Blog Information
LIULIAN CHAIN MANUFACTURING
Characteristics of belt conveyor chains
Since its invention in 1795, the belt conveyor has undergone two centuries of development and has been widely used in various industries such as electricity, metallurgy, coal, chemicals, mining, and ports. The third industrial revolution, in particular, brought about the adoption of new materials and technologies, ushering in a new era for belt conveyor development. Today, in terms of conveying capacity, distance, and economic efficiency, it can rival train and automobile transportation, forming a three-legged stand and becoming an industry that countries are vying to develop.
2023-03-21 13:59
Since its invention in 1795, the belt conveyor has undergone two centuries of development and has been widely used in various industries such as electricity, metallurgy, coal, chemicals, mining, and ports. The third industrial revolution, in particular, brought about the adoption of new materials and technologies, ushering in a new era for belt conveyor development. Today, in terms of conveying capacity, distance, and economic efficiency, it can rival train and automobile transportation, forming a three-legged stand and becoming an industry that countries are vying to develop.
It has the following characteristics:
(1) Simple structure. The structure of a belt conveyor consists of several major components: drive rollers, idler rollers, rollers or rollerless components, drive units, and conveyor belts. It has only more than ten components, allowing for standardized production and combinational assembly as needed, making its structure quite simple.
(2) Wide range of materials conveyed. The conveyor belts are resistant to abrasion, acids and alkalis, oil, and fire, and can withstand high and low temperatures. They can be manufactured as needed, and thus can convey various loose materials, bulk materials, chemicals, raw and cooked materials, and concrete.
(3) Large conveying capacity. The transport capacity can range from a few kilograms to several thousand tons per hour, and it is continuous and uninterrupted, which is unattainable for train and automobile transportation.
(4) Long transport distance. The length of a single machine can reach tens of kilometers, which is quite common abroad, without any intermediate transfer points. In Germany, a single 60-kilometer-long machine already exists. Off-road belt conveyors often use intermediate friction drive methods, so that the conveying length is not limited by the strength of the conveyor belt.
(5) Strong adaptability to lines. When modern belt conveyors are laid off-road, they have evolved from trough shapes to circular tube shapes. They can turn on horizontal and vertical planes, breaking the limitation that trough-shaped belt conveyors cannot turn. Therefore, they can follow the terrain, saving a large amount of infrastructure investment for building tunnels and bridges.
(6) Very convenient loading and unloading. The belt conveyor can be loaded and unloaded at any point, as needed by the process flow. This is also true for circular tube belt conveyors. Loading and unloading can also be done on the return section for reverse transportation.
(7) High reliability. Because of its simple structure and lightweight moving parts, as long as the conveyor belt is not torn, its lifespan can be as long as ten years, while metal structural components, as long as they are well protected against rust, will last for decades.
(8) Low operating costs. The wearing parts of a belt conveyor are only the rollers and drums. The conveyor belt has a long lifespan, high automation level, and requires very few operators, averaging less than one person per kilometer, and consumes very little oil and electricity.
(9) Low infrastructure investment. The slopes of train and automobile transportation are too small, thus lengthening the distance and lengthening the roadbed. Belt conveyors, however, can generally operate at slopes above 20 degrees, and even 90 degrees with circular tube types, and can also turn horizontally, greatly saving infrastructure investment. Furthermore, a large amount of infrastructure investment can also be saved through reasonable design. Currently, the cost per kilometer of belt conveyors abroad is US$1 million to US$3 million, and RMB 5 million domestically, of which the conveyor belt accounts for 30% to 35% of the total cost. With the development of the chemical industry, the cost of conveyor belts will further decrease.
(10) Low energy consumption, high efficiency. Due to the light weight of the moving parts and low ineffective transport volume, belt conveyors have the lowest energy consumption and highest efficiency among all continuous and non-continuous transportation methods.
(11) Low maintenance costs. The moving parts of belt conveyors are only the rollers and drums, and the conveyor belt is very wear-resistant. In comparison, trains and automobiles have far more wearing parts, and the replacement of wearing parts is more frequent.
(12) Wide range of applications and huge market. According to investigations, China currently has approximately 2 million belt conveyors. Among them, about 400,000 are used for coal feeding in boilers; 1.2 million in coal mines; 167 thermal power plants, with approximately 3 km per plant, totaling 10,000; 6,000 building materials and cement plants, with an average of 50 units per plant, totaling 300,000; and approximately 10,000 in ports and docks, excluding unloading machines and bulk cargo loading machines. The potential of circular tube belt conveyors as environmental protection equipment in the ash removal systems of thermal power plants is even greater.
In summary, the advantages of belt conveyors are quite obvious. They are indispensable key equipment in the national economy. In addition, the realization of the international interconnected network has greatly shortened the design, development, manufacturing, and sales cycle of belt conveyors, making them even more competitive.
Recommended News
Mobile QR Code
Liuzhou Liulian Chain Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Contact person:Ms. Nadine Niu （Export Manager）
Mobile/Wechat/Whatsapp:+86-15577202851
Add: No.2, North Fourth Rd.,East Area of Xinxing Industry Park, Liujiang, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China-545112
Tel: +86-772-5334396
Fax: +86-772-5331331
Email: lzchain@126.com liulian_chain@126.com
Website: www.lz-chain.com
Copyright © 2025 Liuzhou Liulian Chain Manufacturing Co., Ltd
CONTACT US
Contact peroson:
Nadine Niu （Export Manager）
Tel : +86-772-5334396
Fax : +86-772-5331331
Mobile/Wechat/Whatsapp:
+86-15577202851
Email： lzchain@126.com
Email： liulian_chain@126.com