In the dynamic and highly specialized world of the industry, understanding technical terms is essential to ensure not only the fluidity in communication, but also the accuracy when carrying out projects and operations.
Conveyor belts play a central role in the production processes of various sectors, including mining, pulp & paper, steel, and agribusiness, making it essential to understand specific terminology to optimize efficiency and safety.
That is why we have carefully put together a glossary to clarify and elucidate the most frequent and significant terms associated with the conveyor belt market.
Conveyor Belts Dictionary:
What is Abrasion?
This is the wear or removal of material from a surface through mechanical rubbing, friction, or scraping. In conveyor belts, surface wear is caused by friction between the conveyor belt and the materials that are transported, impacting its durability and operational efficiency.
O que é Acamamento?
O acamamento é definido como a capacidade da correia transportadora em se dispor sob os roletes de um sistema transportador, considerando níveis de dimensionamento diferentes.
What is Adhesion?
This refers to the bonding force between materials that come into contact and in conveyor belts this occurs between the rubber elements and the carcass.
What is the Aggregate Industry?
The industrial sector that deals with the extraction and processing of raw materials such as stone, sand, gravel, etc., which are mostly used in construction.
What is Anti-static?
A characteristic of materials that prevent the accumulation and discharge of static electricity, which is essential in environments where sparks can cause fires or explosions.
What is Aramid?
A high strength synthetic fiber used as a reinforcement element in conveyor belts that offers excellent resistance to cuts, impacts, and high temperatures.
What is a Bend pulley?
It is used to change the trajectory of the conveyor belt, directing it to another route or level.
What is Bias?
The angular orientation or direction in relation to a previously established reference. In conveyor belts it is the non-removable area of the splice and an integral part of its length and that determines the scaling angle.
What is the Blast furnace?
This is an industrial plant used in the steel industry for producing pig iron from the reduction of iron ore through chemical reactions at high temperatures.
What is Bonding rubber?
The intermediate compound used to stick together layers of a belt, facilitating the union with the carcass that is composed of plies and the cover rubber.
What is the Bottom cover?
A protective rubber layer located at the bottom of a conveyor belt intended to protect the carcass against wear and damage caused by contact with the moving parts of the conveyor composed basically of pulleys and idlers.
What is Bulk?
A term that refers to the transport or storage of loose or mass goods that are not individually packed such as grains, ores, and liquids, allowing the efficient handling of large quantities of materials.
What is Calcination?
A high-temperature thermal process used in the industry for removing water or volatile matter from minerals or other materials, thus altering their chemical composition and physical structure.
What is Carboniferous?
Related to a geographical area or industrial sector involved in the extraction of mineral coal, an important source of fossil energy and raw material for industrial processes.
What is the Carcass?
The internal support structure of a conveyor belt composed of layers of fabric, steel cords, or other materials responsible for the belt’s mechanical and dimensional resistance.
What is a Cement plant?
An industrial facility dedicated to the production of cement involving processes such as grinding raw materials, calcination in kilns, and clinker grinding in order to obtain the final product, cement.
What is a Chamfer?
A diagonal, oblique cut on an edge or corner made in the region of the conveyor belt splice with the purpose of promoting an efficient fit and reducing stress at the joints.
What are Cleats?
They are technical rubber artifacts for the purpose of providing a non-smooth cover to conveyor belts that mitigate the return of the material transported on inclined conveyors.
What is Clinker?
Granulated material resulting through the sintering process of limestone, clay, and other materials in rotary kilns, becoming the main raw material in cement production.
What is a Conveyor?
It is a continuous mechanical equipment composed of a belt that moves over idlers and pulleys that is used to transport bulk materials or various products between two points.
What is a Counterweight system?
A mechanism used to maintain the proper tension on the conveyor belt usually using weights that pull the tail or take-up pulleys, ensuring stable and efficient operation.
What is the Cover Rubber?
The outer layer made of rubber that is designed to protect the conveyor belt carcass with specific characteristics such as resistance to abrasion, impacts, high temperatures, and to vegetable or mineral oils.
What is Dipping?
A process used for manufacturing some products such as conveyor belts that consists of immersing fabrics or other components in liquid chemical compounds for coating, impregnation, or treatment, improving properties such as adhesion, resistance, or waterproofing.
What is a Drive Unit?
A set of mechanical and electrical components that provide the necessary force for moving the conveyor belt while controlling its speed and direction.
What is Edge?
