Product Spotlight: Sheet Slow Down Belts

Sheet Slow down belts or “suction belts” are critical for controlling sheet delivery and stacking at the end of high-speed printing lines. These watch-band like belts are designed with special materials and profiles to grip a sheet without marking or damaging it as it exits the sheeter. They are operating at increasingly fast speeds and as they begin to wear out you can see sheets slipping, fling off of the pile, jam, or misalign.

When should you replace sheet slow down belts?

Maintenance professionals should look to change their slow down belts on a regular schedule. By doing so they are able to ensure their prints are not damaged by a worn belt and keep their machines running smoothly. If you do not provide routine maintenance on your machines replace the belt as soon as you see any wear patterns or sheets misaligning.

KBA Rapida belt - worn

KBA rapida belt - new

What to look for when ordering Slow Down Belts?

  1. Belt must meet oem specifications

These belts are often highly engineered and utilize specific hole patterns and profiles that are necessary to help them function correctly on your machines. Besides knowing the typical length and width of the belt for your machine it’s also important to know the following information:

Heidelberg belts for SM 102, CD102, XL75, XL145, XL162

  • Number of Perforations and their spacing - Slow down belts utilize holes on them that are for pins that perforate the belt. These pins are unique to each machine and the number of holes as well as spacing of those holes is the most important thing to make sure the belts will run correctly on your machine

  • Profiles and tooling required - Some slow down belts like the worn KBA Rapida belt shown earlier have indentations to help them better suction to the paper. Other belts use raised profiles or ridges that are used to reduce contact with the sheet or only contact in print free areas. Below are some examples of these profiles and tooling for slow down belts that Bamco offers.

Some common OEMS that use sheet slow down belts are Koenig and Bauer (KBA), Heidelberg, Komori, Mitsubishi, Weko, Manroland, and more!

2. belt Materials must be able to handle Your applications Print materials and speeds

Your sheet slow down belt acts as a brake at the end of the printing line and to do so it utilizes materials that can grip the sheet that does not leave marks. If your belts are prematurely wearing or leaving marks on your prints it is due to your belt materials not being up to standards. Some key things to note for slow down belts are:

  • Resistance to wear - The newest speedmaster machine from Heidelberg boasts a 21,000 sheets per hour compared to older machines that ran at 10,000 to 15,000 sheets per hour. As speeds increase belt materials must also level up in order to handle the new speeds. Avoid sponge/foam materials that will wear quickly and be wary of belts that utilize fillers in their cover materials to save money on costs.

  • High coefficient of friction - A high coefficient of friction indicates the ability of your belt to grip the paper you are running. Without a high coefficient of friction your sheets will slip thru as if the belt had been used on the machine for months. Look to use materials like Silicone, PU, Neoprene, and Natural Rubbers.

  • Non-marking - Sensitive print materials and sheets with both sides printed on need materials that will not damage the print area. If you are having problems with belts marking your sheets look for belts that are white and have FDA approval.

Want to explore more materials for slow down belts? See some materials used for slow down belts by downloading this pdf from our partners at Esband.

3. Endless base materials

There’s a reason OEM slow down belts are manufactured on endless base materials. Not utilizing endless base materials means your slow down belt will be much more likely to not fit your machine as there could be issues with hole spacing. Furthermore a failure at the splice on a slow down belt done at top speeds could cause critical damage to the sheets, the machine, and create a safety issue for the operators. Endless slow down belts are more durable and reliable.

How can Bamco help you with slow down belts?

✅ Machine Compatibility Guarantee

  • Our belts are currently running on machines like Heidelberg SM74, Komori Presses, and KBA Rapida’s. Let us know your part number to see if it’s already in our system.

  • We guarantee our belts will fit your machines hole pattern or we will refund your purchase.

✅ Procurement and lead times

  • Stocking programs available to help ensure belts are in stock and expedite shipping.

  • Reduce costs from the OEM and long lead times.

✅ customization and specialty applications

  • Requests for custom belt sizes, coatings, or fabrications to meet unique operational requirements.

  • Information on belts designed for high-speed operations or specific environmental conditions.​

Check out some of our belts on the machine below and contact rmccomas@bamcobelting.com for more information or a quote today!

How To Prevent Foreign Material Risk From Your Conveyor Belts

How To Prevent Foreign Material Risk From Your Conveyor Belts

In 2002 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) listed foreign material contamination as the leading cause of food recalls. This underscores how physical foreign material contamination is a persistent problem that affects all sectors of the food processing industries. It's been estimated that the average direct cost of a recall from foreign material recall is 10 million dollars, not to mention the irreparable damage to the brand's image. This article is to provide practical guidance on how manufacturers can help avoid conveyor belts becoming a potential source of risk through prevention, screening, and looking for future solutions.  

