The drive section is one of the most important terminal components in a conveyor system and should be carefully selected to ensure it is suited to the application. When you select a drive for your application, consider the following:
- Operating environment
- Maintenance expertise (hydraulic vs. electrical)
- Overall power requirements
The goal when selecting a particular drive option is to provide a conveyor powering system that is controllable from a starting and load-sharing standpoint, thereby protecting the conveyor belt and other key components of the conveyor system. Too much torque in starting and load sharing can result in extended downtime and lost production. A system that allows a repeatable, linear time ramp during start-up and balances load distribution (regardless of load) offers the most protection for your conveyor system. Four of these systems have emerged as the best available options:
- Controlled clutch slip system
- Controlled fill fluid coupling
- Low-voltage variable frequency drive (VFD) control system
- Medium-voltage variable frequency drive (VFD) control system
Each has its advantages and disadvantages. We can supply all of these systems in addition to other drive options. Our Joy Global team will work with you to determine the best technology for your application, providing expertise in component selection or complete system design.
We provide a comprehensive range of drive units, designed to be modular in construction for ease of maintenance and adaptability for re-use from project to project. We utilize energy-efficient electric motors and high quality gear systems to provide long life and minimum operational costs. Our drive pulley design employs high quality externally-mounted bearings and drive surface lagging from bonded rubber to high performance ceramic.
Single pulley drive
The single-pulley drive is ideal for low power conveyors. The head drive includes a pulley, motor, and gearbox, all mounted on the A-frame design.
Adjustable boom drive
The adjustable boom-type drive is alignment free, highly portable, and can be furnished as a head drive or a tandem pulley skid configuration.
Remote drive
Our remote drives are most frequently used in permanent installations and have the following available drive trains:
- Single
- Dual
- Triple
- Quadruple
In addition, the remote drives are available in these pulley arrangements:
- Tandem drive pulleys
- Four-pulley arrangement
Tripper booster drive
Our tripper booster drives provide smooth start-up and shut-down operations, with full-tension control, on extremely long, single-flight conveyors. Tripper booster drives are able to respond to varying load conditions, while still maintaining a stable operating system. Tripper booster drive systems are available in two-pulley and four-pulley versions.
Our tripper booster drives can have a significant impact on reducing downtime and improving productivity.
Tail drive
The tail drive is used on long conveyors and downhill conveyors. It includes a pulley, motor, and gearbox, all mounted on the A-frame design.
Hydraulic drive
All Joy drive systems can be converted into hydraulic motor systems where the benefits of variable speed is often utilised.