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