Why misalignment no longer occurs with CenTrax belt trackers

You already know that conveyor belt misalignment presents a difficult challenge for your plant. Apart from damage to the conveyor belt, it also causes spillage and unnecessary downtime. It’s aggravating.

We developed CenTrax in collaboration with the engineers responsible for the maintenance of conveyor belt systems. Combined with over 60 years of experience in the optimization of conveyor belt systems, this has resulted in the best belt tracker system available on the market.

Read this article to discover why CenTrax is unique.

1. Proprietary design, production and people

During our 60 years of experience, we’ve heard many of our customers’ stories. Little by little, we have incorporated this wealth of knowledge into the tracker roller system’s design.

In addition to a good design, the choice of the right materials and suppliers is also extremely important.

The design elements were meticulously calculated using FEM analyses. This has resulted in a design that is robust but not over-dimensioned. We were able to reduce even more weight by using high tensile steel.

In the search for a superior lining for our rollers, we arrived in India, at the best rubber manufacturer in the world. This manufacturer supplies a rubber-covered roller that is more wear-resistant than anything previously available on the market.

All steel parts are manufactured using the most modern machines and robotic welding. Parts are standardized as far as possible. This provides an immediate extra advantage: there is always a large stock of belt trackers available. Consequently, short-notice delivery throughout Europe is no problem.

A correctly functioning tracking system relies on correct installation. We use our own service engineers for this, and also our growing network of carefully selected distributors.  They analyse the misalignment problem, and use the analysis to determine the best place to position the CenTrax. 

Thanks to this trinity of design, manufacture and knowledge, we are able to supply, install and maintain a unique belt tracker system. A tracking system that keeps working in all conditions.

But we don’t let it stop there. As Tim Vertiest from ArcelorMittal told us: “The people at CenTrax won’t rest until the problem is solved.”

2. Fast delivery and assembly

Not all conveyor belts are the same. Customization is often required when installing belt trackers. This means a longer delivery time. However, the longer your conveyor belt has to cope with misalignment, the greater the damage or, even worse, your belt conveyor system may grind to a halt.

CenTrax is a modular tracker roller system that can be adapted to nearly any belt configuration. Our belt trackers are adjustable in both width and height. The versions for the load carrying strand are also infinitely adjustable between 10 and 47 degrees using the patented positioning system. Whatever the trough angle is, the distance between the tapered side rollers and the centre roller always remains constant.

This modular construction makes it possible to provide a solution for any conveyor belt using standard components, regardless of belt width, trough angle, belt speed and material. Moreover, this construction method ensures extremely short delivery times.

Thanks to these innovations, not only is misalignment a thing of the past, but downtime due to misalignment is eliminated as well.

3. Wear-resistant autoclaved rollers

The tapered rollers in particular are subject to increased wear and tear as a result of the operating method. This is why it is important to use wear-resistant lining of superior quality. The long service life of the rollers not only reduces maintenance costs, but also ensures longer maintenance intervals and therefore less downtime.

The robust steel roller shells are autoclaved with 8 mm extra durable rubber. The choice of this vulcanization process creates a permanent and seamless bond between the rubber and the steel roller shell, which ensures that dirt and moisture cannot penetrate between the lining and the roller shell.

For applications requiring an even higher degree of wear resistance, polyurethane-covered rollers are available. And, should the environment require it, the rollers are also available in an oil and grease resistant lining.

All rollers have a diamond profile, which guarantees perfect grip between the belt and the rollers. This profile is applied manually after vulcanisation. The diamond profile ensures excellent grip and contact with the conveyor belt, in the same way that the tread on your car tyre provides grip and contact with the road.

As a result of optimal contact between roller and belt, your conveyor belt will always stay on track!

4. Easy maintenance

One of the design requirements was that maintenance should be minimal, and maintenance intervals as long as possible. This reduces your downtime to an absolute minimum.

CenTrax requires little maintenance. The only parts that need to be replaced over time are the rollers. Each roller is individually replaceable. The rest of the system remains fully functioning. This contrasts with a number of tracker roller systems where the complete system needs to be replaced once the shell lining is worn. Not very economical, and certainly not environmentally friendly.

The steering traverses of both the load carrying and return strands are designed in such a way that any spillage is channelled away. This prevents the rollers from blocking and malfunctioning prematurely. Blocked rollers not only prevent the conveyor belt from being centred, but can also cause major damage to your conveyor belt.

5. Perfectly sealed and oil-lubricated pivot

The pivot is the hub of any tracking system. A common problem is that contamination and/or corrosion will cause pivots to stop working, which results in the tracker roller no longer tracking correctly.

That’s why we have developed a pivot, which we call a swivel bearing, that is resistant to the effects of pollution, dust and moisture. The robust bearings are oil-bath lubricated. The swivel bearing is maintenance-free and rotates very smoothly. This ensures that CenTrax reacts immediately, centring the conveyor belt smoothly at the slightest misalignment, while continuing to operate under all conditions for many years.

6. Certified for use in hazardous areas

CenTrax is DEKRA certified for use in explosive hazardous areas. In this situation, the belt trackers are supplied with ATEX approved rubber rollers.

Another reason why CenTrax is the smartest choice in any situation if you want to tackle misalignment problems.

CenTrax in action

Misalignment of the conveyor costs more than damage to the belt alone. This is why you need to prevent this happening as far as possible. The combination of innovative and smooth-running swivel bearings and the profiled rollers, deliver outstanding performance.

The CenTrax belt tracker system is unique in its class because of:

• Unrivaled tracking qualities
• The trinity of design, manufacturing and knowledge, which we combine with a can-do attitude to solve your problems.
• The autoclaved rollers, which are wear-resistant and therefore require far less maintenance.
• The easy to replace components. For you this means less belt downtime.
• Reduced operating costs, thanks to the maintenance-free tracking system.

Do you want to end misalignment, with all its additional disadvantages, occurring at your plant?

It all sounds great, but seeing is believing. We agree. You can experience the CenTrax system in action, risk-free. We are so confident in the performance of our belt tracker systems, that if the tracker does not perform to your satisfaction within 4 weeks after installation, you may return the belt tracker and we refund your money. There is only one condition, the installation is done or supervised by our experienced technicians or by the technicians of one of our authorised distributors.

Parts for belt trackers in belt widths from 650 to 1800 mm, are in stock. Custom solutions are available for wider belts, and for special applications. By using as many standard parts as possible, delivery times are kept short.