Non-Destructive Diagnostics in the Assessment of Splice Geometry in Steel Cord Conveyor Belts

This study presents the results of an investigation into the potential use of the DiagBelt+ magnetic diagnostic system for assessing the quality of conveyor belt splices. Splices in conveyor belts are susceptible to damage and irregularities resulting from assembly errors, improper vulcanization parameters, or unfavorable operational conditions. Detecting geometric deviations from the reference standard after splice fabrication can serve as a component of QA/QC systems. Later deviations may indicate material or fabrication defects. To date, applications of the DiagBelt+ system have been limited to locating damage within the belt and its splices. Recently, efforts have been made to extend the system’s functionality to include splice diagnostics. This study was conducted under laboratory conditions on an ST2500 belt featuring five splices (three bias and two straight splices). Data acquisition was performed under various configurations of measurement parameters, including sensor-to-belt distance, belt travel speed, and system sensitivity threshold. For each splice, the signal width was measured and analyzed as a potential indicator of splice geometry and quality. The results indicate that the DiagBelt+ system can be effectively used for splice diagnostics. Work has commenced on automating the splice quality assessment process.