Because conveyor belts are made up of many different moving parts and components, you may experience more problems with them than you expected when you have one installed in your production or warehouse facility. When a conveyor stops moving or slows down, the causes of this problem may be fairly common, and they can often be fixed simply and easily, even on your own without a repairperson. Other problems may call for expert repair and replacement of parts. Note a few troubleshooting tips you should consider before making that call when your conveyor slows down or stops working.

1. Check the obvious

The first thing to do is check the obvious; is there any foreign object that is stopping the belt from moving smoothly? This can be something as simple as a sticky label under the belt or stuck to a side of the belt. Check for a bent guardrail that is getting in the way of the belt or the objects being moved down a conveyor. If you have a roller system rather than a belt, see if there is something sticky on any roller that could be getting stuck to the product as it moves. Very often, these simple fixes are all you need to get the conveyor moving again.

2. Check the sensor eye

Most conveyors have sensor eyes that tell them to stop when product begins to back up on the belt or when the belt is empty. If there is something in front of the sensor eye, it may assume that the belt is full and it switches off the movement. If the sensor eye needs to line up with another sensor on the other side of the belt, it might be out of alignment. Again, the sensors may stop the belt from moving as they may assume that there is product in the way of their signal. Check the sensor eyes to ensure they're not blocked and are aligned when the belt stops.

3. Check bearings

Bearings are used like gears to control the moving parts of a conveyor, and when they start to wear out, the belt may come to a halt. Usually, you can hear bearings wearing out; they may make a high-pitched squeal as they struggle to work. If you notice this or any type of grinding noise coming from the conveyor, it's usually time to call for professional repair and replacement of these parts.