Conveyor Tail Sections

West River Conveyors manufactures purpose-built tail sections to withstand the harshest mining conditions. Our highly customized units accommodate various length, horsepower, height, and belt width requirements. 

The proven heavy-duty structural design and robust components ensure long-lasting performance. This innovative engineering maximizes uptime and minimizes maintenance costs, even in the most demanding applications.

Let the experts at West River Conveyors engineer and build a custom conveyor tail section for your application.

Request a Tail Section Quote

CONVEYOR TAIL SECTION BENEFITS 

Tail sections are an essential piece of any conveyor system. Their design and build quality can significantly affect a mining operation’s overall efficiency and performance.  Benefits include:

• Reduced Maintenance Costs—They provide a cushion for material discharge and help remove carryback on the belt’s return side. This design extends the belt’s life, reducing the frequency and cost of repairs.
• Improved Safety—Skirting and dust control mechanisms help transfer products between conveyors safely, avoiding accidents and injuries.
• Increased Efficiency—By preventing the belt from wasting energy, they contribute to operational efficiency. This reduction in energy waste leads to lowered operating costs and heightened productivity.
• Improved Load Distribution—Tail sections are also instrumental in enhancing load distribution. Evenly distributing weight can minimize stress on the belt and other components of the conveyor system, further extending the system’s lifespan.

TAIL SECTION TYPES

At West River Conveyors, we engineer and build several types of conveyor tail sections designed to match each customer’s unique application. Choose from a wide range of belt widths, including 48”, 60”, and 72”.

We offer impact bar and glide bar options made out of UHMWPE, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. This specialized plastic absorbs impact and reduces friction.

Learn more about the different types we offer below.

Tail Section

There are three different tail section bar options: impact bar, impact bed, and glide bar. Customer preference typically determines the choice of the bar—beds are longer, whereas the bars are shorter and in more sections. They essentially function the same.

• Impact bars—Comprise numerous short, individual impact bars bolted transversely across the tail pulley to create many bars and contact points for increased agitation and material dispersion.

• Impact beds—Utilize longer bed plates spanning multiple idlers to create fewer inclined impact zones for agitation and material dispersion.

• Glide bars—Use declined and angled bars to gradually transition material off the belt through a series of graduated contact points. Glide bars enhance material handling by providing a smooth transition off the belt.

Tail Section with Guarding

Robust guarding is critical for the tail section of mining conveyors to promote safety and performance. Heavy-duty mesh or perforated steel guards encase the key danger zones along the tail to prevent access to moving parts. 

Strategically placed access doors and hatches allow inspection and maintenance while minimizing exposure. The guarding contains material discharge and spillage to optimize flow control. 

By preventing personnel access and buildup underneath, the tailored guarding reduces safety risks and maintenance issues. The rugged guarding withstands the tough conditions and hazards of mining applications.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT TAIL SECTIONS

When engineering a custom unit, our engineers consider key application factors, such as: conveyor type, load details, operating environment, and budget. We account for the unique needs of belt, roller, or screw conveyors. The size and weight of your loads inform critical design choices to handle expected throughput. Selecting intelligent materials and features allows us to build sections that withstand corrosion or other hazards.

By working within your budget, we determine possibilities for specialized components while keeping costs minimized. Analyzing these application-specific factors enables us to tailor the perfect tail section that maximizes performance and longevity for your constraints. Our customized approach delivers solutions engineered for your exact specifications and operational needs.

HOW TAIL SECTIONS WORK

A tail section of a conveyor is the opposite end of the head drive – the turn around/loading point. Every conveyor system has a tail section or transfer chute at the end of one belt line. This terminal area contains a structural framework to absorb impact from discharged material.

Key components include:

• Tail pulley to redirect the belt
• Idlers/rollers for belt support
• Skirting to contain dust
• Dust control devices (hoods and collectors) 

Belt cleaning mechanisms in the tail section remove residual material on the return side to prevent carryback and spillage. Overall, they provide a durable, controlled transition point to handle high-impact loading and keep your system running efficiently.

HOW TO INTEGRATE TAIL SECTIONS WITH THE CONVEYOR SYSTEM

Proper integration with the rest of the conveyor system is crucial for optimal performance. Factors like discharge height, belt alignment, and chute design must match seamlessly between the conveyor and tail section. 

Dust control and spillage containment should extend back onto the conveyor frame. Belt cleaning and tracking components must align with the conveyor belt. 

We help customize all aspects to ensure proper integration with the conveyor length, width, capacity, and other parameters.  

DURABLE AND PROVEN CUSTOM TAIL SECTIONS 

With over 1,500 custom units built to date, West River Conveyors has the expertise to deliver high-performing and durable solutions. We can also provide quick turnaround times to meet your deadlines. Request a quote below to learn why our proven design produces superior results.

Request a Tail Section Quote

What Our Customers are Saying

“I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for the exceptional support provided by Russ during a recent troubleshooting effort. His availability, technical expertise, and proactive approach were instrumental in resolving the issues efficiently and effectively. Russ’s dedication to fostering and maintaining strong, long lasting professional relationships surpasses the typical sales mentality I have grown used to dealing with elsewhere. His commitment to his customers and consistent follow through has built a foundation of trust that I professionally continue to rely on. Having someone so dependable and relationship focused adds tremendous value, and it speaks volumes about the culture and professionalism of West River as a whole. Please extend my appreciation to Russ for his outstanding work and continued partnership.”

– Regina Tuberville, Sr. Mine Engineer

“I have had excellent success with everything I have purchased from West River. The service is great! I have called after hours and received the same top-notch service. The pulleys that I bought have been top-quality and are doing very well. I recently had some alignment work done on our slope belt, with the same high quality workmanship. I would recommend West River to anyone needing gearboxes, pulleys, alignment, or other conveyor components.”

– Steve Bjork, Preparation Plant Maintenance Chief

“West River is a friend to the mining industry, supplying quality components at a competitive price!”

– Barry Tackett, Operations Manager, Mountain Aggregates

“From the beginning, we wanted to standardize our conveyor equipment. We knew we wanted to minimize the number of spare parts and pulleys. This has been the only time in my career I’ve been able to accomplish this task. The good relationship that we’ve developed with West River is attributed to the genuinely good people that run the company. In my experience, many vendors are primarily interested in maximizing their profit margin but I truly believe the team at West River has the best interest of the customer at heart.”

– Brad Rigsby, General Manager, Black Panther Mining

“West River’s conveyor systems have given us a great level of reliability. In the years that we have been using them as our supplier, we have not had a single breakdown, no quality issues, and no under-design problems. West River’s dedication to excellence in customer service is exceptional. All phone calls and emails are replied to in a timely manner and deadlines are always met even when they may seem unachievable.”

– Coley Burgess, Mine Engineer, Mosaic Company