Close-loop rubber band used in motorized conveying system

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These conveyor structures contain belts for moving bulk sulfur from railcars to storage piles and from the piles to ships

(132 years ago)

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A conveyor belt is the carrying medium of a belt conveyor system (often shortened to belt conveyor). A belt conveyor system is one of many types of conveyor systems. A belt conveyor system consists of two or more pulleys (sometimes referred to as drums), with a closed loop of carrying medium&#;the conveyor belt&#;that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley is called the idler pulley. There are two main industrial classes of belt conveyors; Those in general material handling such as those moving boxes along inside a factory and bulk material handling such as those used to transport large volumes of resources and agricultural materials, such as grain, salt, coal, ore, sand, overburden and more.

Overview

Conveyors are durable and reliable components used in automated distribution and warehousing, as well as manufacturing and production facilities. In combination with computer-controlled pallet handling equipment this allows for more efficient retail, wholesale, and manufacturing distribution. It is considered a labor-saving system that allows large volumes to move rapidly through a process, allowing companies to ship or receive higher volumes with smaller storage space and with labor expense.

Belt conveyors are the most commonly used powered conveyors because they are the most versatile and the least expensive.[1] Products are conveyed directly on the belt so both regular and irregular shaped objects, large or small, light and heavy, can be transported successfully. Belt conveyors are also manufactured with curved sections that use tapered rollers and curved belting to convey products around a corner. These conveyor systems are commonly used in postal sorting offices and airport baggage handling systems.

Belt conveyors are generally fairly similar in construction consisting of a metal frame with rollers at either end of a flat metal bed. Rubber conveyor belts are commonly used to convey items with irregular bottom surfaces, small items that would fall in between rollers (e.g. a sushi conveyor bar), or bags of product that would sag between rollers. The belt is looped around each of the rollers and when one of the rollers is powered (by an electrical motor) the belting slides across the solid metal frame bed, moving the product. In heavy use applications, the beds in which the belting is pulled over are replaced with rollers. The rollers allow weight to be conveyed as they reduce the amount of friction generated from the heavier loading on the belting. The exception to the standard belt conveyor construction is the sandwich belt conveyor. The sandwich belt conveyor uses two conveyor belts, instead of one. These two conventional conveyor belts are positioned face to face, to firmly contain the items being carried in a "sandwich-like" hold.

Belt conveyors can be used to transport products in a straight line or through changes in elevation or direction. For conveying bulk materials, over gentle slopes or gentle curvatures, a troughed belt conveyor is used. The trough of the belt ensures that the flowable material is contained within the edges of the belt. The trough is achieved by keeping the idler rollers in an angle to the horizontal at the sides of the idler frame. A pipe conveyor is used for material travel paths that require sharper bends and inclines up to 35 degrees.[2] A pipe conveyor features the edges of the belt being rolled together to form a circular section like a pipe. Like a troughed belt conveyor, a pipe conveyor also uses idler rollers. However, in this case, the idler frame completely surrounds the conveyor belt helping it to retain the pipe section while pushing it forward. In the case of travel paths requiring high angles and snake-like curvatures, a sandwich belt is used. The sandwich belt design enables materials carried to travel along a path of high inclines up to 90-degree angles,[3] enabling a vertical path as opposed to a horizontal one. This transport option is also powered by idlers.

Other important components of the belt conveying system apart from the pulleys and idler rollers include the drive arrangement of reducer gear boxes, drive motors, and associated couplings. scrapers to clean the belt, chutes for controlling the discharge direction, skirts for containing the discharge on the receiving belt, take up assembly for "tensioning" the belt, safety switches for personnel safety and technological structures like stringer, short post, drive frames, pulley frames make up the balance items to complete the belt conveying system. In certain applications, belt conveyors can also be used for static accumulation or cartons.

