How do premier brand companies prove the superior quality and value of their products compared to cut-price alternatives? In Fenner Dunlop’s case, they literally put their competitors under the microscope. Conveyor specialist Leslie David explains how.
The Fenner Dunlop laboratory, situated in their Drachten plant in The Netherlands, is the beating heart of their quality culture. Having built an unrivalled reputation for product quality and innovation over more than 100 years, the laboratory plays a pivotal role in the quality control process and research & development. For example, it is here that every single batch of rubber compound is checked and thoroughly tested before it is allowed to be used to produce conveyor belts. This is key to achieving consistency of quality, performance and longevity.
Comparison testing
Testing samples of belts made by their competitors is a routine part of the work carried out in the lab. This kind of testing provides factual, scientific insight that helps them keep ahead of their competitors. They need to know the strengths and advantages of their belts and how they compare to the competition so that they can prove the difference to their customers. With cut-price imported belting from the Far East, primarily China, continuing to swamp the market, quality and value comparison is more important than ever. For example, testing has revealed that up to 90% of belts sold in Europe, Africa and the Middle East do not have in-built protection against the serious rubber degradation caused by exposure to ground level ozone and ultraviolet light, even though it should be a fundamental feature of all rubber conveyor belts.
Paying a higher price.
Those who believe that they are saving money by buying cut-price belting are paying a much higher price, in more ways than one, than they could ever realise, as these summaries of recently tested imported belts prove:
Far East import EP 800/4 7 + 2 DIN W Abrasion resistant. This belt was specified and supplied as a 630/4 but was actually an 800/4. Cover properties did NOT meet the claimed DIN W standard in terms of abrasion resistance, tensile strength and tear strength. DIN W is the highest standard for abrasion resistant belting, but the tensile strength of the cover was actually below DIN Z, which is the very lowest standard. The belt was NOT ozone resistant. The tested belt was significantly below Fenner Dunlop standards and almost completely inadequate for purpose.
Far East import EP 1000/4 7 + 2 DIN W Abrasion resistant. This 1000 N/mm belt had an 800 N/mm fabric carcass and therefore failed to meet its claimed specification. The rubber covers were far below DIN W requirements and therefore failed to meet the claimed specification. The belt was NOT ozone resistant. The belt had clearly been supplied under false pretences and again unsuitable for the intended purpose.
Far East import 400/3 4+2 MOR Oil Resistant. The complete absence of resistance to oils and greases, a full polyester carcass rather than the claimed EP (polyester/nylon mix) and an almost total absence of ozone resistance mean that this belt did not meet claimed expectations and was unfit for purpose.
Learning the hard way – Case Study.
A company in Germany thought that they could save some money by buying an EP 630/4 4 + 2 DIN Y abrasion resistant belt from a ‘local’ manufacturer that was ‘cheaper’ than the Fenner Dunlop belt they had been offered. Unfortunately for them, they quickly discovered that there was a good reason for the big price difference. When several different performance issues became apparent, they sent a sample of the ‘economy’ belt for laboratory testing. Here is a summary of the technical engineer’s findings:
Belt properties: Testing revealed that the fabric plies of the belt carcass were entirely polyester (EE) rather than the claimed specification polyester/nylon mix (EP). The elongation was extremely low (0.62%), which causes serious compression in the carcass resulting in delamination between the fabric plies and carcass tears are likely to occur after only a limited time. Also, adhesion levels between the inner plies and between the carcass and the outer covers were below DIN/ISO minimum requirements. This is another serious cause of splice joint problems and also carcass delamination leading to the premature failure of the whole belt.
Covers: Cover properties were exceptionally bad with almost non-existent abrasion resistance (325 Mm3) and not complying at all with the cover grade specification promised to the customer. Tensile strength, tear strength and elongation at break were also totally inadequate, caused by using the minimum possible amount of polymers and using bulking fillers such as clay to reduce the cost of the rubber.
Ozone resistance: The cover started to crack within only 8 hours exposure of the total test time of 96 hours exposure static ozone resistance testing (EN ISO 1431/1 procedure B). This is a very poor performance and will result in premature cracking of the covers and loss of physical properties when the belt is in use.
Conclusion: The supplier in this case was a well-recognized trading/service company that claims to sell good quality products. The belt in question was almost certainly imported from a manufacturer in the Far East and apart from the colour, did not comply at all with what the customer should reasonably have expected.
Exposing the deceptions.
Fenner Dunlop management insist that it is never their intention to ‘name and shame’ their competitors, but at the same time, they feel it is only fair that they are able to show what is going on in the cut-throat world of conveyor belting and the deceptions that are taking place. End-users rely on the honesty and integrity of the supplier of the belts. Sadly, the examples I have provided, which form only a small fraction of the numerous similar examples that Fenner Dunlop have amassed, prove that the quality of what is being supplied frequently differs from what should be expected. In fact, laboratory tests consistently confirm that more than 50% of conveyor belts are significantly below the minimum DIN and ISO standards, even though those standards represent only the minimum level of acceptability.
If you want to know more or if you have doubts about the belts you have been supplied, you can contact the experts at Fenner Dunlop directly and they will try to assist where they can. +31 512 585 555 or https://www.fennerdunlopemea.com/contact-form/
About the author
After spending 23 years in logistics management, Leslie David has specialised in conveyor belting for over 18 years. During that time, he has become one of the most published authors on conveyor belt technology in the world.