ISO 15236-3:2017

Overview - ISO 15236-3:2017 (Steel cord conveyor belts - Part 3)

ISO 15236-3:2017 specifies special safety, performance and construction requirements for steel cord conveyor belts intended for use in underground installations - primarily in coal mines and other environments with high fire and explosion risk. It applies to single belts and complete type series (see ISO 15236-2) and addresses design, mechanical performance, and safety requirements specific to underground use.
Important: the standard notes that, at present, these safety requirements can only be met using compounds based on chloroprene rubber for covers and bonding rubber.

Key topics and technical requirements

The standard covers detailed, engineering-focused topics relevant to belt manufacture, selection and testing:

• Belt design and construction
  • Core, cover and total belt thickness definitions; standard cross‑sections (with/without transverse reinforcements).
  • Guidance on breakers (textile transverse reinforcement) and weft (steel transverse reinforcement).
• Mechanical requirements
  • Belt strength range: 500 N/mm to 8 000 N/mm (per belt width) and preferred type designations (e.g., ST 1000 … ST 5400).
  • Rules for number of steel cords, cord pitch, cord position (horizontal and vertical) and cord joint spacing.
  • Cord breaking strength, pull‑out force, and adhesion/bonding tests.
• Safety, fire and explosion performance
  • Construction and compound requirements to meet underground flammability and electrical safety needs.
• Operational properties and tests
  • Troughability, tracking, abrasion and adhesion testing (references to ISO and EN test methods).
• Dimensions, tolerances and marking
  • Specified belt widths (up to 3 200 mm in updated tables), edge/supporting width calculations and ordering/marking data.
• Sampling, designation and purchaser information
  • Guidance on sampling, required purchaser-supplied data and delivery documentation.

Practical applications and typical users

Who uses ISO 15236-3:2017:

• Mining companies and underground operations specifying safe conveyor belts for coal and other hazardous atmospheres.
• Conveyor belt manufacturers and compound formulators designing steel cord belts for underground service.
• Safety and procurement engineers creating technical specifications and tender documents.
• Test laboratories and conformity assessors performing mechanical, adhesion and flammability checks.
• OEMs, integrators and maintenance teams responsible for belt selection, installation and replacement in high-risk environments.

Related standards

• ISO 15236 series (see Part 1/2 for general and material-specific rules)
• ISO 7590, ISO 7622 / ISO 7623 (cord/coating/adhesion tests)
• EN 14973 (electrical and flammability safety requirements for underground belts)
• Test methods: ISO 37, ISO 703, ISO 4649, EN 13827

Keywords: ISO 15236-3:2017, steel cord conveyor belts, underground installations, conveyor belt safety, chloroprene rubber, belt design, cord pitch, breaker, weft, belt strength, mining conveyor standards.