How to Manually Track a Wide Conveyor Belt

Inspect the support structure on which the belt is attached and look for buckled sections, missing hardware and loose anchors. Structural damage interferes with the ability to properly track the conveyor belt. If the support structure is damaged, make the necessary repairs before tracking the conveyor belt. The support structure should be square, or horizontally leveled from side to side.

Remove the screws or bolts holding the conveyor belt in place with the appropriate tool -- a screwdriver or adjustable wrench. Remove the conveyor belt from the track. Lay the track flat on the ground.

Mark the floor with two parallel lines made of masking tape, one on each side of the conveyor belt, that measure 10-feet in length. Center the belt between the lines. Measure the distance between the edge of the belt and the line on both sides. Take measurements every 2 inches along the 10-foot segment. There should be no more than a 1 percent difference in measurement between each section. Adjust the camber, or straightness of the conveyor belt, per the manufacturer’s instructions. Replace the conveyor belt.

Adjust the pulleys so they are aligned with the support structure. Each pulley is a guide for the conveyor belt. If a pulley is misaligned, it will pull the conveyor belt off-center.

Measure cross sections of each conveyor belt section from corner to corner with a measuring tape. The measurements should be the same. Adjust the horizontal level of the support structure so the cross section measurements are the same.

Loosen the take-up screws located near the pulley at the tail end of the conveyor belt. Pull the tension line on the pulley to remove any slack. Tighten the line until it forms a 90-degree angle with the conveyor belt. Tighten the take-up screws.