A conveyor belt cleaner scraper blade for cleaning the surface of a conveyor
belt
and a method of manufacture of the scraper blade. The scraper blade includes a
body having a base member adapted to be attached to a cross shaft of a conveyor
belt cleaner and a scraping member which extends outwardly from the base member
to a scraping tip. The scraper blade includes one or more electrical sensors that
are embedded in an insert member. The insert member and the sensors are molded
and embedded within the body of the scraper blade. Each of the sensors is adapted
to provide an electrical output signal representing a physical condition of the
scraper blade sensed by the sensor. A variety of sensor embodiments are described,
as well as two embodiments of control and monitoring systems for use in conjunction
with the various blade and sensor combinations.