FlexLink X45 User Manual
Conveyor maintenance manual
FlexLink conveyors XS, XL, XM, XH, XK, XB
Contents
General safety and design considerations................. 2
Introduction ........................................................... 2
Maintenance............................................................... 4
System maintenance............................................. 4
Maintenance instructions ...................................... 4
Introduction to drive units...................................... 5
Slip clutch adjustment........................................... 6
Inspection – drive units ......................................... 8
Inspection – conveyor chains................................ 9
Inspection – slide rails, beams, idlers, bends...... 11
Inspection – safety devices................................. 12
Replacement of worn parts – conveyor chain..... 13
Replacement of worn parts – slide rails.............. 14
Anchoring slide rail.............................................. 15
Troubleshooting ....................................................... 17
Checklist/maintenance schedule.............................. 18
System dismantling and disposal............................. 19
Important safety precautions............................... 19
1
General safety and design considerations
Introduction
Critical factor
To achieve an operational installation which is reasonably safe for all people involved in its use and maintenance, it is necessary to consider certain aspects. This is
done when designing a conveyor system. The chain is
generally the critical factor to consider with guarding.
Safeguarding
All pinch and shear points as well as other exposed moving parts that present a hazard to people at their workstations or their passageways must be safeguarded.
Overhead conv eyors must be guarded to pre vent objects
falling. Cleated conveyor chains are more hazardous in
creating more pinch and shear points than plain convey or
chains.
Safeguarding can be achieved by:
•Location
Location of the hazardous area away from the area
occupied by personnel, wherever possible.
•Guards
Mechanical barriers preventing entry into the hazard-
ous areas or protecting against falling objects.
• Control devices
Machine controls which prevent the interruption of
hazardous operations/conditions.
• Warnings
Instructions, warning labels, or sound/light signals
which alert to hazardous conditions.
Safeguarding should be designed to minimize discomf ort
or difficulties to the operator. Bypassing or o verriding the
safeguarding during operation should be difficult.
Warning labels etc. should only be used when all
other means of safeguarding will impair the function of
the installation or are not cost effective.
The degree of safeguarding required should be iden-
tified during the implementation of the essential safety
requirement during the design process.
2
General safety and design considerations
Introduction (continued)
Special considerations
When correctly applied, the FlexLink family of components are safe to use and maintain. It is however necessary for those responsible for design, installation,
operation and maintenance of the FlexLink installation to
be aware of certain areas where special attention is
required.
All drive units with slip clutch
• Before adjusting the slip clutch it is necessary to
remove all objects from the chain to remove any
remaining chain tension.
• Adjustment should be conducted in accordance with
the maintenance procedures.
• All drive units, except the direct drive units, are fitted
with transmission chain covers . these covers m ust be
fitted before unit is operated.
Note
The slip clutch is not a personnel safety device, but a
device to protect the conveyor equipment.
End drive units
• The chain slack (catenary) of the end drive units must
be maintained during the system lifetime.
• If side plates are fitted, the chain must be shortened if
the chain becomes visible below the level of the side
plates.
• The opening between the links when they turn round
the end roller could be a risk. Drive ends should not
be accessible during conveyor operation wherever
possible.
For coupled drive units, safety protection should be
applied to the connecting shaft.
Intermediate drive units
• The area near the guides for the return loop of the
chain should not be accessible during conveyor operation.
Catenary drive unit
• The ‘bridge’ area where the chain goes down into the
drive should not be accessible during conveyor operation.
Horizontal bend drive unit
• The drive wheel and the transmission chain should
not be accessible during the conveyor operation.
Idler units
• The opening between the links when they turn round
the idler roller could be a risk. Idler ends should not be
accessible during conve yor operation where ver possible.
Wheel bends
• Guarding may be required at wheel bends depending
upon location of bends and load applied to the conveyor.
Cleated chains
• Any application incorporating cleated chains requires
careful safety consideration. Pinch and shear points
are generated throughout the assembly of the incorporated components. Therefore generous guarding
should always be emplo yed to fully protect within user
operating limitations.
• There is a higher risk of product damage when using
cleated chains. Special attention must be given to
operator access in the event of products becoming
trapped or similar.
Maintenance
The maintenance routine of FlexLink conveyors should
also include procedures to ensure that the guarding
remains securely fastened and effective (if not interlocked via control system etc.).
FlexLink components are continuously reviewed to
improve performance either by design modification or
material upgrade. In all these reviews user safety is our
primary consideration.
All associated technical data are retained at the man-
ufacturers address.
Control system
Before operating or completing any maintenance on control system, read the associated section as supplied with
the equipment documentation.
If there are any questions as to the safe operating pro-
cedures of the equipment supplied, please contact FlexLink Systems immediately.
General safety and design considerations
3
Maintenance
System maintenance
Introduction
The following section is designed to offer assistance for
your planned maintenance schedule. It may become evident that the suggested maintenance intervals can be
extended to accommodate your local en vironmental conditions.
Maintenance of the FlexLink conveyor systems
should only be carried out by competent persons, who
are familiar with FlexLink equipment. If there is an y doubt
as to the most suitable procedure for maintenance, consult your FlexLink supplier.
Non FlexLink equipment
Equipment and components which are not from the FlexLink family of products should be maintained and serviced in accordance with their respective manufacturer’s
instructions.
Maintenance instructions
Safety considerations
Before starting any maintenance on your FlexLink equipment, the following saf ety instructions must be observed:
• All electricity must be switched off.
