3 • 2010
Belt Line
Vol. 9 Issue 1
A Publication of NIBA – The Belting Association
Winning With September 18-21 Strategic Vision E
xperience unparalleled serenity and networking opportunities at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona, for the 2010 NIBA Annual Convention. The majestic hotel sits on 316 acres in the Sonoran Desert, with a full-service spa, awardwinning restaurants, championship golf at the Wildfire Golf Club, five swimming pools, and a lazy river all within a 30-minute drive of Sky Harbor International Airport. Surrounded by the grandeur of the McDowell Mountains, the luxury hotel features amazing views from all angles.
Plan now to attend this information-filled and
action-packed networking event! Look for your complete NIBA Convention registration packet in May and register online at www.niba.org.
Reserve your hotel room now at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge. Call the hotel directly at 800-297-5056. Rates: $214 Single/Double (plus taxes) Remember to mention NIBA when calling to receive the discounted room rate.
Saturday, September 18, 2010 Morning Evening
ommittee Meetings C First Timer’s Reception / Welcome Reception & Dinner
Sunday, September 19, 2010 Morning Afternoon Evening
pening Ceremonies / Keynote Speaker O Networking Afternoon Manufacturers Hospitality Night
Monday, September 20, 2010 Morning Afternoon Evening
eynote Speakers / Spouse Activities K Golf Outing / Tennis Tournament/Tours Networking Evening / Booth Set-Up
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 Morning Day Evening
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F un Run/Walk Convention Booth Program / Spouse Activities Farewell Evening Reception & Dinner
Conveyor Belt Installation Tension
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NEW! Russ Agnes Memorial Scholarship
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Ray Snow Scholarship
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Member-ToMember
6737 W Washington St, Suite 1300, Milwaukee, WI 53214 • 414.389.8606 • FAX 414.276.7704 • www.niba.org
Letter from the President Dear NIBA Members,
W
ell, 2010 is finally here and I am excited. We just finished our January Committee and Board meetings, and everyone I spoke with is looking forward to a great year from both a personal and company standpoint. This will be the year that our vision becomes a mental picture of what NIBA could be‌fueled by a passion that it should be. This will be the year that NIBA will have a Strategic Planning Meeting in June that will focus on this vision and passion that will make NIBA the premier association in our industry. This will be the year that NIBA will have an Annual Convention in September at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, AZ, that will be one of the best conventions ever in the long history of NIBA. I want to thank all of our Board and Committee members for their dedication and commitment in working to see that all of us that are members have the right tools to help us in our vocation. May this be the year that we truly enjoy our work ahead, and the friendships that we make along the way.
Don Garner NIBA President 2010 Nashville Rubber & Gasket Co., Inc.
NIBA’s logo, videos, written materials, etc., are proprietary material. Please submit a written request to NIBA Headquarters to receive permission for use in web sites, catalogs, promotional materials, etc. All articles in the Belt Line may be reprinted with prior written approval from NIBA.
Belt Line Executive Director...... Jennifer Rzepka, CAE Account Coordinator............. Tiffany Taticek Graphic Designer...................... Jon Brunner Editing of all member submissions for inclusion in the Belt Line is a NIBA Board of Directors requirement. Generally, comments regarding quality, value, cost, etc., will be deleted.
New Members B&J Rocket America, Inc. Primary Contact: Todd Hart PO Box 1146 325 N Main St Middlebury, IN 46540 USA Phone: 574-825-5802 Fax: 574-825-7972 Email: th@bj-rocket.com
Qingdao Huaxia Rubber Industry Co., Ltd. Primary Contact: Sunny Huang No 146 Chengma Road Tong Ji District, Jino Qingdao, Shandong 266228 CHINA Phone: 86.532.82519922 Fax: 86.532.82519238 Email: sales@huaxiarubber.com
Hyde Tools, Inc. Primary Contact: Eric Pfeiffer 54 Eastford Rd Southbridge, MA 1550 USA Phone: 508-764-4344 Fax: 508-765-5250 Email: rcloutier@hydetools.com
Shanghai YongLi Belting Co., Ltd. Primary Contact: Eric Li No. 58 Xuwang Rd, West of Xuhua Rd Xujing Town, Qingpu District Shanghai 201702 CHINA Phone: +86.21.59884359 Fax: +86.21.59884382 Email: eric_ylbelt@hotmail.com
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
NIBA Executive Director Message By Jennifer Rzepka, CAE, NIBA Executive Director
NIBA’s New Strategic Plan – We Need Your Input 2010 wraps up the end of NIBA’s three-year Strategic Plan developed in 2010 by a hardworking, dedicated group of 13 people. A Strategic Plan is an essential guiding document for a professional association. It helps leaders focus on the long-term plans for the association, and make sure that decisions made from Board meeting to Board meeting are always inline with the primary goal. President Don Garner’s vision for the association this year is not to recreate the wheel, but rather to streamline and optimize what the association is doing well to position it for sustainable growth moving forward. He recently attended a session by speaker, author and pastor Andy Stanley who stated, “Vision is a mental picture of what could be…fueled by a passion that it should be.” Don feels that this is the future for NIBA – passionate, dedicated members driving the association to its full potential. In June of this year, he is bringing together a variety of new and seasoned members and non-members to discuss strategic elements of the association, how to improve on what we already have, and what the future may hold for NIBA. Though only a small number of individuals can be involved that day, he is looking to all members for their personal input so the Strategic Planning Committee can be sure to address the needs and concerns of all members. When you receive your survey, please take the time to reflect on the past few years, and provide honest and constructive input in your feedback to Don. The only way we can continue to improve on all NIBA has to offer members is by knowing what you feel about this association. Thank you,
Attention 2010 Strategic Planning Committee: Friday, June 25 – Sunday, June 27, 2010 Embassy Suites Nashville South 820 Crescent Centre Drive • Franklin, Tennessee
Belt Line – March 2010
The Education/Technical Committee is coordinating construction of a light weight conveyor for use at future Technical Seminars. It is expected that the finished product will be available for viewing during the September Convention. The Marketing Committee has begun translation of NIBA training materials. The first non-English publication will be a Spanish version of the Belting Basics workbook, expected to be complete this Summer. The new Russ Agnes Memorial Scholarship details have been released by the Products and Services Committee. This scholarship is open to all members of NIBA, not strictly Distributor/Fabricators. A Strategic Planning session will be held in June to discuss high-end NIBA business including refinement of membership dues categories, a potential certification program, and review how the members feel the association is doing. Watch for your survey this Spring.
