How to Choose a Mining Conveyor Belt

23 Dec.,2024

 

How to Choose a Mining Conveyor Belt

Conveyor belt systems play a crucial role in the mining industry, making operations more efficient and less costly. A mining conveyor belt transports mined materials from the site to loading areas or processing facilities. Choosing the right mining conveyor belt depends on the needs of your business.

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Understanding Mining Conveyor Belts

At the heart of a conveyor system lies the mining conveyor belt, essential for moving ore and various materials from the mining site to processing units or loading zones. These belts, powered by motors running on electricity or alternative sources, come in various compositions, including plastic or rubber compounds, fabric materials, and steel cables. Supported by rollers, these belts move materials efficiently and safely at a set speed.

Composition of Conveyor Belts

Typically, a conventional conveyor belt comprises three layers:

  • The top layer or cover supports the product during transit.
  • The middle layer, also known as the carcass, provides additional support, often made of metal or woven fabric.
  • The bottom cover completes the belt&#;s structure.

Types of Conveyor Belts

Selecting the correct conveyor belt system type is vital for ensuring safe and efficient operations, as using the wrong type can lead to detrimental consequences and unplanned downtime. The various conveyor belt types include:

  • Straight-warp: Ideal for tunnelling, used in rock quarries and crushers. They feature impact and tear resistance, with yarns and polyamide on both sides.
  • Multi-ply: Characterized by multiple fabric layers separated by rubber, these belts are durable and suitable for underground applications.
  • Steel-cord: Employing steel cables along the belt&#;s length, these are designed for underground applications.
  • Solid woven belts: More common in Europe and Asia, less so in the U.S.
    Heat-resistant: Built to withstand high temperatures.

Choosing the Right Mining Conveyor Belt

Application and environment are top considerations when selecting a mining conveyor belt. Consider tensile strength requirements, cover thickness, and type based on the material transported and loading method. For example, conveyors in temperature-controlled warehouses transporting light materials have different demands than those moving heavy products in underground mines.

Differentiate between above-ground and underground belts. Above-ground belts, typically made of highly flammable petrochemicals, pose a safety hazard if used underground. In contrast, underground mining belts incorporate flame-resistant materials and special agents to reduce friction and increase fire resistance.

For surface or above-ground belts, consider the properties of transported materials, including humidity levels, granularity, and abrasion characteristics. The nature of transported materials significantly affects belt lifespan; abrasive materials can damage the belt more quickly.

Additional Considerations

  • Service Life: Consider durability based on your environment; belts in mines and quarries have different demands than factory lines.
  • Temperature: High-temperature materials can damage belts; select a belt with appropriate thermal properties.
  • Fireproofing: For underground conveyors, ensure compliance with fire resistance requirements like MSHA Part 14.
  • Pulley Diameter: The recommended diameter varies depending on the belt fabric thickness.
  • Corrosion-Resistance: Important in fluctuating environments, mainly underground.
  • Belt Width & Length: Know your sizing requirements, as belts vary significantly in width and size based on application.

Luff Industries Quality Engineering and Expertise

While numerous components power a conveyor system, the belt is a critical part that warrants careful consideration. Understanding the types, compositions, and application-specific requirements of conveyor belts is essential in selecting the right one for your system, ensuring safety, efficiency, and operation longevity.

Leveraging our deep industry expertise and insights, we recognize the unique demands of various conveyor belt applications. Our dedicated team works hand-in-hand with every client, meticulously evaluating their specific needs and obstacles. Based on this, we craft and engineer conveyor belt system solutions that suit their distinct needs, guaranteeing superior performance, efficiency, and longevity.

Partnering with Luff Industries means you&#;ll get a custom conveyor belt system designed not just to meet but exceed expectations, enabling your operations to function smoothly and effectively.

Mining Conveyor Belt Comparison

Mining Conveyor Belt Comparison

Multi-ply? Straight warp? Steel cord? Something else? There&#;s more than just these categories of mining conveyor belt types that you need to consider when comparing equipment for your applications. 

Sure, material type plays a huge role in what kind of mining conveyor belt you choose since operations typically occur in more demanding environments, but other factors are important as well. 

Assess and compare the following when choosing a mining conveyor belt: 

  • Size
  • Tensile strength
  • Abrasion resistance

Comparing Mining Conveyor Belt Specifications

Continue reading for a breakdown of the key variables that you should consider when it comes to selecting a mining conveyor belt. 

Mining Conveyor Belt Type

Before we get into some other components, it&#;s worth it to review the basic belt-types as well as some of their pros and cons.

  • Multi-ply: A belt where its layers are separated by rubber to help with impact resistance; tends to be a long-lasting belt.
  • Straight warp: These belts are fairly impact and tear-resistant, and feature yarn and polyamide in their structure.
  • Steel cord: Steel cables anchor and run the length of the belt.

Mining Conveyor Belt Size

The right mining conveyor belt should be relative in size to the material being transported.  

Mining conveyor belts come in varieties such as:

  • Tensile rubber
  • Nylon
  • Smooth rough top chevron rubber
  • Bottom smooth rubber cover
  • Fabric
  • Ply stacker impact
  • Among others

Width sizes typically range from 200 millimeters up to 2,400 millimeters, while thicknesses range from 400 millimeters up to 2,000 millimeters. Depending on the type of belt that you select, widths and thicknesses may vary.

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Make sure that you know which width and thickness are best for your application and tension. Not selecting the proper dimensions can greatly impact productivity.

Mining Conveyor Belt Tension

Another important variable is PIW, or pounds per inch of width. 

PIW measures tension as it pertains to the longitudinal strength that it takes to move the belt and torque required to activate the system. 

The formula to determine PIW is as follows:

HP (System motor horsepower (1+K) 33,000/ S (Belt speed) x W (width of belt)

In addition to the different types of belts, there are also various materials, like rubber and fabric, that are used in its composition.  

Be sure that you very carefully assess the tension of the rubber and fabric (or other material) before you decide on the type of belt that is best for you.

Mining Conveyor Belt Abrasion Resistance

We all know that ripped belts or other issues with the conveyor system result in lost productivity and profits. This is why it&#;s critical to compare characteristics of each belt to ensure they are suitable for the materials and environment in which they&#;re running. 

Abrasion resistance is an important factor to keep in mind when comparing and selecting a conveyor belt, especially for conveyors working in mines. 

Fortunately, conveyor quality has improved over the past few years thanks to better alignment technologies, maintenance techniques, rip detection equipment, and a greater level of attention paid to preventative service. 

The most common type of abrasion is the material rubbing against the belt. Hard rock and pellets tend to wear a conveyor belt faster than coal, for example. 

Material density and the speed at which the belt is running can also impact the rate of belt wear. The other type of abrasion is cutting and gouging, usually from jagged or sharp surfaces like limestone, granite, ores, etc.

To determine abrasion resistance, we prefer the DIN abrasion test method, which measures the volume loss of a prepared puck-like object. The puck is weighed before and after the test, and the volume loss is calculated. Obviously, the lower the volume loss, the better it is for abrasion resistance. 

To improve abrasion resistance, you can make adjustments to how the belt is operating. Or you can choose a more durable belt, a different type of belt fabric, or acquire a belt cover.

Comparing Mining Conveyor Belts

Choosing the right mining conveyor belt for demanding applications depends on the careful comparison of the factors discussed here. 

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