Martin Engineering introduced a secondary cleaning system that removes nearly all of the carryback left on a belt, including adhesive materials and fines lodged in surface divots and valleys. The Martin Washbox Cleaning System combines water spray and secondary cleaning blades in an enclosed and self-contained unit, draining residue safely away from the work area.
Available in two configurations – dual and single cleaner systems – the units are mounted on the conveyor frame directly after the return idler to ensure belt alignment throughout the cleaning process and to allow proper time for moisture evaporation on the return trip. Passing through a powder-coated steel box with top rollers, the belt is gently washed by spray bars equipped with 10 to 30 nozzles delivering 5 to 60 psi of pressure, using 5 to 54 gpm of potable or non-potable water. The belt is then scraped clean by a polyurethane blade and/or a urethane squeegee blade, set on a tensioner for a tight and consistent blade-to-belt seal. Residue drains safely through an outlet funnel below the box, which can lead to a disposal unit or a settling pond/vessel for introduction of material back into the process.
Built for heavy- to medium-duty applications, the Dual Cleaner System is equipped with three rollers, four spray bars, two Martin Inspection Doors and two polyurethane secondary cleaners. Recommended for use behind a primary pre-cleaner on the face of the head pulley, the color-coded, high-performance urethane secondary cleaners can be specified for acidic or high-temperature materials. Optional tungsten carbide or stainless steel tips increase the effectiveness and durability of the blade against difficult or rocky carryback. The cleaner system can be specified from 30 to 60 in. in length and 44.4 to 53 in. in height, and fits on most conveyor frames.
The Single Cleaner System houses a roller, a secondary blade and a spray bar, which are accessed by an inspection door housed on either side of the enclosure. Intended for tight-fitting spaces on light- to medium-duty applications, the compact unit is 15-in. long and can be specified from 34 to 42.2 in. in height. Recommended for use in tandem with a pre-cleaner, operators have found these units work well for both indoor and outdoor applications.
Operators concerned with the amount of moisture remaining on the belt have the option of adding a squeegee roller, which has proven to effectively address wet carryback. Set between top rollers, it lifts the belt slightly and “flattens” the layer of water on the surface from an average of 50 microns in thickness to 20 microns. This allows the water to better evaporate during its return, particularly on shorter conveyors.
“Our goal is to help facilities exceed environmental and safety workplace standards,” Dan Marshall, product engineer at Martin Engineering, said. “By engineering a self-contained and sealed unit with simple working components that are easy to access and maintain, we have created a solution that could benefit nearly all of our bulk handling customers.”
Martin Engineering, www.martin-eng.com
