Steel-cord conveyor belts - The International Resource Journal

INTERFLEX CONVEYOR BELTSwww.convayabelt.co.za

2 MINING Interflex Conveyor BeltsInterflex Conveyor BeltsThe mining iconveyor b

JANUARY 2011 The International Resource Journal3MININGndustry’selt experts

4 MINING Interflex Conveyor Belts

JANUARY 2011 The International Resource Journal5Years of conveyor belt manufacturing and insider knowledge in the industryhas made Interflex Conveyor Belting a major player in the conveyor beltgame in South Africa and beyond. The company has been creating a range ofconveyor belts for major industrial mining corporations. Interflex ConveyorBelting’s belts are marketed by International Belting & Marketing Corp (Pty)Ltd, and with a motto of “quality first,” the company produces quality andexpertly crafted conveyor belts to the mining marketplace.All of Interflex Conveyor Belting’s production facilities conform to ISO 9002 qualitysystem requirements. The belting that is supplied is inspected and has a one year warranty,proving its commitment to excellence. Interflex Conveyor Belting has a wide arrangeof clients and varies from need to need.The company states, “Our clients include gold mines, cold mines, diamond mines,platinum mines, sugar mills, quarries, cement works, foundries, brick works, aluminiumsmelters and all major industrial mining corporations.”International Belting, which supplies Interflex Conveyor Belts, has become a majorforce in the African and South African conveyor belt market with its commitment tohard work and quality services.Belt constructionThe Interflex range consists of a number of different products but the rubber conveyorbelt is a standard in the industry. It consists of a rubber cover, carcass, rubber skimcoat and breaker fabric.

6 MINING Interflex Conveyor BeltsThe rubber cover of the standard rubber conveyorbelt is made of natural or synthetic rubberand systematically designed to protect the bodyfrom “abrasion, impact, deterioration, water andother injurious influences,” the company states.The covers are created to withstand conditionssuch as oil, heat, chemicals, fire and abrasions.The rubber skim coat of the rubber conveyorbelt is also made of synthetic or natural rubberand designed to protect the carcass. The carcassarea may need protection from deterioration,impact, abrasion and water for example, so therubber skim coat is made with the utmost durabilityto protect against this.The carcass of the belt is an extremely importantpart of the belt as it is the tool that maintainsbelt tension and provides structural strength. Thecompany says, “It does all the work in supportingand pulling the load. The carcass consists of multipleplies of rubber impregnated fabric bonded togetherwith friction and skim coats.” Normally, thecarcass is made out of polyester, cotton or nylon.Breaker fabric is a woven fabric that is placedin between the cover and the carcass. The breakerfabric’s job is to “improve adhesion and to providebetter resistance to cover stripping, gouging ortearing,” states the company. The fabric is used inbelts handling, notably crushed and sized materialwhich helps in impact strength.Together the rubber skim coat, the carcass,the rubber cover and the breaker fabric create anInterflex standard Rubber Conveyor Belt that isstate-of-the-art and durable.Steel-cord conveyor beltsThe company has many different types of conveyorbelting products underneath its brand. Onenotable product is the steel cord belt. The steelcord belt is built to drive and head pulleys, takeupand tail pulleys, and snub and bend pulleys.Though conveyor belts are sturdy and durable,much of their lifespan is dependent on useand the stresses of the impact from conveyedmaterials. Interflex Conveyor Belting is familiarwith this and understands that sometimeswith steel cord conveyor belts, events can occurwhere the belt could be punctured or split lengthwise.To stop this, the company has devoted timeand energy into providing steel cord conveyorbelts with additional protection.The company states, “The aim of developingan effective system of reinforcement shouldbe to substantially increase the reaction forcesopposing the conveyed material as it drops onthe belt, becomes lodged in it or cuts into it, butwithout adversely affecting the other featurescontributing to the belt’s effectiveness.”After years of research and development

JANUARY 2011 The International Resource Journal7efforts the company has created an active protectionsystem with the steel cord belt that isresilient to a much greater impact and slittingresistance. The new adjustments are made witha cross reinforcement system with non-metallicspecial cords. These cords are spaced “at a certaininterval and arranged at right angles to thebelt length. These high-elongation cords, calledSC, consist of synthetic fibre. They are incorporatedinto either the top cover or the top and bottomcovers of the belt in a special manufacturingprocess,” says the company. This new additionto Interflex Conveyor Belt’s adds to its already innovativeproduct line.Extensive belt rangeInterflex makes a range of belts designed to beresistant to materials such as oil, flame and heat.The oil resistance range is designed for carryingmoderately oily material such as wood chips, oiltreated coal and products containing animal orvegetable oil.The range is resistant to organic mattersuch as soybean oil, castor oil, lard, frozen fish,soapy water, glycerine, petroleum, cotton seedoil, olive oil, butter, grease, corn oil, fuel oil,gasoline and more.Heat resistant belts are suitable for materialscarried at over 60C. The company states that theheat resistant belts are “most commonly usedfor conveyance of coke, cement, clinker, burntlime, special chemical products or other powderymaterials.” The belts are not only heat resistantbut they are water resistant and protect againstheat-crack or softening.The belts can be used for low-medium temperatureabrasive materials. These may require ahigh wear resistance. They can also be used forhigh temperature applications that do not requirea high wear resistance such as fine powders likesintered ore and cement clinker.Interflex Conveyor Belt’s flame resistant beltsare specifically made to use with fire promulgationand static electricity concerns. This primarilycan be seen “in underground mining, powerplants, electricity utilities and coal cleaningplants,” states Interflex Conveyor Belting.Servicing major mining companies aroundAfrica, Interflex Conveyor Belting has made aname for itself within the industry as one of theleading conveyor belt brands. With its hefty productrange extending from flame resistant belts tosteel cord conveyor belts, the company has seena great amount of growth and will continue toflourish in the mining marketplace.www.convayabelt.co.za

AS SEEN IN THE JANUARY 2011 ISSUEOF THE INTERNATIONAL RESOURCE JOURNAL