If economists are correct, and the local economy has bottomed out, hopefully this means increased demand for local mineral resources.
One cannot imagine mining activity without conveyor belting. Therefore, an increased demand for mineral resources leads to increased mining activity and, ultimately, increased demand for conveyor belting.
Due to our long history of supplying conveyor belting, the customer knows that when choosing Dunlop, he is buying a well-designed product he can trust, one that is durable, backed up by experts and which comes with a guarantee. In a nutshell, when you buy from Dunlop, you don’t just buy a belt; you buy many years of expertise, great after sales service and peace of mind.
Full service
Not only does Dunlop supply the complete range of heavy duty products – consisting of solid woven carcass, steel cord-reinforced, and multi-ply textile reinforced conveyor belting – Dave says they also supply a complete service that begins with the very design of the entire conveyor, through to supply of all components and installation. This ensures a conveyor system that is an extremely efficient, cost effective means of transporting bulk materials.
But it doesn’t stop there. The network of Rema Tip Top branches continue to support the customers through on-going inspections of the entire conveyor systems, tracking performance and identifying possible improvements, while simultaneously providing information that will assist the customer with maintenance planning. When it comes to the maintenance work, the same branch network is close at hand to provide the necessary services, which typically involve splicing and repair of conveyor belts, lining / coating metal surfaces for protection against corrosion and wear, as well lagging conveyor pulleys with rubber or ceramic lagging materials.
High quality accessories
Conveyor belting is expensive, no matter who supplies it, and ensuring optimum life for the product is imperative. This involves high quality accessories. The goal is always to reduce the total cost of ownership of their products, explains Dave. This denotes that, not only does Dunlop supply the belt, but if necessary, they optimise the entire conveyor and conveyor system. Yes, this adds marginally to the overall price, but it’s a good investment if you consider the cost of production loss associated with downtime, related to re-installing and splicing a conveyor belt that breaks.
Belt conveyors are the most cost effective method of transporting materials, mainly because of efficiencies arising from the following:
Lowest power to weight ratio of any form of material transportation;
Efficient electrical powered driving system with high efficiency gearing;
Extremely low frictional resistances.
Cost savings
It goes without saying that a low priced belt is attractive, but what’s of greater importance is a long, maintenance free belt life and very low energy consumption. This is achieved by using high quality conveyor belts and accessories, which feeds into increased reliability of the system and increased availability.As Dave outlines, the service that Dunlop provides in selecting the correct belt class, cover grade and thickness can result in significant savings, decreasing the total cost of ownership value mentioned earlier.
Quality standards
A high quality conveyor belt or conveyor accessory is one that, in the first instance, has consistently met all requirements of recognised standards over an extended period of time. In addition, the quality and availability of backup service ensures the product always meets its full potential.
Naturally, Dunlop rates their own products very highly, which according to Dave, can be corroborated by the industry at large, especially when you consider their market share and the constant demand for their products. He concludes that the current low commodity prices leads to delay replacement of high value items like conveyor belting. It’s Dave’s hope that the economists are correct and times are set to improve. In the meantime, he states that Dunlop will continue to provide service excellence to ensure optimum cost effective performance wherever they can.
Dunlop Industrial Products
www.dunlopindustrial.co.za
Rema Tip Top
www.rema-tiptop.co.za
