A Brief History of Conveyor Belts and the World They Ushered in

Conveyor belts have a long history as an integral part of
production from the coal to the automotive industry.

No history of the last century, or of the current one, would be complete without a history of the industrial conveyor belt. While conveyor belts have been in service since at least the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in England (the first such belts were made from leather or canvas and served as flimsy, short-distance transportation systems for sacks of grain), the scale and scope of their application continued to expand. By the turn of the 20^th century, conveyor belts were being used to unload materials of significant weight – things like lumber and wooden shingles – from out of railcars in Northern cities such as Minneapolis. With the discovery of electric energy and the consequent automation of production that electricity enabled, it was only a matter of time (1919) before the first automated “roller” conveyor was used for automotive production by none other than Henry Ford.

By the mid 1920s, conveyor belts were a “boomtown” industry. The developed nations in Europe and North America all strove to produce goods at a faster and more accurate rate than their competitors. Those who dwelt in the realm of hand-crafted or conventionally assembled products were caught off-guard and left in the wake of the Modern Era. During the Second World War, assembly lines became something of a national icon in America, in that they were used to churn out seemingly endless numbers of tanks, trucks, jeeps, fighters, and bombers for the Allied war effort against the Axis powers. The city of Detroit, birthplace of the Ford Motor Co. and the automotive assembly line, earned itself the new distinction as the “Arsenal of Democracy” on account of the sheer quantities of armaments it produced for American and Allied armies.

The basic science was already well in place by 1945, but improvements throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s left conveyor systems with better means of control over their own operation. Utilizing a series of internally powered rollers and pulleys, these new generations of conveyor belts paved the way for the megalithic, high-efficiency conveyance systems we see in operation today. As it stands, the longest conveyor belt in the world is located in Western Sahara, where it is used in phosphate mining.

Even as the basic operating principals continue to hold, there are continuous tweaks, fine-tunings, and upgrades being made to conveyor systems and conveyor belt weaves alike by companies far and wide. We at Furnace Belt are a proud, long-standing player in an industrial sector that has become an iconic symbol of capital-I “Industry” itself. As the 21^st century rolls along, so shall we.

Our Work in Open-Pit Mining (Part One of a 2-Part Mining Series)

All components of a blast furnace must be
able to withstand extreme heat.

When one of the largest mining consortiums in the world contacted us to deliver conveyor belting for their mining operations on two different continents, we knew it would be a challenge, but we also knew we were up for it. What we didn’t know at the time was that the customized weaving we would eventually produce would prove to be our most ambitious industrial belt-work to date.

The client in question operates multiple nickel refineries in different locations across the globe. One essential part of the nickel refining process is the desulfurization of unrefined “ore” into nickel briquettes. Desulfurization allows for excess quantities of extraneous sulfur to be extracted from the raw material, leaving the nickel itself in a more “purified” state, as well as giving it greater properties of corrosion-resistance. Needless to say, desulfurization requires a blast furnace of epic proportions, particularly on the monumental scale by which most nickel processing operations get carried out in today’s hyper-industrialized world. Furthermore, and almost needless to say, the conveyor belting that carries the raw nickel into the blast furnace in order for it to be desulfurized needs to have two essential qualities: first, that it be capable of withstanding the tremendous heat of the blast furnace; and second, that it be capable of handling the tremendous turnover rate at which industrial-scale mining is conducted.

We set out to instill those two qualities in the work we performed on behalf of our client. What we ended up delivering to our customer was, in of itself, a work of art by the standards of our industry: a 60” wide conveyor belt capable of enduring immense blast furnace heat at a level commensurate with our client’s rigorous standards.

With our experience crafting high-performance equipment for major players in the mining industry, we have grown increasingly interested in the various types of mining operations that happen around the globe, and how our belt weaves can be adapted and/or customized for specific kinds of mining (open-pit mining, etc.) An upcoming blog will explore some of the various types of mining operations that require industrial-sized conveyor belts to insure their proper functioning. In the meantime, we are pleased to add that our client has been very happy with the work we delivered on their behalf. For further questions about how Furnace Belt can be of service to your given mining operation, please contact us today by phone or by email.

HSE Guidance Code Issued for Conveyor Workstations

The Health and Safety Executive Council (HSE), England’s foremost workplace health regulator, has issued guidelines for companies operating conveyor belts in the United Kingdom. These reports are drawing some appreciative buzz from “across the Pond” in North America. Primarily, the HSE has found that one of the leading causes of injury for those who sort through packages and/or components on a conveyor belt is musculoskeletal disorder.

Musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs for short, come in a nasty variety of types. While certain injuries to the human musculature or bone structure can transpire suddenly, others are slow-developing, harder to detect, and all the more insidious for being those things. Specifically, the awkward physical postures that conveyor line workers often have to assume during the course of sorting can lead to long-term problems such as spinal or back-related injuries, as well as deterioration of the arms and hip-joints. Repetitious twisting, leaning, and stooping, not to mention repeatedly lifting heavy objects from off a conveyor line can lead to all these things.

Workplace safety is something we all need to take seriously; manufacturers as much as plant operators. The need for conveyor belt sorters and workers to be seated at workstations whenever possible is something that can prevent a large number of these injuries from occurring over the long-term. At Furnace Belt, we can easily accommodate any workplace safety issues customers may have while designing our conveyor belts. A healthy worker is a productive and happy worker, it almost goes without saying. Let us know at Furnace Belt how we can help make your workplace healthier, safer, and more productive.

