Fenner's Largest Order of Plied Rubber Belting Goes to Dendrobium

Thirteen and a half kilometres of belting will be supplied to Dendrobium mine as Fenner’s largest ever single-order of S grade belting.

South32 opted for one of Fenner’s best-selling compounds, made with S grade FRAS neoprene rubber covers.

Business Development Manager, Dean Callaway said Fenner’s plied rubber compound is market-leading compared to alternative S grade options on the market.

“The abrasion resistance of this compound is proven to facilitate increased service life of the parent belt and reduce the frequency of conveyor belt change outs.”

“Minimising change outs will be a priority for Dendrobium, which are confident we can assist with.”

The Australian-Made belt is being manufactured at the West Footscray facility with Fenner’s Crows Foot Weave carcass, adding to the final product of premium abrasion resistance.

Pictured: The first cures in progress at West Footscray

Dendrobium mine is an underground coal operation, owned and operated by Illawarra Metallurgical Coal, a subsidiary of South32. It mines coal used for steelmaking. With the mine located at Mt Kembla, Fenner will facilitate the supply of belting from its local operations in Wollongong, New South Wales.

Callaway explained that Fenner worked closely with South32 on milestones for the project, particularly around delivery dates given the current challenges facing the industry.

“Once dates were determined, our team came together to ensure the procurement of raw materials and manufacturing lead times could be met.”

“It’s one of the many advantages of working with Fenner. Our local manufacturing facilities enable us to meet customer deadlines and eliminate the supply chain risks faced by our competitors,” said Callaway.

The belt being supplied is for Dendrobium’s main trunk conveyors, which transport resources from the Illawarra Escarpment to the Kemira Valley Terminal. From here the coal is transported by rail to processing locations for use in local steel making or is exported overseas.

Belting for the first conveyor will be supplied in late September, with the remaining belt delivered prior to December this year.