DESIGN OF AN EMERGENCY CONVEYOR BELT CLAMP FOR HEAVY DUTY DRIFT BELT INSTALLATION IN UNDERGROUND APPLICATIONS: A CASE STUDY

Resumo

This article provides a summary of the design and operating parameters for an emergency conveyor belt clamp. The Static Clamp is hydraulically opened and spring control closed to apply a braking force to a belt when there is no hydraulic pressure keeping the clamp faces apart. The braking force is either on or off and not continuously variable during operation. The clamp is designed to be ‘fail safe’ with the clamp closing when hydraulic pressure is lost. Hand calculations were used along with finite element analysis to determine the structural stresses induced by the combined clamping force and belt tension. A 20 Metric Tonne belt capacity (196.1kN lateral load) has been nominated for design purposes. A belt thickness of 50mm has been assumed as a worst case for design purposes. In addition, a dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.2 has been assumed for the contact surfaces between the belt and the clamping beam surfaces. AS1418.1 – Cranes, Hoists and Winches General[i] and AS3990 Mechanical Equipment – Steelwork[ii] have been utilized for determining the suitability of the design. The design meets the requirements of the standards for the proposed clamping loads and belt tensions. The combined stresses do not exceed allowable stress or displacement recommendations.

[i] Australian Standard AS1418.1 – Cranes, Hoists and Winches General 

[ii] Australian Standard AS1418.1 – Cranes, Hoists and Winches General