Heavy Duty Conveyor Belting

PIW stands for Pounds per Inch of Width, the industry-standard measure of a conveyor belt's rated tensile strength — how much pulling force one inch of the belt's width can safely carry. A belt rated at 220 PIW can handle roughly 220 lbs of tension per inch of belt width before reaching its working load limit. Higher PIW ratings generally mean more plies and a heavier-duty carcass, and are needed for longer conveyors, heavier loads, or higher pulley RPMs where belt tension increases.

Each ply is a layer of fabric reinforcement (typically polyester or nylon) built into the belt carcass between the rubber covers. More plies add tensile strength, impact resistance, and load-carrying capacity, which is why Jealco's Heavy Duty Grade 2 belts range from 2-ply (150–220 PIW) up to 4-ply (440–600 PIW). The tradeoff is added thickness and weight, and a larger minimum pulley diameter is required as ply count increases. Choosing the right ply count comes down to matching the belt to your conveyor's length, incline, load weight, and pulley sizes.

SBR (Styrene-Butadiene Rubber) is the standard general-purpose compound — cost-effective with good abrasion resistance for typical bulk material handling. EPDM is a synthetic rubber engineered for heat resistance, used in Jealco's High Heat belting line for material coming off dryers, kilns, or thermal processes. MOR (Moderate Oil Resistance) compounds resist swelling and degradation from oils and greases, making them the right choice when belts will be exposed to lubricants or oily material rather than dry bulk goods.

FR (Fire Resistant) and SC (Static Conductive) belting is required whenever a conveyor operates in an environment with combustible dust, fumes, or flammable materials — most commonly underground mining, grain handling, and other MSHA- or NFPA-regulated settings. FR compounds are formulated to resist flame propagation, while SC compounds dissipate static electricity buildup that could otherwise spark and ignite dust in the air. Standard SBR belting is fine for typical industrial and manufacturing use, but FR/SC belting is often a safety requirement, not just a preference, in these higher-risk environments.

High Heat EPDM belting is available in two ratings: a standard HR compound rated for continuous exposure up to 400°F, and a PEAK HR compound rated for intermittent exposure up to 700°F. Both are built for material coming directly off hot processes — kilns, dryers, ash handling, foundry operations — where standard SBR belting would degrade or fail. Match the rating to your process temperature: use the 400°F line for sustained heat exposure and reserve the 700°F PEAK line for higher, shorter-duration heat spikes.