Belt Conveyor Systems

A belt conveyor is a handling system in which an endless rubber belt — tensioned between two drums — is driven by a motor-gearbox group connected to the drive drum. The belt picks up bulk material at the loading point and carries it along carrying idlers positioned through the route, all the way to the discharge drum.

The frame, carrying idlers, return idlers, drive station, take-up mechanism and chassis are the system's main mechanical components. Every component is sized at the TMD GRUP engineering office according to the material's properties, conveyor length, incline angle and required capacity.

TMD GRUP manufactures belt conveyors in eight standard belt-width series ranging from 500 mm to 1800 mm: TMD-BC-500, TMD-BC-650, TMD-BC-800, TMD-BC-1000, TMD-BC-1200, TMD-BC-1400, TMD-BC-1600 and TMD-BC-1800. This series is the reference point in our catalogue.

In the real world, however, every facility is different. The optimal solution for one cement-clinker line may not be right for another plant's iron-ore line. That is why at TMD GRUP — even though the standard sizes are listed in our catalogue — we design each project's belt width, conveyor length, incline angle, belt type, housing material and drive power specifically for the site conditions. If you need a custom width outside the standard series, that is also part of our manufacturing programme.

In cement plants, belt conveyors are the most widely used handling system. They are deployed across all flow lines — from the raw material yard to the crusher, from the crusher to the raw-meal preparation unit, from the kiln outlet to the clinker silo, and onwards to the packaging or bulk dispatch line.

For high-temperature and abrasive materials such as clinker, the belt type, housing material and transfer-point design are critical. Drawing on long experience in the cement sector, TMD GRUP determines the combination of belt properties, conveying angle and dust-control hoods for each clinker line specifically.

In iron-steel facilities, belt conveyors handle ore, coal, lime and aggregate; in mining facilities they transfer extracted ore to the processing line and onwards to stockpile or shipping areas. Because the conveyed materials are highly abrasive in these sectors, HB450-grade abrasion-resistant steel or specially coated housings are typically preferred.

Long-distance transport across mining sites, inclined runs and variable load profiles require dedicated engineering. Special applications — such as multi-stockpile distribution via integrated tripper conveyors, or mobile discharge stations on horizontal runs — are part of TMD GRUP's manufacturing programme.

In port facilities — for ship loading and unloading lines and for in-terminal material transfer — belt conveyors are the most suitable solution in terms of capacity and continuity. The uninterrupted flow of high-tonnage materials such as coal, clinker, grain or fertiliser directly affects ship turnaround time.

In these applications, closed-type housings, hermetic transfer hoods and high-friction belt types for inclined runs are selected specifically. Stainless-steel hardware and special coating systems can be applied against the corrosive effects of the marine environment.

In aggregate and stone quarries, belt conveyors form the main handling backbone of crushing-screening-stockpiling lines. The feed line from the crusher to the screen, from the screen to different particle-size stockpiles, and from the stockpiles to the concrete batching plant is typically built on belt conveyors.

In the energy sector, belt conveyors handle coal from yard to boiler, ash from boiler to silo, and biomass on feed lines in thermal power plants. In concrete batching, compact, precisely controllable belt systems are preferred for aggregate bunker feeding and dosing across the weigh-belt.

TMD GRUP belt conveyors are engineered with operator safety alongside material throughput in mind. Standard safety equipment includes:

One of the biggest advantages of belt conveyors is that the per-ton handling cost is significantly lower than alternative systems (chain conveyors, pneumatic conveying). This is both because mechanical friction is low and because motor power scales only with the weight of the conveyed material.

In terms of maintenance, belt conveyors consist of small replaceable parts — making repairs easy and spare-parts supply both fast and inexpensive. Routine inspection with a small crew is sufficient. For lines it builds, TMD GRUP also offers periodic maintenance contracts and 24-hour-response technical service.

A TMD GRUP belt conveyor project typically follows these steps: