Ask about our easy upgrade program to make it fast, easy and convenient to have your conveyors upgraded to a Drum Motor or Motorized Drive Pulley system.
Motorized Drive Pulleys also referred to as Drum Motors
At Hughes Industrial Sales, we have over 50 years of combined experience with motorized drive pulleys which are also referred to as drum motors. We work with all the major manufacturers to make sure that we can supply the best drum motor for your application. This allows us to offer the lowest possible prices and to provide the best service to fill your requirements.
This is an example of a drum motor which we made for production in a fruit and vegetable processing operation.
What is a Motorized Pulley?
A motorized pulley is simply a drum motor, where the outer shell rotates around two stationary shafts. For flat belt conveyors, the outer shell with rubber lagging serves as a traction pulley, gripping and driving the conveyor belt. Drum shells for flat belts come with a standard trapezoidal crown for easier belt tracking. Sprockets or grooved lagging can be provided for sprocket driven belting. For the electrical power, leads pass through one of the stationary shafts to terminals within the pulley housing. Since this shaft does not rotate, there is no need for slip rings to deliver electrical energy to the motor windings. Motorized pulleys are reversible and are often controlled with a variable frequency drive to offer flexibility in conveyor speeds.
Every motorized drum pulley is equipped with seals, providing the finest protection from outside materials penetrating the inside components. The high rating of IP69 is available in some drum motor models and that safeguards the pulley from high pressure washdowns and steam. Every component in a motorized drum pulley is sealed within, this allows for everything on the inside to be protected by the outside drum shell. Each motorized drum pulley is partially filled with oil, so while it rotates, the gears, motor, and bearings are constantly being lubricated. The oil disperses the heat away from the motor windings, which will in-turn increase the lifespan of your motorized drum pulley, while eliminating the need for maintenance.
FDA approved oil is used for food and hygienic processing applications. Since the motorized drum pulley is enclosed, it gives you the opportunity to decrease space needed to effectively operate. The sealed design plays a key part in virtually eliminating safety hazards to other equipment and employees.
Advantages of Motorized Drum Pulleys
As mentioned above, one of the most advantageous ways a motorized drum pulley can affect you is almost no maintenance cost and very infrequent required maintenance. The lifespan of the oil within the pulley is around 20,000 working hours, which equates to nearly 10-years of running 40-hours per week. This time can vary depending on how many hours per day your motorized drum pulley is in operation. When it is time to change the oil, this is performed by pulling the oil plug from the end cap, draining the unit and refilling with a predetermined amount of synthetic oil. There is no external lubrication required for these drum motors since all components are sealed inside the drum shell.
Motorized drum pulleys are extremely efficient. Today, a motorized drum pulley can transfer up to 95% of the horsepower to the conveyor belt. In today’s cost-conscious plants, that can help a system pay for itself in short amount of time, saving you and your company time and money.
Hygienic design is a key advantage of motorized drum pulleys, and something that is important to food and pharmaceutical companies. Motorized drum pulleys are extremely simple to clean because they can withstand high pressure water and hot steam. Motorized drum pulleys have virtually no harborage points, which significantly decreases the number of places that food, bacteria, and dirt can infiltrate and contaminate your product.
IP69K Rating
Drum Motors with the IP69K rating provide a high level of protection against the ingress of high pressure water and dust. These motorized pulleys are ideal for conditions where equipment must be carefully sanitized daily with high pressure hot water, steam and chemicals.
Ease of installation is a key factor in why you should choose to convert to a motorized drum pulley. Each motorized drum pulley arrives at your plant ready to be installed immediately. The stationary shafts are simply mounted into two pillow block style mounts.
Common Applications for Motorized Drum Pulleys
Drum Motor
The most common application for motorized drum pulleys is in the food processing industry. Because foods for human consumption are involved, the FDA has strict rules governing cleanliness. Conveyor systems and associated equipment must be washed down at least daily with high-pressure steam, hot water, and/or caustic chemical solutions. Sealed pulleys are invulnerable to these harsh cleanings and remain so for years.
Another common use for motorized drum pulleys is package handling. From shippers, to package-forwarding, and companies receiving hundreds of parcels daily — they are all benefitting from the simplified design and space-saving features offered by motorized drum pulleys. This includes airlines that handle a variety of items inside terminals every day, and the truck mounted conveyors that carry parcels in and out of cargo hold on parked aircraft. Major online retailers use motorized drum pulleys to create a zero-impact environment to keep your packages safe and intact.
Heavy duty and high impact areas, such as rock quarries, are another example of where a motorized drum pulley comes into play. They help places like this maintain a high level of efficiency and ensure they finish projects in a timely manner. Due to the strength and low-level of maintenance required with each individual motorized drum pulley, it provides an excellent opportunity to increase the amount of work that can get done every day, while also decreasing the down time that may come with a traditional pulley system.
Picking the Right Motorized Drum Pulley for your Application
Drum Motor
Determining which motorized drum pulley is best for you is not a difficult decision, yet it is extremely important. Many factors come into play when finding out which pulley is best, such as, conveyor length and speed, load, belt weight, whether the system is a roller or slider-bed conveyor whether or not the conveyor is inclined and, if so, the steepness of the incline; hours of operation per day; and the type of load that will be handled (uniform loading, moderate shock, or heavy shock).
Please take a look at our Drum Motor Worksheet. Provide us with as much information as you can. Photos of your current conveyor belt and motor are always helpful. Upon receipt of this we will work to find the ideal motorized pulley for your application. We will offer you the lowest possible price for the absolute best drum motor solution, customized just for you.
Hughes Industrial Sales is committed to finding you the best motorized drum pulley for your application, and we will be with you every step of the way to ensure your satisfaction.