The side of a conveyor belt whose purpose is to protect the carcass and maintain its structural integrity.
What is Elasticity?
The property of a material that allows it to return to its original shape after being tensioned or compressed, which is fundamental for the effective operation and durability of conveyor belts by absorbing impacts and adjusting to load and track variations along the conveyor.
What is Enclosed?
A reference to a system or equipment totally surrounded or protected by structures such as an enclosed conveyor belt used to minimize dust dispersion, reduce noise, or to increase operational safety.
What is Fabric?
A term used to describe one or more layers of synthetic material that is incorporated into the structure of conveyor belts that provide tensile strength.
What is the Feeding Chute?
A metal structure used to transfer bulk materials from one point to another using conveyor belts and is designed to control flow, minimize impact, and evenly distribute the load.
What is Flame-retardant?
The property of conveyor belt rubber covers that prevents or slows down the spread of flames in case of a fire, thus increasing operational safety.
What is Foundry?
An industrial process of molding metal or metal alloys that involves melting the material and casting it in molds to create parts of specific shapes, used in a wide variety of sectors for producing components with dimensional accuracy and specific mechanical properties.
What is Foundry sand?
Granular material obtained by mixing silica refractory, clay, and additives that is used in casting processes in foundries to create precise and detailed molds for manufacturing metal parts.
What is Granulometry?
A measure that describes the size of particles that make up a solid material. With conveyor belts this directly influences the width, speed, angulation, type, and thickness of the rubber cover.
What are Guide rollers?
This type of roller is positioned on the sides of the conveyor belts to guide and adjust the trajectory of the conveyor belt, avoiding misalignments.
What is a Head pulley?
A pulley that transmits force (traction) to the conveyor belt, causing its movement and the transport of materials.
What is a Heating Plate?
A term used to describe a part of a vulcanization press that has the function of performing vulcanization. Inside the heating plate there are resistances to reach the temperature required for the vulcanization of the splice.
What are idlers?
They are a circular-shaped mechanical elements intended to turn around an axis and are used for various purposes.
What is Impact?
In the context of belt conveyors, the term refers to the forces generated by loading the material onto the belt, which may affect the durability and operation of the system if they are not properly absorbed or distributed.
What is Impact resistance?
It is the ability of a material to absorb energy from shocks or sudden forces without being damaged. Carcasses and rubbers with a resistance to impacts caused by the fall of the material transported are used in conveyor belts.
What is Metallurgy?
The industrial sector that involves the extraction, processing, and refining of metals. In metallurgy, conveyor belts are fundamental in transporting the extracted ore, processed materials, and products, ensuring the continuous and efficient flow of operations.
What is Mining?
The act of extracting valuable minerals or other geological resources from the earth. In mining, conveyor belts are vital for transporting extracted materials such as iron ore, copper, and gold from mining areas to processing facilities or loading points.
What is Nylon?
A synthetic polymer characterized by its strength, durability, and elasticity that is used in manufacturing conveyor belt carcasses. Nylon provides flexibility along with wear and temperature resistance and is used in various industrial applications.
What is Ore?
A natural material composed of minerals of economic value that can be extracted and used by the industry. Ore transportation usually requires heavy-duty conveyor belts capable of handling heavy and abrasive materials.
What is a Pallet?
It is a slatted base or platform, usually made of wood, plastic, or metal, used to stack or transport materials using forklifts. Conveyor belts can be transported on pallets, making it easy to move them.
What are Pellets?
Small agglomerated spheres of iron ore prepared for the reduction stage in steel production processes. The transport of these pellets is usually done using conveyor belts.
What is Pig iron?
A crude form of iron produced in a blast furnace by melting iron ore, coke, and limestone.
What is Pitch?
The term pitch is applied in splicing and refers to the longitudinal distance that make up the “layers” that determine the size of the area to receive adhesive.
What is Polyester?
Polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from petroleum that is widely used in the textile industry for its high durability and strength. In conveyor belts, it is used for manufacturing the plies.
What is a Press?
The equipment used to make vulcanized seams on conveyor belts by applying temperature, time, and pressure for providing the rubbers that make up the splicing kit with physical and chemical properties the same as those of the rubbers that make up the conveyor belt.
What is Pulp & Paper?
An industry focused on paper production from the mechanical or chemical transformation of wood, cellulose, and other fibrous resources.
What is a Pulley?
