MATERIALS HANDLING
BREAKING NEW GROUND
Conveyor belt expert Leslie David explores advances in the technology and the benefits they afford to industry
I
n the mining industry, as with many other industries, conveyor belts are critical components that play an essential role. Their
reliability and efficiency are essential to success. It is therefore surprising to find that, in a world of continual technological advancement, the basic construction of rubber conveyor belts has not fundamentally changed since 1905 when mining engineer Richard Sutcliffe invented a belt made from layered cotton and rubber. Since those early days, the rubber is now almost entirely synthetic, and the multiple layers of cotton have been replaced by layers of synthetic (usually polyester and polyamide) fabric ply material with a thin layer (skim) of rubber in between each layer. In principle, the heavier the application, the more layers that are used. This multi-layered carcass structure is protected by an outer layer of rubber. Known as ‘multi-ply’ belts, they are by far the most common type of
40
www.engineerlive.com
conveyor belt. But that is where the new thinking seemed to end, until now.
EVER DECREASING LIFE CYCLES Primarily due to the focus given by Southeast Asian manufacturers on gaining a price rather than a performance advantage using a market saturation strategy, the vast majority of belts no longer provide a cost-efficient working lifetime. General wear, especially rip, tear and impact damage, cutting, gouging and rubber degradation caused by exposure to ozone and ultraviolet light are all reasons why more than 80% of all conveyor belts are replaced considerably sooner than they should be. In an increasing number of cases, within months rather than years. To many in mining and quarrying,
the catastrophic damage caused by trapped objects is considered inevitable. Consequently, growing numbers are falling into the trap of using low price
imported ‘sacrificial’ belts, resulting in ever decreasing cycles of fitting, repairing and replacing. However, one conveyor belt
manufacturer, Fenner Dunlop Conveyor Belting in Europe and North America, part of the Michelin Group, sees things very differently and is bringing about a radical change of thinking. Since the hugely successful introduction of its single and dual-ply UsFlex belt more than two decades ago, it has continued to develop the concept. Known as the X Series, it not only replaced thick, multi-layered belts, it also provided numerous advantages. Although thinner and lighter, Fenner Dunlop’s single and dual-ply belts are actually much more robust and resistant to damage than their multiple ply counterparts. In theory, a higher number of inner
plies should result in a stronger belt. However, the greatest influence on the strength and other essential physical properties of a conveyor belt is the
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
