• Total solution provided to customer
• Coal Flo Solid Woven Belt to convey in excess of 25 million tons
• Adheres to SANS 968:2013 specification
• Substantial reduction in total cost of ownership for client

Johannesburg, August 2016. ContiTech South Africa has designed, manufactured and installed a new generation Solid Woven conveyor belt, Coal Flo, for use in underground coal mining applications. “This four-layer PVC belt illustrates our ability to produce a new generation conveyor belt at a reduced cost through innovation and extensive research and development”, says Avril Botha, Managing Director Conveyor Belt Group at ContiTech Africa.

“This is essential in current mining market conditions where it is paramount for suppliers to have the capability to reduce cost to clients without compromising quality of product.” Four rolls of 250 m of Coal Flo have been installed on South 911 Irenedale Bosjesspruit in Secunda, Mpumalanga. The belt is being used by SASOL in a trunk conveyor belt application. Bosjesspruit is one of five underground coal mines belonging to SASOL, and has 47 km of underground conveyor belting installed. Due the presence of methane gas in underground coal mines, equipment used needs to be flame retardant. With this is mind Coal Flo has been manufactured to comply with specifications contained in the SANS 968:2013 regulations.

 “We expect the installed product to have a lifespan of four years during which it is expected to convey up to 25 million tons of coal”, explains Botha. During the test period SASOL will analyse the performance of the belt and make a decision regarding the replacement of existing conveyor belts in its underground coal mining operations with ContiTech’s Coal Flo. Preliminary feedback on the performance of the Coal Flo Belt is favourable, but a long-term evaluation is required for in-depth analysis. This is the first underground Solid Woven Conveyor belt from ContiTech installed at the mine. Botha believes the extensive research and development undertaken to design and manufacture this specialised product will reflect in the long-term analysis data.

Caption Pic 1 PR CON 4117 SASOL.jpg One of the four rolls of 250 m of Coal Flo delivered to SASOL Mining

Caption Pic 2 PR CON 4117 SASOL.jpg Lengths of Coal Flo being prepared for installation

Caption Pic 3 PR CON 4117 SASOL.jpg Patrick Dawson from Bosjesspruit Mine with Gail Priemaier, ContiTech Field Service and Safety Manager and Johan de Witt, SASOL Bosjesspruit Mine Overseer for Underground Belting

Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2015, the corporation generated sales of €39.2 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tires, and ContiTech. Continental employs more than 212,000 people in 55 countries. The ContiTech division is one of the world's leading suppliers of technical elastomer products and is a specialist in plastics technology. It develops and produces functional parts, components, and systems for machine and plant engineering, mining, the automotive industry, and other important industries. ContiTech generated sales of almost €5.4 billion in 2015 and currently employs approximately 43,000 people in 44 countries worldwide.