belt surface clear: No material accumulations from previous spillage, especially on pulleys and in chute zones.
3. Scrapers in position: Verify primary scraper is correctly set against belt —?not jammed or retracted.
4. Take-up position: Gravity take-up at correct height; screw take-up at correct tension setting.
5. Rollers rotating: Spin several rollers by hand —?confirm all rotate freely, none seized.
6. Guarding in place: All drive guarding, nip-point guards, and access covers secured.
7. Safety systems armed: Pull-wire reset, belt slip detection active, misalignment switches reset.

Standard Starting Sequence

1. Sound start horn (mandatory —?minimum 5 seconds warning)
2. Start belt empty if possible —?never start under full load unless drive is specifically designed for it
3. Monitor drive current on control panel —?starting current should normalise within 10—?5 seconds
4. Observe belt tracking for first 5 minutes of operation —?most tracking problems appear within the first few belt revolutions
5. Introduce feed gradually —?increase feed rate over 2—? minutes rather than opening feed gate fully at once
6. Check take-up position after 15 minutes of loaded operation —?adjust if needed

Starting with VFD (Variable Frequency Drive)

VFD-controlled conveyors allow controlled acceleration that eliminates start-up shock loading:

• Recommended ramp-up time: 30—?0 seconds from zero to full speed for conveyors over 200m
• Ramp-up time for long overland conveyors: 60—?20 seconds
• VFD starting reduces peak splice tension by 40—?0% compared to direct-on-line starting
• Programme VFD for minimum 10-second ramp even for short conveyors —?there is no benefit to faster starts

Cold Start Procedure (Below -20°C)

1. Pre-check: inspect splice areas for cold-induced cracking before starting
2. Initial run: start at 20% speed (VFD) or use reduced-voltage starter
3. Warm-up period: run at 20% speed for 15 minutes —?allows belt and rubber components to reach operating temperature
4. Gradual ramp: increase speed to 50% for 5 minutes, then full speed
5. Do not introduce material until belt has reached full speed and operating temperature