THE INTERMEDIATE carriers used in most Australian sugar factories are either
drag conveyors or conventional, smooth rubber belts. Drag conveyors are
generally high cost in terms of both capital expenditure and maintenance.
Smooth rubber belts offer low cost but are restricted to operating at relatively
shallow angles of elevation. The shallow angle necessary with smooth belts
increases the footprint and so the cost of new factory layouts and means that
such belts cannot be retrofitted in place of steep drag conveyors. A rubber belt
fitted with deep, transverse cleats to allow operation at high angles combines the
advantages of traditional drag conveyors and smooth rubber belts. A prototype,
cleated belt for conveying bagasse was run at Bundaberg Sugar’s Fairymead mill
during the 2000 season. Testing and development of the prototype lead to the
first Australian commercial installations in 2001. Six cleated belt conveyors
have been installed in Australian sugar mills and single units have been supplied
to mills in Fiji and Mauritius. The paper describes the testing done with the
original prototype and subsequent operational experiences leading to the current
design.