Continental offers comprehensive, high-performance conveyor belt systems worldwide, with a wide range of products for cement and aggregate applications.
The extremely tough operating conditions that prevail in the cement industry mean that a variety of demands are placed upon the conveyor belts used. Thanks to Continental’s many years of experience in this special field as well as its deep material competence and broad R&D footprint, the company from Germany can offer complete solutions for all phases of cement production. The range of products and services includes textile and steel cord conveyor belts, special purpose conveyor belts, service materials, digital solutions and all related service activities.
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE CEMENT PRODUCTION PROCESS WITH CONTINENTAL CONVEYING SOLUTIONS
Quarry and moving materials: the conveyor belts installed at the start of cement production must be able to perform in extreme conditions. After the limestone blocks have been crushed, they are carried by a conveyor belt to their next destination. Loading point impact damage can be a major cause of belt failure at this point. This is where belts must be capable of handling heavy impacts and heavy lump weights. Continental’s Fortress XP and Conti Titan textile belts are designed specifically to handle this kind of heavy impact and wear conditions. These rugged, fabric-reinforced conveyor belts withstand high-abuse applications, delivering up to three times longer life. The special fabric designs of these belts enable high transverse tear strength and minimize tears that result from material punctures.
The crushed limestone is in the next step transported with conveyor belts which have to cover long distances. Continental’s Flexsteel steelcord belts are designed to deliver high-tension capabilities to allow for extremely long centres, exceptionally high lifts and multiple horizontal curves.
ContiPipe conveyor belts are another alternative for transporting crushed limestone. The conveyor belt is equipped with fabric or steel cable tension members. At the loading point, the belt is troughed, and the materials are fed onto the belt in the conventional manner. The enclosed design of this conveyor belt prevents dust and dirt from escaping and protects the materials from rain, snow and wind.
In-plant transportation: during the cement production process, especially, the problem of caking and contamination of the conveyor belt cover occurs more frequently. Continental’s innovative ContiClean rubber compound is helping to prevent materials, like cement, from sticking to belts and keeping the conveyor system profitable and running while reducing cleaning costs and extending the belt lifetime.
Burning process – clinker burning: during the burning process in a cement plant, energy sources such as coal and oil are used to generate energy. In conventional conveyor belts, the cover absorbs the liquids, and this means the conveyor belt may swell after some time. Continental’s Gold belt qualities offers different levels of oil resistance (Classic, Plus and Extreme), dependent of the material conveyed, for this stage of production.
Another environment-friendly solution to transport bulk materials is Continental’s Sicon conveyor belt, which consists of highly flexible rubber capable of forming a pear-shaped bag. As the profiles are arranged above one another, the belt is closed to form a dust-tight bag. Sicon conveyor moves material over demanding topographical conditions and can negotiate 180° curves with a radius of less than one metre.
After the burning process: Continental’s Solar-Shield belt qualities (Classic, Plus and Extreme) offer different levels of heat-resistance. Solar-Shield Extreme is the company’s best solution for hot clinker as the covers are ultra-heat-resistant and able to withstand peak temperatures up to 400°C, thus guaranteeing protection of the belt’s tension member.
Packaging and storing: in a vertical conveying configuration, Flexowell corrugated sidewall belts have an extremely low space requirement. Flexowell belts are flexible in a longitudinal direction while still featuring high transverse rigidity, which is required for steep and vertical application.
Flexteel steelcord belts are designed to deliver high-tension capabilities.
IT’S NOT A PRODUCT, IT’S A SOLUTION FOR A CHALLENGE
In recent years, Continental has been making fast-paced steps towards becoming a full-service and a solutions supplier to the cement and clinker industry, instead of focusing on products only. This includes planning and commissioning, technical advice, training, digital monitoring, and on-site maintenance. All of these designed to increase longevity, prevent workflow interruptions and thus increase efficiency of a conveyor operation.
In this course, Continental has in recent years acquired the Swedish companies Backes Transportbandservice (2022), Vulk & Montage (2022), Norr Vulk AB (2022) and Vertech (2023). In Sweden, Continental offers an innovative pay-per-tonne model which includes predictive maintenance, process analytics, or several innovative surveillance methods. Here, Continental is not paid for a product, but rewarded for keeping the conveying process running.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: WITH BETTER PRODUCTS THANKS TO MATERIAL COMPETENCE
Continental’s corporate philosophy is to act in an environmentally friendly and quality conscious way. The company has introduced its ambitious comprehensive sustainability goals in 2020 focusing on the four pillars carbon neutrality, emissions-free industries, circular economy, responsible value-chain. In this context the Continental material experts across the globe continually work to optimize products by developing energy-optimized and environmentally friendly conveyor belts. One example for this is Continental’s Eco Series of unique, energy-optimized rubber compounds. By reducing rolling resistance caused by indentation on the conveyor the energy required for raw material transport is reduced by up to 30%.