How to install a Natgraph Dryer Belt

What is a dryer belt?

A dryer belt, or screen print belts, is usually PTFE coated fibreglass or Kevlar in the form of an open mesh. The open area of the mesh allows hot air from easily flow around the  product being cured in the dryer.

What is the make up of the the belt?

If you have a Natgraph dryer belt or similar they all tend to be supplied with an edge reinforcement and a mechanical clipper fastener. You can see an example of an edge reinforcement in the picture above. If you have a Natgraph dryer your belt will more than likely have a black coloured mesh and black coloured edging.

Why will my Dryer Belt be black rather than brown?

Natgraph and many other OEM’s such as Trumax tend to specify a black anti-static material. The black belts are anti-static and have a carbon impregnated PTFE surface which turns them black in colour.  Some OEM’s also use brown which is pictured above.

How easy is it to install my own belt on a Natgraph dryer?

The belt should be exactly the same size as your current belt. It should also have the same fastener (connection).

Isolate the machine fully before carrying out any work. To fit the belt first of all take of any tension off by winding back the tension roller. Now the belt should be slack and easy to move. Take the metal connection pin out of the joint and connect one end of the new belt to one end of the old belt and re insert be pin.

Now that you have the new belt connected, pull the new belt around the machine using the old belt. You will then end up with the new dryer belt wrapped around the rollers setup.

The next stage is to connect the new belts ends together with a pin and re tension the roller. Be careful not to over tension and make sure the rollers are parallel and square.