Flexco® Rivet-Hinged Conveyor-Belt Fasteners Offer Megalloy® For Abrasion Resistance, Longer Life
11 March 2002
Rivet-attached, hinged-plate conveyor belt fasteners from Flexco offer a special metal for superior resistance to wear and abrasion, for heavy-duty applications requiring small-diameter pulleys. The R5 MegAlloy® fastener provides two to three times more wear life than conventional steel fasteners, plus the convenience, strength and smooth profile of Flexco's patented Scalloped Edge, Rivet-Hinged design.
MegAlloy is a proprietary steel alloy developed by Flexco, employing a heat-treat process to maximize hardness. This material previously was available only in Flexco® bolt-hinged and solid-plate belt fasteners, and the company's Alligator light/medium duty hinged-plate fasteners.
Cataloged as R5MA-SE, these fasteners are recommended for use on belts with thicknesses ranging from 7/32" to 7/16" (6 to 11mm) and mechanical fastener ratings up to 450 P.I.W. (79 kN/m). The R5MA-SE operates smoothly around end pulleys with diameters as small as 9 inches (230mm) for belts operating at 100 percent of their tension ratings.
Noticeably different from earlier R5 fasteners and imitations, the SE design features leading/trailing edges formed with a concave scalloped shape and more-prominent bevelling (coining). These features allow the fastener plate ends to embed deeper into the belt cover with less effort, for reduced splice height in installations that do not use skiving (countersinking). Deeper installation, with the initial edge contact area minimized by the scallop and coining, allows belt scraper blades to ramp up and over the plates easily, without encountering any hard edge impact.
The Scalloped Edge design also makes proper installation simpler. A viewport in each top plate allows the installer to see that the belt end is properly butted against a belt stop formed into the fastener's bottom plate. This promotes a straighter splice for longer splice life and a truer-tracking belt.
Flexco® R5MA-SE fasteners are produced as 4-segment strips, packaged 10 strips per box, enough to splice a 36" (900mm) belt. Each segment consists of top and bottom plates approximately 1½ " (38mm) wide and joined at one end by two hinge loops. Top and bottom plates sandwich the belt end and the segment is secured with a high-strength, five-rivet attachment technique pioneered by Flexco. Plate segments are installed side-by-side across both belt ends, then the loops from both belt ends are meshed, and a hinge pin is inserted to lock the joint together.
Seven different hinge-pin designs are available to allow choices that maximize pin life in different application environments, including steel or stainless cable in bare, armored or nylon-covered constructions.
Flexco rivets are pre-assembled with special breakaway pilot nails that penetrate the belt without damaging or weakening the belt carcass. Because the rivets are self-setting, they install easily from the top of the belt. This method speeds and simplifies the installation process and reduces downtime by avoiding time-consuming hole punching and nut/bolt assembly. Steel and stainless steel rivets are available, with stainless rivets recommended for extremely abrasive applications.
Flexco rivet-attached fasteners are installed on-site with an easy-to-use, portable installation tool and a hammer. The installation tool holds the belt end and fastener strip in precise alignment while the rivets are driven through the plates and belt. The same hammer blows that set the rivets also compress the fastener plates into the belt cover.
An optional multiple-rivet driving system (MSRT) further reduces installation time with pre-loaded guide blocks that each hold twenty rivets in alignment over the rivet holes of four adjacent R5MA-SE fastener plates. A special five-pronged drive rod, inserted into the top of the loaded guide block, enables five rivets to be hammer-driven and set simultaneously. The number of blocks needed to fully cover belt width can be kept pre-loaded with rivets in their metal carrying case for immediate use.