Corrections/ Additions NIBA inadvertently left off Doug Turk from Midwest Rubber Service & Supply from the December Belt Line’s recognition of the 2010 Membership Committee.
Jennifer Rzepka, CAE Executive Director
Schedule Overview Friday, June 25 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – Strategic Planning Meeting 6:00 pm –Dinner
January Board Highlights
Saturday, June 26 8:00 am – 5:00 pm – Strategic Planning Meeting Sunday, June 27 8:00 am – Board Meeting
NIBA also would like to recognize Michael VandenAkker from Sparks Belting Company on the Membership Committee and Jessica Burgess from Stroup & Son, Ltd. on the Products & Service Committee as new members in 2010. We would like to extend our apologies to Shaw Almex, as their name was printed incorrectly in the 3T Technical Seminar recap in the December 2009 Issue.
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A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
Conveyor Belt Installation Tension – Static vs. Dynamic By Jonathan Morgan, Forbo Siegling
I
n the world of conveyor belting, installation tension is a must to get the necessary performance levels out of the product. A belt simply will not support the necessary load requirements or even track properly unless the installation tension is sufficient. It is a simple topic relatively speaking, but for many customers it’s filled with misinformation and error-laden traditions. Hopefully, the following information will clear the air on this critical but often misunderstood topic.
If a belt was used in this fashion, this value would be sufficient for determining the suitability of the material for a particular load requirement. The main problem is that most belts are not used in a stationary position, however. In fact just about all of them are in motion, circumventing a pulley system of some kind. For that reason there is a more suitable & representative method of dynamic testing.
General Information
Conveyor belts made of synthetic materials with a tension member show a slight tendency towards fatigue-related elongation, which is dependent on type and caused by the re-orientation of the material in the direction of elongation. As a consequence, after several load Dependency between elongacycles, the force required tion E and required pull F after for a particular elonga1, 1,000, and 10,000 elongation decreases more and tion cycles more, until finally an almost stationary condition is reached. The relationship of elongation and required pull is not linear for small elongations (see Fig. 2).
All conveyor belts work on the principle of frictional drive. The pressure that is generated on a friction drive system is dependent on the area that the force is applied to (belt width, drum diameter & arc of contact) and on the elongation of the belt. To rate the performance of a given belt it is tested so that a load-elongation value is determined. This value, usually denoted in Newtons per Millimeter or Pounds per Inch, is an important one as it will offer some insight into the performance capabilities of the belt and also should allow for a comparison to other, similar products. Due to the fact that many companies still use several different testing methods and rating systems to label their belting, this is not always as easy as it should be. Regardless of the differences in testing procedures, one important fact that all belt seekers should be aware of is whether the load-elongation rating of a particular product is based on static or dynamic parameters. Static Tension Rating A static or “At Rest” load elongation value is suitable for testing the mechanics and quality of a material. It is more or less a single measurement where a nominal width of the material is clamped and pulled to a specified load or elongation and the force and stretch are qualified and documented (See Fig. 1):
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Fig. 1
Dynamic Tension Rating
Fig. 2
These phenomena, also referred to as relaxation, must be taken into account when selecting and calculating belts in order to ensure reliable power transmission. This is what is meant by a dynamic load-elongation, as it is representative of what the belt will see in actual time. Static ratings do not take this into account and will always misrepresent on the high side, the load capabilities of a particular product. For safety and state of mind, a belt selection should always be based on the dynamic or “relaxed” load-elongation value, if available. This will ensure the most accurate analysis of the load carrying capacity of a belting product.
