Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) is working to expand sales of Tuftex α, a material that excels when used to make conveyor belts for reclaimers, which move bulk amounts of resources like iron ore and coal from stockpiles. Tuftex α conveyor belts feature the world’s highest level of abrasion resistance, which has earned them a strong reputation at reclaimer job...
The Japan Belting Manufacturers Association recently published a 2018 demand forecast for rubber and resin belts. As part of the report, the association estimated the 2017 production volume of rubber belts at 26,694 tons, marking a 1 percent year-on-year increase and a third consecutive year below 30,000 tons. While transmission belt production stayed flat for 2017, conveyor belt production rose...
The conveyor belt business is recovering thanks to a turnaround in domestic demand for conveyor production and a 40 percent jump in exports to Australia. Meanwhile, soaring raw material costs are hurting the industry’s bottom line. Production volume figures for January through August compiled by the Japan Belting Manufacturers Association show that output has recovered on a year-on-year basis to...
The Japan Belting Manufacturers Association recently offered a proposal regarding how to measure conveyor belt running resistance to an international conference on ISO/TC41 held in London from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22. Doshisha University Professor Toru Fujii presented the proposal, which is to be voted by committee members. Another member from the Japanese association also held a presentation, which proposed...
Bando Chemical Industries Ltd. (TYO:5195) has been working to bolster existing businesses while creating new ones as part of Breakthroughs for the Future, the company’s medium- to long-term business plan. The plan was embarked upon in fiscal 2013, and its first stage – or “BF-1” – concludes this year. According to Bando Chemical’s president, Mitsutaka Yoshii, the company has made...
Nitta Corp. (TYO:5186) has seen steady growth in sales of its conveyor belts. The company’s New Light Grip conveyor belts, which are made with polyester woven fabric, are selling well in the food and distribution sectors. In the food sector, sales of the WEXU, LBEU Series high-performance belts, which were launched in 2015, have contributed to increased revenue for the...
