How do I change the caterpillar belts on my infeeder or puller machine?

Caterpillar belts are a wear item. It will be necessary to change them from time-to-time.

The belts should be replaced if the belt surface is worn, split or otherwise damaged.

A worn or damaged belt surface may cause variations in the cut length. It is always a good idea to check the belt surface regularly to make sure the belts remain in good condtion.

To change the caterpillar belts is a quick and easy process. The procedure is as described below:

1. Disconnect power from the machine whenever carrying-out maintenance on the unit. This is particularly so when any guards are open or removed.
2. For combination cutter/puller units, first remove the inlet cutter guide bush.It might also be necessary to remove the end guard panel nearest the cutter. This will make it easier to access the belt tensioning bolts.
3. It may also be necessary to remove the guide-in roller bracket or vee channel guide if either of these items are bolted to the caterpillar boom plates.
4. To remove the top belt fully slacken off the two belt tension screws located at the non-drive end (the end without the motor) of each caterpillar boom. By slackening these screws the tension roller will move into the machine. This will reduce the tension on the caterpillar belt.
5. When the belt is loose enough slide it off the polyvee rollers and out over the front of the boom plate.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the lower belt.
7. Once the old belts have been removed, fit the new belts by sliding them back over the boom plates and locating the belt vees into the matching grooves on the poly-vee rollers.
8. It is very important that the poly-vee ribbing on the back of each belt matches up with the matching grooves on the poly-vee rollers.
9. Make sure that the belts are correctly aligned with the boom plates.
10. Re-tighten tension screws to move the tension roller back out to tension each belt.
11. We recommend a using a torque spanner with a pre-set torque setting of between 1 - 2 Nm.
12. The exact amount of torque required will depend on the belt size, thickness and covering material. As a general rule, the smaller, flexible, belts will need less torque than larger, thicker, belts.
13. The belts needs to be pulled taut, but not so tight that you can't slightly lift the belt away for the underlying idlers in the centre of the boom.
14. Do not over-tension the belts as this can cause potential damage to the bearing.
15. Check that the tension pulleys are square to the boom plates and that all the poly-vee ribs on the back of the belt are snuggly located into the matching poly-vee grooves on the rollers.
16. If they aren't, repeat the process until everything is correctly located.
17. Make certain that any items removed (see step 2 above) are refitted before reconnecting power to the machine. This is especially important if the inlet cutter guide bush or end guard plate were removed.
18. We recommend running the caterpillar machine for some minutes at full speed to make sure all is okay. If the belt has any tendency to "creep" to one side or jump the vee grooves, stop the machine and repeat the steps above.

We offer a wide range of replacement caterpillar belts from stock. Please contact our Spare Parts department for details: spares@gillardcutting.com

Please click on the links below for related FAQs that offer more assistance for our Gillard caterpillar infeeder/puller machines:

Are the caterpillar belt settings & belt covering type important?

How do I adjust the caterpillar belts to give the correct nip pressure?

How do I check the mechanical condition of the caterpillar belt assembly?