Belt Line – March 2010
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
Scholarship NIBA – The Belting Association honors the memory of Russ Agnes for his strong dedication to the NIBA organization, with four (4) $1,000 scholarships for employees and children of employees of NIBA member companies, who make a difference in their communities, their churches, and their schools. The winners of this scholarship will meet the requirements for eligibility, as well as have a history of actively participating in their school, community, church, and/or family. Community service, especially in leadership roles will be appreciated. Just like Russ Agnes, this scholarship is seeking individuals who make a positive difference in the lives of the others with which they have contact. The selection criteria are simply based on: Required Applicant Data:
Criteria for Eligibility
• Name, address, e-mail, telephone number
• Applicant must be an employee, or the child of an employee, in an active NIBA company. Distributor/fabricators, conveyor belting manufacturers, and conveyor component manufacturer’s employees and their children are all eligible to apply
• Name, e-mail, & telephone number of qualifying NIBA member company employee • Community/school/church activity history • Personal leadership history • One page essay on one of these topics: - Why I should receive this scholarship - What I will do with this scholarship
• Applicant must be planning to attend and use the scholarship for a two-year or more, accredited college, university, or technical school • Applicant must be a high school senior (or have GED equivalent), or a college student • Applicant may not be the child of a current Officer or a Director of NIBA Selection Criteria
- What I will do with my education - How this scholarship will affect my life
Community/church/school/ family service history Personal history of leadership in family/school/ work/church Essay
20% 20% 60%
Applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2010 Send applications to:
Belt Line – March 2010
NIBA-The Belting Association Russ Agnes Scholarship 6737 West Washington Street, Suite 1300 Milwaukee, WI 53214 staff@niba.org
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A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
Help Support NIBA Member’s Family Dear NIBA Member, We are writing to you on behalf of our organization, to request your help with a very special project. As you may or may not be aware, NIBA lost a dear friend, Russ Agnes, to cancer in 2009. Russ was 43. There is never a good time to pass, but it is especially painful when you leave behind a young wife and twin 10-year-olds. Russ loved NIBA, as was evidenced by the time and dedication he gave to it by volunteering and chairing several committees, and serving on the NIBA Board of Directors. We hope at the NIBA 2010 Convention to give a little back. We are all coming off a bad year, and you have probably have received many requests for donations, but this time it’s for one of our own, and that has to mean something. And if you think 2009 was bad for you, think about how bad it was for the Agnes family This year, we help one of our own! NIBA will be sponsoring a silent auction at the 2010 Convention to raise seed money for an education fund for Russ and Michele’s children, and NIBA is soliciting donations toward that end. Rema Tip Top North America has graciously committed a minimum of $1,000 to “get this pony out of the gate …”(trust me, Russ would appreciate the idiom.) Please forward this request to whoever is responsible at your organization, and let us know as soon as possible what your intentions are so we can keep this auction on track. There is a list of people below, who you can use as NIBA points-of-contact. If you need suggestions on items for the auction, give us a call. If you’d like to donate money, give us a call. If you want to ship something and need guidance, give us a call. See the pattern here? Let’s do this thing! Think how much better you’ll feel the next time you look at your kids. By the way, if your kids still live at home, get out of work, go home, hug them and tell them you love them. If they don’t live at home, call them and tell them you love them. Life is too short, and for Russ, it was unreasonably so. Donate, you’ll feel better, … trust us. Sincerely,
NIBA Products & Services Committee
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Jeff Leach, Passaic Rubber Company Phone: 973-696-9500
Bill Lewis, Advanced Flexible Composites Inc Phone: 847-658-3938
James Bishop, Rema Tip Top - NA Phone: 201-768-4518
René Morf, VIS USA LLC Phone: 908-575-0606
Jessica Burgess, Stroup & Son Ltd Phone: 330-628-3522
Richard Reynolds, Flexco Phone: 630-971-0150
Mike Burkholder, Blair Rubber Company Phone: 330-256-4442
Linda Saunders, Canadian Bearings Ltd Phone: 905-670-6701
Kerry Cummings, Connecticut Valley Rubber Phone: 860-623-9948
Roberta Scott, Lewis-Goetz & Company Inc Phone: 724-213-1141
Belt Line – March 2010
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
Roth IRA Conversion By Jim Shultz, Financial Representative, Principal Life Insurance Company You have heard all about the Roth IRA.but you may still be unsure whether it makes sense to “convert” existing assets to a Roth IRA and what has changed for 2010. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Roth IRA Conversions. 1. Q. Am I eligible to convert my existing IRA to a Roth IRA? A. Starting January 1, 2010, anyone with an IRA (including Traditional, Rollover, SEP1, and SIMPLE2 IRAs) is eligible to convert to a Roth IRA. A SIMPLE IRA can be converted to a Roth IRA, but only after you have maintained the SIMPLE IRA for two years. Prior to 2010, you could only convert to a Roth IRA if your household’s Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) for the year was $100,000 or less (not including the taxable amount of any conversions). Married individuals filing separate returns were also not eligible to convert to a Roth IRA in 2009, but are eligible to convert beginning in 2010. 2. Q. What are the tax consequences if I convert my existing IRA to a Roth IRA? A. You’ll owe federal income taxes3 – on the taxable portion of the conversion. The taxable portion generally consists of any previously deducted contributions and the IRA’s earnings. If you made any nondeductible contributions to the IRA in the past, no taxes are due on these contributions – as they have already been taxed. If you choose to withhold any amounts from the IRA to pay federal income taxes and you are under age 59½, you may be subject to the IRS 10% early distribution penalty. You may be subject to product charges or fees for money withdrawn from IRA to pay the tax liability. 3. Q. What is the “special tax treatment” that 2010 Roth Conversions receive? A. For 2010 Roth conversions only – you will have the option to pay federal income taxes as usual or include the taxable amount converted equally in tax years 2011 and 2012. 4. Q. If I choose to convert, must I convert my entire IRA? A. No. You can convert all or a portion of your existing IRA but – keep in mind, for 2010 Roth Conversions only – you
