VDI 2322:2017-02

Belt conveyors for bulk material are continuous conveyors for horizontal and uphill/downhill transport, their belts serving both to carry the material to be conveyed and as traction mechanism. The belt is an endless loop, guided by pulleys at the reversal points. The belt is tensioned both in the upper and lower strands and is supported and guided by idlers which, in turn, rest on a supporting frame. As a rule, the upper strand is continuously loaded with the material to be conveyed. Belt conveyor applications are multifarious. Belt conveyors can be used for horizontal and uphill/downhill transport of most types of bulk materials. They are extensively used in mining, iron and steel works, coking plants, the chemical, building and cement industries, stockyards and silo plants, power plants, transhipment plants, in brown coal open cast mining, the food-processing industry, etc. Even great distances up to 100 km and more can be covered by using a line consisting of several belt conveyors. Curved (horizontal and/or vertical) belt conveyors are increasingly used in order to realise non-straight conveyor routes. The standard gives guidance in the design and construction of belt conveyors for bulk materials.