• Belt conveyor systems at a packing depot

• Baggage handling belt conveyor system

• Belt conveyor from an open-pit lignite mine in Bavaria

History

Primitive conveyor belts have been in use since the 19th century. In , an English shipwright Joseph Thomas Parlour from Pimlico patented a grain elevator with a conveyor belt[4] while Illinoisan Charles Denton of Ames Plow Co. patented a reaper with a belt "conveyer".[5] By the s conveyor belts were used in American elevators,[6] sugarcane mills[7] and sawmills,[8] as well as British maltings.[9]

In , Thomas Robins began a series of inventions which led to the development of a conveyor belt used for carrying coal, ores and other products.[10][11] In , Sandvik invented and started the production of steel conveyor belts. In , Richard Sutcliffe invented the first conveyor belts for use in coal mines which revolutionized the mining industry. In , Henry Ford introduced conveyor-belt assembly lines at Ford Motor Company's Highland Park, Michigan factory.[12]

In , the French society REI created in New Caledonia the longest straight-belt conveyor in the world in that moment, at a length of 13.8 km (8.6 miles). Hyacynthe Marcel Bocchetti was the concept designer.[citation needed]. The longest conveyor belt is that of the Bou Craa phosphate mine in Western Sahara (, 98 km in 11 sections). The longest single-span conveyor belt is at the Boddington bauxite mine in Western Australia (31 km).

In , the B. F. Goodrich Company patented a Möbius strip conveyor belt, that it went on to produce as the "Turnover Conveyor Belt System". Incorporating a half-twist, it had the advantage over conventional belts of a longer life because it could expose all of its surface area to wear and tear. Such Möbius strip belts are no longer manufactured because untwisted modern belts can be made more durable by constructing them from several layers of different materials.[13] In , Intralox, a Louisiana-based company, registered the first patent for all plastic, modular belting.

Structure

The belt consists of one or more layers of material. It is common for belts to have three layers: a top cover, a carcass and a bottom cover. The purpose of the carcass is to provide linear strength and shape. The carcass is often a woven or metal fabric having a warp & weft. The warp refers to longitudinal cords whose characteristics of resistance and elasticity define the running properties of the belt. The weft represents the whole set of transversal cables allowing to the belt specific resistance against cuts, tears and impacts and at the same time high flexibility. The most common carcass materials are steel, polyester, nylon, cotton and aramid (class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers, with Twaron or Kevlar as brand names). The covers are usually various rubber or plastic compounds specified by use of the belt.

Steel conveyor belts are used when high strength class is required. For example, the highest strength class conveyor belt installed is made of steel cords. This conveyor belt has a strength class of 10,000 N/mm (57,000 lbf/in) and it operates at Chuquicamata mine, in Chile.[14] Polyester, nylon and cotton are popular with low strength classes. Aramid is used in the range 630&#;3,500 N/mm (3,600&#;20,000 lbf/in). The advantages of using aramid are energy savings, enhanced lifetimes and improved productivity.[15][16] As an example, a 2,250-newton-per-millimetre (12,800 lbf/in), 3,400-metre-long (3,700 yd) underground belt installed at Baodian Coal Mine, part of in Yanzhou Coal Mining Company, China, was reported to provide energy savings of over 15%.[17] Whilst Shenhua Group, has installed several aramid conveyor belts, including a 4,400-newton-per-millimetre (25,000 lbf/in) belt with a length of 11,600 m (7.2 miles).

Applications

Today there are different types of conveyor belts that have been created for conveying different kinds of material available in PVC and rubber materials. Material flowing over the belt may be weighed in transit using a beltweigher. Belts with regularly spaced partitions, known as elevator belts, are used for transporting loose materials up steep inclines. Belt Conveyors are used in self-unloading bulk freighters and in live bottom trucks. Belt conveyor technology is also used in conveyor transport such as moving sidewalks or escalators, as well as on many manufacturing assembly lines. Stores often have conveyor belts at the check-out counter to move shopping items, and may use checkout dividers in this process. Ski areas also use conveyor belts to transport skiers up the hill. Industrial and manufacturing applications for belt conveyors include package handling, trough belt conveyors, trash handling, bag handling, coding conveyors, and more. Integration of Human-Machine Interface(HMI) to operate the conveyor system is in the developing stages and will prove to be an efficient innovation.