Belt Line – March 2010
will have the option to pay federal income taxes as usual or include the taxable amount converted equally in tax years 2011 and 2012. 5. Q. If I convert to a Roth IRA, can I still contribute to a IRA? A. Yes. Converting does not affect your ability to make future contributions to either a Traditional, SEP, SIMPLE, or Roth IRA.4 You can contribute to your IRA if you meet the contribution limits, which have not changed for 2010. 6. Q. Will I be able to “undo” a Roth Conversion? A. Yes. You have the ability to “undo” or recharacterize a conversion – essentially electing to put things back to the way they were prior to the conversion. This is accomplished by returning the converted amounts (and any earnings) back to the IRA. There are no taxes or penalties associated with a recharacterization. However, it is recommended that you consult with a qualified tax advisor to fully understand the implications of the recharacterization. Generally, you have until October 15 of the year following the year of conversion to recharacterize. You can always “reconvert” back to a Roth IRA at a later date, provided you meet IRS timing requirements.5 You should consult with your tax advisor if you decided to recharacterize a conversion. 7. Q. Are the income restrictions for making Roth IRA contributions also being lifted in 2010? A. No. The income restrictions for Roth IRA contributions will remain unchanged. You may contribute to a Roth IRA if you have earned income and your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) does not exceed the allowable limits. (For 2009, single filers with MAGI of $120,000 or more ($176,000 or more for married couples filing jointly) cannot contribute to a Roth IRA.)2 8. Q. How will withdrawals from a Roth IRA be taxed? A. You (or your heirs) may be able to withdraw money entirely federally tax-free if the Roth IRA has been funded for five or more years and you are over age 59½, (or upon death, disability, or meet one of the other known exceptions). If you take money out before then, earnings will be taxable and, before age 59½, may be subject to an additional 10% penalty tax. Note: Amounts you contribute to a Roth IRA (including converted amounts that you have already paid taxes on) may always be withdrawn tax-free at any time.2
Roth IRA Conversion continued on next page
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A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association Roth IRA Conversion continued from previous page 9. Q. Can I still convert to a Roth IRA if I am taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from my IRA? A. Yes. However, you must first take the RMD from your IRA (RMDs may not be converted to a Roth IRA.) Then, you can convert the remaining amount to a Roth IRA. (Note: For calendar year 2009, there are no RMDs required.) 10. Q . What benefits may a Roth IRA provide for my beneficiaries? A. Unlike other IRAs, with a Roth IRA you are not required to take money out when you reach age 70½ – in fact you are not required to take distributions at any time during your lifetime. This allows your Roth IRA to grow without Required Minimum Distributions for as long as you live. The same holds true for your surviving spouse – provided that your surviving spouse makes it his or her own Roth IRA upon your death. Children who inherit a Roth IRA are required to begin receiving Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs). However, with a Roth IRA, these distributions may be federally tax free, provided they meet certain requirements. Distributions prior to age 59½ may be subject to a 10% IRS early distribution penalty. 1. Simplified Employee Pension. 2. Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. 3. Conversions are subject to federal income taxes. State taxes also may apply; check with your local tax advisor. 4. Refer to IRS Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) for a complete discussion of making contributions and taking withdrawals from IRAs. 5. A reconversion may be completed no earlier than January 1st of the year following the year of the initial conversion or 30 days, if later.
Jim Shultz is a Financial Representative with Principal Life Insurance Company and a Registered Representative and Financial Advisor with Princor Financial Services Corporation, member SIPC. Principal Life and Princor® are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Jim is located in Lombard, IL. He lives in Crystal Lake, IL and may be reached at 630-652-1637 direct; 866-637-5729 toll free; or shultz.jim@principal.com.
Ray Snow Memorial Scholarship!
By Roberta Scott, Lewis, Goetz & Co., NIBA Products & Services Committee One of the many benefits offered to NIBA members is the $4,000 Ray Snow Memorial Scholarship. All children of our Distributor/Fabricator member companies that are either preparing to attend and/or presently attending a two-year or more accredited college, university or technical school are eligible to apply.* Two $4,000 scholarships (or the currency equivalent of US dollars) are awarded annually based upon the following criteria: •
30 points: Academics (15 GPA, 15 SAT/ACT score)
•
15 points: Leadership
•
15 points: Community Service/Activities
•
40 points: Thesis (One page explaining your goals, objectives and any personal influences that may have helped you in establishing your goals and objectives)
The e-mail notification inclusive of the application form was forwarded to your company’s primary contact in February. To be considered, please note that all applications must be postmarked by May 1, 2010. If you have any questions about the scholarship, please feel free to contact any member of the Scholarship Sub-Committee – Roberta Scott (Lewis-Goetz), Bill Lewis (Advanced Flexible Composites), Dick Reynolds (Flexible Steel Lacing) and Mike Burkholder (Blair Rubber). On behalf of the Products and Services Committee, I encourage all of our Distributor/Fabricator member companies to promote this opportunity as an employee benefit within your organization. *Children of presiding Officers or Board members of NIBA are ineligible.