A rotating cylindrical component that is responsible for transmitting movement, guiding, or stretching the conveyor belt.
What is Pull resistance?
The ability of an element to resist a tensile force that tries to remove it from its base. On conveyor belts, this is a test that measures the force required to remove the steel cables from the bonding rubber.
What is a Quarry?
A location from where stones, sand, gravel, or other inorganic materials are extracted to be used in construction or for other purposes. Conveyor belts are essential in quarries to transport raw material extracted for processing or to places of use.
What is the Reel?
A cylindrical or oval device on which the conveyor belts are wound for storage and transportation, facilitating handling and installation.
What is Rip resistance?
It is the ability of a material to resist the spread of a rupture or cut under tension. Carcasses and rubbers with a resistance to ripping caused by the fall of the material transported are used in conveyor belts.
What is the Rolling machine?
An industrial equipment with rotating cylinder sets used to shape, bend, or laminate materials. During the manufacturing process of conveyor belts, it is used to laminate rubbers depending on their use, which may be binding and/or covering.
What is Rupture?
A structural failure on the conveyor belt resulting in its total separation, seriously compromising the operation of the system and requiring immediate replacement.
What is Self-extinguishing?
A property of materials that allow, after removing the heat source, to stop burning spontaneously, not maintaining combustion, thus increasing fire safety.
What is the Skirt block?
A component, usually made of solid rubber, that is installed in the area of the feeding chute or in specific cases along the length of the conveyor, designed to prevent leakage of the material while it is being transported.
What is a Solvent?
A liquid substance capable of dissolving other materials without altering its chemical composition, often used in cleaning the conveyor belt seam area during its execution process.
What is Splicing?
Joining the ends of a conveyor belt, which can be carried out by one of the following methods: cold, hot, and/or mechanical, with the purpose of creating a safe and resistant continuity on the belt, essential for its efficient and long-lasting operation.
What is a Splicing kit?
A set of materials needed to carry out the splice or repair of conveyor belts. The splicing kit includes items such as cement adhesive, bonding rubber, cover rubber, and a cleaning solvent.
What is the Stand?
A metal structure used to support the idlers distributed along the extension of a conveyor, designed to support the belt and the material transported.
What are Steel Cords?
High strength structural components used as a reinforcement element, providing greater transport capacity and greater resistance to high stresses.
What is Steelworks?
The industrial sector focused on steel and iron production since ore extraction all the way to final production.
What is Stretching?
This is the physical extension of the belt under stress, which helps absorb momentary stresses generated during operation. The maximum allowable levels are defined by technical standards.
What is Tack?
An adhesive property of a material that allows temporary adhesion or permanence to the contact, which is relevant in conveyor belt splicing and repair processes.
What is a Take-up pulley?
An adjustable drum used to maintain the correct tension on the conveyor belt, ensuring efficient operation and preventing slippage.
What is Tension?
Belt tension is the tensile force applied to the conveyor belt to ensure its adhesion to the head pulleys, allowing movement without slipping while maintaining alignment.
What is a Thermoelectric plant?
A power plant that generates electricity through heat conversion, usually from burning fossil fuels. Conveyor belts are used to transport fuel to its furnaces
What is the Top cover?
The outer layer of a belt, which is made of rubber and makes contact with the material transported, designed to protect the carcass and has specific characteristics such as resistance to abrasion, impacts, high temperatures, and to vegetable or mineral oils.
What is the Trough?
It is defined as the capacity of the belt based on the way it lays on the load idlers of a conveyor system and is related to the belt specification, the specific weight of the material transported, and load idler inclination angle.
What is the Unloading Chute?
A metal frame located at the end of a conveyor belt where the material transported is guided off the belt and sent to its final destination or next processing stage.
What is Vulcanization?
In the context of conveyor systems, vulcanization is the thermal process responsible for making splices, repairs, and rebuilding of coatings for restoring the integrity of a conveyor belt.
What is Warp?
A set of interlaced threads in the longitudinal direction that make up the fabric used in the conveyor belt carcass that is responsible for providing mechanical resistance (traction).
What is Weathering?
The exposure to adverse weather conditions such as rain, wind, heat, and cold. In the context of transportation and storage of materials, it refers to the harmful effects that such conditions can have on equipment and products such as corrosion, wear, and material degradation, emphasizing the importance of choosing resistant materials and proper protection.
What is Weft?
A set of interlaced threads in the transverse direction that make up the fabric used in the conveyor belt carcass.