Long belt conveyors

The longest belt conveyor system in the world is in Western Sahara. It was built in by Friedrich Krupp GmbH (now thyssenkrupp) and is 98 km (61 miles) long, from the phosphate mines of Bu Craa to the coast south of El-Aaiun.[18]

The longest conveyor system in an airport is the Dubai International Airport baggage handling system at 63 km (39 miles). It was installed by Siemens and commissioned in , and has a combination of traditional belt conveyors and tray conveyors.[19]

Boddington Bauxite Mine in Western Australia is officially recognized as having the world's longest single flight conveyor. Single flight means the load is not transferred, it is a single continuous system for the entire length. This conveyor is a cable belt conveyor system with a 31-kilometre-long (19 mi) conveyor feeding a 20-kilometre-long (12 mi) conveyor. Cable belt conveyors are a variation on the more conventional idler belt system. Instead of running on top of idlers, cable belt conveyors are supported by two endless steel cables (steel wire rope) which are in turn supported by idler pulley wheels. This system feeds bauxite through the difficult terrain of the Darling Ranges to the Worsley Alumina refinery.

The second longest single trough belt conveyor is the 26.8-kilometre-long (16.7 mi) Impumelelo conveyor near Secunda, South Africa. It was designed by Conveyor Dynamics, Inc. based in Bellingham, Washington, USA and constructed by ELB Engineering based in Johannesburg South Africa. The conveyor transports 2,400 t/h (2,600 short tons per hour) coal from a mine to a refinery that converts the coal to diesel fuel. The third longest trough belt conveyor in the world is the 20-kilometre-long (12 mi) Curragh conveyor near Westfarmers, QLD, Australia. Conveyor Dynamics, Inc. supplied the basic engineering, control system and commissioning. Detail engineering and Construction was completed by Laing O'Rourke.[20]

The longest single-belt international conveyor runs from Meghalaya in India to a cement factory at Chhatak Bangladesh.[21][22][23] It is about 17 km (11 miles) long and conveys limestone and shale at 960 t/h (1,060 short tons per hour), from the quarry in India to the cement factory (7 km or 4.3 miles long in India and 10 km or 6.2 miles long in Bangladesh). The conveyor was engineered by AUMUND France and Larsen & Toubro. The conveyor is actuated by three synchronized drive units for a total power of about 1.8 MW supplied by ABB (two drives at the head end in Bangladesh and one drive at the tail end in India). The conveyor belt was manufactured in 300-metre (980-foot) lengths on the Indian side and 300-metre (980-foot) lengths on the Bangladesh side. The idlers, or rollers, of the system are unique{{[24]}} in that they are designed to accommodate both horizontal and vertical curves along the terrain. Dedicated vehicles were designed for the maintenance of the conveyor, which is always at a minimum height of 5 metres (16 ft) above the ground to avoid being flooded during monsoon periods.

Belt conveyor safety system

Conveyors used in industrial settings include tripping mechanisms such as trip cords along the length of the conveyor. This allows for workers to immediately shut down the conveyor when a problem arises. Warning alarms are included to notify employees that a conveyor is about to turn on. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued regulations for conveyor safety, as OSHA .555.[25]

Some other systems used to safeguard the conveyor are belt sway switches, speed switches, belt rip switch, and emergency stops. The belt sway switch will stop the conveyor if the belt starts losing its alignment along the structure. The speed switch will stop the belt if the switch is not registering that the belt is running at the required speed. The belt rip switch will stop the belt when there is a cut, or a flap indicating that the belt is in danger of further damage. An emergency stop may be located on the conveyor control box in case of trip chord malfunctions.

Reuse

Worn rubber or elastomer belts can be reused in many ways. Applications for the material include toolbox liners,[26] anti-fatigue floor mats,[26] dock bumpers,[26] landscale edging,[26] livestock fencing,[26] and water diversion.[26]

See also

References

History of Conveyor Belts

Conveyor belts might be one of the most well-known pieces of equipment in the manufacturing sector. When someone imagines a factory, they likely picture works in progress, traveling down a conveyor belt through an assembly line. Conveyor belts are commonplace at grocery store checkout aisles, airport security checkpoints and baggage claims, treadmills at the gym and industrial facilities alike. They&#;ve become so closely associated with manufacturing and production because of their incredible efficiency, versatility and long-standing history.

When Were Conveyor Belts Invented?

