Institute of Transport and Automation Technology Research Publications
New Dimensions in the Field of Steel Cord Conveyor Belt Splices and Dynamic Test Methods

New Dimensions in the Field of Steel Cord Conveyor Belt Splices and Dynamic Test Methods

Categories Konferenz (reviewed)
Year 2010
Authors Froböse, T.; Falkenberg, S.; Overmeyer, L.
Published in Bulk Solids Europe 2010, International Conference on Storing, Handling and Transporting Bulk. Glasgow: Vogel Business Media, 2010.
Description

Belt conveyors have proven themselves for continuous conveying of bulk material for decades under technical and economic points of view. For long belt conveyors and large amounts of bulk material, steel cord conveyor belts represent the state of art. An increase of the applied material flow can only be obtained by the development of high tensile steel cord conveyor belts. Particularly high nominal strengths have been applied in the case of conveying systems which have to overcome considerable lifting heights and high bulk material flow rates. Conveyor belts are first joined to form a continuous belt on the conveying system site. This is mainly due to the fact that both the winding diameters as well as the weight of the conveyor belts represent limits in respect of transportation and handling. Conveyor belts therefore consist of a number of conveyor belt sections which are bonded through vulcanization, these sections rarely exceeding 400 m. Each conveyor belt has at least one and generally a number of splices. The splices represent weak spots in the conveyor belt. The strength of the splices is lower than the nominal strength of the belt. There are currently two competing development targets which can be identified for in steel cord conveyor belt splicing: on the one hand the strength of the splice of the steel conveyor belts should be increased, while possibly accepting an increase of the installation costs. On the other hand, particularly in open-cast mining operations, the costs of installing the splices shall be reduced, as much as possible, without negative effects to the strength of the splice. In any case the accurate design of conveyor belt splices is a requirement for the safe operation of the whole conveyor belt system. Due to these reasons the Institute of Transport and Automation Technology (ITA) has extended its research in the field of dynamic tests for the determination of time strength for conveyor belt splices of belts with a nominal strength higher than 7800 N/mm. Therefore the institute adapted its corresponding test facilities to the state of the art in the development of high tensile conveyor belts.