Understanding the Role of Troughing Idlers

Idlers are an integral part of any conveyor system. These components support the belt once it is loaded, allowing it to move material smoothly from one location to another. Troughing idlers are designed such that the loaded belt itself forms a trough, which both reduces the risk of material spillage and increases the ultimate load-bearing ability of the conveyor for improved safety and productivity.

How Troughing Idlers Work

Troughing idlers consist of three or more idlers that guide the conveyor belt. They are found on the carrying-side of the belt and are installed along the entire length of the conveyor. The troughing idlers work to keep the belt in the same configuration all along its length, which thus maintains the same cross-sectional area as the belt carries mined materials from their source to the drop off point. A troughing idler is comprised of a central idler roll, which has a fixed width, and two or more wing idlers located on each side of the central idler roll. The wing idlers can be adjusted up or down to change the toughing angle, which affects the depth of the trough created by the conveyor belt as it moves.

Benefits of Troughing Idlers

Troughing idlers offer two important benefits. First, the troughing idlers keep the belt’s shape consistent throughout its journey, which improves both stability and carrying capacity. Second, troughing idlers reduce the amount of material that may accidentally spill over the edge of the conveyor system, which improves productivity and also increases the safety of workers, who may be at risk from falling material while working near conveying equipment.

Saguaro Conveyor Equipment, Inc. offers top-quality conveyor equipment and other mining components in the Tucson area. We have been proudly serving the mining industry since 1983, and continue to make improvements that deliver better, safer, and more efficient products to our clients. You can learn more about our company and our products when you visit us on the web, or by calling us toll-free at 1 (800) 687-7072.

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