Polyurethane Lagging Boosts Conveyor Belt Efficiency

Conveyor belt slippage remains a persistent challenge in material handling operations, leading to frequent downtime, reduced productivity, and increased maintenance costs. Polyurethane lagging and coating solutions offer an effective approach to revitalize conveyor systems and ensure stable, efficient operation.

Conveyor pulley lagging involves applying an elastic material coating—typically polyurethane or high-performance rubber—to the contact surface of conveyor pulleys. This process serves two primary purposes: increasing the friction coefficient between the pulley and belt to enhance traction and reduce slippage, while simultaneously minimizing wear on both components to extend equipment lifespan.

Polyurethane has emerged as the preferred material for conveyor pulley lagging due to its superior performance characteristics compared to traditional rubber:

• Exceptional Wear Resistance: Polyurethane demonstrates wear resistance that exceeds standard rubber by factors of 10 to 100, maintaining performance even in demanding operating conditions.
• Enhanced Friction Properties: The material's higher friction coefficient provides greater traction, effectively preventing belt slippage and improving conveying efficiency.
• Chemical Resistance: Polyurethane withstands exposure to various chemicals, including acids, alkalis, and oils, making it suitable for diverse industrial environments.
• Customization Capabilities: Material formulations can be adjusted for specific requirements regarding hardness, elasticity, and temperature resistance.

This process bonds polyurethane to the pulley surface under high temperature and pressure, creating a durable, integrated surface. Hot vulcanization delivers exceptional adhesion strength and wear resistance, making it ideal for heavy-duty, high-speed, and high-wear applications.

Using specialized adhesives to attach polyurethane sheets to pulley surfaces, cold bonding offers a simpler installation process that doesn't require pulley disassembly. This method suits lighter-duty applications where maintenance accessibility is prioritized.

Various surface textures enhance performance for specific applications:

• Spiral-Wrapped Rough Top (SWRT): Features dual-layer SBR rubber strips spirally wound and secured with adhesives and rivets for improved traction in wet or muddy conditions.
• Diamond Pattern: Distributes pressure evenly while enhancing wear resistance and water drainage.
• Herringbone Pattern: Provides self-cleaning properties to maintain consistent friction coefficients in contaminant-prone environments.

In particularly demanding environments—such as wet, muddy, or heavy-load applications—ceramic lagging presents an effective alternative. This method embeds textured ceramic tiles within a rubber matrix, combining ceramic's hardness and friction properties with rubber's flexibility.

Specialized lagging approaches address wear challenges on wing pulleys, which guide material flow in conveyor systems:

• Slip-On Polyurethane Wings: 90A hardness polyurethane sleeves protect wing surfaces from wear.
• Welded Steel-Backed Wings: 70A hardness polyurethane with steel backing provides impact resistance through welded installation.

Proper lagging selection requires evaluation of multiple factors:

• Operating temperature ranges and environmental conditions
• Chemical exposure requirements
• Food-grade compliance needs
• Wear resistance and hardness requirements
• Maintenance accessibility and replacement frequency
• Belt material compatibility
• Material release characteristics

These lagging solutions find application across industries including mining, cement production, power generation, port operations, food processing, and logistics centers. The technology continues to evolve with new materials and installation methods that address the growing demands of modern material handling systems.