TL;DR
Motor overheating is usually a mechanical overload from seized rollers or excess belt tension. Walk the conveyor to find the drag source before suspecting the motor itself.
What you might see
- overload relay tripping repeatedly
- motor housing above 85 degC
- reduced belt speed under load
- burning smell from drive end
Likely causes
One or more seized idler rollers adding significant running drag
Belt tension set too high, increasing the effective load on the drive motor
System overloaded with product weight or incline operation above the motor's rated capacity
Blocked motor cooling vents reducing heat dissipation
Required tools
- Clamp ammeter
- LOTO kit
- IR thermometer
- Torque wrench (for chain tensioner)
- Replacement idler rollers
Safety first
- Lock out the drive before reaching into the conveyor frame.
- Do not reset a repeatedly tripping overload relay without identifying the cause. Running a tripping overload risks winding damage.
Procedure
- 1
Lock out the drive motor.
- 2
Disconnect the motor from the drive chain or belt and rotate the conveyor belt by hand. Identify any roller that does not turn freely.[1]
- 3
Replace all seized rollers before checking the motor, one badly seized 4-inch roller can add enough drag to trip a 1-HP motor overload.
- 4
Check belt tension. Measure mid-span sag. Over-tensioning is a common result of fighting a tracking problem. Reduce tension to the correct value.
- 5
Verify the product load does not exceed the conveyor rated belt pull. Check the rated capacity on the Hytrol submittal drawing.[1]
- 6
Inspect the motor cooling fins and fan cover for debris. Clean with compressed air.
- 7
After resolving mechanical causes, measure motor amps under normal load and compare to the motor nameplate FLA.
Sources
Hytrol EZLogic Accumulation Conveyor Service Manual, Hytrol Conveyor Company
Hytrol EZLogic Conveyor IOM, drive system and motor load procedures (general)
View source
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