Historians debate over when the first conveyor belts appeared. Many believe the earliest hand-operated, wood-and-leather belt conveyors first cropped up in the late s. The first heavy-duty conveyor belt appeared in to carry coal, ore and similar products. Historians credit their invention to Thomas Robins, who developed a series of designs that eventually produced the heavy-duty belt.

Leading to , a series of inventions contributed to the technology. The American inventor Oliver Evans, best known for inventing the automated mill, included a wooden conveyor belt system in his patented design in . His invention, which also included bucket elevators and modified Archimedean screw conveyors, yielded a flour mill capable of continuous manufacturing with zero human labor. After the mill saved Joseph Tatnall, the leading miller at the time, $37,000 in its first year, inventors across industries realized the conveyor belt&#;s potential to increase efficiency.

Steam-powered conveyor belts arrived in  when the British Navy began using them in their kitchens. In , when Charles Goodyear invented vulcanized rubber, belt conveyors became more durable and powerful. Vulcanized rubber conveyor belts were more heat-resistant than previous models. Steam remained their primary power source until Robins invented what we would consider the modern conveyor belt.

The Swedish engineering company Sandvik AB invented steel conveyor belts, which came on the scene in , shortly after Robins&#; invention. Steel allowed these simple systems to withstand the stress demands of industrial use. Since then, many companies have continued to improve on conveyor belts&#; initial designs. Over the years, conveyor belts have taken on new materials, improved shapes and increasing popularity.

History of Conveyor Belts

The conveyor belt has come a long way since the s. Since their beginning, conveyor belts have improved efficiency. Each iteration has offered distinct productivity benefits. Innovations have allowed more industries to take advantage of conveyor belts, and today, almost every sector of the industrial market has used conveyor belts in some form. Here&#;s how conveyor belts have evolved throughout their history:

Primitive Conveyor Belts

We know the earliest conveyor belt systems have been around since because they are included in Oliver Evans&#; flour mill design. It&#;s unclear who their original inventor was or when they first appeared. In these primitive designs, the conveyor frame was a simple flat wooden bed with a belt running over it. They were hand-operated using hand cranks and a system of pulleys. The belts themselves consisted of leather, canvas or rubber, with the earliest ones made from leather.

These primitive conveyor systems were short compared to the incredible lengths we see today. Farmers used these first conveyor belts to transport grain over short distances. They were often employed at shipping ports, where they conveyed agricultural products onto ships. They were also used in flour milling.

Steam Powered Conveyor Belts

Steam engines had been around long before hand-crank conveyor belts, so it didn&#;t take long for the technologies to merge. With steam power&#;s introduction, belt conveyors no longer needed hand cranks or human labor to keep the belt moving. This innovation aligned with the British industrial revolution in the 18th century.

The first recorded use of a steam-powered conveyor belt was in the British Navy, which integrated them into their kitchens in . The machinery was used to streamline baking &#; in particular, baking biscuits. This innovation made it much more efficient to feed the many sailors enlisted in the world&#;s largest navy.

After the navy found success with steam-operated conveyor belts, it didn&#;t take long for other industries to follow suit. Not surprisingly, bakeries were one of the first industries to accept steam-operated conveyors. Many slaughterhouses also adopted the technology.

Heavy-Duty Conveyor Belts and the Industrial Revolution

The invention of vulcanized rubber in was a significant milestone. While even primitive belt conveyors used rubber, they were much more sensitive to temperature changes. They became rigid and brittle in cold environments and melted in the heat.

Thomas Robins invented the heavy-duty conveyor belt in . He began his series of inventions in  to develop a more efficient way to carry coal and ore. He created what we consider the modern conveyor belt for Thomas Edison&#;s company, the Edison Ore-Milling Company, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey. The resulting conveyor used steel idler rollers and rubber-covered belting. These heavy-duty materials could convey heavy, abrasive materials such as iron ore efficiently.

After his invention&#;s success, Robins formed the Robins Conveyor Belt Company and patented the three-roll idler in . The company has changed hands many times over the years and still exists today as ThyssenKrupp Robins. His heavy-duty conveyor belt won the grand prize at the Paris Exposition and first prizes at the Saint Louis Exposition and the Pan-American Exposition. It was a massive boon to the industrial revolution already underway, and many industries began implementing the technology.

