Focused on maximising uptime, the Lisburn, Northern Ireland-headquartered firm’s mechanically-fastened Zip Clip belt is supplied ready-to-fit, without the need to wait for a splice team or specialist training. As with cold or hot vulcanising, environmental factors such as heat, humidity and dust, will not have an adverse effect on installation and once fitted and tensioned the belt can be run immediately. In an industry where uptime is king, having a Zip Clip belt in stock to replace a machine’s hardest working, most critical conveyor belt means reduced downtime and most importantly, increased production.
One company who understand the need to maximise uptime is Bord Na Mona – Ireland’s largest energy producer. Bord Na Mona use both renewable energy sources such as wind power alongside more traditional sources such as peat to feed Ireland’s national grid. With 3.5 million tonnes of peat to harvest over several thousand acres, the scale of the company’s operation is immense. While the methods of harvesting peat for fuel have evolved with modern machinery, the biggest challenge in the process remains the same – the weather. Bord Na Mona requires three consecutive dry days for the peat to be dry enough to harvest – that’s why a six-week harvest schedule can be drawn out over 3 to 4 months during the unpredictable Irish summer. With such a tight window of opportunity, minimising the impact of harvester breakdowns is essential – therefore a Smiley Monroe Zip Clip™ belt runs on every harvesting machine.
Donal Scally, area leader of Bord Na Mona’s Derrygreenagh operation, explained that the primary cause of conveyor belt failure is ancient bogwood, dredged up from deep within the bog: “Each harvester has two revolving conveyor belts, lifting peat and moving it into stockpiles. Both belts need to be working perfectly for the harvester to run. Because we work on such a tight schedule, maximising uptime and productivity in those short weather windows is key. Smiley Monroe Zip Clip belts come ready-to-fit and they’re easy to fit, meaning we can quickly replace damaged belts on any of our 134 harvesting machines and get back up and running in the shortest time possible.”
Nikolay Sezonov manages Bord Na Mona’s vast inventory of spare parts and maintenance of the largest tractor and excavator fleet in Europe. “Smiley Monroe is the obvious supplier choice when you talk about product quality, engineering support and competitive pricing. We keep a Zip Clip replacement belt in stock at each of our sites, which arrives pre-clipped and cut to size for our requirements - reducing turnaround time in the case of a breakdown. We’ve become great commercial partners with Smiley Monroe in the last few years, mainly thanks to the increase in harvester uptime which the Zip Clip belt affords.”
Site managers and OEMs around the globe are fast realising the benefits of Zip Clip. Factory made with pneumatic equipment by Smiley Monroe’s skilled team of belt experts, customers can be assured of a consistently high-quality splice and superior straightness and splice strength compared to a ‘hammer-in’ alternative. The recessed splice also minimises the impact on other conveyor components including PU belt cleaner blades, impact beds and feed boot skirting, ensuring the conveyor continues to run like clockwork. The armoured connecting pin and stainless chromium-steel staples are designed for maximum wear resistance even in the toughest of applications.
Every Zip Clip belt is supplied to the machine’s exact requirements with easy to follow fitting instructions and the tools required to carry out a fast and safe installation. Having a Zip Clip belt in stock is like having a spare tyre for your car - peace of mind in the event of breakdown. Demand for Zip Clip and a buoyant market has meant Smiley Monroe’s belt output has increased by 25% in 2018, a figure which the company says, based on customer forecasts, is likely to rise even further in the coming months.
