Río Turbio (YCRT) is a state owned coal mining operation in the deep south of Argentina. In 2004, the mine was struck with disaster when an underground fire caused the death of 14 miners. The mine remained closed until a flame resistant conveyor belt cover could be supplied that met the world’s toughest flame standard, EN14973 C1/C2.
ENDURANCE BELTING offered to develop and certify a steelcord belt for the application, and in 2013 became the first rubber supplier to achieve this high standard for flame resistance and fire propagation protection.
In 2013, the mine purchased 40,700 ft of ENDURASTEEL PLUS belting certified to meet EN14973 C2, which remains the most stringent standard in the world and includes the DIN12881-2 Large Gallery Fire Propagation test.
ENDURASTEEL is designed to permit long conveyor centres with stretch of only 0.2%, and excellent flexibility around pulleys even at the highest tensions. ENDURASTEEL belts adhere to the strict German DIN standards for design and manufacturing.
The ENDURASTEEL PLUS belting supplied was manufactured with special inductive loops at 50 meter intervals. Transmitter/receiver pairs were installed along the conveyor at areas of risk which detect the loops as they pass and shutdown the conveyor if a loop is damaged as the result of a puncture or rip, reducing the amount of belting lost.