When Sandvik&#;s steel conveyor belts arrived in , they were another popular option for coal and aggregate mining operations. Within a few years, the food production industry adopted steel conveyor belts. The first European manufacturer to adopt conveyor belts was probably the coffee production company Kaffee HAG, also known as Coffee HAG. The world&#;s first decaffeinated coffee producer began production in  in Bremen, Germany. Thanks to their belt conveyors, Kaffee HAG could process 13,000 pounds of coffee every day.

As steel belting took off in food production, rubber-covered belts became the industry standard for mining, quarrying and mineral processing for their flexibility and superior durability.

Underground Conveyor Belts

The next major innovation was the underground conveyor belt, which mining engineer Richard Sutcliffe invented and patented in . While conveyor belts already had applications in the mining industry, they weren&#;t yet used underground. They needed some adaptations to survive the harsh environments and operate in confined spaces. Sutcliffe&#;s solution was a belt made from layered cotton and rubber.

The preferred method for transferring coal from the source to surface operations was a rail car. A belt conveyor was a major improvement because they were more affordable and easier to maintain than rail cars. When a mine reached the end of its life, a conveyor could be packed up and brought to the next site, unlike permanent rail cars. While he&#;s credited with inventing the underground conveyor belt, Sutcliffe called his manufacturing company &#;Universal Works&#; because the systems were suitable for both above- and below-ground applications.

Henry Ford&#;s Conveyor Belt Assembly Line

While not their inventor, Henry Ford might be the name most often associated with conveyor belts. When he became the first car manufacturer to introduce belt conveyors in , he made the invention famous. Innovations didn&#;t spread fast in those days, so his headline-making implementation helped popularize conveyor belts across more manufacturing sectors. He got the idea after studying how their use in slaughterhouses in Chicago and Cincinnati improved efficiency and productivity. He then built on the Oldsmobile brand&#;s continuous assembly line and introduced a conveyor belt to speed up the process.

While it took five full years to changeover his factories at the Ford Motor Company, the results were astounding. He slashed the time it took to manufacture a Model-T from around 12 hours to just an hour and 33 minutes. In , Ford introduced a new mechanized belt that moved as fast as 6 feet per minute. By , conveyor belts were industry standard for the automobile manufacturing industry. After Ford&#;s sensational introduction, belt conveyors became more widespread throughout the s. Meanwhile, in the coal mining industry, they grew to nearly 5 miles long.

Synthetic Fabric Belting

While the Second World War (WWII) slowed the mining and quarrying industries, it was an excellent time for conveyor belts. To support the war efforts, America placed restrictions on many natural materials, including rubber, canvas and cotton. To adapt, manufacturers developed several synthetic fabric belts. In the mid-20th century, urethane and synthetic rubber belts arrived to replace other belting materials.

By the s, lightweight, fully synthetic belting became widespread. The benefits of synthetic belting are still being realized today. The synthetic material is lightweight and flexible. This quality lets belt conveyors operate with smaller pulleys and can handle high speeds. Today, cotton, canvas, rubber and steel belts haven&#;t gone away. Now, with no material shortages to worry about, manufacturers can select the conveyor belting material best for their particular application, whether it&#;s synthetic or natural.

Another wartime and post-WWII improvement was the V-belt assembly. The V-belt is a massive improvement over the traditional flat belt. While flat belts can easily slip out of place on their pulleys, V-belts have sidewalls that fit into place along designated grooves. Their unique shape allowed conveyor belts to move higher loads, which significantly improved efficiency.

Plastic Modular Belting

The s marks the transition into the modern era of conveyor belt history. Manufacturers introduced many innovations that made the systems quieter, longer-lasting and cheaper to maintain during this decade. Some of the developments included precision bearings, quiet and internally powered rollers and motorized gearboxes and pulleys.

One of the most groundbreaking innovations of the &#;70s, plastic conveyor belts, solved the food processing industry&#;s unique need. Since rust and corrosion built up on metal belts, food processors needed a food-safe material for their belt conveyors. In , the Louisiana-based company Intralox designed and patented a modular plastic conveyor belt. Rather than a continuous loop of fabric, these belts use small, interlayed plastic bricks.

