Feature

From fibre to fabric: Textile selection in conveyor belt manufacturing

Conveyor belts are ubiquitous in modern society, facilitating the efficient movement of goods across various sectors. Yet, what often goes unnoticed is the critical role played by the choice of textiles in determining a conveyor belt's performance and characteristics. Here, Anna Marcol, Marketing Communications Manager of Habasit, discusses the diverse range of fabrics used in manufacturing conveyor belts.

04/12/2023 15:10:50

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One of the fundamental factors shaping a conveyor belt's attributes is the textile used in its construction. Most textiles consist of extruded filaments, which can be twisted together to form yarns. From these yarns, fabrics are crafted, defined
by their unique weave.

In a fabric, yarns are woven into a right-angled pattern, with warp threads running longitudinally and weft threads transversely. The specific manner in which these yarns intersect, known as the weave, exerts a profound
influence on the belt's properties, including strength and noise generation.

In contrast to woven fabrics, nonwoven fleeces are composed of interconnected filaments, and their creation involves various processes, such as mechanical, thermal or chemical bonding. Mechanical bonding, for instance,
employs needle boards to intertwine the filaments.

These fleeces are formed on machines equipped with rotating cylinders, where filaments are laid out. Subsequently, the needling process occurs, characterised by the bonding and compaction of the nonwoven material. This
process aims to transform a voluminous, soft nonwoven into a thinner textile fabric.

The intensity of needling, filament selection, and other variables influence the belt's properties, such as flexural strength and coefficient of friction.

Read the full article in DPA's December issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.