Can a V-Guided Conveyor Belt Fix Your Belt Tracking Issues?

Can a V-Guided Conveyor Belt Fix Your Belt Tracking Issues?

Belt tracking issues can disrupt your conveyor system and lead to unnecessary shutdowns. In addition, it can lead to belt damage if the belt mis-tracks into a conveyor belt frame causing damage to the belt that often leads to the need for replacement. To keep a belt tracking properly a simple solution many conveyors systems use is a V-guide. This article is a guide to all the things you need to know about your v-guided conveyor belts.  

Top 5 Best Practices for Selecting Belts in the Meat Processing Industry

Top 5 Best Practices for Selecting Belts in the Meat Processing Industry

When it comes to the food processing industry, each part of any facility must meet stringent standards to ensure that the final product is safe for consumers. In any meat and poultry facility conveyor belts provide a vital role of moving products from one stage to another. The selection of these belts is key to not only the overall safety of the end product, but to improve efficiency and prevent high maintenance costs for the facility. Here are the top five best practices to make sure your facility has the best belt for their production line:  

SAE Flange: Code 61 vs. Code 62 vs. Caterpillar

SAE Flange: Code 61 vs. Code 62 vs. Caterpillar

The other day, I was identifying a customer’s fitting and came across something that I have never seen before. A flange fitting with a clamp that only had two bolt holes. I spent all day measuring it and trying to figure out what it was. After some research, I discovered it was an old Code 62 fitting. That gave me the idea to break down the differences between the Code 61, the Code 62, and the supercat fitting.

Demystifying Hydraulic Hoses and Fittings: How to determine the correct hose and fitting for your application?

Demystifying Hydraulic Hoses and Fittings: How to determine the correct hose and fitting for your application?

In our last article we explained how hydraulic hoses and fittings work within a hydraulic system in order to perform for different applications (Read Here). If you work in one of those industries and use a hydraulic system it is important to take into consideration the specific requirements you need from your hoses and fittings. Various applications require different hoses and fittings and selecting the right one is important for optimal performance and safety. 

Demystifying Hydraulic Hoses and Fittings: Understanding Their Applications and Importance

Demystifying Hydraulic Hoses and Fittings: Understanding Their Applications and Importance

In any application where moving heavy items is essential, industrial machinery and equipment will often use a hydraulic system to get the job done. These systems provide immense power by using extreme pressurized hydraulic oils in order to do work. To utilize this fluid power a central component of any hydraulic system are hydraulic hoses and their fittings. This article is intended to give a brief introduction to hydraulic hoses and their fittings and the diverse applications they could be used for. 

SAE Rating Guide

SAE Rating Guide

When you look at the layline of your hose and see an SAE rating, you may ask yourself,” What does that mean?” Long story short, this rating is used to tell you several things about the hose:

  • What hydraulic fluid to use.

  • What the hose is made out of.

  • The temperature that the hose can operate in.

  • The size range of the hose.

  • Other crucial facts

Which Mechanical Splice Is The Best?

Traditional lacing (also called straight splicing or standard lacing ) is where a mechanical fastener is attached to each end of the belt and joined with a pin that goes through the center. The pin that joins the lacing can be removed at any time so that the belt can be removed from the machine for cleaning or other purposes. The lacing and pins can be made out of a variety of materials, such as stainless steel and polyurethane, to fit the certain applications. Out of all of the lacing methods this is generally the fastest, easiest, and most inexpensive. When it comes to installing the lacing, you need to square the belt. Check out the video below for a step by step demonstration on how to do so.

Thermoplastic vs Braided vs Spiral Hose: Which Is Better?

When it comes to hydraulic hose, there are a lot of different options for varying applications. Most hoses are made of synthetic materials, natural fibers, or metal wire. Covers then change to fit the conditions that the hose will be used in. One also needs to keep in mind the categorization of pressure ratings. High pressure is 1500-6000 PSI, medium pressure is 300-3000 PSI, and low pressure is 300 PSI or less. With all of that being said, when it comes to most heavy duty equipment such as excavators and bull dozers, there are three main kinds; thermoplastic, braided, and spiral.

How Do Conveyors Work?

How Do Conveyors Work?

When it comes to belt conveyors, they may vary in size and shape depending on what is being conveyed. With that being said, there are several components of conveyors that carry across the board. In this article we are going to cover those parts, how they interact, and how energy is transferred to move materials.

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