Today, modular plastic belts consist of polypropylene, polyethylene or acetal thermoplastics. Plastic conveyor belts offer some distinct advantages that have revolutionized the industry. As low-tension systems, plastic modular conveyor belts can be wider than they are long. They can travel around corners and along inclines and declines more efficiently than traditional belt conveyors. Because they are simple to take apart and clean, they&#;re the industry standard for food processing plants to this day.

Conveyor Belts Through the Ages &#; and Into the Future

Since their original use in agriculture to transport grain and other materials, conveyor belts have been adapted to many applications across many industries. Today, belt conveyors transport goods throughout production facilities in food processing, bottling and canning, automotive manufacturing, printing, logistics and warehousing, paper goods, textiles and more. Here are some examples of conveyor belts throughout history and their specialized uses:

&#; The First Underground Conveyor Belts

In , conveyor belts were adapted for underground mining applications. The first six underground belt conveyors were installed in the Glass Houghton Colliery Company. The belts were 20 inches wide and 110 yards long. They moved at 200 feet per minute and together moved 500 tons of coal per day.

&#; The Mobius Strip Conveyor Belt

Another improvement came with the Turnover Conveyor Belt system, which the B. F. Goodrich Company patented in . The conveyor belt was shaped to form a Mobius strip rather than a loop. By incorporating a half-twist into the belt design, the belt formed a one-sided shape, rather than the two sides formed with a regular loop. Since the belt could expose its entire surface area to wear and tear, it had a longer lifespan than traditional belt conveyors.

While the Mobius conveyor belt was an important innovation, they&#;re no longer manufactured today. Now, belt conveyors can achieve longevity through more durable materials and more layers, making the twisted design obsolete.

&#; The First Sushi Conveyor

Conveyor belt sushi restaurants today are a fun novelty experience, born out of a need for efficiency. Inventory Yoshiaki Shiraishi had trouble staffing his sushi restaurant and couldn&#;t run the establishment by himself. The conveyor let him serve customers quickly without increasing his staff. He opened his first restaurant and patented the concept in  before moving on to open 250 franchises throughout Japan.

&#; The World&#;s Longest Conventional Conveyor

Stretching for 61 miles, the current world record-holder for longest conveyor belt was built in in the Western Sahara. It runs from the Bou Craa phosphorus mines to the coastal city of El-Aaiun. It transports 2,000 tons of rock per hour to the port for loading onto cargo ships. It&#;s length combined with the distinct white phosphorous ore make this conveyor belt visible from space.

The Present Day &#; Smart Conveyor Belts

The Internet of Things (IoT) and other smart manufacturing technology has been transforming the industry over the last several years. As with much of the other equipment found throughout the shop floor, manufacturers are now equipping conveyor belts with smart technology. The technology allows the belt conveyor to communicate with other machines in the production facility and uses a system of sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to make smart, automated decisions.

For example, smart conveyors can analyze their power usage to reduce consumption when full power isn&#;t needed and shut themselves down when not in use. They can also detect safety hazards, such as an item being caught in the belt. They can inspect themselves while in operation and use statistical analysis to predict when and where the conveyor might fail before it causes unnecessary downtime.

The Future of Conveyor Belts

While the IoT is already here, the conveyor belt will improve as AI gets more sophisticated. Still, there will always be a place for traditional belt conveyors. Not all industries need to implement smart conveyor belts, and these sectors will continue to benefit from innovations in belting material and more sophisticated designs. For example, adjustable width belts are growing in popularity since they allow producers to handle multiple different product types and sizes on a single system.

Trust SEMCOR for Your Custom Conveyor Belt Needs

SEMCOR provides conveyor belts and belting services to clients throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Besides our off-the-shelf belting solutions, we also offer extensive modification and fabrication expertise. We assist with installation, inspection, repair and alignment, and custom fabrication of conveyor belts. We strive for belting solutions that lower your maintenance needs, extend your service life and address the specific concerns your company faces.

If you need conveyor belt customization or repair for your facility in our service area, contact us for more information or to request a quote.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Metal Reinforced Conveyor Belts. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.