Two Decades Dynamics of Belt Conveyor Systems

The quest for a useful design tool that incorporated the effect of dynamics of conveyor belts on the design of a conveyor system started halfway the 1950's. It was however not until halfway the 1980's that the first useful design tool became available. In the early days of using dynamics of belt conveyor systems the attention was focused on an analysis of both the starts and the stops of long overland, high tonnage/lift/speed conveyors. With the significant improvement of drive technology over the last twenty years however, it is now possible to start and (operationally) stop a belt conveyor in a very smooth manner. For an analysis of these non-stationary conditions the application of belt conveyor dynamics is not any longer required provided that sufficiently long starting and stopping times are used. The attention therefore shifted to the analysis of emergency stops and the determination of 'what if' scenarios. It is an illusion to assume that a theoretical analysis gives all the answers. A practical verification of the results is of utmost importance to ensure that the assumptions made in the theoretical analysis were right and the advice given to the client correct.