SIDERFLEX ®

The carcass of SIDERFLEX belts consists in a brass coated steel fabric (see picture below) with low elongation characteristics which gives to the belt a high tensile strength.
The greatest advantage of the low elongation for conveyor belts with a center distance not extremely long is the possibility to replace textile belts without significant modifications of the conveyor system.
This type of carcass gives to SIDERFLEX belts special qualitative characteristics of:

• Excellent cut and tear resistance

• Low elongation

• High tensile strength

• Good impact resistance

• Excellent longitudinal flexibility

• Very good troughability

WARP CHARACTERISTICS

Warp refers to longitudinal steel cords which characteristics of resistance and elasticity define the running properties of the belt.

SIDERFLEX IW – HE series, provided of open type warp cords with increased elongation, have a longitudinal elasticity bigger than the standard steel cord belts. These performances allow to SIDERFLEX belts an easy replacement both of textile and steel cord belts.

SIDERFLEX ID serie realized with regular warp cords has the same carcass characteristics of steel cord belts according to (ex) DIN 22131 and ISO 15236-2 type A1 (see Tab. on page 8).

WEFT CHARACTERISTICS

Weft represents the whole set of transversal steel cables allowing to the belt specific resistance against cuts, tears and impacts and at the same time high flexibility.

SIDERFLEX IW – ID fabric structures are built so that one weft layer is placed in the upper side of the carcass. Belts of these series are particularly suitable for troughing thanks to their high transversal flexibility.

SIDERFLEX HE are produced with two different layers placed on both sides of the warp structure. The presence of a double weft gives to the belt moderate transversal rigidity, anyway acceptable for the most common applications. HE serie is highly recommended when exceptional values of cut and tear resistance are required.

The main functions of rubber covers are the protection of the carcass against wear or damages during the running of the belt and the conveying of the material. The cover thickness required for a specific belt is in function of the material conveyed and of the handling method used. Thicker covers are required if the following conditions become more severe:

• Material abrasiveness
• Lump size
• Material sharpness
• Height of drop into the belt
• Loading angle
• Belt speed and frequency of load

Here the suggested curves to estimate the correct cover thickness. Usually the bottom cover is half the top.

ABRASION SERVICE

CL Belts produced with this cover are recommended for all above ground applications where the resistance to abrasion is required. It is designed for the handling of heavy and abrasive materials such as gravel, crushed stones, sand, coal, cement, limestone, phosphate, salt, potash, etc. Grade L ISO 10247 – Grade Y DIN 22102 - RMA 2
 

EC Belts produced with this particular compound are of superior quality expecially  for abrasion . The
characteristics of resistance against cut, tear, abrasion, ozone cracking, together with long duration, improve the quality of this cover. Grade D ISO 10247 – Grade W DIN 22102 - RMA 1

HEAT RESISTANT
 

CX This cover assures a medium degree of abrasion resistance and is formulated for continuous service of hot materials at temperature of 130 °C (270 °F) with peaks of up to 150 °C (300 °F). It is recommended for hot materials such as clinker, coke, hot scraps, fly ash, etc.

SELFEXTINGUISH
 

BS This cover is designed to ser ve applications where safety is important and the fire risk is high. It is
recommended for coal, potash, sulphure.

According to ISO 340, ISO 284, DIN 22103, DIN 22104.

For special requirements please contact our commercial dept.

LONGITUDINAL FLEXIBILITY

The presence of a single ply and the special warp cords construction give to the SIDERFLEX IW & HE belts a considerable longitudinal flexibility. At the same condition of fatigue stress this properties allows to use smaller pulleys than equivalent textile multy-ply.
It means that in existing plants it is generally possible to replace the original textile belts with SIDERFLEX IW & HE without any plant modification.

TROUGHABILITY

For a long time the majority of trough idlers have been produced with angle of around 20°.
Due to the increasing demand for higher handling capacity, the angle of the idlers went up in value reaching 30-35° end even more. SIDERFLEX belts, in all series and style, thanks to their transversal flexibility will trough perfectly up to 60° without any problem.

Here below, the table shows for each width of SIDERFLEX IW the corresponding maximum inclination angle according to ISO 703 and our practical experience.

For widths over 1200 mm, the test has not practical meaning.

TAKE-UP TRAVEL

According to the indications of project ISO 3870, the minimum suggested take-up travel is defined in the following table as a percentage of the center distance.

