PRINCIPALS OF OPERATION:

Air is supplied by a small, low-power centrifugal fan and is blown into a sealed plenum, where it passes through a row of small holes at the bottom of the trough. This creates a thin supporting film of air between the belt and trough. A single fan will supply 200 meters of the conveyor. Pressure is typically 4 to 5 Kpa and volume is approximately 0.5m³ per minute per meter length of the system. Plenums can be supplied in mild steel, 3CR12, 304/316 SS, or aluminum.

FEATURES & BENEFITS:

Virtually No Maintenance – No troughing rollers to replace or lubricate.

Steeper Slope Characteristics (up to 26°) – This means better utilization of available space and shorter belt lengths.

Longer Unsupported Spans – High beam strength is inherent in the design due to the box girder construction of the plenum. Due to longer unsupported spans, the installation of air-supported belt conveyors can significantly reduce erection costs. Typically up to 50% lower than conventional belt conveyors.

Environmentally Friendly – Far less noise pollution than conventional troughing conveyors.

Walkways Eliminated – Air-supported belt conveyors have no load-bearing idlers and only routine maintenance is required to inspect and replace return idlers. Most installations do not require walkways although they are available when requested.

No Tracking Problems – and higher belt speeds up to 5 meters per second can be achieved with air-supported belt conveyors without damage to the product or belt.

Lighter Belting – Because the load-bearing length of the belt is continually supported on an air cushion, it is not subjected to the same stresses as belts on a conventional conveyor. Therefore, the air-supported belt conveyors operate with thinner, lower-tension belts. Significant reduction in belt friction also allows for much longer belt life and lower total energy consumption.