A Guide to Fire Retardant Conveyor Belts

A Guide to Fire Retardant Conveyor Belts

Playing with fire!? - Belt conveyors are sophisticated equipment widely used in the transportation business. Most often, however, their function is critical for the plants they serve: If the belt conveyors fail, the plant (or port) could come to a standstill, making it essential to be aware of their vulnerabilities.

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Burning belts not only imply production losses but often pose a significant threat to personnel and equipment.

When a conveyor belt does not perform as promised—wearing out prematurely, tearing easily, or breaking down under high heat or oil exposure—the risks to life and limb are generally minimal. Although it can lead to considerable expenses, it is rarely life-threatening. However, should a fire retardant conveyor belt ignite and fail to contain the flames as designed, it will swiftly spread the fire throughout the facility, resulting in potentially disastrous outcomes.

Is Cost Being Prioritized Over Safety?

The financial strains on the cargo industry, exacerbated by an unstable economic landscape, are compelling more organizations to scrutinize their operational expenses and seek ways to economize. This pressure to reduce expenses appears to be influencing purchasing choices related to fire-retardant conveyor belts.

This raises the question: Is price being prioritized over safety? In other words, are operators being misled into a false sense of security by conveyor belt manufacturers and suppliers? The realization that a belt's fire retardancy is inadequate typically occurs only after it’s too late.

Both anecdotal evidence and laboratory tests suggest that some of Europe's significant conveyor belt users, including key ports, may be relying on belts that do not meet their fire resistance claims. Increasingly, sites that ought to be employing fire-resistant belts are found to be using non-compliant belts, often for economic reasons or due to substandard versions.

At the same time, insurance companies are becoming increasingly concerned. Reports from major insurers indicate that claims related to fires involving conveyor belts carry an average cost of nearly USD 8 million each. To delve deeper into this crucial and intricate issue, we consulted Sytze Brouwers, the chairman of the international standards committee (ISO and CEN) and a leading authority in conveyor belting.

No Conveyor Belt is Fireproof

Fire-retardancy standards and testing protocols for conveyor belts are continuously evolving and can often be perplexing. First and foremost, it’s important to understand that conveyor belts cannot be entirely fireproof. While specific additives and chemicals can be incorporated into the rubber used in the top and bottom layers to enhance fire resistance, the entire structure of the belt remains susceptible to burning. The fabrics commonly used in a belt's core, like polyester and nylon, are typically not fire-resistant. Consequently, every belt will combust when presented with a sufficiently intense flame.

When selecting a fire-retardant conveyor belt, it is crucial to determine the appropriate level of fire resistance necessary for the specific application or environment.

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