NR / 10mm / 0,2x20m / Zenith Side Skirt Black

Zenith side skirt rubber sheets, conveyor belt skirting

Zenith side skirt rubber sheets are abrasion resistant natural rubber (NR) strips designed specifically as side skirting for belt conveyors. Their job is to seal the loading and transfer zone: the rubber strip runs along the walls of the loading chute, presses against the belt, keeps the material on the belt and reduces spillage under the conveyor as well as dust emission. The flexible compound adapts to the belt profile without causing excessive belt wear. The resulting seal stays effective while the top cover of the belt remains protected.

SCP offers two basic variants. Side Skirt Red is a soft NR compound with a hardness of 45 Shore A ±5, tensile strength of 12 MPa, elongation at break of 400% and specific gravity of 1.2 g/cm³, with a service range from -40°C to +70°C. Thanks to its low hardness and high resilience it performs particularly well with wet, fine grained materials where caking is the problem. Soft rubber bounces the material back and shows a self cleaning effect, and the low temperature limit allows year round operation on outdoor installations. Side Skirt Black is a harder compound at 60 Shore A ±5 (8 MPa, 300%, specific gravity 1.2 g/cm³, range -30°C to +70°C), intended for dry abrasion and for zones where higher stiffness and resistance to the impact of coarser material matter more. Both variants have a smooth finish on both sides, which ensures even contact with the belt and with the clamping bar.

Side skirt sealing strips are used wherever bulk material is fed onto a belt or transferred between conveyors: in mines and quarries, aggregate processing plants, cement plants, steel plants, power stations, transshipment ports, sugar factories, fertiliser plants as well as in recycling and waste management. Typical applications include sealing the walls of loading chutes and transfer points, secondary sealing in cascade skirting systems, skirts and flaps closing chutes, and sealing strips at conveyor enclosures. Correctly selected and properly adjusted skirting delivers a real reduction in operating costs: it limits the clean up of spilled material, reduces dust and improves workplace safety, protects idlers and the structure against material erosion, and extends belt service life. For a complete solution in the loading zone it is worth adding further components such as dust sealing, impact bars, pulley lagging and conveyor belt scrapers.

Conditions of use and limitations

Natural rubber is not resistant to mineral oils, fuels and petroleum products. In such environments (for example part of recycling applications) NBR or polyurethane strips are the more suitable choice. The material should not operate in permanent contact with concentrated acids and bases, nor at temperatures exceeding the upper limit of the service range of natural rubber compounds. Because NR is sensitive to atmospheric ageing, prolonged exposure to UV and ozone during plant shutdowns should be avoided. Sealing performance depends not only on the quality of the rubber but also on correct installation: the skirt strip should be pressed against the belt with light, even pressure and readjusted regularly as it wears. Excessive pressure accelerates belt wear. Before use in critical applications we recommend verifying the parameters in the technical data sheet of the specific type and running a trial under real operating conditions.