The Drum Driven system, developed by Costacurta, is a positive drive system comprising a specially designed belt called VICO-Flex Drum Driven and ‘special’ plastic bars assembled on the drum of a spiral tower that is similar to a low-tension tower. The special shaped vertical protruding ribs on the drum bars enable the belt to move at the same rotation speed as the drum.
One characteristic of this system is that it is simple yet extremely effective as it enables, during operations, to guarantee low belt tensions thus extending the operating life of the belt. Moreover, it is ideal for new plants and for converting existing low-tension ones.
The Costacurta Drum Driven system is used in the food sector (specifically, for freezing, cooling and proofing) and is recommended in the presence of very oily or greasy foods or when it is necessary to minimise the movement of the product on the belt.
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Belt materials
The VICO-Flex Drum Driven spiral conveyor belts are normally requested in AISI 304, but can also be supplied in other materials.
Drum bar materials
Polyethylene 1000-UHMW or Polyoxymethylene POM-H, depending on the application.
Supply and operation
The criteria used in the design and construction of a tower that can house the Costacurta Drum Driven system are similar to those used for a low-tension tower.
The configuration of the spiral tower differs mainly in three aspects
The installation of drum bars with special shaped vertical protruding ribs allows the belt to move at the same speed as the drum. The bars have a specific design and are sized depending on the tower’s layout.
The welding position of the connecting rods to the chain links in the VICO-Flex belt is different.
In the design of the tower, at the outlet of the belt, there must be a take-up comprising a gear motor with torque control, to facilitate the outfeed of the belt from the system.
For long return paths an auxiliary gearmotor with torque control is recommended to reduce the infeed belt tension.
In some situations, the use of a low-tension tower can be problematic, due to changing operating conditions. In such cases, the conversion of the low-tension tower, with minimum modifications, into a Drum Driven one could be the ideal solution.
Download the presentation to learn more about the belt’s functioning and its technical specifications.
Download the technical presentation
ADVANTAGES
The Costacurta VICO-Flex Drum Driven system has been tested on numerous production plants with highly satisfactory results. Moreover, the solution has some advantages over low-tension systems and other positive drive solutions.
Better product stability
The absence of jam-ups and jerky movements of the belt prevent the sliding of the product on the belt surface.
Lower overall tension
The positive drive solution eliminates the overdrive effect and in general reduces the belt’s tension, improving its performance, especially in the presence of oily and greasy products or products with a high specific weight.
Higher product throughput
With the same configuration and type of belt, an overall reduction of tension enables, when possible, greater quantities of product to be handled and, consequently, higher productivity.
Easy to retrofit
It can be easily installed in existing low-tension systems with few modifications to the spiral tower (drum bars, take-up and belt upgrade).
Minor changes in tower design criteria
The spiral tower operating in a Drum Driven mode can be designed and built applying criteria very similar to the ones used for a low-tension tower.
Longer operating life
The possibility of flipping the VICO-Flex DD belt and using it on both sides increases the belt operating life.