These 10 questions will help you choose the right belt conveyor

Choosing the right belt conveyor is critical to the success and efficiency of your production processes. The perfect belt conveyor can optimize material flow, reduce operating costs, and increase workplace safety. We will show you which questions you should ask yourself to make the right decision.

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To ensure that the belt conveyor you have selected is optimally suited to your specific requirements, you should look at it carefully before purchasing and ask yourself a few questions. This is the only way to take all relevant factors into account and make an informed decision.

1. What is being transported?

The first step in selecting the correct belt conveyor is to analyze what it will transport. The type, size, and nature of the material determine the choice of belt conveyor. Are the materials light, heavy, sticky, sensitive, or even fragile? What are the dimensions and weight of the objects that are conveyed? Do you need to transport hot, cold, or abrasive materials in your production? All of these are crucial questions, as the material conveyed and its specific properties affect the belt material, drive technology, and design of the belt conveyor.

2. In what kind of environment will the belt conveyor be operated?

The operating environment plays a major role in selecting a belt conveyor. In the food and pharmaceutical industries, for example, strict hygiene regulations apply, which require special materials. In humid or corrosive environments, the belt conveyors must be resistant to moisture and chemical influences. Extreme temperatures – whether hot or cold – must also be taken into account. While low temperatures can make the belt brittle and break it, high temperatures can stretch the belt or damage its seams. And dusty or dirty environments can require additional cleaning and maintenance of belt conveyors.

3. What does the transport route look like?

You should carefully plan the belt conveyor transport route. How long is the distance that needs to be bridged? Are there slopes up or down? Are there curves or direction changes? These questions are important for choosing the correct design of the belt conveyor. For longer distances or complicated routes, additional drives or guides may be required. And if there are differences in height, it may be necessary to adjust the belt conveyor specifically to ensure that the material is stable and does not slip.

4. What conveying capacity do you need?

The required conveying capacity also influences the selection of the belt conveyor. What speed is necessary to achieve the desired production output? Is a continuous material flow required, or are you working with clocked processes? Speed and timing requirements have a direct impact on the drive and control of the belt conveyor. Depending on the production requirement, the belt conveyor must be able to reliably handle the corresponding flow rate per hour or shift.

5. What are the requirements for the material and the drive?

The choice of belt material and drive is critical to the system’s efficiency and longevity. While the belt material depends on the material being transported and the environment, the drive should match the load and type of transport. You should also consider the energy efficiency of the drive in order to keep operating costs as low as possible.

6. How easy is it to maintain and clean the belt conveyor?

Another important criterion is how easy the belt conveyor is to maintain. In many industries, especially where hygiene plays a major role, easy cleaning is very important. The belt conveyor should be designed so that wear parts are easily accessible and can be replaced quickly to minimize downtime. The availability of spare parts and technical support also play an important role here.

7. What points must be observed with regard to safety and ergonomics?

Safety and ergonomics are not to be neglected when choosing a belt conveyor. Emergency stop switches, protective covers, and safety devices should be provided to ensure safety at work. The noise level of the belt conveyor can also play a role – a quiet belt conveyor contributes to a more pleasant working environment. And with an ergonomically designed workplace – such as an adjusted height or easy handling of the belt conveyor – you can increase efficiency and improve working conditions for your employees.

8. How flexible and scalable is the belt conveyor?

In dynamic production environments, it is important that a belt conveyor be flexible and scalable. A modular belt conveyor can be adapted quickly and easily to changing requirements or expanded as required, without the high cost of a complete replacement. This offers a high level of future security and makes the investment worthwhile in the long term.

9. What are the budget and cost considerations?

In addition to the technical aspects, budget also plays an important role. The acquisition costs should be in proportion to the requirements and the expected operating costs. It is advisable not only to consider the pure acquisition costs, but also to include long-term operating costs in the calculation, such as energy consumption, maintenance costs, and spare parts. A good cost-benefit ratio is crucial to finding an economical solution.

10. Who is the right partner for implementation?

Ultimately, choosing the right partner also determines the success of your production processes. If you’re looking for high-quality and custom-tailored conveyor systems, you’ve found the right partner in Montech. With our many years of experience in conveying and profile technology and our wide range of modular solutions, we offer exactly the flexibility that modern production processes require. We place great emphasis on quality, durability, and excellent customer service, which will also assist you after start-up. We understand your specific needs and provide solutions that are not only efficient, but also fit perfectly into your production environment.

