ISO 21183-1:2005

Overview

ISO 21183-1:2005 - "Light conveyor belts - Part 1: Principal characteristics and applications" defines the principal characteristics and typical applications of light conveyor belts. It clarifies which requirements and other standards apply to light conveyor belts or when such belts are excluded from the scope of other standards. The document is prepared by ISO/TC 41 (Pulleys and belts) and is based on EN 873:1996.

Key topics and technical characteristics

• Scope and purpose: Describes what constitutes a light conveyor belt for use in limiting or excluding applicability of other standards.
• Applications: Focus on indoor transport of unit loads (parcels, boxes, cans, containers, luggage, industrial goods, foodstuffs) and bulk materials in industries such as food, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic, agricultural, wood and tobacco. Machine belts (machine tapes) used inside equipment are covered.
• Construction:
  • Tensile members typically made from synthetic fabric plies (polyamide, polyester) bonded or joined with thermoplastic intermediate layers.
  • Surface covers vary widely (no coating to thick coatings) and use materials such as PVC, TPU, cross‑linked rubbers, PUR, etc., in differing textures and hardness.
• Dimensions:
  • Widths: from about 10 mm (machine belts) to several metres (processing belts).
  • Lengths: typically from ~500 mm up to ~100 m.
  • Thickness: from tenths of a millimetre to several millimetres (e.g., 10 mm+ for some paper‑processing belts).
  • Note: dimensions are generally not standardized because most installations are non‑standard.
• Mechanical and electrical properties:
  • Ultimate tensile strength ranges from <100 N/mm to several hundred N/mm of belt width; specialized constructions (e.g., with aramid fabric) may reach ~1 000 N/mm.
  • Maximum permissible working load is about 1/10 of the ultimate tensile strength.
  • Special functional properties include antistatic or highly conductive covers for electronics and other sensitive applications.

Applications and users

• Practical uses: Sorting systems, packaging machines, printing and paper processing, food handling lines, pharmaceutical conveyors, harvesting and limited outdoor agricultural conveyors. Machine belts integrated into processing equipment for conveying or participating in manufacturing operations (e.g., folding, coating, drying).
• Who uses this standard: Conveyor manufacturers, machine builders, procurement engineers, standards and compliance teams, product designers, and quality managers involved with light conveyor belts and conveying systems.

Related standards

• ISO 21183-2: List of equivalent terms (companion part).
• Based on CEN/TC 188 document EN 873:1996 (as noted in the standard).

Keywords: ISO 21183-1, light conveyor belts, machine belts, conveyor belt construction, tensile strength, antistatic belts, industrial conveyors.