Comprehensive Evaluation of Conveyor Belt Impact Resistance Using Canonical Correlation Analysis

The aim of the research was to comprehensively evaluate the impact resistance of conveyor belts. Initially, variables were identified that describe the input conditions of the experiment (weight of impacting material, impact height, type and strength of conveyor belt) and subsequent dependent variables that describe the result of the experiment (impact force, increase in tension force, relative amount of absorbed energy, degree of damage). For each dependent variable, its dependence on input variables was monitored through multiple regression analysis. In the next step, through canonical correlation analysis, correlations were observed between the created dummy canonical variables that are a linear combination of the original variables. Based on the results, strong relationships between new canonical variables were demonstrated. A test of significance of canonical correlation using Wilk’s lambda showed that the first to third canonical correlations were statistically significant. It turns out that in the first pair of canonical variables, the strength and type of conveyor belt are strongly negatively correlated with the increase in tension force and the relative amount of energy absorbed. In the second pair, the impact height and weight of the landing material are strongly positively correlated with the impact force.