In the world of agricultural mechanisation, flail mowers have proved their worth as essential devices for maintaining green areas. These machines are used for cutting grass, bushes and other rough terrain. An important part of a flail mower can be the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt helps in collecting and disposing of the cut material. In this blog, we will explore the technology behind a flail mower conveyor belt and understand how this component contributes to the efficiency of mowing and maintenance of green spaces.
THE PURPOSE OF THE CONVEYOR BELT IN A FLAIL MOWER
A flail mower is equipped with a rotating shaft with attached flails or hammers that shred the vegetation crop. After shredding, the clippings must be collected and disposed of efficiently to prevent the area from looking untidy and to maintain the health of the lawn. This is where the conveyor belt comes into play.
The purpose of the conveyor is to quickly and effectively move the collected clippings to a ‘windrow’ in the middle behind the tractor so no rake or other collection equipment is needed. This saves time because a step for collecting or pressing the grass is skipped.
Because a step is skipped, the land is less stressed. This keeps the site looking tidy and supports further vegetation growth. This is especially important in large-scale mowing, such as when maintaining public parks, sports fields or agricultural land. With a flail mower, a plastic conveyor belt is chosen because of its weight.
OPERATION OF THE CONVEYOR BELT
The technology behind a flail mower conveyor belt is based on some fundamental mechanical principles:
- Propulsion:
The conveyor is usually driven by a hydraulic system connected to the flail mower's drive motor. This motor generates the force required to set the conveyor in motion.
- Conveyor surface:
The conveyor itself consists of a firm rubber or plastic surface with ridges or cleats to provide grip to the collected material. This surface is driven by a series of rollers, through which the material is transported.
- Regulation:
Operators can usually control the speed and direction of the conveyor via controls in the flail mower cab. This allows for adaptation to different cutting conditions and materials.
- Discharge:
There may be a discharge mechanism at the end of the conveyor, such as a catch basin, container or discharge pipe. This is where the collected material is deposited for later disposal or composting. There is also a possibility that it can remain on the land until a pick-up truck comes to collect the grass.
Advantages of a conveyor belt
A conveyor belt for flail mowers offers several advantages:
- Efficiency: The conveyor improves mowing efficiency by quickly removing clippings, allowing the machine to operate continuously.
- Cleanliness: The use of a conveyor belt ensures a neater result, as scattered clippings are not left on the ground.
- Versatility: The conveyor belt can be adapted to different cutting conditions and materials, making flail mowers suitable for a wide range of applications.
- Time and cost savings: Reducing manual clearing saves time and labour costs.
Green maintenance: Disposal of clippings to composting contributes to sustainability and eco-friendly management of green spaces.
What are common pitfalls with a flail mower and the conveyor belt in it?
The flail mower's conveyor belt can become overloaded if too much material is fed in at the same time. This can lead to damage to the conveyor belt or other parts of the machine. Make sure the machine is operated within its capacity limits. Also, something sharp/hard may occur in the field that may break the conveyor belt. Also important is maintenance when using the flail mower.
In conclusion, the technology behind a flail mower conveyor belt is crucial to the efficiency and effectiveness of these machines in maintaining green areas. Through optimised design and proper operation, flail mowers with conveyor belts can provide a neat and environmentally friendly approach to mowing, which is essential for both agriculture and urban landscaping.
WHAT SHOULD THE BELT COMPLY WITH?
The belt should not be too heavy and too thick. This is because of small drum diameters. Conveyor belts/protection flaps for:
- Krone
- VOTEX
- Herder
- Hemos
- Bos
- etc..
Below is a small summary of our capabilities:
- Endless welded or mechanical connector
- Fabric or diamond profile underside (synthetic)
- Fabric or rubber underside (rubber)
- With or without guide ropes
Light application
- Synthetic
- 2 or 3 fabric inlays
- Normal coating
- Synthetic cleats
Heavy duty
- Synthetic
- 3 fabric inserts
- Thicker coatings
- Synthetic or fabric reinforced cleats
Hotcleat®
- Rubber conveyor belts
- Hot vulcanised cleats
- No detaching cleats
- less sensitive to drum diameters
- different qualities
PROTECT YOUR PLANT AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT
For all common flail mowers, we can supply custom-made cutting pieces, both synthetic and rubber. These cutting pieces are automatically cut to size using a technical drawing, including angled corners, curves, hole patterns, notches, etc. These tailor-made cutting parts can therefore be assembled quickly and easily. Our basic materials are available from flexible to very rigid and therefore suitable for light to very heavy applications.
Besides conveyor belts for flail mowers, we also offer a wide range of other types and types of conveyor belts. On our synthetic conveyors page, you can view many more synthetic conveyors.
QUESTIONS? Get in touch!
LBS is committed to quality and only works with high-quality materials and components. In doing so, we strive for the highest possible customer satisfaction and work closely with our clients. With a flexible and proactive approach, we meet our clients' specific needs as much as possible.
