The conveyor belt is generally composed of three parts: carcass material, covering layer and bottoming material. According to the material of the covering layer, conveyor belts can generally be divided into heavy conveyor belts and light conveyor belts. The covering layer of heavy conveyor belts uses rubber (natural rubber, synthetic rubber, special rubber) as the main material, so it is also called a rubber conveyor belt . Rubber conveyor belts are mainly used in the transportation of heavy materials in heavy industry, and play the role of carrying and transporting materials. Lightweight conveyor belts mainly use polymer materials, including modified PVC, PE, TPU, TPEE, and silicone materials. Light conveyor belts are mainly used in food, electronics and light industry fields.
Classification of rubber conveyor belts
There are many types of rubber conveyor belts, which are classified according to their functional characteristics: general conveyor belts, flame retardant and antistatic conveyor belts, general flame retardant conveyor belts, heat and high temperature resistant conveyor belts, acid and alkali resistant conveyor belts, oil resistant conveyor belts, cold resistant conveyor belts, etc.
According to the classification of structural materials, there are: ordinary cotton canvas conveyor belt, nylon conveyor belt, polyester conveyor belt, steel cord conveyor belt, PVC whole core conveyor belt, PVG whole core conveyor belt, etc.
Raw materials for rubber conveyor belts
The raw materials of rubber conveyor belts are mainly raw rubber, additives and framework materials. The raw rubber used in the rubber conveyor belt process mainly includes natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, and butadiene rubber, and the proportion of materials used reaches 40%. Carbon black, zinc oxide, accelerators, antioxidants and other rubber additives account for 30% and 10% of the production process, respectively. Each manufacturer will adjust the ratio of raw materials to different extents according to cost.
The development of the conveyor belt is inseparable from the improvement of the performance of the framework material. The strength, extension characteristics, elasticity, toughness, and dimensional stability of the conveyor belt are closely related to the framework material. The skeleton materials of the rubber conveyor belt include fiber skeleton and metal skeleton, among which the fiber skeleton materials are mainly cotton, polyester, nylon and aramid.
The downstream application field of rubber conveyor belts is mainly the coal industry, which accounts for about 50%, followed by the steel industry, which accounts for about 20%. Other application areas include cement, thermal power generation and port transportation.
Characteristics of the rubber conveyor belt industry
The conveyor belt industry is an important branch of the rubber industry and belongs to the traditional industry. Conveyor belts are widely used in various fields and are closely related to energy, transportation, metallurgy, mining, and transportation.
From the perspective of commodity form, the rubber conveyor belt is a means of production, mainly used to meet people’s production needs, and it is greatly affected by changes in the economic environment. The development of the conveyor belt industry mainly relies on the development of coal, steel, cement, ports, mining, power and other industries. In recent years, the continuous development of China’s national economy has driven the downstream industry of conveyor belts, thereby promoting the steady growth of the conveyor belt industry. In 2019, China’s coal production exceeded 3.9 billion tons; steel production reached 928 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 45.68% over 2010; cement production was 2.208 billion tons, a year-on-year increase of 17.32%. In line with this, the conveyor belts with high quality, multiple uses and strong characteristics are widely used.
Rubber conveyor belt investment
The entry barriers of ordinary conveyor belts are relatively low, and the entry barriers of high-end areas are high. The investment of an ordinary conveyor belt production line with an annual output of 2 million square meters is about RMB 8 million, which is relatively low. The investment in high-end conveyor belt production lines is relatively high. The investment in a high-performance steel cord conveyor belt production line with the same capacity is around RMB 50 million. In addition, high-end products often have special requirements for the performance of wear-resistant, flame-retardant, anti-static, high-temperature resistance, and high strength. Enterprises must have the corresponding technical foundation and R&D capabilities.
China’s rubber conveyor belt industry has a long development history, high degree of marketization, and relatively mature products and technologies. It is the second largest rubber product industry after tires. Except for the dominant enterprises in the industry, the others are mostly small-scale enterprises. After years of continuous development, the concentration of the conveyor belt industry has increased. There has been a certain differentiation in the market segmentation of different products in the industry. The middle and low-end products are not highly differentiated and the competition is very fierce; and some high-tech products The product has relatively high technical barriers and fewer market participants.
Conveyor belt manufacturers are both technology-intensive and relatively labor-intensive. Wages account for a relatively high proportion of costs, and the high costs brought about by high wages will affect the competitiveness of products. Therefore, conveyor belt companies are gradually building factories or expanding production capacity in areas with large market capacity and relatively cheap labor. In recent years, many companies have set their sights on developing countries such as Southeast Asia and Brazil.
Rubber conveyor belt market trend
The downstream application areas of the rubber conveyor belt industry are concentrated, mainly used in the transportation of heavy materials, including the traditional five industries of coal, steel, cement, ports and power, accounting for more than 90% of the downstream market of conveyor belts. In 2019, the steel industry is subject to the squeeze on the cost side, and the performance of steel companies generally declines. The prices of raw materials, especially iron ore, have risen sharply, and the company’s production costs have continued to rise. Although the downstream industry is in a recession, the output is still showing a growth trend, and its huge inventory effect will still bring stable demand support for the conveyor belt industry. Therefore, the demand for rubber conveyor belts in China may show a slight increase in the future.
