A new 16-page catalog from Flexco details the company's Tatch-A-Cleat family of attachable conveyor belt cleats, lugs, pegs and V-guides, along with special tools for their installation. These Tatch-A-Cleat products allow users to increase the efficiency of inclined belts, steepen elevation angles to shorten conveyors and conserve floor space, and promote truer belt tracking, while avoiding the higher cost and long lead times associated with custom-molded belting. The new catalog illustrates a sampling of belt-cleat layouts and provides design charts for determining cleat height and spacing according to conveyed material particle sizes and belt inclines.

Selection charts compare six mechanically attached and six bondable cleat types by temperature tolerance, durometer (hardness), resistances to abrasion, ozone and weather, oil and acid, and material toxicity.

As noted in the catalog, mechanically attached models allow on-site customization of standard belting as well as repair of molded belts having damaged or missing cleats, with minimal downtime and usually without removing the belt.

Screw attachment also allows repositioning of cleats as cargo requirements change, and re-use when worn-out belts are replaced.

Bondable cleats, best suited for use with new belting, are attached with chemical adhesives, heat welding or vulcanization, usually in a fabrication shop.

Descriptive sections for each cleat type provide charts with all essential sizing specifications, package quantities and ordering numbers.

For mechanically attached models, cut-away views reveal metallic inserts molded into the cleat bodies to secure attaching screws.

Mechanically attached designs detailed here include: Tatch-A-Cleat Model HD, a lower profile heavy-duty cleat engineered in rugged SBR compound for abrasive, high-impact applications; Econo-Cleat(R), for general-purpose bulk handling, featuring resilience and a curved (scoop) shape in sizes up to 6in (150mm) high, for gentle handling of fragile products; Tatch-A-Lug(R) cylindrical cleats for elevating boxed, bagged or long, narrow products; Tatch-A-Peg flexible, tapered finger cleats for elevating fragile or round items such as produce while allowing fast liquid run-off from the belt; and Tatch-A-Guides, which mount on the belt underside for positive tracking.

A separate catalog section for Tatch-A-Cleat Bondables details T Cleats, which stand perpendicular to the belt as an inverted 'T' shape up to 4in (100mm) high, Scoop Cleats that lean into the incline at a 60-degree angle for more aggressive elevation, Flanges that bond along the belt edges to prevent side spillage, and V-guides to enforce tracking.