A step-by-step guide to removing an old rope and installing a new one correctly. Applicable to all brands of aeromechanical conveyor. Always follow your machine manufacturer's specific guidance where it differs from this general guide.
Isolate the conveyor from its power supply and apply lockout/tagout as per your site procedure. Allow the rope to come to a complete stop before opening any access panels or inspection covers.
Open the top and bottom inspection covers or access panels. On top-drive machines the drive unit is at the top; on bottom-drive machines the drive is at the base. Familiarise yourself with the rope routing before removing anything.
Locate the rope joint — the point where the two ends of the rope are connected. On laminar joint assemblies, the joint consists of a bolted collar around the rope ends. On standard assemblies, look for the crimped or bolted connector.
Undo the joint fasteners and carefully separate the rope. Feed the old rope out of the tubes, taking care not to allow loose discs to fall and cause damage. Note the direction the rope travels through the machine — the new rope must be installed in the same orientation.
With the rope removed, take the opportunity to inspect the conveyor tubes for internal wear, scoring or damage. Check the drive sprocket (or drive disc) and any guide rollers or idler wheels for wear.
Any significant tube wear or damage should be addressed before fitting the new rope — installing a new rope into a damaged tube will shorten its service life considerably.
Clean out any product residue from inside the tubes before fitting the new rope.
The new rope is supplied as an open length (not yet joined into a loop). Feed one end of the rope through the conveyor, following the same path as the old rope. Use the old rope to pull the new one through if helpful — tape the ends together securely before pulling.
Ensure each disc sits correctly in the tube and is not twisted or caught on any obstruction as you feed the rope through. On longer or more complex conveyors, it helps to have a second person guiding the rope at the far end.
Once the rope is fully threaded, bring the two ends together at the joint location — typically at the drive head. On laminar joint (bolted) assemblies:
Align the two rope ends so the wire cores are flush. Slide the joint collar over both ends. Insert and tighten the joint bolts to the torque specified in your machine documentation. Ensure the bolt heads are correctly seated and the collar is fully closed before proceeding.
Do not over-tighten the joint bolts — this can damage the wire rope core and weaken the joint. Follow your machine manufacturer's torque specification where available.
Before closing the access panels, check that the rope runs freely through the full circuit without catching or binding. Manually rotate the drive head through several revolutions (with power still isolated) to confirm the rope travels smoothly.
Set the initial tension according to your machine's tensioning procedure. New rope will bed in and stretch slightly during the first hours of operation — plan to re-check and adjust tension after the first 4–8 hours of running. See our tensioning guide for detailed instructions.
Close all access panels and inspection covers. Remove all lockout/tagout devices and restore power. Run the conveyor unloaded for a short period and observe for any knocking, vibration, or unusual noise before returning to full production.
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