Sidewall Belt Conveyor Manufacturer | Engineering Guide for 90° Vertical Conveying

Featured Definition:
A sidewall belt conveyor is a bulk material conveying system that uses corrugated sidewalls and transverse cleats to move material at steep inclines or vertically, reducing transfer points while preventing rollback and material spillage.

 

Why Sidewall Belt Conveyors Are Used in Mining, Ports, and Cement Plants

In mining operations, port terminals, and cement plants, elevation changes are often unavoidable while available installation space is limited.
Traditional conveyors require multiple transfer towers, increasing dust, wear points, and maintenance exposure.

Sidewall belt conveyors allow material to be lifted in a single continuous line, improving system reliability and reducing operating cost—provided the belt structure is correctly engineered.

 

Corrugated Sidewall and Cleat System: Functional Fundamentals

The effectiveness of a sidewall belt conveyor depends on the interaction between the corrugated sidewalls and the cleat geometry.
Incorrect cleat selection commonly results in rollback, trapped material, or excessive stress at the cleat root.

 

Cleat Type Application Comparison

Cleat Type	Typical Particle Size	Maximum Incline	Material Characteristics	Typical Industries
C-Type	Powder to ≤ 20 mm	Up to 70°	Free-flowing, low cohesion	Cement raw meal, fly ash
TC-Type	20–60 mm	Up to 85°	Moderate bulk density	Coal, limestone, clinker
TCS-Type	60–150 mm	Up to 90°	Heavy, abrasive, irregular lumps	Iron ore, copper ore, aggregates

Cross-Rigid (XE) Base Belt: What Actually Fails at 90° Without It

From an engineering standpoint, the limiting factor in 90° vertical conveying is not the sidewall or the cleat—it is the lack of transverse stiffness in the base belt.
This issue often only becomes visible after commissioning.

With conventional EP or NN base belts, we frequently observe the following problems in steep and vertical operation:

 

Belt bowing between cleats as material column pressure builds up

Local belt collapse, where the base belt is pushed inward under compression

Unstable return strand with excessive sag, leading to chronic mistracking

Accelerated fatigue at the sidewall root caused by repeated inward deformation

 

These failures occur because, in vertical conveying, the belt section between cleats is primarily under compressive load, not tension.
Standard multi-ply belts are not designed to carry transverse compression.

Single Transverse Rigid Layer vs. Multi-Ply Construction

The Cross-Rigid (XE) base belt addresses this issue through a dedicated single transverse rigid layer, engineered to work only in the belt width direction.

Compared with conventional multi-ply EP constructions:

 

The XE layer forms a stable “bridge” between cleats, eliminating local belt deflection

Longitudinal flexibility is preserved, allowing smooth transition over drive and tail pulleys

Material pressure is distributed across the belt width instead of concentrating at cleat roots

 

Adding more fabric plies increases thickness, but does not proportionally increase transverse load capacity.
In practice, each ply introduces shear movement, which accelerates deformation under vertical load.

Interaction with Drive Pulleys in Vertical Operation

At the drive pulley, the belt must bend longitudinally while remaining stable across its width.
The XE transverse layer does not participate in bending, which avoids hard bending points at pulley entry.

This results in:

 

No localized edge overstress at the drive pulley

Stable friction conditions without increasing wrap angle

Reduced return-side sag and improved tracking over long-term operation

 

In practical terms, the XE structure directly addresses common field complaints such as return belt instability, premature cleat cracking, and sidewall separation.

Hot-Vulcanized Bonding: Preventing Sidewall and Cleat Separation

Sidewall detachment is almost always a bonding issue rather than a rubber quality problem.
We use hot-vulcanized bonding to achieve uniform molecular crosslinking between the base belt, cleats, and sidewalls.

Material Spillage Prevention by System Design

 

Sidewall height matched to cleat pitch and belt width

Controlled loading zone to avoid overfilling

Abrasion-resistant rubber compounds to maintain profile integrity

FAQ – Common Engineering Questions

How can sidewall detachment be prevented?

Use hot-vulcanized bonding, match rubber hardness between belt and sidewall, and ensure sufficient transverse stiffness of the base belt to prevent inward collapse.

How is cleat height calculated for steep incline conveying?

Cleat height is determined by material angle of repose, bulk density, incline angle, and belt speed.
As a rule of thumb, the effective pocket height should exceed the material slump height by 15–25% at the design incline.

Engineering Support from a Dedicated Sidewall Belt Conveyor Manufacturer

We design sidewall belt conveyors as load-bearing systems, not accessories.
Every selection starts with material behavior, stress paths, and long-term operating stability.

Next Step

Download the Sidewall Belt Maintenance Checklist or request a customized steep-incline conveying solution engineered for your specific duty cycle.