How to choose the right conveyor belt supply option
Choose your conveyor belt supply option based on how the belt will be installed, who will carry out the work and how much time you have available. Access to the conveyor and the availability of splicing equipment will also influence your decision. Smiley Monroe offers five supply options: endless belts, prepared belts, cut length belts, ZIP CLIP® mechanically fastened belts and full rolls.
Which supply option suits your installation?
Use the following questions to narrow down your options:
- Can a continuous loop be fitted to your conveyor? Consider an endless belt with a factory-made vulcanised joint.
- Does the belt need to be joined on-site? Choose a prepared belt if you want the ends ready for splicing, or a cut length belt if your engineers will complete the preparation.
- Do you need to replace a belt quickly without on-site vulcanising? Consider ZIP CLIP®.
- Do you regularly prepare belts for different conveyors? A full roll allows you to cut individual lengths as required.
Choose an endless belt when a continuous loop can be installed
An endless conveyor belt arrives with its ends already joined by a factory-made hot vulcanised splice.
This option is particularly suited to equipment manufacturers fitting belts during a machine build. It can also suit replacement work where the conveyor can be dismantled sufficiently to fit a continuous loop.
Because the splice is completed before delivery, no belt joining is required on-site.
Before ordering: Confirm the required endless length and check that the conveyor’s design and available access allow a continuous belt to be fitted.
Choose a prepared belt when the joint must be completed on-site
If a continuous loop cannot be fitted, a prepared belt allows the belt to be positioned on the conveyor before joining.
The ends arrive stripped and prepared for an on-site splice, reducing the preparation your installation team needs to carry out. The joint is then completed using the appropriate hot vulcanising or cold bonding process.
This is a practical choice when you have access to a suitably equipped splicing team.
Before ordering: Confirm the endless length, the joining method and who will complete the splice. Smiley Monroe accounts for the additional material needed for the splice overlap.
Choose a cut length belt when your team will prepare the joint
A cut length belt arrives with square ends, leaving the joint preparation and splicing to your engineers.
This option gives service companies and maintenance teams flexibility to prepare the belt themselves. However, the installation schedule must allow time for both preparation and joining.
Before ordering: Discuss the required finished length and splice allowance with your supplier. If the endless length is unknown, Smiley Monroe can advise using the head and tail pulley diameters and the centre-to-centre distance.
Choose ZIP CLIP® when replacement speed is a priority
ZIP CLIP® uses a mechanical fastening system to join the belt on-site, removing the need for a vulcanising crew.
It is suited to planned replacements and unexpected breakdowns, particularly where access makes on-site vulcanising difficult. Installation can take as little as one hour, helping maintenance teams return equipment to service quickly.
ZIP CLIP® is available with push-in pin or screw-in fastening options.
Before ordering: Ask our team to confirm the belt specification and fastening option for your conveyor and operating conditions.
Choose a full roll when you need stock for multiple jobs
A full conveyor belt roll lets you cut lengths as demand arises.
This suits service companies, distributors and maintenance teams with ongoing belt requirements, as well as projects needing several lengths of the same specification.
Holding a roll in stock gives you greater control over belt availability, but your team will need the facilities and expertise to cut, prepare and join each belt.
Before ordering: Check the specification against the conveyors you support, including belt width, strength and cover grade.
Does the supply option determine the belt specification?
The supply option describes how the belt is delivered and prepared for installation. You will also need to select a belt construction, cover grade and surface profile suitable for the material being conveyed and the operating environment.
Discuss these requirements together so that both the belt and its installation method suit your application.
Need help choosing?
Contact hello@smileymonroe.com with your conveyor details, belt dimensions, installation access and replacement timescale. Our team can help you identify the most suitable supply option and belt specification.