Yokohama heats up conveyor belt technology

Tokyo – Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd has introduced a new fabric belt that can significantly enhance the heat resistance of conveyor belts with mechanical joints (MJ).

The ‘high-heat resistant MJ fabric belt’ is claimed to shorten the time required to splice the belts, reduce required staff numbers, and contribute to cost reductions.

Yokohama has been supplying high-heat resistant conveyor belts to users that have a need for belts with hot vulcanisation, such as steel mills and cement plants.

The new product, it said, was developed to meet the need for conveyor belts with mechanical joint in overseas markets, especially in North America.

Yokohama’s high-heat resistant conveyor belts have been used to transport extremely hot materials, such as coke and sintered products, which can reach temperatures as high as 400°C.

To date, the company has promoted the use of hot vulcanisation that place a small burden on operating machinery and on splice durability. However, it noted, this requires shutting down the conveyor line for long periods of time to replace the conveyor belt.

On the other hand, the use of mechanical joints shortens the splice time but subjects the conveyor belt to shearing by the mechanical joint at the splicing area.

To overcome this problem, Yokohama Rubber made technical improvements to the carcass fabric, which has a major impact on the strength and performance of the conveyor belt.

Yokohama operates conveyor belt production plants in Japan and China. Its markets include the coal and iron ore industries, in North America, Latin America, Australia, and China.