Influence of manufacturing tolerances on the wear behavior of conveyor belts

Abstract This paper investigates the influence of the roller geometry and the manufacturing tolerances on the wear behavior of a short and wide flat-belt conveyor with three rollers, using the frictional power density as a qualitative wear indicator. Previous studies mainly focus on overall belt dynamics and wear with ideal cylindrical rollers. This work emphasizes the effect of geometric deviations arising from manufacturing or intentional shaping. Building upon an existing lumped mass model of the belt and a visualization approach of the frictional power density, the model is extended by a deflection-based roller geometry that enables the analysis of concave and convex roller profiles. The study reveals that small deviations from an ideal cylindrical roller significantly influence the distribution of frictional power density across the belt width. Convex roller geometries particularly increase edge wear, while concave rollers reduce it up to a certain point before it rises again. For the investigated three-roller system, the authors therefore propose a slightly concave roller geometry with a narrow tolerance band as a pragmatic trade-off between reduced frictional power density and belt-run stability, the latter being a known effect of concave roller geometries. These insights enhance the understanding of how geometric tolerances affect belt deformation and wear behavior. They establish a consistent framework for deriving design guidelines and conducting future parameter studies involving belt tension, speed, and alternative roller geometries.