Apply Today 8
Belt Line – March 2010
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
RAY SNOW
Memorial Scholarship Each year, NIBA – The Belting Association honors the memory of Ray Snow, Past President of NIBA, for his dedication to NIBA and all Distributor/Fabricator members. This scholarship provides two (2) $4,000 scholarships for children with a parent employed by a NIBA Distributor/Fabricator Company. Criteria of Candidate Eligibility • • •
Must be a child of an employee of an active NIBA Distributor/Fabricator Member company Must attend a two-year or more accredited college, university or technical school Must not be a child of a presiding Officer of Board Member of NIBA
Applicant Information Applicant Name:
Phone:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Email Address: GPA: (indicate if scale is other than 4.0)
SAT/ACT Score:
High School Name/Address/Phone: High School Counselor: Parent Name:
Phone:
NIBA Member Employer:
Selection Criteria • • • •
30 points = Academic Achievement (15 GPA, 15 SAT/ACT score) 15 points = Leadership 15 points = Community Service/Activities 40 points = Thesis
Please attach the following: • • • •
Academic Achievement Leadership Roles Community Service/Activities One page thesis explaining your goals, objectives, and any personal influences that have helped you in establishing these goals and objectives.
Applications (handwritten or typed) must be postmarked by May 1, 2010
NIBA–The Belting Association 6737 W. Washington St., Ste, 1300 Milwaukee, WI 53214 Phone: 414-389-8606 Fax: 414-276-7704 staff@niba.org
Belt Line – March 2010
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A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
Go for the GOLD! Show your commitment to education – contribute to the NIBA scholarship fund! Each year, NIBA – The Belting Association awards educational scholarships to children of parents employed by a NIBA members. Show your commitment to education at the Annual Convention!
Gold • • •
2010 level of contribution $400 or above Gold ribbon on every company attendee name badge Company name and logo projected during general session
Silver • • •
2010 level of contribution between $200-$399 Silver ribbon on every company attendee name badge Company name projected during general session
Bronze • • •
2010 level of contribution $199 or below Bronze ribbon on every company attendee name badge Company name projected during general session
Contributor Information Company Name: Check coming by mail Card Number:
Amount: (or select below) or
Please bill my credit card (information below) Exp. Date:
Cardholder Name: Cardholder Signature:
Donation Amount
I am making a contribution of the exact amount listed above. I would like to add enough to my current 2010 contribution to bring my total to $400 I’ve already reached Gold status for 2010 but wish to contribution the additional amount above.
Please contribute to the Scholarship Fund and show you commitment to education!
NIBA–The Belting Association 6737 W. Washington St., Ste, 1300 Milwaukee, WI 53214 Phone: 414-389-8606 Fax: 414-276-7704 staff@niba.org
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Belt Line – March 2010
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
Thank You to these companies for their Gold Sponsor support of NIBA in 2009. Advanced Flexible Composites AFM Industries ASGCO Manufacturing, Inc. Belt Power Blair Rubber Chiorino F.N. Sheppard & Co Fenner Dunlop
Flexco Friesen’s Inc/Conveying Solutions Industrial Mining Supply Company Nitta Corporation Passaic Rubber Company Reveyron Universal Belting Resource
www.afmindustries.com
Belt Line – March 2010
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A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
MEMBER TO MEMBER
In Memoriam Heinrich Adolf Sennholz, a longtime employee and retiree from Belting Industries Co., Inc. passed away November 28, 2009, at the age of 86. At the age of 14, Henry started his career in the rubber and belting business working as a coffee boy at Continental Rubber in Hannover Germany. He learned the rubber trade before enlisting in the German Navy during World War II (1940) at the age of 17. During his military duty he served on three different German Naval Vessels as a signalman. Each one of the vessels was sunk in the North Atlantic by Allied warships. In 1946 he met his wife Eva and they were married in 1949 in Germany where he had continued his employment in the rubber and belting field. A few years after their son Frank (a current Belting Industries employee) was born, they immigrated to the United States in 1958. Henry continued in the belting business with a company in New York City until he joined Belting Industries in 1966. Henry helped transform Belting Industries from a conveyor belt only company into a mix of belt products focused on the office OEM market. His knowledge of Hypalon® and silicone helped develop the necessary processes to make belts for IBM and Xerox. Henry was always known for his cute jokes, great smile and happy disposition. He retired from Belting Industries in 1988 to spend more time with his family. Henry is survived by his wife-Eva, son-Frank, daughter-Debbie and two grandchildren. Bill Koch. After a long and successful career in the conveyor belting industry, Bill Koch, 74, of Behabelt USA passed away on February 2, 2010. Bill was born in Cudahy, WI, the only child of Wendell Koch and Gladys Johnson Koch. He is survived by his beloved wife, Carol, and their three sons, David, Timothy and Christopher, daughter-in-law, Annie and beautiful grandchildren. Bill had been in the belting industry for fifty years and worked right up to his passing. He has been a long time NIBA member over the years. He graduated from West Point in 1957. After working for many different companies throughout the Midwest and Eastern U.S., Bill started Chicago Belt in 1991 and represented Polymax for European style belting and pu sidewalls, Conti for rubber sidewall and Beha Innovation for extrusions and welding equipment. In 2007, Bill sold Chicago belt to Beha and it is now Behabelt USA. Bill signed on for a three-year period to help get the new company up and running.
