Pipe Conveyor: What It Is, How It's Designed, and Its Key Advantages
Cement industry is a kind of natural habitat for SIG wide range of products that are suitable for many different industrial applications thanks to their specificity and versatility as well.
TEXTER ® (textile carcass rubber conveyor belt), SIDERFLEX ® (steel cord belts), ELEMET ® (steel cord elevator belt) and ELETEX ® (textile carcass elevator belt) are extremely used in this field always managing to satisfy customers’ expectations, but perhaps pipe conveyors are SIG most iconic item for such applications, since they are worlwide recoignized as high technological content products.
What Are Pipe Conveyors?
PIPEX® and PIFLEX® are conveyor belts designed for tubular conveyor systems equipped with a textile or a steel cord carcass, respectively. The special production method for this important item is the result of exhaustive tests and proper theoretical evaluations which allowed to obtain Pipex and Piflex belts whose main characteristic is a significant transversal flexibility.
The tubular conveyor system is designed to allow the belt to wrap around the conveyed material while it remains flat at loading, discharging areas and takeup zone.
Consequently, over the full conveying length, Pipex and Piflex belts are shaped into a tubular section by idler frames properly arranged in hexagonal form.
How are pipe conveyors designed?
A pipe conveyor system uses the same core components as a standard troughing belt conveyor — pulleys and take-up devices — so no special civil works are required.
What changes is the belt itself: for short center distances, Pipex® (textile carcass, small bend radii) is preferred, while for long center distances, Piflex® (metal carcass) is used; the correct diameter is also selected based on the material being conveyed and the required capacity to prevent blockages.
The pipe shape itself comes from a different plant layout: instead of resting on standard idlers, the belt wraps into a tube shape through hexagonal sets of idlers ("idler sextets") positioned perpendicular to the belt and mounted on purpose-built panels.
Three factors drive the design of the conveyor plant:
- Carcass modulus of elasticity, which determines the transition length, bending radius, and take-up length needed. Pipex®'s textile carcass allows shorter transition lengths and tighter bend radii; Piflex®'s steel carcass needs wider ones, which is why Piflex® is chosen when the center-to-center distance would otherwise require an unacceptably long take-up run.
- Bend radius and transition length accuracy: an incorrect estimate causes improper belt closure and premature damage, so both are calculated for each installation rather than assumed from standard tables.
- Pipe diameter, sized against both the required capacity and the material's lump size; an undersized pipe or oversized lumps can jam material between the idlers and damage both the belt and the steel structure.
What rubber compounds are available for Pipe Conveyor Belts?
SIG produces pipe conveyor belts in four compound families — abrasion resistant, self-extinguishing (ISO 340 / ISO 284 certified), oil resistant, and heat resistant — so the belt can be matched to the specific material handled and plant conditions.
| Family | Code | Main Characteristics | Data / Standards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abrasion Resistant | CL | Standard wear resistant compound, recommended for all ground applications and for the majority of materials, where resistance to abrasion is required. | — |
| Abrasion Resistant | EC | Extra wear resistant compound, a superior quality rubber compound, especially designed where maximum resistance to abrasion is required. The characteristics of resistance to cut, tear and ozone cracking, together with long duration, improve the quality of this cover. | — |
| Self-Extinguishing | BS | Self-extinguishing compound, designed to service both underground and above ground applications where safety is fundamental and fire risk is high. Recommended in particular for coal and potash applications. Designed according to ISO 340 and ISO 284 or equivalent. | ISO 340 · ISO 284 |
| Self-Extinguishing | AG | Self-extinguishing and oil resistant compound, a nitrile compound suitable for conveyor belts and bucket elevator systems of cereal terminals and silos. Provides superior resistance to vegetable oils and animal fats; also self-extinguishing and antistatic according to ISO 340 and ISO 284 to guarantee high safety to the conveyor plant. | ISO 340 · ISO 284 |
| Oil Resistant | OM | Vegetable oil resistance compound, guarantees good belt resistance against the chemically aggressive effects due to the transport of materials with moderate oil presence, like corn, fertilizers and general vegetable oily materials. Expressly designed to resist the terpene of wooden chips and to convey solid urban waste materials. | — |
| Heat Resistant | CX | High temperature resistance, assures a medium degree of abrasion resistance; formulated for continuous service at a temperature of 130 °C with peaks of 150 °C. | 130°C continuous · peaks 150°C |
| Heat Resistant | MX | High temperature resistance, a rubber compound assuring a good degree of abrasion resistance; formulated for continuous service at a temperature of 150 °C with peaks of 180 °C. | 150°C continuous · peaks 180°C |
| Heat Resistant | TX | Superior temperature resistance, guarantees the maximum heat resistance for a rubber compound. Designed to resist a maximum working temperature of 200 °C with peaks of 300 °C. | 200°C continuous · peaks 300°C |
What Are the Advantages of Pipe Conveyors?
