Business News: Types of Conveyor Belts used in Mining

Mining is a process of digging materials like coal, diamond, gold, and metal out of the earth. Mining industries are spread across the globe. The mining processes by which these materials are extracted involve manhandling of huge materials or bulk materials. Bulk material handling is made easier by the conveyor belts used in mining.

Minerals and precious metals can be found just about anywhere on earth. The challenge is getting them to market. A mining conveyor belt is one of the most important pieces of equipment on any mine site, as it is responsible for transporting material such as copper, gold, and uranium across vast distances. A broken-down mining conveyor belt can cause serious disruption in the mining industry.  Design flaws or improper maintenance can cause a breakdown which will have serious repercussions for all other equipment on the site. Good thing is that you can easily replace your conveyor belt and there are expert conveyor system manufacturers like Fluent Conveyors that you can rely on!

Why Conveyors in Mining Are Essential?

Conveyor belts are one of the most essential parts of any mining equipment. The conveyor belts used in the mining industry undergo some heavy-duty applications as they are expected to be long-lasting. These conveyor belts have been designed by mining industry experts from the very beginning of the production process, making them just as durable as your business needs. They can work even in the harshest conditions including mines and factories where they come into contact with a lot of heat. When you need to transport materials in mining, you want to be sure the conveyor belt is at peak performance.

The conveyor belt is a vital cog in the wheel that allows the mining industry to maintain a quick and efficient workflow that strives for continual achievement and growth. This equipment’s components and parts all play a role in the proceedings of getting minerals and metals inside and outside of mines — exported, sold, and processed.

There are two types of conveyor belts that are used in mining:

1) The continuous belt is a non-stop belt that has a single load path and travels continuously without stopping. This type of belt is most commonly used in conveyor lines to transport materials through the process of mining.

2) The intermittent belt has stops along its length, which allows for breaks in the movement of material. This type of belt can be used for moving material within the process of mining or transporting materials from one part of a mine to another.

Whether you’re working in an open pit, underground or coastal mining, conveyor belts are an essential part of your operation. They move materials to and from the processing plant or other destinations along mine property.

A wide variety of conveyor belts are used in the mining industry which are manufactured by different vendors all over the world with varying degrees of quality.

Below are the belts commonly used in the Mining industry:

Multi-ply Belt

A multi-ply belt is made up of fabrics that are separated by bison-woven rubber or synthetic latex. This layer combination helps to deaden impact, which in turn extends the life of the belt. The mining of its parts makes for a quiet, strong product with superior resistance to abrasion and punctures. The Multi-ply conveyor belt is built to carry multiple types of minerals over its lifetime, which makes it ideal for mining applications. The rubber between the layers helps minimize vibration and stone bouncing. This belt features engineered belt dressing for improved load-carrying capacity.

Heavy-Duty Belt

Heavy-duty conveyors are designed to withstand rugged use and harsh environments. Durable materials and construction make these conveyors ideal for recycling and scrap metal applications. With a variety of belt sizes, we can design a Heavy-duty conveyor to fit your precise throughput and capabilities needs.

Steel Cord Belts

Steel Cord Conveyor Belt is a high-quality conveyor belt. Available as a flat or V-ribbed belt, Steel Cord features a patented rubber cover on a specially designed steel cord. The special covering has excellent resistance to both penetration and going soft, making it ideal for hostile environments and difficult applications.

Conveyor belts made from steel cords can withstand higher loads. They are suitable for the conveying of bulk materials, as well as for difficult, physically demanding applications such as non-abrasive material flows with a high degree of flexibility, e.g. feeds for machine tools.

Steel Fabric Reinforced Belts

The Textile Reinforced Conveyor belts make for durability and resistance to abrasion, are superior to rubber in traction grip, and are designed to maximize load capacity by cutting weight. It is well used in the textile and related industries – for example for transporting fabric – and improves the system’s efficiency and productivity while ensuring reliability.

Reinforced conveyor belts offer superior load handling performance with less maintenance needed. These conveyor belts are designed to maximize load capacity by reducing weight. They are resistant to abrasion, offer superior traction grip, and are proven reliable in harsh industrial environments.

Tensioned belt

This type of conveyor belt is similar to a conveyor belt that rotates on rollers. However, in a tensioned belt, the rollers are attached directly to the belt, which means there’s no need for pulleys or chains. The motor drive for this type of conveyor works off of tension forces generated by attached cables that pull against a bale or pallet as it passes over them. Tensioned belts are often used when moving items that require high amounts of force such as rock or concrete.

Take Away

The belt is the most important machine in the mining operation. Without their belts, most mines would cease to operate. Operations may be required to shut down so that belts can be repaired. If you are in charge of designing, supplying, or maintaining conveyor belting in mining operations, this presentation introduces typical failures and how they may be prevented.

Regardless of your industry, the right conveyor belt can be a valuable asset that drives productivity and efficiency. Not only do they get your materials where they need to go, but belts ensure your products arrive in good condition and are protected from harm.

About the Author Jeremy Axel

Jeremy Axel is the founder of Fluent Conveyors, they design and manufacture conveyors for Waste and recycling industries, Manufacturing, and Distribution centers across the United States. He is also known for building trusted relationships with conveyor dealers and reseller networks and developing advanced technological processes and tools that help them do their jobs more efficiently. Check his Website: http://www.jeremyaxel.com/