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Ronald Lee Roalsen, Rubber & Plastics Inc., died at his home Feb. 2, 2010, after battling colon cancer. Ron grew up in the small logging and farming community of Grand Ronde with his mother and extended family. Early on he learned the value of hard work and that honesty was not just a virtue, but a means that shaped his life. The family moved to Northeast Portland and he worked at the family gas station with his father, Ray, who had a big influence in Ron’s life and helped him discover his mechanical aptitude, love of people and fast cars. Ron met and married his best friend, Carol Hutchinson, and in 1969, they started a family and Ron went to work for his father-in-law selling industrial components and conveyor belts. This is where Ron’s professional sales career was born. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to start Rubber & Plastics Inc., where he continued to work and develop his passion for the conveyor belt industry and the people in this small community. As business grew, Ron continued his pursuit of developing relationships and providing a positive influence on all those who worked with him. It wasn’t necessarily the products, but the people that Ron was passionate about. However, his knowledge and desire to solve problems led many people around the country to call him for his problem solving skills and advice. Ron joined NIBA in the ‘80s and quickly grew in popularity as he served on many different committees. Nicknamed “Rubber Ron,” he became president of NIBA in 2002. Ron was more than a father, husband and employer, he was one who loved people and would do anything to help someone in need. He was a mentor and had a strong influence in the lives of those lucky enough to have called him a friend. Ron is survived by his wife, Carol; sons, Edward and Rodney; daughter-in-law, Julie; father, Ray; brother, Bob; sister-in-law, Laurie; sisters, Marta and Molly; and two grandsons, Cole and River.
Newsworthy Items Flexco has acquired Novitool TMC, specializing in the design and sale of belt fabrication equipment for light-duty conveyor belting, including innovative belt splicing presses. With the acquisition, Flexco expands its position in the marketplace by offering a complete range of light-duty splicing solutions. Committed to helping customers address their belt conveyor challenges, Flexco has two mobile work centers traveling North America with their complete line of Flexco Belt Conveyor Products (BCPs). Experienced staff review common
Belt Line – March 2010
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
MEMBER TO MEMBER belt maintenance issues and lead hands-on product installations to help make belt conveyor systems more productive. Van der graaf is pleased to announce the establishment of a new department headed by our Technical Services Engineer, Mr. Marcel Salajan. The Technical Service Department, in addition to handling repairs and warranties, will possess a broad technical knowledge which will enable them to help our customers with their post sales queries. The direct telephone number for this department is 1-866-595-3292.
New Promotion / Advertising Plans The latest segment of a safety training video produced by the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) has completed filming at Martin Engineering’s global headquarters in Neponset. The video shot in Neponset will be combined with footage from other locations to complete CEMA’s Belt Conveyor Safety Video. The finished training program will become available in March, 2010. For more information, visit CEMA’s website at cemannet.org.
Spotlight on New Members
Maxi-Lift has recently put a fresh new look to its website. The site now includes all the new sizes in the HD-Max, CCMax and Tiger-Tuff elevator bucket product lines. You can check out their new website by going to www.maxilift.com. Please feel free to contact Maxi-Lift @ 800-527-0657 with any feedback. In a continuing endeavor to assure customer awareness of their products, Pang Industrial Products have modified their name from Truflex Pang Industrial to simply Pang Industrial and now have a separate web site, www.pangindustrial.com. While still under the Tech International umbrella, the Pang Industrial name and logo will better identify who the company is to their valued customers. For any questions, please contact Les Mawson at 740-966-8075. Reveyron published its new belt curved conveyor brochure, presenting its 3 belt bend conveyor types, working in different industries from pharmaceutical, foodstuff to heavy good industries. More information is available on their webpage www.reveyron.com.
New Products Advanced Flexible Composites, Inc. (AFC) has introduced its new belt installation accessories brochure. The new color brochure details AFC’s complete line of accessories such as Belt Pullers, Pin and Leader Kit, Seam Prep Kit, and proprietary Clamping Fixture. Contact AFC customer service at 1-800-334-9372 for a copy of the brochure. For further information, contact Michael Baker, Director of Marketing at (800) 334-9372. Behabelt USA has added a complete line of soft 70 durometer clear urethane V belts to the line for use as V guides on conveyor belting. All sizes are ins tock in 500 foot rolls in the Chicago warehouse at competitive prices. The soft Urethane is extremely flexible around smaller pulleys and welds nicely on all types of Polyurethane covered or bare bottom belting. (see photo)
Hyde Tools, Inc., Industrial Blade Solutions Div. Eric Pfeiffer, Director of Marketing 54 Eastford Road Southbridge, MA 01550 Phone: 508-764-4344 / Fax: 508-765-5250 epfeiffer@hydetools.com Hyde Industrial Blade Solutions manufactures industrial cutting solutions for manufacturers and fabricators who need repeatable and dependable results. Unlike other hose-cutting blade manufacturers, Hyde delivers solutions – not just product – on-time, every time, so you can focus on other issues. Hyde Industrial Blade Solutions … Solutions You Can Count On!