• Make sure that the motor switch is also switched off
and locked in the “off” position.
• Pneumatic and/or hydraulic power must be disconnected and any pressure accumulation released.
• Products being transported should, if possible, be
removed from the conveyor chain.
• Staff affected must be informed that maintenance
work is being undertaken.
Warning
Do not climb onto the equipment.
Warranty/guarantee
FlexLink conv e yors are covered by warranty/guarantees
as identified within the trading terms issued for each
country. Check the warranty conditions for your system
before submitting claims etc. If you are in any doubt as to
what warranty is applicable to your system, consult your
supplying agent or FlexLink Systems direct.
Introduction
This maintenance manual contains directions for the
standard components sold through the FlexLink main
catalogue, for conveyor systems XS, XL, XM, XH, XK,
and XB unless otherwise stated. For non-FlexLink components, such as motors, pneumatic equipment, control
systems etc., the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions apply. In general, maintenance instructions are not
given for equipment which the customer has chosen and
specified for fitting to the installation.
The instructions supplied should be followed to
ensure that the installation runs with a high degree of
safety and to minimize the risk of breakdowns which can
adversely affect the production.
The installation must be used for the transport of
goods in accordance with system specification or within
design criteria as outlined in the general catalogue. If a
fault occurs on the installation which cannot be rectified
with the help of the instructions in the manual, or if unexpected conditions occur during servicing, contact your
FlexLink retailer or FlexLink maintenance personnel.
Spare/replacement parts
If there is a demand for spare parts, contact FlexLink
Systems or your supplying agent.
Checklist/maintenance schedule
A suggested maintenance schedule is shown on
page 18.
Important
Consult your system documentation for any special
maintenance required for your specific installation.
4
Maintenance
Introduction to drive units
Four types
There are four different types of drive unit: end drive
units, intermediate drive units, catenary drive units and
horizontal bend drive units.
End drive units
End drive unit with return chain, located at the ‘pulling’
end of the conveyor. End drive units are either transmission chain types (see picture) or direct drive types.
Intermediate drive units
Catenary drive units
Catenary drive unit without return chain, located at an
intermediate position along the conveyor.
Horizontal bend drive units
Intermediate drive unit located at an intermediate position along the conveyor.
Horizontal bend drive unit for driving endless conveyors
without return chain.
Chain transmission
The drive units are normally fitted with roller chain transmission. Some end drive units come with direct drive.
Note
The roller chain transmission has chain guards and gearing protection. These guards should always be in position
when the conveyor is in operation.
Maintenance
5
Slip clutch adjustment
Old and new versions
The slip clutch is available in two versions. Shipping of
the new version began in 2001. Adjustment of both versions are described here.
Introduction
The slip clutch on the drive unit is a safety device which
allows the chain to stop if the load becomes excessiv e. It
has two purposes:
• Prevent damage to conveyor
• Prevent damage to the products on the conveyor
Where a slip clutch is fitted, it must be adjusted so that it
does not slip whenever the drive unit is started under full
load. The installation is carried out as follows:
Preparations for adjustment
1 Stop the conveyor.
2 Ensure that the conveyor can not be started acciden-
tally. For example: unplug the electric power plug.
3 Remove any load on the conveyor.
Caution:
If you try to adjust the slip clutch when
there is still load on the conveyor, the
accumulated tension in the chain can
cause severe injuries when you release
the clutch.
Slip clutch should not be adjusted until
1 Motor direction is confirmed
2 Conveyor is fully assembled
Important:
The slip clutch is not a personal safety
device. It is primarily intended to protect the
equipment.
Clutch adjustment, old type
9
5
6
7
8
4
10
2 Unscrew the three screws (8) so that the outer ring (7)
can be rotated freely.
3 Hand-tighten the outer ring (7) to stop (no tools!).
4 Look for the desired maximum traction force in the
table to the right and determine the X value for that
force.
5 Positive X-value: (If the X value is negative (X≤0)
ignore step 5 and go to step 6.) Turn the outer ring (7)
counter-clockwise the number of divisions given by
the table, i.e. the X value. One division is defined as
the angle (30°) between adjacent holes in the stop
ring (6). Check that screws (8) align with the holes in
the stop ring (6).
6 Negative X-value: (If the X value is positive (X≥0)
ignore step 6 and go to step 7.) Turn the outer ring (7)
clockwise with a hook wrench, the number of divisions
given by the table, i.e. the X value. One division is
defined as the angle (30°) between adjacent holes in
the stop ring (6). Check that screws (8) align with the
holes in the stop ring (6).
7 Tighten the three screws (8) to stop. Use 10 mm
wrench
Clutch adjustment table, old type
F
is the desired maximum traction force applied to the
max
chain by the drive unit. The clutch will start slipping at
forces above F
max.
Note
The values in the table are approximate and apply to
factory-new slip clutches.
Traction force F
XSXLXM
XH
XW
450 450 100 19 1200 1200 1400 6
475 475 200 18 1300 1500 5
1000 1200 8 2500 –5
1100 1300 7
(N) X (div.) Traction force F
max
XK XMXHXW XK
525 300 17 1400 1600 4
575 400 16 1525 1700 3
625 500 15 1800 2
675 600 14 1900 1
725 700 13 2000 0
775 800 12 2100 –1
825 900 11 2200 –2
875 1000 10 2300 –3
925 1100 9 2400 –4
(N) X (div.)
max
3
2
1 Remove the transmission cover.
6
1
Maintenance
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