Reflections on the 2024 CEMA Engineering Conference

Ginger Hustrulid and I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 CEMA Engineering Conference in Naples, Florida this week. As always, it was an exceptional experience!

When I began working with Alexander Harrison in 1992, I was given the CEMA "Belt Book" and assigned the task of incorporating the CEMA methodology into Alex's conveyor program. Although I can't recall if it was the 4th or 5th edition, those familiar with these editions know that there are certain assumptions regarding how some values should be split between the carry and return run. I eagerly awaited the opportunity to discuss the authors' true intentions with them directly.

Years later, when I joined Scandura / Fenner, I reached out to CEMA about joining, but was initially declined as belting was not a reportable category. Undeterred, I discovered that Scandura manufactured and sold the Durasplice Elevator Mechanical Fastener, which fell into a CEMA reportable category. As a result, Scandura joined CEMA based on our conveyor accessories and not the belting!

Over the years, I've found the three most valuable industry "meetings" for conveyors in the US are the summer CEMA Engineering Meeting, the NIBA Annual Convention, and the Technical Sessions and Poster Session at the SME Annual Meeting. Each offers a unique and important perspective.

This past year, work on the 8th Edition of the "Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials" (aka "The Belt Book") has begun in earnest. Committees have been formed for each chapter, and numerous team meetings have already taken place. On Monday afternoon, several chapter committees held formal working sessions to discuss their progress and resolve open issues. Tuesday's official sessions covered different CEMA component groups, including idlers, pulleys, drives/controls, safety, accessories, and more. As a conveyor engineer, you learn something new in each discussion, and as a manager in the conveyor industry, you gain insight into how the belt book reaches consensus and, in some areas, leads to industry standards.

The CEMA engineering conference attracts the leading engineers from top conveyor companies, many of whom have become old friends. The conference also welcomes the next generation of engineers who are driving the industry forward. Attendees include representatives from Takraf, Bechtal Chile, Conveyor Dynamics, PPI, Superior, ASGCO, Martin Sprocket and Gear, Rulmeca, SEW, Nord Gear, Flexco, Martin Engineering, and many more.

Belting manufacturers are now also welcomed and participate in conjunction with ARPM. Head Application Engineers from Sempertrans, Fenner, and Conti were present at the CEMA meetings, contributing their expertise.

I serve on several belt book chapter committees, including "Chapter 1," the idler chapter, the pulley chapter, the curve chapter, and as the chair of "Chapter 6," which covers "Belt Tension and Power Engineering."

In the 8th edition, there is a desire to streamline the book, as it has become quite large and a bit bloated over the years. Discussions are ongoing about what should be included in the belt book versus the standalone standards, how much of the historic methods should be retained, and whether so many tables are necessary. The goal is to improve the text itself, not just make the book thinner through formatting changes.

Some topics are being reorganized, such as grouping discussions of transitions, turnovers, vertical and horizontal curves, as they all address variations in stresses across the belt width and in response to the geometry of the conveyor structure.

In the pulley chapter, we are considering adding more details about keyless locking assemblies and engineered pulleys, among other topics.

During the "Chapter 6" discussions and Idler Committee meetings, we had robust conversations about how the Idler Seal Drag figures could be better represented and communicated in the next edition. There's still much work to be done!

In Chapter 6, we also moved closer to a consensus on improving some highly technical calculations. A marketing friend in attendance likened the discussion to engineers comparing the size of their slide rules, but in the end, we are closer to a good solution. The passion is appreciated.

Many technologies in the "Emerging Technologies" section, like DEM modeling, are now 30 years old and no longer "emerging." They need to be moved elsewhere. At the same time, technologies like Digital Twins and the use of AI need to be added.

If you're an engineer in the conveyor industry, I encourage you to join and attend the CEMA engineering conference. If you're a manager of a conveyor company, send your engineers – both experienced and new hires. We need them all.

This coming week, I am the Keynote Speaker at the 6th annual congress on TRITURACIóN Y TRANSPORTE DE MINERALES POR FAJAS in Lima, Peru. https://deev.pe/congreso-tt/ My talk will focus on Advancements in Conveyor Energy Efficiency and the Potential of Digital Twins. I look forwards to seeing many of you in Lima!

From October 16th to 18th, I'll be running the Belt Conveyor Design course at the Colorado School of Mines. Registration is now open, and the 7th Edition of "Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials" in English or Spanish is included in the tuition.

To register:

Dates: October 16-18, 2024

Visit: Colorado School of Mines Conveyor Course .

I look forward to seeing you there!