Belt Line – March 2010
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A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
MEMBER TO MEMBER
New Products Continued BRECOflex Co., L.L.C. is proud to introduce a break-through regarding lead times for “Metal Parts” for the timing belt industry. Made to order Timing Pulleys, Flat Belt Pulleys and Idlers, as well as Clamps with and without holes, are offered in many pitches to be delivered in less than one week. Stock Pulleys with pilot bores as well as stock Tensioners and Tensioning Clamps, are offered for immediate delivery. Log on to www.BRECOflex.com to view Brecoflex’s pulley calculation program, for sizing belt and pulley drives. Pulley drawings are downloadable in 2D and 3D. For more information, contact Rudy Schoendienst at 732-460-9500. Chiorino has announced a complete range of power turn belts for the food industry in white and blue HP polyurethanes. Chiorino HP Polyurethane products are fully compliant with the new European Norms, European Directives, FDA, USDA, and the criteria dictated by the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Please call us (302) 292-1906), and we’ll set up a visit and presentation on these products, on how Chiorino “HP” polyurethane prevents the growth of bacteria in food belts, and how together we can expand your business by selling more traditional lightweight belts for you food processing customers. For more information, contact Gene Torres at 302-292-1906. Maxi-Lift expanded the CC-Max elevator bucket product line by introducing two new sizes. The fastest growing elevator bucket on the market is now available in a 10x5 and 11x5. Adding these new sizes expands the CC-Max product line to 27 sizes for the grain, feed, processing and ethanol marketplace. Reveyron further extended its blue urethane belt range, introducing a new fully sealed Securev belt, with diamond plate bottom cover, ideal for goose-neck conveying, as well as a 1 and 2-plied urethane belt with a negative pyramid top cover. And many more blue urethane belts, ideal for foodstuff conveying. For further details please contact us through our website: www.reveyron.com. Introduced at the 2009 NIBA convention, Shingle Belting’s PU FLEX Cleat has been modified so that it yields from ½” high to 4” high cleats from one extruded cleat profile. This FLEXibility allows distributors to stock one 4” FLEX Cleat but yield a full range of cleat heights. For more information, contact Bob Frasetto at 610-239-6667.
New Facilities Esbelt, S.A. – C/Provenza is pleased to announce that on December 3, 2009, Esbelt opened its first production plant in Asia. Located in the city of Yuxi, province of Yunnan
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(People’s Republic of China), it covers an area of 10,000 m2 including offices and laboratory. The company’s aim is to manufacture conveyor belting with European quality and performance. Currently, they have one production line, with a capacity to manufacture belts up to 3,400 mm wide. This line has been fitted with specialized control and automation devices required to manufacture high performance conveyor belting with the quality and reliability customers expect from Esbelt. Their objective is to establish multiple locations for operations to effectively serve the Asian markets and control manufacturing and logistics costs through a geographically diverse manufacturing base. This new plant also relieves pressure on the production lines in Spain increasing flexibility, research & development efforts. For more information, contact F.Caballero / J. Bonet at 34-93-207-33-11. Dyson Conveyor Maintenance opened a new warehouse to inventory conveyor components with emphasis on Goodman and ASGCO conveyor components. For more information, contact Jim Martin at 205-491-2342. Robbins LLC expanded its mixing operations North by purchasing the former Biltrite facility in Findlay, OH. For more information, contact John Truitt at 256-383-5441. Semperit Industrial Products, Inc.’s Sempertrans Division of the Vienna based Semperit Group has acquired 80 % of the conveyor belt manufacturing activities from the Chinese Wang Chao Coal Group. The newly created joint venture with a registered capital of USD $30 million will assume the operating activities of the newly built conveyor belt plant in the Shandong Province near the Chinese East coast. This will be the 4th conveyor belt plant for Sempertrans. The new plant will provide belts for the local as well as the US, Canadian and European markets. This expansion will give Semperit not only added production capacity in steel cable belts up to ST 6000/84” wide and textile belts up to 72” wide, but allows Semperit also to enter the market for flame-retardant single ply PVC and PVG belts primarily used in underground coal mining. Further acquisitions are being planned. For more information, contact Brian Shaw at 1-800-631-2566.
New Equipment Behabelt USA has introduced a simple yet effective way to pretension V and round Polyurethane and Polyester belt extrusion at an inexpensive price. The new belt tension device is stocked in two sizes, one for belt lengths up to 450 mm and one for longer belts up to 900mm.
