Goodyear Underground Conveyor Belt First to Receive Mine Safety Certification

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, May 20 /PRNewswire/ — Veyance Technologies, exclusive manufacturer of Goodyear Engineered Products, announces Goodyear underground conveyor belts have passed the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s latest standards, helping to ensure flame resistance and virtually eliminating materials that generate toxic smoke.

Goodyear Engineered Products SHIELD rubber conveyor belt compound became the first to receive MSHA’s Belt Evaluation Laboratory Test or B.E.L.T. certification on May 11 by exceeding standards of flame resistance and reducing the ability of flames to propagate or spread (cert.# 14-CBA090001-MSHA).

According to Dave Tersigni, conveyor belt marketing manager for Veyance Technologies, SHIELD is currently the only compound on the market certified to 30 CFR Part 14 standards, which will be mandatory for all underground belts installed after Dec. 31, 2009.

Safety was the catalyst for developing SHIELD’s added benefits, said Tersigni. “It’s all about our long-term commitment to the mining industry and miner protection.”

The belt passes B.E.L.T. while also addressing toxicity issues noted in the ruling, which acknowledges that dense toxic smoke generated by smoldering materials and equipment in mines can impact a worker’s ability to react to a fire. “Safety is a key consideration of every product we manufacture,” said Tersigni.

Unlike neoprene belts currently on the market, SHIELD virtually eliminates the use of halogenated materials like chlorine and bromine that can generate thick, toxic smoke. Veyance engineers were also able to maintain the same abrasion resistance and other performance characteristics of conventional rubber compounds.

“We’ve invested $1.2 million in test devices to validate SHIELD’s performance, including sophisticated equipment to measure smoke density and toxicity,” Tersigni said, “and we’ve conducted year-long field performance trials at active mines in a wide range of operating conditions.”

Among the active mines benefitting from SHIELD’s enhanced safety features is a coal mine operated by Jim Walter Resources in Brookwood, Ala. “We tested a prototype underground for over a year, and have been impressed with the belt’s performance,” said Bill Marston, Senior Mine Engineer, JWR#4. “We’ve seen excellent performance in the belts after running 2 million tons.”

In comparison tests of smoldering belts, the smoke density of belts containing the SHIELD compound was 75 to 88 percent less than conventional rubber, PVC and neoprene belts. Similar tests of burning belts showed the smoke density of belts containing SHIELD compound was 72 to 93 percent less than the other belt materials.

The new compound is available for Veyance’s three tiers of fabric-reinforced underground belts, including Coal Quest(R), Glide(R) Plus and Contender(R). Coal Quest is the company’s premium belt with a patented Triple Warp(R) Weave fabric that resists rips and tears from high impact damage.

In addition to conveyor belt products and installation, splice and repair services, Veyance is the exclusive manufacturer and marketer of Goodyear-branded industrial and automotive hose and power transmission belts, air springs and rubber track. For more information, go to http:/www.goodyearep.com/shield.

SOURCE Veyance Technologies