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December 15, 2020 03:13 PM

Smiley Monroe brings belt making to America, 'for America'

Andrew Schunk
Rubber & Plastics News Staff
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    Smiley Monroe
    Smiley Monroe’s Endless conveyor belts are used in the construction and demolition, and quarrying industries.

    FRANKLIN, Ky.—Proximity to a customer base is crucial for any manufacturer, and that is exactly what pushed the Northern Ireland-based Smiley Monroe Inc. to begin a conveyor belt manufacturing operation in the Bluegrass State.

    Operational for about six months now, the 65,000-sq.-ft. production center in Franklin marks the first foray into the U.S. for family-owned Smiley Monroe. Plans to establish the facility first were disclosed at a Las Vegas industry convention in 2017 and were driven by demand from manufacturers of processing equipment as well as strong industry forecasts, the company said.

    "So manufacturing 'in America, for America' was a natural strategic move for us—and having a base in Kentucky means we can offer just-in time delivery to our American customers, whose customers are end-users in industries such as quarrying, road construction and waste," said Tim Monroe, marketing director for Lisburn-based Smiley Monroe. "It wasn't really a demand spike that pushed us forward into the U.S., but rather the fact that we needed to be closer to our customers."

    The company manufactures its patented Zip Clip replacement belts and hot vulcanized Endless conveyor belts at the location, which employs two people currently with the expectation of hiring four more in January.

    "The pandemic affected our startup plans earlier this year," Monroe said. "Zip Clip has been a great success and is proving very popular with customers, so if the business continues to grow month-on-month at its current pace, we'll need to look at increasing employee numbers again in quarter three next year as we ramp up production."

    Smiley Monroe currently has 150 employees between the U.S., United Kingdom and India.

    The company's U.S. operation is headed by Plant Manager Morgan Walker, who has held a number of leadership roles since joining the business as a site service team leader. Ryan Wright, who serves as international sales manager, remains responsible for North American sales and business development.

    The company said it settled on the existing facility in Franklin after reviewing a number of U.S. options.

    "It had everything we need as we grow, from internal offices and ample warehousing space, to an LED-lit factory floor and multiple loading bays. But we're not ruling out a purpose-built facility in the future," Monroe said.

    The centralized U.S. location, the skilled manufacturing work force and the tax assistance offered by the state of Kentucky all were draws for Smiley Monroe.

    "We're the 10th international company to locate in Franklin city, but apparently we're the first United Kingdom-based company to locate in Simpson County, and we're happy to call this community home," Monroe said.

    Tough times demand tough belts

    It should be no surprise that transporting crushed rock, concrete, steel rebar and jaw- and impact-crushed construction and demolition materials requires a tough conveyor belt, a specially engineered belt that stands up to wear, impact and cut resistance as demanded by manufacturing process equipment customers.

    Many times, replacement belts need to be installed by a specialty service contractor, which causes downtime and a loss in the bottom line. Smiley Monroe said its core product belt, the Zip Clip, solves these challenges by being friendly to most conveying components and maximizing operational time.

    Made from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber, and produced through a calendering and vulcanization process, the Zip Clip belt (as well as the Endless conveyor belt) can be used in every application where vulcanized jointed belts will suit—namely the crushing, screening and recycling spaces.

    "In Zip Clip, Smiley Monroe is bringing fresh thinking and something genuinely new to the American market," Monroe said.

    "Our 'Made in Kentucky' Zip Clip belts are the result of listening to our U.S. customers talk about the problem of machine downtime and the amount of time and money wasted waiting for vulcanizing crews and spare belts to arrive to site, particularly in remote locations."

    Smiley Monroe
    Smiley Monroe said the centralized U.S. location, a skilled manufacturing work force and customer demand drew the belt manufacturer to purchase this 65,000-sq.-ft. facility in Franklin, Ky.

    Installation of a Zip Clip belt can be completed on site within an hour, according to Monroe.

    "One customer of ours, a limestone quarry producing 1,600 tons of material per day, told us that having a Zip Clip belt in stock resulted in a savings of $31,582," he said.

