Conveyor Capacity Calculator

Work out conveyor capacity instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Conveyor Capacity Calculator

Conveyor capacity is the load cross-sectional area times belt speed times bulk density. Cross-section depends on belt width, idler trough angle and the material's surcharge angle, which governs how high it heaps. Free-flowing material with a low surcharge angle carries less on the same belt.

Formula

Conveyor capacity

Capacity (t/h) = cross-section (m2) x speed (m/s) x bulk density (kg/m3) x 3600 / 1000

Worked example

With the default values below, Conveyor Capacity Calculator returns Conveyor Capacity of 2,365.98. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Belt Widthminimum 0.01 mm: 1,200 mm
Belt Speedminimum 0 m/s: 3.5 m/s
Bulk Densityminimum 0.01 kg/m3: 1,600 kg/m3
Surcharge Angleaccepts 0–40 degrees: 20 degrees

Results

Conveyor Capacity: 2,365.98
Load Cross-Section: 0.11736
Volumetric Flow Rate: 0.41076
Load Per Metre Of Belt: 187.78

Step by step

1Values used
2Conveyor capacity
3Conveyor Capacity= 2,365.98
4Load Cross-Section= 0.11736
5Volumetric Flow Rate= 0.41076
6Load Per Metre Of Belt= 187.78

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Conveyors present entanglement and nip point hazards. Guarding, emergency stops and lock-out procedures must comply with the applicable machinery safety standard.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Conveyors present entanglement and nip point hazards. Guarding, emergency stops and lock-out procedures must comply with the applicable machinery safety standard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What limits belt speed?

Material degradation, dust generation, belt wear and spillage at transfer points. Typical mining speeds are 2-5 m/s; fine dusty material and fragile products need lower speeds.

Does the trough angle matter?

Substantially. Moving from a 20 degree to a 35 degree three-roll trough can increase capacity by 25-30% on the same belt width, at the cost of higher belt stress and idler complexity.