| Characteristic |  | Possible problem | | Solution |
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| Top cover wears quickly | | High acceleration or side loading of material in loading area | | Check conveyor speed. Direct stream of falling material in conveying direction with a deflector plate |
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| | Dirty or sticking idlers | | Use return idlers with rubber cushion discs, lubricate or replace sticking idlers |
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| | High sag between idlers causes relative movement of material | | Increase pretension, reduce idler spacing |
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| | Cover to thin | | Specify thicker top cover |
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| | Rubber grade not adequate | | Choose grade of cover rubber according to material |
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| Severe local wear, longitudinal grooves or damages of top cover | | High pressure of seal skirts or chutes on belt surface | | Adjust seal skirts perpendicular to belt, modify chute |
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| | Seal skirts consist of hard or wear resistant material | | Use soft rubber with normal or low wear resistance (do not use old belts) |
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| | Steel sides of chute to close to belt | | Adjust distance to belt, increase distance in direction of belt travel |
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| | Excessive space between belt and seal skirts | | Adjust seals to minimum clearance |
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| | Belt sags under impact, allowing material to be trapped under skirts | | Decrease idler spacing, install impact idlers or impact bars |
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| | High material volume causes friction between chute and belt surface when dragged out | | Increase speed, reduce capacity, modify the chute (the chute should become wider in direction of belt travel |
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| | Material comes behind chute | | Improve loading, install baffles |
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| | Material jam in chute | | Avoid overloading, reduce material size |
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| | Puncture by tramp iron at chute | | Use metal detector or magnetic separator, use rip detection system if necessary |
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| | Belt cleaners (scrapers) not adequate or adjusted to hard | | Adjust or replace scrapers |
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| Severe damages (longitudinal cuts, chamfers, gouges) of top cover in belt center | | Impact of lumps falling on the belt at loading area or high material velocity during loading | | Reduce drop height or velocity, use impact idlers, install impact plate above loading point, choose impact resistant belt |
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| Top rubber cover hardens | | Material or ambient temperature too hot | | Install belt with sufficient heat resistance |
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| | Aggressive material drains softener from belt | | Choose grade of rubber cover according to material |
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| Small, frequent cracks in top cover rubber along the whole belt | | Extreme influence of ozone and/or UV-light | | Cover conveyor or protect belt from sun or UV-rays, install belt with superior ozone resistance |
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| Top cover softens | | Material contains oil or grease | | Use oil and grease resistant cover |
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| | Lubricant has come in contact with belt surface | | Check grease seals, clean belt |
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| Severe wear of bottom cover rubber | | Slippage on drive pulley | | Increase tension, install pulley lagging (grooved if wet), increase angle of wrap at drive pulley |
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| | Material has built at surface of drive pulley | | Capsulate loading area, install pulley scraper, install decking between top and return strands |
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| | Excessive tilt of troughing idlers | | Allow maximum 2° tilt |
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| Damages of bottom cover rubber | | Material trapped between belt and tail pulley | | Install V-scrapers in return strand ahead of tail pulley, install decking |
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| Small frequent cracks in parts of bottom cover rubber along the whole belt | | Belt or bottom cover to thick / troughing angle to high | | Install belt with appropriate design, decrease troughing angle |
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| Belt edges wavy "butterfly" | | Edges overstressed due to short troughing transition lengths | | Increase distance from pulley to troughing idlers, elevate pulley above level of centre troughing idler, install belt with lower elastic modulus |
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| | Edges overstressed in convex curves | | Reduce troughing angle in convex curve, reduce belt tension in curve (beware of compression of belt centre), increase curve radius, install belt with lower elastic modulus |
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| Belt edges wavy "butterfly" in concave curves | | Curve design, belt type and belt tension not well adapted | | Reduce troughing angle, increase belt tension, install belt with lower elastic modulus |
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| Separation of top cover from carcass | | Cover cuts or very small cover punctures allow fine material to work under cover | | Improve impact situation, choose belt with thicker top cover |
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| | Pulley diameters too low | | Install bigger pulleys, install more flexible belt |
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| Separation of bottom cover from carcass | | Extreme dynamic processes causes rubber fatigue | | Avoid frequent flexing or high pressure, reduce belt speed, increase pulley diameter, install belt with dynamically stronger rubber grade |
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| | Pulley diameters too low | | Install bigger pulleys, install more flexible belt |
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| Separation of textile plies | | Belt damage has allowed access of humidity and/or material | | Repair damage, improve impact situation, avoid cover damages |
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| | Pulley diameters too low | | Increase pulley diameter, install more flexible belt |
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| Separation of textile plies in idler junction | | Troughing angle too high | | Increase troughing angle, use belt with higher troughability |
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| | Belt affected by large gap between idlers | | Decrease gap between troughing idlers, install belt with higher transverse stiffness/thicker carcass |
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| | Low transition lengths | | Increase transition lengths, elevate pulley |
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| | Low radius of convex curve | | Increase curve radius, reduce troughing angle in curve, reduce idler spacing in curve |
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| Separation of rubber cover or textile plies at belt edge | | Belt edge has come in steady contact with conveyor frame | | Improve belt steering |
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| Chatter marks on belt surface | | Belt cleaner not well adjusted or damage | | Adjust or replace scraper |
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| Chatter marks on belt edge | | Belt edge has come in steady contact with conveyor frame | | Improve belt steering |
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| Crosswise cracks of carcass or textile plies, while covers are intact | | Low pulley diameters causes extreme flexing of belt carcass | | Increase pulley diameter, install more flexible belt |
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| | Material trapped between belt and tail pulley | | Install V-scrapers in return strand ahead of tail pulley, install decking or guards |
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| Lengthwise cracks of carcass or textile plies at belt edge, while covers are intact | | Belt has folded up due to contacts with conveyor frame and ran around pulley | | Improve belt steering |
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| | Belt has folded up after forming an "Omega-wave" and ran around pulley | | Check transition lengths, check convex curves, install more crossridgid belt |
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| Longitudinal cut trough whole belt | | Jam of material or tramp iron | | Improve loading situation, install magnetic separator, install rip-detection system |
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| | Belt has come in contact with conveyor frame due to misalignment | | Improve belt steering |
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| | Rupture of pulley rim | | Replace pulley |
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| | Defective idlers has fallen from its support and belt dragged over steel edge | | Replace and fix idler on the support |
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| Belt edge damaged ot torn off | | Belt has come in contact with conveyor frame due to misalignment | | Improve belt steering |
