Conveyors
Belt cleaners and controlling carry-back
Reviewed August 2026
Short answer
A primary cleaner sits against the head-pulley face and removes the bulk of the carry-back; a secondary cleaner sits on the flat just past the pulley and takes the fine film. Most dry material needs a primary; sticky, wet or fine material needs both, plus a return-belt plough. If spillage and roller failures keep recurring, the fix is usually chute and load-zone design, not more scrapers.
Carry-back — material still stuck to the belt after discharge — falls off along the return run. It fouls idlers, loads the tail pulley, and is the source of most conveyor spillage and housekeeping cost.
The cleaning line-up
- Primary cleaner — polyurethane or tungsten-tipped blade on the head-pulley face; removes the bulk
- Secondary cleaner — one or more blades on the flat belt just past the pulley; takes the fine film
- Return-belt plough — a V- or diagonal plough on the return run that pushes stray material off before the tail pulley
When cleaners are not enough
If spillage, dust and roller failures keep recurring after the cleaners are set and maintained, the cause is upstream — an uncentred or turbulent material stream at the transfer point. That needs chute and load-zone redesign; see load zones, skirting and impact beds.
What to send us
The belt width and speed, the head-pulley diameter, the material (wet, dry, sticky, fine), the mechanical splice type if any, and photos of the current cleaning arrangement. We match the primary and secondary systems and the blades.
