Steel cord conveyor belts are critical assets in mining and bulk material handling operations. They are designed to carry large volumes of material over long distances under harsh operating conditions. At the heart of these belts are steel cords, which provide the tensile strength required for safe and reliable operation. Monitoring and evaluating the health of these steel cords is essential to ensure belt integrity, operational safety, and maximum asset life.
Why Steel Cord Condition Matters
Damage, corrosion, broken cords, or fatigue within the steel cord structure can lead to catastrophic belt failures if left undetected. These failures often result in:
- Unplanned downtime and production losses
- Costly belt replacements and repairs
- Safety risks to personnel and equipment
- Secondary damage to conveyor structures and drives
Early detection of steel cord defects allows maintenance teams to take corrective action before minor issues escalate into major failures. A proactive monitoring approach significantly reduces risk, improves belt availability, and lowers total cost of ownership.
Rice Engineering Steel Cord Scanning Solution
Rice Engineering has developed a cost-effective, state-of-the-art steel cord scanning system designed to accurately assess the health and condition of steel cord conveyor belts. Our system makes use of Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) technology to detect abnormalities within the steel cords, including broken cords, corrosion, and localized damage that are not visible from the belt surface.
The system is capable of identifying:
- Broken or weakened steel cords
- Corrosion and material loss
- Localized damage and anomalies
- Progressive deterioration trends over time
Flexible Scanning Options
Rice Engineering offers both:
- Mobile scanning services, ideal for periodic belt inspections and condition assessments
- Fixed (permanent) installations, providing continuous monitoring and long-term condition tracking
This flexibility allows clients to select a solution that best suits their operational requirements and maintenance strategy.
In-House Developed Hardware & Software
All hardware and software used in our steel cord scanning systems have been developed in-house by Rice Engineering. This ensures full control over system performance, reliability, and ongoing improvements.
Our software is:
- Easy to use and operator friendly
- Designed for rapid data interpretation
- Capable of automatically generating clear, easy-to-understand inspection reports
These reports provide actionable insights that support informed maintenance and replacement decisions.
More Than a Scanning Service
Rice Engineering does not only provide steel cord scanning as a service. We also:
- Supply complete steel cord scanning systems for client ownership
- Provide comprehensive training on belt scanning procedures
- Offer training on software operation, data interpretation, and reporting
This empowers clients to build in-house capability while maintaining confidence in the accuracy and reliability of their inspections.
Protecting Critical Conveyor Assets
By investing in steel cord health monitoring, operators gain visibility into the true condition of their conveyor belts. Rice Engineering’s steel cord scanning solutions enable proactive maintenance, improved safety, reduced downtime, and extended belt life—protecting one of the most critical assets in any mining or bulk handling operation.