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

Conveyor systems are the lifeline for many industrial bulk material handling operations and when your conveyor belt is not performing to your expectations anymore, it may be time to review your specifications and look into Fenner Dunlop belting options. When selecting a new belt for your conveyor system, it is important to think about your production goals and how a conveyor belt can help you achieve them. Before committing to a new conveyor belt, be sure to ask the following questions.

1. Where was this conveyor belt manufactured?

Knowing where a belt is made can give you an insight into its quality. For example, imported conveyor belts are often not produced in the same plant every time (even if the local supplier or distributor is the same). Some plants have high production standards and follow a quality management system, while others do not. As a result, consistency of the belt can vary greatly from purchase to purchase. In addition, even belts built in the US often contain finished fabric carcasses shipped from outside of North America, which can deteriorate in overseas shipments via changes in humidity and moisture conditions. Inconsistency in quality and performance can lead to costly downtime and loss of production security.

Our Answer: When you purchase a belt from Fenner Dunlop, we can tell you exactly where it was made because we manufacture our own belts in North America, which allows us to control every step of the vertically integrated production process. All of our fabric belting carcasses are engineered in our state-of-the-art weaving facility in Lavonia, Georgia. Production is then passed on to our conveyor belt manufacturing plants in Port Clinton, Ohio, Toledo, Ohio, and Bracebridge, Ontario. Specialized attention is given to each belting order to ensure that we produce the highest quality conveyor belts that will assist you in reducing operation costs, maximizing uptime and improving revenue.

2. Which type of conveyor belt is best for my industry application?

If you are having issues with constant damage to your belt or are simply not seeing ideal end results, maybe the belt is not suited for your particular bulk material handling application. You wouldn’t put a belt without an oil resistant cover on a system that handles grain or wood products and you wouldn’t put a light duty belt on a system that could be more susceptible to puncture damage under a primary crusher. This may seem like common sense, but it is easy to feel overwhelmed when making the decision to purchase a new belt.

Our Answer: Fenner Dunlop is proud to serve a variety of markets and we design and manufacture the widest range of conveyor belts in the world. With sales, service, and technical personnel in conjunction with our world-class distribution network stationed throughout the Americas, we can visit your facility to learn more about your production goals and operational challenges. Based on your unique needs, our experts can help you decide which cover compound and carcass combination is the best for your conveyor system. Value engineering is our model.

3. Is this conveyor belt easy to maintain?

There are several factors that can influence the upkeep of a conveyor belt, like the type of belt and what it is used for. To ensure maximum performance results from your conveyor belt, it is important to conduct regular assessments of the conveyor system and perform regular mechanical maintenance.  Tramp material buildup and failing components can lead to a multitude of serious reliability issues.

Our Answer: When you purchase a conveyor belt from Fenner Dunlop, our knowledgeable technical sales and services teams as well as our world-class distribution partners are available to help you get the most out of your belt. Our expert capabilities range from troubleshooting to splice training to after sales support. We also offer condition monitoring services to assist the long-term performance of the product and your investment. No other conveyor belting provider can offer the depth of knowledge and resources provided like Fenner Dunlop can. Your success is our success.

4. How long will this conveyor belt last?

If your current belt suffers from premature wear, deterioration, constant rip, tear, puncture and impact damage resulting in downtime for your operations, purchasing a belt that is built to last is essential.

Our Answer: Fenner Dunlop manufactures the longest lasting conveyor belts in the world. We understand that the carcass is the most important part of the conveyor belt and we design, manufacture and test all of our fabric carcasses in house to ensure greater impact and superior rip and tear resistance and superior ply adhesions for your application. We are proud of our expertise in not only the standard weave designs but also patented straight warp and dual crimp warp weaves. Plus by using our Belt Wizard software modelling, we can predict the life of a specific Fenner Dunlop product on your application whilst also ensuring the product characteristics are an ideal match for your installation.

5. What makes this conveyor belt unique?

With so many drastic conveyor belt claims floating around on the internet, it may be hard to determine what is true and what is not. When selecting a belt, it is important to do your research to ensure that you are selecting the right belt for your conveyor system.

Our Answer: You can purchase a conveyor belt from Fenner Dunlop with confidence because we have done the research for you. For over 150 years, our engineers have been constantly improving our materials and processes resulting in belts that consistently outperform the competition in rigorous applications. Plus we are mindful of the materials used in our belts to create a more robust product, while minimizing our impact on the environment.

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