133633Snakeskin - A novel Polyurethane and PolyCarbonate Honeycomb Composite MaterialClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UK"Industries such as coal, steel, mining, cement, aggregates, biomass, recycling, manure & fertiliser, smelters & foundries rely on belt conveyors for materials handling; However, carryback of materials that stick to the belt significantly affect the performance and durability of conveyors. These ""fugitive materials"" drop and contaminate rollers increasing clean-up and maintenance costs in addition to reducing the effective capacity of the belt and increasing energy costs due to the high redundant load. The industrywide solution is to use belt cleaners, which are predominantly cast polyurethane (PU) scrapers with the tip held in contact with the moving belt to scrape it. The materials and mechanical requirements of PU scrapers are surprisingly complex as the tip must be relatively soft to conform to the belt surface and have good wear resistance; Conversely, it must have sufficient mechanical stiffness such that it can be clamped and held tightly against the belt without deflecting. There has been little or no innovation since the last generation of scraper blades were developed and they are available from a wide range of manufacturers. A smaller stiffer blade with the same conformability and improved wear properties means that the efficiency of the design of the clamping mechanism can be improved and maintenance is reduced along with overall costs. Watts Urethane Products (WUP), a manufacturer of cast PU belt scrapers, has developed an improved belt scraper material targeting the £400m World market for belt cleaners. This project offers the potential for WUP to become the technology leader in belt cleaner blades."