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Do’s & Don’ts

Top 5 Reasons General Purpose Belts are Replaced Prematurely

The Do’s and Don’ts of General Purpose Conveyor Belt Replacement

1

Belt Ripping

The Don’ts

  • Increase the operating tension
  • Increase the number of plies

Why Not?

  • Increasing the operating tension does not improve rip resistance
  • Increasing the number of plies will only marginally improve rip resistance, while likely creating other issues

The Do’s

  • Select a fabric carcass with high resistance to rip and ensure that it is quantified in the spec sheet
  • Ask if testing was conducted as per test method ISO 505:2017

The Case for Choosing Fenner Dunlop

  • Rip and tear testing is conducted on the warp and weft of all belts
  • Test results are disclosed in all spec sheets
  • X Series: More than 6x better rip resistance than traditional plied belts

2

Cover Wear (abrasion)

The Don’ts

  • Select a cover based solely on the “Grade”
  • Thicken the cover

Why Not?

  • The “Grade” only establishes the minimum required by the standard and is what low-quality belt companies target to meet
  • Abrasion resistance is more impactful to cover longevity than its thickness

The Do’s

  • Select a cover with high resistance to abrasion
  • Ask if the spec sheet discloses the actual result as measured per test method ISO 4649
  • Ask for test results if in doubt

The Case for Choosing Fenner Dunlop

  • Range of covers that far exceeds the “Grade 1” minimum standard
  • Spec sheets disclose the actual performance measured as per ISO 4649
  • ZR3: 6x better than the “Grade 1” minimum standard for abrasion

3

Cover Wear (cut and gouge)

The Don’ts

  • Select a cover based solely on the “Grade”
  • Thicken the cover

Why Not?

  • The “Grade” only establishes the minimum required by the standard and is what low-quality belt companies target to meet
  • Cut and gouge resistance is more impactful to cover longevity than its thickness

The Do’s

  • Select a cover with excellent tensile and elongation at break properties
  • Ask if the spec sheet discloses the actual result as measured per test method ISO 37
  • Ask for test results if in doubt

The Case for Choosing Fenner Dunlop

  • Range of covers that far exceeds the “Grade 1” minimum standard
  • Spec sheets disclose the actual performance measured as per ISO 37
  • Titanium: Far superior than the “Grade 1” minimum standard, while also offering exceptional abrasion resistance

4

Cover Wear (cracking)

The Don’ts

  • Select the same or an alternative cover prior to identifying the true source cause

Why Not?

  • Extreme cold environmental conditions are often the root cause of cracking in Canada
  • Long-term exposure to ozone can also result in cracking of the covers

The Do’s

  • Confirm that cold testing was conducted as there are no accredited test methods for cold
  • Ask for test results as per ISO 1431 to confirm that the covers are ozone resistant

The Case for Choosing Fenner Dunlop

  • Cold resistance testing is conducted
  • Range of cover compounds designed to resist extreme cold environmental conditions
  • Covers that retain their exceptional physical properties in extreme cold conditions
  • All covers are resistant to the damaging effects of ozone

5

Delamination

The Don’ts

  • Instinctively cast blame on the conveyor, rather than the belt itself

Why Not?

  • Adhesion properties of the covers and the fabric carcass are often the root cause of delamination

The Do’s

  • When in doubt, ask for test results as per ASTM D378 to confirm and compare adhesion properties

The Case for Choosing Fenner Dunlop

  • Full control over fabric design and manufacturing allows Fenner Dunlop to achieve superior adhesion values
  • X Series: Proprietary weave with far superior adhesion properties compared to traditional plied belts

Conveyor belts may look similar, but they are highly technical products – there’s no such thing as “just a black rubber belt!”