A garden centre is making surprisingly good use of an EQM Industrial TR Series Trough Belt conveyer.
Colin Macpherson Garden Centre supplies a wide range of plants,
shrubs and garden supplies along with an array of gravel, soil and
compost products. Macpherson purchased a mixer and conveyor to
combine materials so a better quality product could be sold to
customers. A loader is used to fill the soil mixer with the right
ratio of topsoil and compost. After the mixer has done its thing an
air-operated ram opens the chute. This is where the conveyor plays
it part in shifting the material from the mixer to the stock pile.
The 7.6m-long conveyor is regularly moved about the yard as Colin
mixes a variety of different products. Its light weight
construction makes it easy to shift even by hand.
The EQM Industrial TR Series Trough Belt conveyors are built in
a modular design to allow simple assembly and a wide range of
working lengths from 2.8m to a maximum of 19.6m. The frame is
constructed from folded mild steel sections with RHS cross braces.
The 50mm diameter top rollers are set at a 20-degree angle to
contain the material on the 500mm wide belt; these are spaced at
600mm to provide good support and load retention. Below, the same
sized rollers are used to carry the belt back but are spaced at
1200mm.
The frame has mounting holes over the full length so additional
rollers can easily be added if required. Both the 140mm diameter
end idler and drive drum are crowned to provide positive belt
tracking and both ends have a large amount of adjustment travel for
easy fitting and removal of belts. Self-aligning bearings are
fitted to reduce wear and damage during use and adjustment.
A three-phase electric motor provides the motion via a
worm-drive gearbox and offers standard speeds of 0.5m/sec, 0.7m/sec
and 0.96m/sec. A hydraulic motor is also an option.
Conveyor maintenance is kept to a minimum as it is fitted with
only four grease nipples – one for each of the main bearings. The
rest of the conveyor basically only needs inspecting for wear and
the odd belt adjustment. The frame is galvanised and powder coated
for durability and the trough shape of TR Series belt makes it
suitable to shift all kinds of loose material.
THE VERDICT
EQM Industrial is a family-owned business located in Hastings,
New Zealand. The company has over 20 years of industry experience
and claims it stands behind all its products. This is evident by
the product guarantee and technical advice offered as part of the
service along with comprehensive parts and service back up. EQM
Industrial imports, assembles, distributes and manufactures a wide
product range of equipment.
“Our mission is to provide a comprehensive range of new and used
equipment and components to a wide range of industry, with a
specific focus on the processing, packing, manufacturing and bulk
supply sectors,” says Tim Bloxham, sales engineer.
“We strive to be the leading supplier of power transmission
products and electric drive systems to manufacturers and production
facilities that make and use effective automated equipment.”
Photography: Tim Dittmer