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AlmexSteelCordSpliceMaterial

Steelcordbeltingisusedonconveyorswherehighbelttension,availabletake-up
travelortherequirementforahighelasticmodulusdictatesthatafabricbeltis
unsuitable.Steelcordbeltsalsoprovideexcellentspliceefficiencywhenproper
processesandmaterialsareutilized.

Sincesteelcordbeltsareoftensubjectedto
considerablestrainsuchaslong-distanceconveying
orheavyloadingtheyareequippedwithwirerope
reinforcement.Thesewireropesbecomethebelts
tensionmembersandconsistofanalternatingS&Z
twistwithagalvanizedzinccoating.

Thecordsrunparallelononesingleplaneacrossthe
beltwidthandareembeddedinaspecialrubber
compoundthatprovideshighcordtorubber
adhesionsandgoodflexibility.Itisthispointthatis
ofparticularimportance,sincethedynamicfatigue
strengthofsteelcordbeltsplicesislimitedbysplice
materialqualities.

Inthesteelcordbeltsplice,rubberisremovedfrombeltends,separatingthecords
thatwereonceembeddedinthisspecialrubbercompound.Duringthesplice
processcorrespondingcordsfromthetwobeltendsarelaidinpositiontoa
prescribedpattern

Itisofimportanceto
notethecordends
withinthespliceare
notwelded,inter-
lacedormechanically
joinedinanyway.Itis
onlytheadjacentcord
surfacesofthe
correspondingcablesofthe
twobeltendsthatcantransmit
forces(powertransmission)
viatheadhesionofthebonded
rubbersurfaces.

Tensile Force
Steel Cord
Noodle Gum

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Thispowertransmissionisaccomplishedbytheprocessofcuring"or"vulcanizing"
theun-curedorun-vulcanizedsplicematerialstothecords.Thevulcanization
processisachemicalbonding(crosslinking)betweentheun-vulcanizedmaterials
andthecablesthemselves.Itisaccomplishedusuallybymeansofspecialsteel
bondingchemicalsandrubbercuringagentsinthesplicematerialcompound.Itis
therubbertosteeladhesionsformedduringthevulcanizingprocessthatareof
extremesignificancetothesplicetechnician.

Inresenttestsatamajormine,Almexsplicematerialswascomparedtotheir
currentlocalsupplierofmaterials.
UsingtheDINH-Blockcordpullout
testbothbrandsofsplicematerialwas
measured.Acordofaknownlengthis
pulledlongitudinallyfromthe
surroundingrubbermatrix.

Itisthiscentercordfromeachsample
thatwasloadmeasuredinthefive-cord
blockonaportableload-cell/software
set-up.

AlmexsplicematerialcordpulloutadhesionsexceedDINstandardstypicallyby
30%ormore.

Theresultsfromthistestareexpressedinkginthefollowingchartasa
measurementofthebondbetweenthesplicerubberandthecordinthatofthe
staticshearstrengthoftherubberwithinthesplicearea.

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FurtherrubbertosteeltestswasconductedtoproveouttheabilityoftheAlmex
steelcordsplicematerialstobondtoabaresteelsurface.

Insummary,itisonlywiththehighestqualitysteelcordsplicematerialsandstrict
adherencetotheprescribedsplicingprocesscanthenecessaryspliceservicelife
canbeattained.

MichaelCremeens
VPBusinessDevelopment/AlmexGroup

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(8ubber CuL 1", 23.4 mm wlde and 1oLal 1esL 1lme - 23 sec)
Almex MaLerlal - 8ubber Lo SLeel Adheslon (kg)
lalled Spllce MaLerlal - 8ubber Lo SLeel Adheslon (kg)