Load Capacity & TPH for Various Conveyor Belt Widths & Types
When it comes to designing or troubleshooting a mining conveyor system, one of the most common questions engineers ask is: How much material can my conveyor actually handle?
The answer depends on several interrelated factors—most notably, belt width, but also belt speed, troughing angle, material density, and overall system design. Understanding how these factors influence tons per hour (TPH) is the key to maximizing throughput and ensuring your conveyor operates safely and efficiently.
How Belt Width Affects Load Capacity
The width of your conveyor belt is typically the starting point for determining conveyor capacity. Wider belts can carry larger volumes of material, which directly increases TPH potential.
As a general rule of thumb:
- 24-inch belts handle light material loads or short runs.
- 36- to 42-inch belts are common in smaller operations or secondary conveyor lines.
- 48- to 60-inch belts are used in most primary mine conveyors.
- 72-inch and wider belts are found in high-tonnage or long-distance applications, such as coal, salt, and aggregate transport.
However, width alone doesn’t tell the full story. Two conveyors with the same belt width can have drastically different capacities depending on belt speed, trough angle, and material characteristics.
Tons per Hour (TPH): The Full Equation
Conveyor TPH capacity is typically calculated using:
TPH = 3.6 × Belt Speed (m/s) × Load Cross Sectional Area (m²) × Material Density (t/m³)
That means increasing belt speed or troughing angle can raise TPH without changing belt width, but only within the system’s safe operating limits. Over-speeding or overloading can cause belt mistracking, spillage, and accelerated wear on pulleys and idlers.
In other words, the best way to increase throughput isn’t simply to move faster—it’s to balance belt width, speed, and design capacity to match your specific material and layout.
Common Conveyor Belt Types & Their Capacities
The type of belt used also affects load capacity and throughput, making it important to choose the right belt type. The most common conveyor belt types are listed below.
1. Flat Belts
Flat belts are typically used for shorter, light-duty runs or where elevation changes are minimal. Their limited troughing capacity means lower material volume and TPH.
2. Troughed Belts
The standard in mining, these belts use angled idlers (usually 20°, 35°, or 45°) to form a trough that carries more material at once. Increasing the troughing angle increases the cross-sectional area, and therefore the TPH.
3. Pipe Belts
Pipe conveyors form the belt into a closed tube, preventing spillage and protecting the material from the environment. While they provide clean, enclosed transport, their capacity is lower than an open-trough belt of equal width.
4. Steel-Cord or Fabric Belts
Material composition doesn’t affect capacity directly, but it does impact the system’s allowable tension and belt speed. Steel-cord belts can handle higher loads and longer runs, enabling higher TPH in demanding mining environments.
Why Your Throughput Might Be Struggling
If your conveyor isn’t meeting its target tons per hour, the issue may lie in more than just the belt width. Common causes include:
- Overloaded belts: The system may be operating beyond its design capacity, leading to spillage and inconsistent loading.
- Belt slippage or stretch: Reduces drive efficiency and disrupts consistent material flow.
- Idler or pulley wear: Creates drag and vibration that limit belt speed and cause misalignment.
- Build-up or carryback: Decreases effective load space and slows throughput.
- Improper loading or transfer design: Can cause uneven belt loading and reduced capacity.
In these cases, a complete system evaluation can help identify where performance is breaking down, and whether a targeted upgrade or a full replacement is more cost-effective.
Modernizing for Higher Throughput
Upgrading part or all of your conveyor system can dramatically improve performance without the cost of a total rebuild. Options include:
- Installing a wider belt or higher-trough idlers to increase load volume.
- Upgrading drives or motors to support higher belt speeds.
- Adding belt cleaners, impact beds, or improved transfer points to reduce carryback and spillage.
- Implementing modern control systems for better load management and power efficiency.
West River’s engineering team can assess your existing system’s bottlenecks and recommend the best modernization path to safely boost throughput—whether that means a new belt, an upgraded drive, or a fully re-engineered conveyor.
Comparing Current vs. New System Specs
When you compare your conveyor’s current load and speed specs to those of a modern system, the performance gap is often striking. Older conveyors designed for lower capacities may be pushed beyond their limits, resulting in excessive downtime, maintenance costs, and safety risks.
By evaluating belt width and material, drive horsepower and pulley configuration, and idler spacing and trough geometry, you can pinpoint the factors limiting throughput and see where modern equipment could deliver significant efficiency gains.
When to Consider a New Conveyor System
If your system has reached the point where component upgrades no longer provide meaningful gains, it may be time to upgrade to a newer conveyor system.
A modern conveyor system from West River Conveyors offers:
- Optimized belt width and speed for maximum TPH
- Integrated tensioning and control systems for consistent performance
- Modular designs for easier maintenance and scalability
- Custom engineering to handle specific materials and operating conditions
These features and benefits allow you to boost your productivity with a modern conveyor system.
Partner with West River Conveyors
Whether you’re troubleshooting an underperforming system or planning a major expansion, West River Conveyors can help you achieve higher throughput with confidence. Our engineering team specializes in designing conveyor systems that meet demanding production targets while minimizing maintenance and downtime.
Contact WRC today to discuss your belt width, load capacity, or system modernization project, and discover how the right conveyor design can help you move more material, more efficiently.