Pipe conveyors transport dusty materials through a fully enclosed, sealed circuit, eliminating dust dispersion, protecting the material from rain and humidity, and reducing pollution in the areas surrounding the plant. Thanks to these environmental benefits, they are the go-to technology in the cement, power plant, port, and steel industries. 
Why companies are switching to pipe conveyors
Environmental regulations introduced in recent years have pushed many industries to rethink their transport systems for dusty materials. Within this necessary industrial renewal, pipe conveyors have established themselves as the most suitable technology to meet this need, with a strong focus on environmental protection. Another significant advantage of tubular belts is the ability to follow curvilinear paths, even with short radius, to allow the bypass of natural and anthropic obstacles.
Key environmental advantages
Compared to traditional conveying systems, pipe conveyors offer:
- Zero dust dispersion: the material travels through an enclosed circuit, preventing dust from escaping into the surrounding environment.
- Reduced pollution: fewer leaks mean less impact on the areas surrounding the plant.
- Protection of the transported material: the sealed circuit shields the load from rain and moisture.
Where they are used: from cement to ports
Some materials, such as cement, are particularly affected by humid environments. For this reason, pipe conveyor systems are the ideal solution for outdoor transport, for example on port docks during loading and unloading operations.
Pipex® and Piflex®: SIG's range beyond cement
Pipe conveyors are perhaps the most iconic product in SIG's range for the cement industry, where they guarantee top-level performance. Pipex® and Piflex® solutions, however, are also used in many other sectors where environmental impact needs to be reduced or logistical obstacles need to be overcome.
Which industries use SIG pipe conveyors?
SIG's Pipex® and Piflex® pipe conveyors are used in:- Cement industry
- Power plants
- Ports
- Steel mills
How are tubular conveyor belts installed and spliced?
Installation and splicing of tubular conveyor belts follow the same rules used for traditional conveyor belts: textile carcass procedures for Pipex®, steel carcass procedures for Piflex®. These two aspects are critical to the correct operation of any belt, and SIG carries them out according to the same established standards already used for conventional technologies, without requiring any skills or equipment beyond what installers already know.
Where have Pipex® and Piflex® tubular belts been supplied worldwide?
Throughout its history, SIG has supplied tubular conveyor belts around the world for a wide range of industrial applications. Recent deliveries include:
- A PIFLEX® with a 1250 N/mm breaking load, 2,4 km long and 1600 mm wide, for a Turkish cement plant
- 1.5 km of PIPEX®, fitted with a flame-retardant compound, for a coal-fired power plant in Slovenia
- A 360-meter, 1400 mm wide PIPEX® for a Canadian cement plant
- A 780-meter, 1000 mm wide PIPEX® for transporting biomass at a Portuguese cement plant.
For more information, email sig@sig.it or fill out the information request form on the website.
Latest news:
AICCE Exhibition in Cairo: 29th edition
10 Sep 2026
Cement Expo Exhibition in India: 16th edition
10 Sep 2026
CONTACT US
Discover more about our products
Would you like to have more information about our items?
Fill in the contact form and send your inquiry. One of our experts will get in touch with you as soon as possible.