Remcon - Drag Chain Conveyor with Rubber/PVC Belt

STRUCTURAL STEEL CONVEYOR FRAME
Heavy-duty open frame construction from structural shapes and formed plate at elbows, braced and reinforced for rigidity in all places and completely shop fitted and welded.  The conveyor frame is specially designed to allow more access between upper and lower belts and includes special expanded maintenance openings.

CONVEYOR ALIGNMENT
Remcon conveyors are shop fabricated in the longest sections practical (up to 40 ft.).  Adjoining sections are aligned accurately with each other in the shop as they are fabricated.  The entire conveyor is aligned (and leveled) a second time during the installation, to prevent the belt from wandering and wearing into the side of the conveyor.

OVERSIZED, HIGH-STRENGTH IMPACT BEAMS
Remcon impact beams are parallel to the belt, and are custom fabricated channels, formed from 1/4" plate, with 3" flanges and a 6" web.  This design provides a shape that is stronger and is made from a material that has a higher yield strength and is straighter than structural channel.  These high-strength beams have additional support in the loading area, where there is more potential for abuse. 

UHMW PLASTIC WEAR SURFACES ON IMPACT BEAMS
1/2" thick x 6" wide black reprocessed UHMW polyethylene plastic is attached to the conveyor impact beams.  (Reprocessed UHMW is used due to the improved wear properties achieved by the cross-linking that happens during the production process.)  When sufficient load is applied to the belt to cause the impact channels to flex, the impact shoes will ride on the UHMW wear strips rather than directly on the steel impact beams.  The plastic is attached with bolts, is easily replaced, and has slotted holes that allow for thermal expansion to prevent buckling in warm weather.

DRAG CHAIN TRACKS
Steel angle iron with black reprocessed UHMW polyethylene plastic wear surface provides a smooth, low-friction, wear-resistant surface for the drag chain to slide on.  ​The plastic is attached with bolts, is easily replaced, and has slotted holes that allow for thermal expansion to prevent buckling in warm weather.

HOLD-DOWN GUIDES
Remcon's special UHMW hold-down guides  guide the drag chain up or over curves (if there are angle changes in the conveyor) and are built to be easily replaced if needed.

LEG HEIGHT AND LEVELING ADJUSTERS
Conveyor legs are equipped with threaded height adjusters for fine-tuning the height and for leveling the conveyor accurately.
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REMCON BELT TAKE-UPS
Remcon's cantilevered telescoping tube style take-ups, with manual screw adjustment, offer the following advantages:

• Cleaning Access – The support tubes are positioned to provide access to the area between the upper and lower belts, for cleaning and inspection of the tail pulley on slider bed conveyors, or tail sprockets and shaft of chain/belt conveyors.
• Replaceable Parts – The bearings are commonly available pillow block style.  The threaded working parts of the take-up are commonly available from local fastener or hardware stores, and are replaced easily.
• Take-up Travel – Generous length of take-up travel 12" on the shorter conveyors and up to 18" on the longest.  On slider bed conveyors, the belt will be cut so that the majority of the take-up is used for ease of belt installation, repair and replacement, since good quality belts with polyester carcasses have virtually no stretch after initial tensioning, and in some cases will shrink slightly.
• Ease of Adjustment – Tracking and tension adjustment are made with one wrench, with no need to loosen and re-tighten the bearing attachment bolts.  The moving parts of the take-up have generous amounts of clearance, to prevent binding in the frame or against the bearings (side load) as the take-up moves through its full range.
• Versatility – Remcon take-ups will accommodate almost any brand of bearing, in the most common, pillow block style.

TRACKING ADJUSTMENTS ON BOTH ENDS OF CONVEYOR
Additional belt tracking adjustments are provided for the non-take-up end of each conveyor, for ease of tracking adjustments.

DRIVE METHOD – PARALLEL GEAR, SHAFT-MOUNTED, TORQUE ARM  GEAR REDUCERS (DODGE TORQUE ARM II)
These reducers have been used almost exclusively in sand, rock, gravel, mining, etc. industries for many years, and are well proven.  Remcon has used them since 1990, with good success.  The new generation has been re-engineered throughout with features designed to improve performance, extend service life, and reduce maintenance.  Remcon normally configures these reducers to be driven by a separate motor by v-belts, using different combinations of sheaves for additional speed reduction.
The advantages of using the Dodge Torque Arm II shaft mount reducer with v-belt drive are as follows:

• Low maintenance – There are no chains to oil, tension, or shorten and reconnect.
• Ease of adjustment – Rather than moving the entire gearbox and motor to adjust the chain tension, adjusting the Dodge Torque Arm II reducer only requires opening the hinged door on the belt guard, loosening the two lock nuts, and turning the turnbuckle by hand.
• Fewer wear parts – There are no sprockets or chain to wear out.  Although v-belts will wear out, they commonly do not wear out until they are protecting the conveyor from jamming, if it jams (see following item).  They are inexpensive and easy to replace.  V-belt sheaves last much longer than drive chain sprockets and drive chain.
• Jamming Protection – The need for mechanical shear pins is eliminated.  The motor drives the reducer by v-belt(s).  If the conveyor jams, the v-belt slips, preventing the jam from causing damage to the conveyor.  As the v-belt is slipping, it typically makes a loud squealing noise that draws attention to the problem.  If the conveyor is not turned off, the v-belt will eventually be ruined, and there will be nothing driving the jammed conveyor.  The cost of replacing the v-belt is typically $20 or less.  Replacing the belt involves opening the hinged belt guard door, loosening the turnbuckle and slipping the new belt on. If the conveyor is prone to jamming (for example wrong product, or too much product), the v-belt can be kept looser than normal to minimize the potential for damage. In the past 12 years that we have used these reducers, we are unaware of any Remcon conveyor equipped with these reducers that suffered damage resulting from jamming. As additional jamming protection an electronic shear pin may be added to the electrical system.
• Parallel gears – The gears are parallel, rather than right angle.  Parallel gears are more efficient and produce less friction.
• Operating and maintenance convenience – When working on a conveyor, such as doing maintenance, un-jamming product or diagnosing problems, there is often a need to move the belt a short distance either forward or backward.  This is impossible electrically, since the power should be locked out at this time. But this can be accomplished easily and safely without power when using a shaft-mounted reducer, by turning the spokes on the input sheave by hand.
• Excellent availability – Unlike other reducers, the Dodge Torque Arm II reducers are so commonly used in other industries that they are quite often in stock at many local dealers, and are almost always available somewhere in the country.  Other brands (Link, Browning, etc.,) may also be substituted without modification.
• Separate motor – The motor is mounted separately from the reducer, and is connected only by V-belts.  Therefore, any brand of motor can be used, and a motor breakdown does not affect the reducer, or vice-versa.   
• Ease of changing reduction ratios – Reduction ratios of up to 5 to 1 are easily obtained from the motor-to-reducer V-belts and sheaves.  These ratios are easily changed by swapping out sheaves, which is more difficult and expensive with a drive chain & sprockets.

VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE (VFD)
A VFD can be a very worthwhile component to have on a conveyor, and is especially recommended to include on chain belt conveyors.  VFD's offer:

• Soft Start – Decreases wear & tear on motor and other drive parts
• Jam Protection – Replaces old technology (shear pins, clutches, etc.) and works better
• Many other programmable settings for speed, acceleration & deceleration, etc.​​