    The mechanical fasteners used with Zip Clip belts are made from wear-resistant stainless chromium steel, which offers a better cosmetic appearance due to its rust-resistance properties.

    Every cold-forged plate is hydraulically pressed with 8,000 pounds of pressure across the entire recessed splice for extra grip on the belt, according to the company.

    Like the Zip Clip replacement belts, Endless conveyor belts also are for use in "every application where a vulcanized joint belt will suit," namely in the construction and demolition, recycling and waste management, quarrying, mining, washing systems, agricultural, environmental, port material handling and road construction industries.

    Constructed from specified natural and synthetic rubber, these belts make the joining process a production process, allowing a processing equipment manufacturer to install the belts when it suits them, independent of service companies and outside contractors.

    A brief history of belting

    Construction of multi-ply conveyor belts consists of a carcass and covers, so it is important to understand application when choosing a belt, according to Smiley Monroe.

    The carcass transmits and absorbs the forces acting on the belt, and comprises one or more plies of textile fabric with rubber on each side to give adhesion and flexibility.

    While the longitudinal direction on the textile is called "warp," the lateral direction is known as "weft."

    Conveyor belt fabrics can have the same or different material between the warp and the weft, for example polyester and a polyamide, respectively.

    "This combination gives the best possible fabric characteristics," Monroe said.

    "Our EPP ToughFlex belts are constructed with a special weave of two fabric plies and an additional binder warp (straight warp) to resist puncturing, which means it's much more flexible than a 4-ply belt and performs well on the small- to medium-sized pulleys on mobile crushers and screeners."

    Polyester fabrics are not influenced by moisture or microorganisms, have stability in length and are acid-resistant.

    The rubber cover portion then protects the carcass and offers the necessary friction between the belt and drive pulley and between the belt and material.

    "The top rubber cover is the carrying side, so depending on the belt's intended use, it will have properties such as wear, impact and cut resistance," Monroe said.

    Specialized covers using heat, oil or fat resistance are used in unique applications such as cement and fertilizer plants.

    Pushing through the pandemic

    Smiley Monroe said it suffered a slight decline in the crushing and screening equipment sector this year due to the pandemic, specifically in the sale of belts used in machines in the hard rock quarrying and aggregates industries.

    At the same time, the company has seen an increase in demand in the waste sector.

    "Particularly in Australia," Monroe said, "where new legislation and incentives have meant materials recovery is at the highest it's ever been for the region."

    Smiley Monroe
    The Zip Clip replacement belt, pictured here on the production line, can be installed quickly by process equipment manufacturers without the services of a specialty contractor.

    As for the global outlook, Smiley Monroe is forecasting 2021 levels to match 2018 levels, which is a small decrease on 2019. But global demand for construction materials is still strong.

    "The U.S. market is looking pretty healthy from our perspective, because we strategically cover so many sectors—including waste recovery, environmental and road construction. This spreads the risk and means we've been able to weather the storm, ensuring the success of our new Kentucky facility despite the pandemic," Monroe said.

    And while there are no plans yet to power the Franklin plant with 100-percent green energy like the wind turbine-powered Smiley Monroe headquarters in Northern Ireland, the conveyance company remains open to options.

    "Our business is part of a global supply chain, so we need to work in partnership with our customers and supply chain partners to help lead the way to a greener future by doing everything we can to minimize our carbon footprint," Monroe said.

    In the U.S., Smiley Monroe said it would continue to listen to the needs of its customers "and see how things progress" before detailing any future American expansion plans.

    "We only opened our doors just over six months ago, so for now, my focus is on developing our team here in Franklin, making sure the operation runs smoothly and making sure our customers get what they need, when they need it," Monroe said. "Anyone who knows Smiley Monroe well knows we have big aspirations, central to which is the culture—growing our 'one big family' by attracting colleagues who share our values."

    Co-founded 40 years ago by Vaughan Monroe, Smiley Monroe exports to more than 60 countries.

    Related Article
    Smiley Monroe opens first U.S. production center
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