HIGH PROFILE
Q Is there a point where the applicability of fabric and steel cord belts overlap and is it mainly based on a cost versus TCO argument or do other factors come into play such as hard rock versus soft rock as well as climate ? DS : The most important factors that drive the decision are the system tensions and conveying distances . We also consider system aspects such as idler gap distance , take-up travel , pulley diameter , and other details that can determine the suitability of a fabric or steel cord belt .
Q Phoenix was brought under the Continental umbrella in 2021 but the Phoenocord brand was retained at a product level - why was this done and does the Phoenix name still carry a lot of historical respect and weight in the market ? DS : We simplified our approach to the market and decided to use the Continental brand only . However , we kept the Phoenix Phoenocord product designation for steel cord conveyor belts of ST5000 and above . The main reason for this decision was that many high tension steel cord conveyor belts were supplied with the Phoenix brand name and for this reason Continental elected to continue to use the Extreme Solutions moniker and Phoenix brand name for the highlyengineered market segment .
Q Would you say Conti is strong across both surface and underground and across both coal
Continental says its mining customers are focused on uptime and reliability , two key components achieved by conveyor belts with long belt life and protection from damage
and hard rock ? Plus in all regions ? Or do you have particular strengths eg in iron ore / copper and in particular regions like the Americas ? DS : Continental is strong in all market segments and regions . We have a strong presence in surface and underground applications regardless of the material being conveyed , making us a go-to source for nearly every project .
Q Are there any projects you would single out as being indicative of what Conti belts can bring to mining in terms of the quality of the belt supplied / length supplied etc ? DS : We take pride in being able to provide solutions to meet nearly any requirement in the most demanding locations on the planet . For example , we provided an ST10000 conveyor belt , the strongest conveyor belt in the world , for one of the largest copper mining companies in South
America . In addition , for another customer in that region , we supplied the world ' s strongest Pipe Belt , an ST4500 belt shaped into a 500 mm pipe diameter .
Q Finally , people have looked at technologies in mining like sandwich conveyors , pipe conveyors , cleated conveyors etc as offering another solution for mining - in your opinion will a standard belt conveyor always win out for high tonnages and long distances ? DS : These specialty belts serve a very specific purpose and are excellent solutions when needed . However , they do have limitations in respect to tonnage and distance . Therefore , a standard troughed conveyor belt will typically be selected in cases where those requirements exceed the limitations of the specialty belt . IM
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