The Importance of a Conveyor Belt Speed Sensor in Production Facilities

Conveyor belt in a plant

People use many safety devices in their homes to protect their safety and prolong the life of their appliances: fire alarms, burglar alarms, voltage regulators, and circuit breakers.

But many production facilities simply assume that material spills won’t happen, or its hazards or costs. What if a conveyor belt suddenly fails and causes tons of material to spill to the ground? Could someone get hurt? How long would it take to clear everything and restart production?

DAZIC saves the day

DAZIC Zero Speed Switches are “smart switches” that shut off any equipment if they run outside of the normal speed limits. They can be installed on conveyor belts, mixers, bucket elevators, or any machine with a rotary device.

Barnes & Co, a concrete manufacturer based in the US, has relied on its conveyor belt speed sensor to prevent a ton of problems. Their feeders load up to 250 tons of gravel per hour. Any equipment malfunction could lead to an avalanche of material. “It’s really a safety issue,” said plant supervisor Joe Kruzewski. “It would be a train wreck [to be] buried with that amount of gravel.”

Kruzewski estimates that it would take three people at least three hours to shovel one ton of gravel. Even just a 10-minute delay could result in 30 hours of downtime. “We would have to shovel for days!”

But they never had this problem, because of the DAZIC conveyor belt speed sensor they installed on all of their 12 conveyors years ago. “It would be a nightmare if the DAZIC didn’t shut the conveyor belt down. I don’t even want to think about it,” Kruzewski said.

Benefits of a speed sensor

Barnes & Co. invested in a conveyor belt speed sensor because it was a form of “insurance” against many bigger and more expensive problems. As a family business, they need to maximize their production and avoid the backlash of a safety violation or a worker injury.

DAZIC Zero Speed Switches protect the plant, the process, and the people.

  • Improved safety. A zero speed switch can detect when a machine has stopped rotating and can shut off the power quickly, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.
  • Reduced downtime. Zero speed switches can detect when a machine has stopped and alert operators to the problem so they can take corrective action quickly, reducing downtime
  • Increased efficiency. By detecting when a machine has stopped, a zero speed switch can help optimize production processes and increase overall efficiency.
  • Improved maintenance. A zero speed switch can detect when a machine has stopped and alert operators to the problem, allowing for quick preventive maintenance and avoiding costly repairs or replacements.

Affordable, durable, and effective

Compared to other equipment, DAZIC Zero Speed Switches are less expensive and require very little maintenance and replacement.

One of the world’s biggest manufacturers of sustainable, fiber-based products had been using Control Concepts’ DAZIC since the early 2000s.

In 2006, the company installed DAZIC 8100 switches on its conveyor belts. Years passed, plant managers changed, equipment changed, and the DAZIC switches kept on running. The switches worked so well that people forgot they were even there.

In 2019, the fiber-based manufacturer changed its conveyor belts but did not check the DAZIC speed switch. Months passed before a sludge build-up was noticed. It wasn’t enough to stop operations, but as a precaution, the company sent their conveyor belt speed sensor to Control Concepts to have it checked.

Control Concepts cleaned the item and investigated the problem further. Apparently, over the years, the new conveyor belts had a quick start-up design that was beyond the DAZIC product specifications.

The wear and tear from carrying a load beyond its specs could have caused the leaks. Despite this, the 15-year-old switch was still working—just dirty.

After learning why the conveyor belt speed sensor failed, the client was impressed by DAZIC’s durability and the team’s commitment to finding the cause of the problem and working on a better solution. “We have used DAZIC in many of our plants for nearly two decades. It is a brand and a company you can trust.”

Protect your process with a speed sensor

Contact us to find out more about DAZIC and how it can protect your production facility’s safety and productivity.

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