Conveyor belt tensioning winches
Key equipment to any conveyor system, Fenner provide a complete range of conveyor belt tensioning winches. Our winches are designed to operate in the harshest environments, with proven designs that include fully automated VVVF constant torque winches, hydraulic winches and manually operated electro-mechanical winches. We also offer a range of winches for belt maintenance and installation.
Our team has decades of experience with conveyor winch systems and are no stranger to introducing new concepts to the industry. We regularly work with our clients to design winches to suit their belt width and application, and can also upgrade existing winch equipment for improved system performance.
Our standard designs available to the industry include, Eddie Current Winches, APWs (ACE patented winch), Hydraulic Control and VSD’s / Vector Winches.
VSD winches
Our latest designs are Variable Speed Drive (VSD) winches as they are highly efficient, accurate and reliable. The system provides tension adjustment within 1kN of the set-point due to excellent dynamic response with the ability to rapidly accelerate beyond synchronous speed. With the supply of the VSD with regeneration capabilities, should a power outage occur during operation the system can apply power momentarily to ancillary equipment allowing a safe stop of the winch system. VSD winches utilise a brake unit which allows dissipation of energy from the DC bus when the winch motor winds out with high speed following the required tension set-point.
The winch system is designed for controlling the tension in the belt on a conveyor loop take up system. It consists of a variable speed drive and control electronics connected to a motor, gearbox and winch drum with rope. The conveyor belt tension is varied by adjusting winding in or winding out the winch motor. The winch is controlled by operating a feedback tension loop. The belt tension is read using direct load cell measurement of winch rope tension. The PLC incorporates all of the logic, with timing and sequence control, necessary to start the winch drive motor, operate the winch brake and step the winch tension down to a suitable running tension after the start sequence has been completed. The PLC then maintains the set tension, regardless of conveyor influences or supply variations.
The VSD motor is coupled through a planetary gearbox with inbuilt brake to a winch drum. The winch motor has an auxiliary cooling fan to maintain cooling when the winch motor is on low operation speed or stalled, and an auxiliary hydraulic power pack is used to release the spring applied winch brake.
The operating modes of the winch are selected by a three-position mode selection switch; automatic, manual or reeling.