ELONGATION & CREEP

These mechanical properties refer to the elastic characteristics of cords and to our method of production defined to obtain the best performances of the final product. Low elongation is one of the most important points of SIDERFLEX belts: laboratory tests made on rubbercoated cords give value of elongation as shown in the following table:

Reference load: 10% of nominal tensile strenght

Creep is the permanent elongation that the belt shows in the first period of life. The great advantage of SIDERFLEX in comparison with textile belts is a very reduced creep, generally negligible. This property helps maintenance because the belt can be vulcanized just one time on original installation without need of new joint after a certain period of time.

CUT & TEAR RESISTANCE

Longitudinal cuts and tears are always a cause of belt replacements both in textile and conventional steel cord belts. SIDERFLEX, with its steel weft, is more resistant against this kind of damages. Indicative values of cut resistance in kN for SIDERFLEX IW belts compared with multiply textile belts are shown in the following table:

IMPACT RESISTANCE

SIDERFLEX has high impact resistance. The effect of oversized material falling on to the belt at the loading point is absorbed by the flexible steel carcass and the high quality level of rubber used.

CORROSION PREVENTION

Various properties of our SIDERFLEX assure a superior resistant against corrosion of steel cord:

• The adhesion between steel cord and core rubber is obtained through a chemical reaction during the curing process between special chemical compounds present in the rubber and brass (Cu/Zn alloy) covering the cords. In comparison with other coating method (tipically Zn), brass assures an higher and more constant adhesion to rubber.

• The open cord construction for IW, HE carcass and the special design of regular cord used for ID carcass allow the penetration of rubber up to the center of the cords, virtually eliminating the capillary action of moisture.

• During the vulcanizing process, the combined effect of heat and pressure produces the flowing of rubber into the cord center and the top and bottom cover become “one” with the steel carcass locked in the center. In conclusion, no ply separation is allowed.

Minimum cover thickness 6+4 mm

SIDERFLEX HE

                                                                                                                                                      DOUBLE STEEL WEFT

Minimum cover thickness 6+3 mm

PULLEYS

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED PULLEYS DIAMETER (mm)

The above values are valid only for finger joint method. Different methods can increase the joint rigidity and consequently need different higher pulley diameters.

*First value for HE, second for IW type.

SIDERFLEX ID

Minimum cover thickness 8+4 mm

Comparison table between SIDERFLEX ID and (ex) DIN 22131/ISO 15236-2 Type A1

PULLEYS

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED PULLEYS DIAMETER (MM)

JOINTS

SIDERFLEX ID must be jointed according to the instructions of (ex) DIN 22131.

The cords of the two belt ends must be free from the rubber and set down parallel in an althernate pattern in accordance with one of the drawing in the right in relation to the cord diameter and pitch: 1 step joint up to style 1600 N/mm, 2 step joint for higher styles.

All the joint area must be fullfilled by uncured rubber. As in the joint the cords of the two belt ends are not mechanically connected, this rubber after the vulcanization is the only element that guarantees the strength transmission between the cords of the two ends.

The transition distance is the length of the section between head or tail pulley and the first troughing idler. In some cases, intermediate idlers placed along the transition distance make easier the passage of the belt from the flat to the trough shape. These conveyor sections are the most critical points of the whole plant as the elastic performances of the belt during the time depend on them.
If the transition distance is not correctly designed, high overtensions on the edges and abnormal compressions along the central axis of the belt are generated. Such phenomenon are the cause of defects, sometimes wrongly blamed to the belt as waves on the edges and longitudinal fold of the belt carcass.
According to the recommendation of ISO 5293/81, the calculation of the transition distance is performed in order to avoid belt centre from buckling and edge tension from exceeding 30% of the maximum recommended belt tension (RMBT).

These conditions can be respected using the following formula:

L_T = d x V x K

where d = 20,4 for SIDERFLEX IW-HE

                   28,9 for SIDERFLEX ID

Experimental trials, calculations and experiences have shown that average conditions of tension and compression are carried out with values of V equal to 1/2 V₁.

Nevertheless, with larger sizes there is the tendency of backward rolling of the materials and in most cases values of V included between 2/3 and 4/5 of V₁ are assumed.

For SIDERFLEX IW & HE, the values of the transition distance LT can be easily calculated, with idlers of equal length, through the following formula:

L_T = L₁ x B x K

where:

L₁ = unitary transition distance (see table below)
B = Belt width
K = reduction factor depending on the working tension on the belt.

UNITARY TRANSITION DISTANCE L₁

"K" FACTOR

RMBT = Recommended Maximum Belt Tension