EKAMANT SOUTH AFRICA
TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE FOR WIDE BELT MACHINES
PROBLEM
POSSIBLE CAUSE
SUGGESTED SOLUTION
INADEQUATE BELT LIFE:
Dulling or Glazing
Loading
Shedding
Belts breaking
Grit too fine
Use coarser grit
Grinding pressure too high or low
Adjust grinding pressure
Insufficient belt flex
Order correct specification
Incorrect abrasive specification
Order correct specification
Contact wheel not aggressive enough
Change to more aggressive contact wheel
Excessive belts and/or contact roller speed
Reduce belt and/or roller speed
Insufficient infeed pressure
Increase infeed pressure
Incorrect abrasive product or join specification
Order open coat product
Excessive grinding pressure
Drecrease pressure
Excessive infeed pressure or speed
Decrease infeed pressure or speed
Insufficient extraction
Increase extraction
Incorrect abrasive specification
Order correct specification
Excessive product flex
Order correct specification
Excessively heave cut
Adjust cutting depth
Infeed too fast
Reduce infeed speed
Contact roller to aggressive
Use less aggressive contact roller
Worn contact roller
Dress or replace contact roller
Grinding in one area of belt only
Iscillate belt - use entire belt surface
Belt creased or edge damaged in handling
Inspect belts prior to installing
Incorrect product or join specification
Order correct specification for application
Belt tension too high
Reduce tension
Excessively heave cut
Adjust cut or reduce infeed speed
Belt tension too low (usually accompanied
by heave load on one side of belt)
Increase tension
Belt direction incorrect (lap join)
Find arrow on belt backing and install in correct
running direction
Improper storage of belts
Store belts properly (discuss with Ekamant rep)
Excessive pounding or chatter
Less aggressive contact wheel and check machine
for vibration
Workpiece thickness variation
Run similar thickness workpieces in batches
Erratic belt tracking
Check tracking mechanism or replace belt
Frictional heat build up
Reduce infeed speed and depth of cut.
Accumulation of swarf or chips
Increase or adjust extraction system
Page 1 of 4
EKAMANT SOUTH AFRICA
TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE FOR WIDE BELT MACHINES
PROBLEM
Belts creasing or folding
Belts slipping
Belts Splitting
Belts not tracking properly
POSSIBLE CAUSE
SUGGESTED SOLUTION
Excessive belt flex
Order correct specification
Tapered contact roller
Redress or remove taper
Worn idler - center piece smaller diameter
than ends
Regrind or replace idler
Belt tension too low
Increase tension
Accumulation of swarf or dirt on contact
roller or idler
Clean roller or idler and remove source of
accumulation
Ueven tracking
Readjust tracking controls
Worn bearings on contact roller or idler
Replace bearings
Uneven belt stretch
Feed work uniformly across belt surface
Incorrect abrasive specification
Order correct specification
Moisture imbalance across the belt
Replace belt and check storing conditions
Belt tension too low
Increase tension
Contact roller worn
Dress contact roller to establish flat lands
Workpiece thickness variation
Run similar thickness workpieces in batches
Incorrect abrasive specification
Order correct specification
Product flex too severe
Correct flex
Worn contact wheel or roll
Dress or replace contact roll or wheel
Burr on contact wheel
Dress or replace contact roller
Excessive grinding or infeed speed
Reduce pressure
Excessively heave cut
Adjust cutting depth
Grinding on one area of belt only
Use entire surface of belt
Workpiece thickness variation
Run similar thickness workpieces in batches
Contact roller and idler not parallel
Align idler, contact roller and other machine parts
Insufficient belt tension
Increase belt tension
Excessive or insufficient grinding pressure
Adjust pressure
Incorrect abrasive specification
Order correct specifiation
Uneven grinding pressure
Use full width of belt
Idler pulley face worn
Recover or change idler
Swarf buildup on idler or back of belt
Increase extraction
Contact wheel face worn
Redress or change contact wheel
Idler pulley defecting due to construction or
wear
Replace idler pulley. Reduce belt tension
Page 2 of 4
EKAMANT SOUTH AFRICA
TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE FOR WIDE BELT MACHINES
PROBLEM
POSSIBLE CAUSE
SUGGESTED SOLUTION
Misalignment between contact wheel and idler
Realign parts
Workpiece thickness variation
Run similar thickness workpieces in batches
Damaged edge of belt causing tracking
malfunction
Change belt
Belt stretched on one edge
Change belt
Belt tension overriding tracking cylinder
Reduce belt tension
Tracking mechanism not adjusted properly
(belt moves slowly in one direction and fast in
the opposite direction)
Adjust and/or repair tracking mechanism
Contact wheel tapered
Redress to remove taper or replace contact wheel
Microswitch failure
Be sure switches are clean
Inoperative photo cell
Clean or replace photo cell
Excessive work speed
Reduce infeed speed
Loose or improperly lubricated spindle bearing
or idler pulley
Lubricate, tighten or replace bearings or pulleys
Excessive grinding pressure
Reduce pressure
Contact wheel out of round or out of balance
Dress or replace contact wheel
Contact wheel too aggressive or too hard
Replace with less aggressive softer wheel
Vibration in machine
Check for vibration and correct
insufficient belt tension
Increase tension
Abrasive grit too fine
Order coarser grit
Incorrect product or join specification
Order corretc specification for application
Hesitation in feed or drive mechanism
Service drive mechanism
Contact wheel or roll improperly dressed
Dress or replace contact wheel or roll
Previous grit grinding lines not removed
Change abrasive grit sequence
Belt worn beyond useful life
Replace abrasive belt
Abrasive belt oscillation
Check idler and belt tension
Excessive grinding pressure
Reduce pressure
Contact wheel improperly dressed
Dress or replace contact wheel
Ragged belt edges
Replace belt
Insufficient belt tension
Increase belt tension
Contact wheel too aggressive
Use less aggressive contact wheel
Loading or dulling of belt
Refer loading section under Inadequate Belt Life
WORK PIECE DEFICIENCIES:
Chatter
Poor surface finish
-
Barberpole
Feed lines
Marks or scratches
Streaks
Page 3 of 4
EKAMANT SOUTH AFRICA
TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE FOR WIDE BELT MACHINES
PROBLEM
Poor work piece tolerance
- Tapered work piece
- Out of specification dimensions
POSSIBLE CAUSE
SUGGESTED SOLUTION
Contamination of contact roller
or platen surface
Clean roller or platen and correct cause of
contamination
Abrasive grit too fine
Use coarser grit
Insufficient or excessive abrasive belt tension
Adjust tension
Incorrect abrasive or join specification
Order correct specification
Work piece fixturing not ridig enough
Improve work piece fixturing
Play or looseness in feed table / conveyer
Correct condition
Belt surface speed too fast for type of material
being ground
Reduce speed
Page 4 of 4