Conveyors
How to measure a conveyor belt for replacement
Reviewed August 2026
Short answer
You need the belt width, the total length (and whether it must be supplied endless or open), the belt class or tensile rating, the number of plies or steel cords, the top and bottom cover grade and thickness, and the operating conditions — material, lump size, temperature, and any fire-resistance requirement.
Specifying a replacement belt from the wrong information is one of the most common causes of a second shutdown. Gather these before you request a quotation.
Belt width
Measure across the belt at 90° to its length, on a straight run away from the pulleys. Standard mining widths are 600, 750, 900, 1050, 1200, 1350, 1500, 1800 and 2100 mm. If your measurement is a few millimetres under a standard size, the belt has stretched and worn — quote the standard size.
Belt length
Do not measure a running belt. Provide the conveyor geometry instead:
- Centre-to-centre distance between the head and tail pulleys
- Head, tail, drive, bend and take-up pulley diameters
- Take-up type (gravity or screw) and its total travel
- Whether you need the belt endless (factory-spliced) or open (spliced on site)
Carcass: class, plies or cords
Fabric belts are rated by full-belt tensile strength and ply count, written asEP 800/4 — 800 kN/m across 4 plies. Steel-cord belts are rated ST 1000 and up. Read it off the belt print; if it is gone, count the plies at a cut edge, splice or damaged area and photograph the section.
Cover grade and thickness
The two numbers after the class — 4+2 — are the top and bottom cover thickness in millimetres. The grade letter (for example N, M, or a heat- or oil-resistant grade) sets the rubber compound. Measure the covers with a depth gauge at an unworn section such as the belt edge.
Operating conditions
These drive the compound and construction, not just the strength:
- Material conveyed, bulk density and maximum lump size
- Material temperature at the loading point
- Oil, fat or solvent exposure
- Above ground or underground, and any fire-resistance requirement (FR / FRAS) — see the guide below
- Impact conditions at the load zone and the drop height
What to send
A clear photo of the belt print, the width, the conveyor geometry above, cover measurements, and the operating conditions. That is enough for a supplier to quote a fit-for-purpose belt and the matching fasteners, splice materials and pulley lagging.
