As a conveyor roller belts supplier, Yorkshire’s YB Components know a lot about conveyor systems and all the necessary parts and maintenance required to keep them running smoothly. So, it is astounding to learn exactly how long some of the world’s longest conveyor systems are.
Here’s a quick look at the record-breaking conveyor systems around the world.
World’s Longest Single Conveyor System
According to the renowned world record compiler Guinness Book of Records, the longest single conveyor system in the world is located in Western Australia, running between the Mount Saddleback mine and the Worsley refinery near Collie. It is over 19 miles long as the crow flies, though actually travels over 31 miles during its winding journey. The belt system was built in 1983 and is still used to transport approximately 2,700 tonnes of bauxite ore every hour from the mine to the refinery so that aluminium can be extracted. The loads travel through 22 tunnels and 10 bridges along its journey at a speed of 16mph.
World’s Longest Interlinked Conveyor Belt
The longest interlinked conveyor belt system is so big that it can be seen from space. The Bou Craa conveyor belt system in the Western Sahara is over 61 miles long and is used to transport phosphate ore from the mine in Bou Craa to the port town of Marsa in Morocco. It consists of a winding system of interlinked belts, hence the differentiation between this belt and the Western Australian single conveyor.
The phosphate mine produces around 3 million tonnes every year which is 10% of Morocco’s total phosphate production. Morocco actually has about 85% of all the world’s phosphate rock, which is used to make phosphate compounds that are then used in food additives, detergents and herbicides. Sedimentary phosphate rock deposits are also known for often containing fossilised remains of ancient fish and other aquatic animals, including sharks, whales and manatees.
World’s Longest Border-Crossing Conveyor
The world’s longest single-belt conveyor that crosses international borders is in India and Bangladesh. The belt is about 11 miles long, with over 4 miles of the belt in the Indian state of Meghalaya and over six miles in Bangladesh. It was constructed in 2004 to transport limestone and shale from an Indian quarry to a Bangladeshi cement factory. The belt moves the materials at a constant rate of approximately 960 tonnes every hour.
Interestingly, the entire conveyor system has been raised up by about five metres on a special frame structure to prevent it getting flooded during the monsoon season. The belt also features special rollers which can move in both horizontal and vertical directions along the route. Workers conduct maintenance on the conveyor system via overhead trolleys that travel above the belt itself, with both India and Bangladesh having their own trolleys and maintenance teams to take care of their sides of the system.
We’re sure both the Indian and Bangladeshi maintenance teams will be delighted to know there is a specialist conveyor roller belts supplier in Yorkshire who can ship the necessary replacements parts fast and free all over the UK and the rest of the world!
If you require any conveyor chains or belts, then contact YB Components who are the UK’s conveyor roller belts supplier in Yorkshire.
