Clean conveyors are a necessity to the efficiency of any rock quarry. The key to clean conveyor components is having a long-lasting cleaning blade properly tensioned against the conveyor belt surface to prevent material from collecting on the return side of the conveyor. The most common cause of conveyor belt tracking problems is material buildup on return idlers and gravity take-ups.

Flexco ConShear^TM urethane blades, combined with the Rockline® EZP1 precleaner, work especially well to prevent this problem.

The Rockline® EZP1 Precleaner has a unique uni-blade design that combines simple, do-it-yourself installation, quick maintenance and effective cleaning results with a price tag that is affordable.

The faceted profile of the ConShear^TM blade sets it apart from ordinary solid blades.

Conventional blades lose their cleaning edge and become dull and bull-nosed. But the ConShear blade renews its edge as it wears. The blade forms a new shearing edge once wear reaches each new faceted blade section, resulting in continuous cleaning efficiency throughout the life of the blade. The replacement indicator line that is integrally molded into the blade provides easy visual notification of when it is time to replace the blade.

The EZP1 works with Flexco mechanical splices. The spring tensioner quickly moves the blade away from the belt when a splice passes. The polyurethane blade easily glides over the splice without damage and with minimal cleaning disruption. You can combine the EZP1 with Flexco® VP^TM fasteners for increased cleaner/fastener interface. The VP’s rubber-covered top plates are ideal for highly abrasive materials such as sand, gravel and crushed stone; and help to extend the life of your belt cleaner blade.

The patent-pending ConShear^TM blade with the “faceted profile” design achieves a conforming and shearing action to provide consistent belt cleaning. The Rockline EZP1 Precleaner comes complete with everything you need for proper installation. Universal mounting plates make installation easy on chutes or open-head conveyors.

Correct installation is the key to cleaner performance. If a cleaner is not installed properly, it has failed before it begins its job. And mounting a belt cleaner on the head pulley can be a difficult job. It’s not as easy as holding the blade to the pulley and mounting the pole. If you mount the blade too low, it could get sucked down by the tension between it and the belt as it wears. If you mount it too high, it will be in the path of more material and will wear faster.

That’s why Rockline helps ensure proper installation with easy-to-follow installation instructions – including specific measurements for the exact location of each cleaner size. This helps make sure the cleaner is installed in the right position to do the job.

Maintenance is also simple. Blade tension can be checked with a simple measurement of the tensioning spring. A chart is provided that shows what the spring length should be depending on the blade width. Simply adjust the tension spring to desired length and you’re golden. Blade replacement is as easy as pulling the pin, sliding out the worn blade and inserting the new blade.

The ConShear blade also conforms better to the belt because it is engineered to work in the belt’s material path. Each blade can be ordered to span just the material path and not the entire belt width. Using a blade that cleans only the material path minimizes differential wear between the ends of the blade and the center. Consequently, as the center wears faster – this is called the “smile effect” – it is not held off of the belt by the slower wearing ends. More conformance means better cleaning power.

All belt cleaners require some maintenance. The key is to reduce the amount of maintenance required and to make those tasks as quick and simple as possible. The EZP1 Precleaner offers several features to lower your belt cleaner maintenance chores. The ConShear^TM blade’s material path width means less blade retensioning as the blade wears. The spring tensioning system allows for easy visual inspection. When needed, a quick measurement on the spring line and a simple turn on an adjusting nut can bring the blade back to optimal tension.

When the blade is worn to the molded-in wear line, changeout is a quick job. No tools are needed. Just pull one pin, remove the old blade and slide in the new one. And all maintenance chores on the EZP1 Precleaner can be done safely from the sides of the conveyor.

Its compact, streamlined design means that the EZP1 Precleaner requires only 8 inches of vertical clearance for correct installation. Its streamlined contours prevent material buildup on the blade or the pole.

EZP1 can also be used on reversing belts. Installing cleaners on both pulleys gives superior cleaning results on belts that run in both directions. In addition, it fits most conveyor structure and is available for belt widths from 18 to 72 inches. The ConShear blade can be used as a replacement blade on many competitive cleaners as well.

For more info about Flexco belt cleaners – or for additional information about conveyor belting in general, contact IBT.