Furnishing North America and the World with Conveyor Belts

Being that we’re already a transnational company with offices both in Ontario and Upstate New York, it shouldn't come as any surprise that Furnace Belt does a fair share of its business internationally. A good 10% of our total annual revenue on average comes not only from neighboring North American countries like Mexico, but also nations farther afield: places like Australia, South Africa, Turkey, and throughout the Middle East. All of these countries have sizable food processing and manufacturing industries (indeed some of them gargantuan), and all of them require conveyor belt meshes that let their production processes run smoothly and competitively. Since North America has a long legacy of providing quality industrial products, it only makes sense that other nations would reach out to places like Furnace Belt to furbish their production lines with the best technology money can buy.

For instance, Australia and South Africa have an abundance of mines dispersed across their territory. Australian copper and South African diamonds are, after all, practically household names in the global market. That being said, these countries rely upon a constant supply of industrial conveyor belts to extract the riches from beneath their soil. World-famous conglomerates in both of these countries would never be what they are without the necessary means of extraction engineering.

That’s what we’re here to do at Furnace Belt. As part of the North American manufacturing network that runs roughly from Chicago to north of Toronto, we make it our business to insure that other developing countries get the equipment they need to continue to grow their nascent economies. Global prosperity is a prospect we champion and relish the thought of. If you’re a customer in another country who wants durable, precision conveyor belt meshing for any type of industry, we’re always ready to hear from you via email or telephone. Let us know today!

The Promising Future of Indian Food Processing

Furnace Belt is considered a world leader in the manufacture of woven metal conveyor belting, so it should come as no surprise that we are quite interested and involved in the burgeoning Indian food processing industry. Over the past few years, the Indian food processing industry has taken off like a rocket, which in turn has created a nearly insatiable demand for cutting edge technology and machinery.  

According to a report from the influential Technology Exports Development Organization (TEDO), the Government of India has given commercializing agriculture and developing food processing high priority in developing India’s economy. Unfortunately, the report also points out that the agro-food processing equipment sector is lagging behind other developed countries. This technological discrepancy stymies the food processing industry, since modern equipment like the conveyor belts we make at Furnace Belt aren’t available for small to mid-sized Indian companies.

The products we make at Furnace Belt allow for produce and meats to reach the market place with consistent level of quality, as well as being free of potentially hazardous bacteria.  The only way to truly grow the industry is to methodically upgrade the equipment and infrastructure so that the people of India trust that their food supply is wholesome and without blemish. The government has set a goal to triple the size of the industry by 2014-15. An Indian academic, V Gokul Das, MD summarizes as such: “Future prospects for the industry are pretty bright. It is a growing sector as there is mass movement from villages to cities and there are new products that are being launched for the food and beverage sector.”

For everyone at Furnace Belt this is an exciting time. We look forward to introducing even more of our conveyor belting to India’s new and seismically growing food and beverage processing industry. 

Ontario Food Cluster and the IFPT

Stretching from Toronto to Buffalo, NY, the so-called “Ontario Food Cluster” is a thriving agglomeration of some 3,200 food and beverage companies. Together they comprise Canada’s largest pool of agri-food talent, and the 2^nd largest in North America. With an innovative research climate and easy access to the global market, the Ontario Food Cluster has drawn some of the biggest names in the food industry. These companies have an estimated annual manufacturing revenue of $34 billion and employ 130,000 people directly in agri-food processing/manufacturing and wholesaling, along with another 483,000 workers in related sectors.

It is kind of hard to imagine the Ontario Food Cluster getting any more, but it just did. Recently the Cluster’s economic development executives attended the influential SIAL Brazil 2012 show to promote the new Conestoga College Institute of Food Processing Technology (IFPT). This innovative school was created in 2009 in partnership with the Alliance of Ontario Food Processors (AOFP) to allow for the development of a highly skilled workforce by providing education and training programs that meet the needs of the food and beverage industry. IFPT focuses on areas like food safety, food processing techniques, electronic instrumentation techniques, automation, robotics, packaging, and plant supervision. It is the perfect environment in which to learn the ins and outs of almost every aspect of the food and beverage manufacturing field. 

At Furnace Belt we find it especially good news that another generation is getting trained properly and effectively in the food processing and safety industry. Our belts are widely used throughout the companies in the “Food Cluster” and nothing is better than working hand in hand with fellow experts. If you want to learn more about IFPT you can visit their website

Belt Maintenance Is Your Friend!

When you buy a car, the dealership will let you know that you should come in for a check-up after a certain number of miles. While they totally believe in the quality of their product, they also know from experience that things need to be checked now and again to avoid major problems from forming.  The same goes for your conveyor belt. Nothing is worse than having a belt break in the middle of an important order. The lost time, money, and production will drive anyone to frustration (if not out of business). Though there is no magic bullet that lets you avoid mishaps completely, there is one way to limit them. At Furnace Belt, we believe that if you are consistent in performing belt maintenance through regular inspections and audits, your belts will last longer and run smoother. With that in mind, we put together the top five things to consider when doing belt maintenance:

1. Make sure your belt was made for your exact specifications. Don’t overshoot and try to get something too heavy for your needs. Belts have specific loading capacities and they must be respected.

2. Choose the proper alloy for the temperatures or application. For example, if you’re running at 2,000 degrees, you would use 314 stainless steel in building your belt; as opposed to using more standard galvanized steel. You can always ask one of our experts for help in finding the perfect belt for the appropriate temperature.

3. Keep up on the maintenance of the furnace itself. If your furnace is not running at the correct temperature, it will not only affect belt life, but your product quality as well.

4. Flip the belt from time to time. Give one side a rest in favor of the other. It’s a process that’s a little like rotating your crops in a field to insure overall health

5. Make sure that everything’s running true and straight.  Otherwise, your belt might be torn and if you process food that could mean disaster.

If you follow these steps, we believe you can not only maintain the life of your belt, but also ensure the safety of your workers and save money all at the same time.