Slider Belt Advantages

The adoption of thin flat slider belts, with their extraordinary flexibility, has enabled the Loderway systems to be fitted into a very small space, and resulted in a design that is also inherently simple, economical, long lasting and reliable. Our accelerated wear testing program (conducted on our $45,000 test rig) showed that the main belts will last more than 10 years when carrying 40,000 passengers per 16 hour day.

A significant additional advantage of these belts is that, because the main belt returns about very small - 45 mm diameter - rollers, there is no limit to any system length. Every 200 metres one main belt can terminate and a new main belt can be started. Passengers pass over the change point without being aware of it.

The reason that these belts have not been used for moving people before when they are used so extensively in industry and in airport baggage handling systems lies in the need to provide a safe transition from a moving belt to a stationary end plate. This problem has been universally resolved by the use of ribbed belts or pallets intermeshing with  a metal comb. However;

• In moving walkway systems, which use belts with ribs and combs, the belts must track exactly or the combs damage the ribs.
• Thin belts track perfectly satisfactorily, but not exactly enough to mesh with metal combs where even a very slight lateral movement will severely damage the belt.
• Ribs and combs can only be dispensed with if an alternative can be found which is just as safe.
• The Loderway double end plate has been proven to be even safer than a rib and comb solution allowing the use of slider belts not otherwise available for moving people.

In an era when power consumption is of justifiable concern it is worth noting that the cost of power for a slider system is small; only about 1.0 kilowatt hour to move 1000 people for 100 metres at 0.6 m/sec. Even if roller systems used no power the penalty for a slider system would be very small.

Loderway systems, both single speed and accelerating, are inherently safer, more comfortable, and cheaper than their competitors, and have the considerable advantage of an easy retro-fit.