Strategies for Automated Maintenance of Belt Conveyor Systems

This paper discusses automation of maintenance of belt conveyor systems, in particular of idler rolls. Automation of maintenance is a promising alternative for outsourcing maintenance, in particular when looking at the efficiency, accuracy, and costs. In order to optimise maintenance efforts, the concept of intelligent maintenance is introduced. The powered maintenance trolley that can travel autonomously over the structure of a belt conveyor is adapted as a platform of the maintenance system. On this trolley, data acquisition equipment for vibration analysis is installed. Data mining can be done either on board of the trolley or in a central computer depending on the maintenance strategy. The optimum maintenance strategy is determined by a logistic simulation model that accounts for the lay-out of the belt conveyor itself and the accuracy of the information on the remaining lifetime of its components.