Operating Conditions
Bearing duty in Conveyor Pulleys & Drive Shafts
Conveyor bearings here have to survive contamination, shock load and long running hours. Most of their life depends on the seal arrangement, load rating and housing fit you choose.
Drive, head, tail and bend pulleys carry the full belt tension through their shafts. That makes them the most heavily loaded bearing positions on a conveyor, and they usually run on spherical roller bearings in split or solid plummer blocks. Long shafts, deflection and contaminated surroundings all shorten bearing life. Planners also need the complete pulley bearing set ready before the shutdown window.
- Use spherical roller bearings on pulley shafts to take up misalignment caused by shaft deflection and frame settling.
- Choose tapered-bore bearings with adapter sleeves where shafts need simple mounting and removal during a shutdown.
- Set one locating and one non-locating position per shaft so the shaft can expand with temperature without overloading the bearings.
- For annual outages, confirm every pulley bearing reference and housing size ahead of time so the set ships complete.
