The Australian mining sector is defined by its scale and diversity, producing everything from thermal coal in the Hunter Valley and Pilbara iron ore to the world-class gold and precious mineral deposits scattered across Western Australia and Queensland.

In these demanding operations, conveyor belts are subjected to any number of punishing forces: abrasive coal fines, jagged iron ore lumps, quartz-laden tailings, and the relentless impact of heavy mineral ore drops. The day-to-day survival of a belt in such conditions hinges on the resilience and engineering of its cover rubber.

Not All Belt Wear Is the Same

Each commodity brings its own unique wear hazards.

• Coal - while often less abrasive than hard rock, introduces fine, gritty particulates that scour belt surfaces at transfer points, especially as moisture and dust mix to form a persistent, grinding slurry.
• Iron Ore - with its sharp-edged fragments and dense loads, is notorious for gouging and tearing conveyor covers - rapidly exposing the carcass (the internal portion of a belt where the reinforced weave or steelcord cables are located) beneath if the rubber grade isn’t up to scratch.
• In Precious Minerals mining, hard crystalline gangue and metallic fragments combine high impact with abrasive forces, accelerating top cover erosion and risking catastrophic belt damage during major drop events or when tramp metal (metal scrap such as bolts, chains and bar scrap) enters the system.

Conveyor belts face multiple forms of wear and damage, each requiring specific resistance properties:

• Abrasive wear is actually a spectrum of wear processes traditionally grouped under this catch-all term, associated with wear resulting from fine, gritty materials scouring the top cover, especially at loading and discharge points. Most often described as sandpaper on rubber, but we also now consider hard, heavy rocks rolling across the belt surface under pressure.
• Cutting and gouging happens when coarse, sharp materials (e.g. tramp metal or primary crushed ore) bite into the rubber, causing chunks to tear away. Often associated with pressure and sliding between the belt and the ore at the loading point of the conveyor.
• Impact damage is caused by heavy material dropped from height impacting on the belt. Impact resistant covers not only support improved wear life, but the cushioning they provide also helps protect the belt’s carcass against impact damage.
• Rip and tear damage can result from trapped debris, high energy impact by tramp metal or oversized rock, or misaligned tracking of the conveyor. Rip / tear and impact performance can be improved by careful selection of the belt construction and the use of breaker fabrics (an additional fabric layer between the carcass and the belt cover) to protect the belt carcass.

Why Cover Quality Defines Belt Life

The single biggest cause of premature wear is poor-quality rubber.

While some manufacturers cut costs by using low-grade compounds, this usually results in covers that crack, gouge, and wear rapidly.

Even buying to a known standard is not a guarantee. Some manufacturers are satisfied just meeting the very minimum requirement, and won’t consider broader issues that impact belt life, such as ageing and UV resistance.

Fenner develops our compounds for a range of applications that are proven class leaders for performance. But great products need to be supported by the expert teams to ensure the right belt for each application.

Quality belting and advice ensure the best possible belt life.

The Smartest Investment Is a Longer-Lasting Belt

✔️ Longer belt life ✔️ Fewer stoppages and repairs ✔️ Lower cost per tonne conveyed

🔗 Read about abrasion-resistant cover grades  🔗 Read about impact-resistant cover grades 🔗 Explore the science behind wear & tear from Fenner EMEA

Insights from conveyor specialists, Bob Nelson and Mike Finlen