Sustainable quality of conveyor belts using an integrated knowledge system to support decision-making

Abstract

Environmentally friendly conveyor belts are a modification of conventional conveyor belts. Conveyor belts of the Ecotubelt type enclosed in the shape of a pipe are the most important construction element of hose conveyors, which represent an ecological replacement of classic belt conveyors. Their closed conveyor belt in the shape of a hose allows you to transport material with minimal environmental pollution around the conveyor. A long-term problem for the users of these conveyor belts in the world is their maximum use with regard to their service life within the life cycle of the equipment that uses the conveyor belts. In order to achieve a sustainable quality of conveyor belts related to their service life, it is necessary to propose new procedures for evaluating the quality of conveyor belts in terms of their performance. The object of the research is closed conveyor belts of the Ecotubelt type with special construction. The aim of the research is aimed at gaining comprehensive knowledge about the performance of non-traditional closed conveyor belts in order to achieve their sustainable quality. The article presents a new approach to the evaluation of the quality of the Ecotubelt type conveyor belt using the concept of a knowledge system integrating multidisciplinary knowledge from rubber technologies, the results of laboratory and simulation experiments, as well as mathematical models. The integrated knowledge system includes quality-oriented subsystems within products, processes, services. The result of the model is an economic indicator (TCO) Total Cost Over ship index, which expresses the quality index for the purchase and use of a conveyor belt. The function of the proposed knowledge system for assessing the quality of the conveyor belt is to provide the user with adequate information from a huge amount of data and information, which will enable him to achieve a sustainable quality of classic open as well as closed conveyor belts.