ContiTech adds capacity for heavy duty belting plant in Brazil

Fairlawn, Ohio – Continental AG’s materials and industrial arm, ContiTech, has expanded its production site in Ponta Grossa, Brazil, to support the manufacture of heavy-duty steel cord conveyor belts.

The facility can now produce belts rated up to ST10000, which ContiTech said is considered “the world’s strongest belt rating made to withstand extreme conditions.”

The investment, said a 24 Sept statement, will allow the business to better address the demand from local and international markets.

The expansion includes production lines featuring “advanced new rubber mixing, rubber blanket calendaring, vulcanisation, and inspection technologies.”

“Our goal is to double or even triple our production over the next few years,” said Andreas Gerstenberger, head of Industrial Solutions Americas at ContiTech.

The local production footprint will help shorten product shipping timelines and better serve customers in South America, which according to ContiTech is the world's largest regional market for heavy steel cord belts.”

ContiTech’s Phoenix Phoenocord ST10000 conveyor belt can be manufactured in lengths weighing up to 60 tonnes and are particularly suited for rock mining and other extreme material handling applications.

The belts are claimed to support “the most extreme” applications, providing “extreme durability” as well as high-capacity and high-breaking strength.