Belt Line – March 2010
A Publication of NIBA–The Belting Association
MEMBER TO MEMBER Chiorino F-80 ME Hand-operated punchers for SINGLE-Z joints up to a maximum of 80 mm width. Suitable for thermoplastic belts and other light belting (paper and printing industry, etc.). Available from stock, for immediate delivery. Fast Joint press kits and other field tools also available, including our new P LA portables (air-cooled, short cycle, no air compressor needed) available in 300mm, 600, 900, 1200 and 1500 mm. For more information, please contact Gene Torres at 302-292-1906. Qingdao Huaxia Rubber Industry Co. LTD’s new steel cord belting line sized 1.8m(width) x 16m(length) has come to normal production in October 2009. After this installation, four steel cord belting lines and nice roto-curers for textile beltings. Totally, 22 presses and roto-curers for all kind of beltings with maximum width up to 7.3mtrs. For more information, please call Sunny Huang at +86 137 8985 9616. Reveyron has strengthened its production unit with two new machines. 1/A new tracking guide machine which increases the productivity of its fabricated belts. 2/A new edge sealing machine to manufacture its unique sealed edges for belts from 1.5 to 5 mm thickness.
Equipment Wanted All-State Industries is looking for a hot air cleat machine and an elevator belt punch machine. Contact Doug Street at 972-434-4222 ext. 705 or dstreet@all-stateind.com. Qingdao Huaxia Rubber Industry Co. LTD is looking for two steel cord belting lines sized 2.4m (width) x 20m(length and 1.4m(width) x 20m(length). For more information, please call Sunny Huang at +86 137 8985 9616. Pooley Inc. is looking for equipment for perforating holes on conveyor belting. For more information, please contact Glenn Doyle at 716-852-3780.
Personnel Advanced Flexible Composites, Inc. (AFC) announced that Ismael Salomon will be the new Sales Liaison to AFC-BH. AFC-BH is AFCs JV partner in Latin America. This new role is in addition to Ismael’s current responsibilities as an Inside Marketing Specialist. Ismael will continue to report directly to Michael Baker, Director of Marketing. Isamel will work out AFC’s world headquarters in Lake In The Hills, IL. Rick Borman and Jim Zeeff have joined the Behabelt USA sales team. Rick will handle sales in Arizona
Belt Line – March 2010
Kevin Gilfillan
and Southern Nevada and Jim will handle sales in Michigan for Beha V and round extrusions, PU and Rubber sidewall material and belt joining equipment. Kevin Gilfillan has joined Flexco in the role of Training Specialist – Industrial Products. Kevin is responsible for developing, implementing, and facilitating professional product training programs for Flexco customers and staff. Also joining the Flexco team are Steve Courteau and Sander Romers in the roles of Light Duty Field Specialists.
Sander Romers
Forbo Siegling, LLC promoted Ken Mark to Regional Sales Manager – Forbo Siegling Canada, Ltd. McLeod Belting Co., INC’s Senior Vice President and 2003 NIBA President, Charlie Vickers, has announced his retirement, effective February 28th, 2010.
Steve Courteau
Robbins LLC has appointed Greg Mealer as Manager of Custom Mix Sales – North and Carl Gustafson as Manager of Custom Mix Sales – Midwest. Splawn Belting, Inc., of Burlington, NC, is proud to announce the addition of Scott Hodges of Daphne, Alabama, to its outside sales staff. Scott has extensive sales experience in the lightweight belting industry.
Scott Hodges
Used Equipment/ Machinery For Sale Chiorino B 1000 M Conveyor, transmission belt and belt tape fabrication motorized belt skiver, including table and angle plates. In stock, for immediate delivery. Other fabrication tools available. For more information, contact Gene Torres at 302-292-1906. Splawn Belting, Inc. has three slitters for spindle/machine tapes for sale. These machines will gang-slit 6” wide skived tapes; the three machines cover all of the fractional width multiples. In addition, four cam skivers are for sale, two of which are available immediately. These have skiving drums 25” wide x 6” diameter, air over hydraulic feed, and used for rubber or leather nylon-core belts and lightweight conveyor materials. Contact msplawn@splawnbelt.com for details.
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NIBA–The Belting Association 6737 W Washington St, Suite 1300 Milwaukee, WI 53214
NIBA TECHNICAL SEMINAR:
Heavyweight Splicing April 6-7 | Atlanta, GA Do you have sales or belt shop personnel in need of maximizing their conveyor belt splicing knowledge? Are you a conveyor operator who wants to optimize conveyor belt splicing? NIBA has the solution for you with this splice training seminar. Participants will be empowered to make the correct splicing choice as well as gain valuable installation knowledge through this hands-on, interactive seminar. Sales personnel will gain equity with their accounts. Belt shop technicians will gain value with their service. And operators will prolong belt life and minimize maintenance concerns. Instructors are NIBA Education & Technical committee members Mike Cremeens, Almex Group, with more than 33 years in the splicing industry, Dick McConnell, a 22-year veteran from Flexco, a conveyor equipment manufacturer, and Ronnie Whisenhunt with Conveying Solutions, LLC (partner of ISSI), with over 20 years in the industry. Many interactions among students and with the instructors will enhance and maximize the learning experience.
REGISTER TODAY! Go to www.niba.org.
Plan now for your employees training opportunity.