Prefeeder Troubleshooting

Field Service
Symptom Possible Cause Solution
Elevator does not run No electrical power supplied to the prefeeder. Verify the electric supply to the elevator
A belt is blocked or locked by jam Look for jammed product between the belt and the sidewall of the prefeeder, and manually check belt for movement
Upper pulley is spinning but the elevating belt not moving Lower pulley (set screw) came loose. Check lower pulley set screw; install any missing hardware, tighten set screw
Bottom roller not turning Loosen belt tension, manually rotate bottom roller to check bearings; replace bearings if roller doesn’t move
Belt too tight Loosen the tension on the belt
Elevator belt moving to one side, rubbing against the guides Belt is not aligned properly. Adjust belt alignment at the lower pulley, loosen and adjust the nut on the lower shaft
Product jammed in between belt and guide Clear any product that might be jammed between the belt and the guides
Parts falling behind the belt and jamming in the lower pulley and roller Prefeeder is set too steep. Using a level, check the hopper to see if it is level; it should be parallel to the floor. If the hopper is not level the prefeeder is too steep. Adjust the prefeeder angle to bring the hopper to a level position.
Parts don’t exit the prefeeder hopper Parts are bridging in the hopper. It may be necessary to purchase a hopper agitator to assist with the complete product cycling. Part tolerances change with product runs and could act differently and require additional help