Screen-Printed Flexible Sensor for Conveyor Belt Fault Monitoring

Conveyor belt fault detection is critical for ensuring the safety and efficiency of industrial material transportation. In this study, a screen-printed flexible strain sensor based on a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrate and graphene conductive ink was fabricated. The sensor exhibited excellent flexibility, mechanical robustness, and stable electromechanical performance. Comprehensive evaluations were conducted, including microstructural analysis, strain sensitivity, hysteresis, dynamic response, and long-term cycling stability. The results demonstrated that a two-layer graphene configuration achieved an optimal balance between sensitivity and structural stability, showing high gauge factor, fast response, and reliable cyclic performance. Furthermore, the sensor was applied to conveyor belt fault monitoring. Experiments validated its ability to detect both halting faults and foreign object intrusions, with distinctive resistance signal features enabling not only fault occurrence detection but also identification of fault location, type, and severity. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed flexible sensor system as a promising solution for intelligent conveyor belt monitoring in harsh industrial environments.