TOOLS · GLOSSARY
Electrical & Control — Belt Conveyor Glossary
51 terms on Electrical & Control, each with its working definition, the governing symbol or formula where one exists, and a link to the standard behind it.
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51 terms
IEC motor frame 80
Small IEC motor frame; 0.55–1.1 kW, shaft height 80 mm. Used for small feeders and winches.
IEC motor frame 100
IEC frame, 1.5–3 kW, shaft height 100 mm.
IEC motor frame 112
IEC frame, 4 kW, shaft height 112 mm.
IEC motor frame 132
IEC frame, 5.5–7.5 kW, shaft height 132 mm.
IEC motor frame 160
IEC frame, 11–15 kW, shaft height 160 mm.
IEC motor frame 180
IEC frame, 18.5–22 kW, shaft height 180 mm.
IEC motor frame 200
IEC frame, 30 kW, shaft height 200 mm.
IEC motor frame 225
IEC frame, 37–45 kW, shaft height 225 mm.
IEC motor frame 250
IEC frame, 55 kW, shaft height 250 mm.
IEC motor frame 280
IEC frame, 75–90 kW, shaft height 280 mm.
IEC motor frame 315
IEC frame, 110–132 kW, shaft height 315 mm.
IEC motor frame 355
Large IEC frame, 160–250 kW, shaft height 355 mm; big trunk-conveyor drives.
Efficiency class IE1
Standard-efficiency motor, being phased out in most markets.
Efficiency class IE2
High-efficiency motor; the minimum for many regulated markets.
Efficiency class IE3
Premium-efficiency motor; the usual specification for new conveyors.
Efficiency class IE4
Super-premium-efficiency motor; lowest losses for continuous duty.
IP55 protection
Dust-protected and water-jet protected; standard motor enclosure for outdoor conveyors.
IP65 protection
Dust-tight and protected against water jets; washdown and dusty areas.
IP66 protection
Dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets.
Insulation class F
Motor winding insulation rated to 155 °C; standard for conveyor duty motors.
Variable frequency drive (VFD)
Electronic drive that varies motor speed and torque; enables soft starts, speed control and energy saving.
Direct-on-line (DOL) starter)
Simplest starter: contactor plus overload relay; high inrush current.
Star-delta starter
Reduces starting current to about one third by starting in star connection.
Motor protection relay
Watches current, thermal state and earth leakage and trips the motor on fault.
PTC thermistor
Temperature sensor embedded in the winding; trips the relay before insulation damage.
RTD (PT100)
Resistance temperature detector for precise bearing and winding temperature monitoring.
PLC (programmable logic controller)
Industrial controller that sequences the conveyor, interlocks and safety chain.
SCADA system
Supervisory control and data acquisition layer for plant-wide monitoring and trending.
Encoder
Shaft-mounted sensor giving speed and position feedback for the drive.
Cable tray
Perforated steel tray that carries power and control cables along the conveyor.
Harmonic filter
Reactor or filter that limits the harmonic distortion a VFD injects into the supply.
Brake resistor
Dissipates regenerated energy when a VFD brakes a downhill or high-inertia conveyor.
Motor power 5.5 kW
Smallest common conveyor drive power for narrow, short lines.
Motor power 11 kW
Small conveyor drive power.
Motor power 22 kW
Light to medium conveyor drive power.
Motor power 37 kW
Medium conveyor drive power.
Motor power 55 kW
Medium-to-heavy drive power.
Motor power 75 kW
Heavy drive power for trunk conveyors.
Motor power 110 kW
Heavy drive power.
Motor power 160 kW
Very heavy drive power for high-tonnage lines.
Motor power 250 kW
Large drive power; often split across two or three motors.
Motor power 400 kW
Very large drive power for overland trunk conveyors.
TEFC motor
Totally enclosed fan-cooled motor. The standard industrial choice, suitable for dusty outdoor conveyor drives.
IE3 motor
Premium-efficiency induction motor class. Now the minimum for most tenders, and mandatory in the EU for this power range.
IE4 motor
Super-premium efficiency class. Pays back on conveyors running thousands of hours a year under steady load.
Flameproof motor (Ex d)
Motor in a flameproof enclosure that contains an internal explosion. Required in coal and dust-explosive zones.
Motor duty (S1)
Continuous duty at constant load. Conveyor drives are nearly always S1, so short-time ratings must not be used.
Motor IP rating
Ingress protection of the enclosure. IP55 is the practical minimum outdoors; IP65 where washdown or heavy dust occurs.
Motor insulation class
Temperature rating of the winding insulation. Class F is standard; the motor is usually rated class B rise for life.
Belt scale
Continuous weighing system that turns a conveyor into a flow meter and totaliser for production accounting.
Zero speed switch
Detects that the belt has stopped or slowed below setpoint — the interlock that stops upstream feed on slip.
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