As conveyor systems become increasingly central to productivity, cost control and operational efficiency, mining and bulk materials operators are placing greater emphasis on technologies that deliver both accurate performance data and improved equipment reliability. Recognising this shift, Tru-Trac has expanded its long-standing partnership with UK-based BREC Ltd to include its advanced Belt Scale solutions, providing customers across the United Kingdom with access to a broader portfolio of intelligent conveyor technologies.

The expanded agreement builds on an established relationship between the two companies and follows strong market interest generated at Hillhead 2026, where integrated conveyor technologies attracted significant attention from quarrying, mining, recycling, ports, cement and bulk materials handling operators seeking practical solutions to improve operational performance.

While conveyor belt tracking has long been recognised as essential for reducing spillage, minimising belt damage and improving plant availability, operations are increasingly looking to combine these technologies with accurate real-time production measurement. Together, reliable belt tracking and precise material weighing provide valuable operational intelligence that enables better process control, improved production planning and more informed maintenance decisions.

According to Tinus Ludik, Manager of the Belt Scales Division at Tru-Trac, the industry is moving beyond viewing conveyor components as standalone products.

“Operations today want greater visibility into how their conveyor systems are performing,” Ludik says. “Reliable weighing data, combined with effective belt tracking, gives operators the information they need to optimise throughput, improve inventory management and make better operational decisions. It is about creating a smarter, more efficient conveyor system rather than simply installing individual components.”

Tru-Trac’s Belt Scale systems are engineered to deliver highly accurate repeatable material measurement in demanding operating environments without compromising conveyor performance. Continuous production data enables operators to monitor throughput in real time, improve stock control and identify process variations before they impact production.

For customers throughout the United Kingdom, the expanded partnership means these technologies are now supported locally through BREC’s established technical sales, engineering expertise and after-sales service capability.

Steve Perruzza, Managing Director of BREC Ltd, says the addition of Tru-Trac Belt Scales complements the company’s existing conveyor solutions while allowing customers to work with a single trusted technology partner.

“Our customers are increasingly looking for complete conveyor performance solutions rather than individual products,” Perruzza says. “Adding Tru-Trac’s Belt Scale technology to our portfolio enables us to deliver an even broader offering backed by local technical expertise and responsive support. It allows operators to improve both the reliability of their conveyor systems and the quality of the production data they rely on every day.”

The partnership reflects a broader trend across heavy industry where digitalisation and operational optimisation are driving demand for technologies that generate meaningful production data while simultaneously improving equipment reliability. Rather than managing multiple suppliers across different conveyor disciplines, many operations are seeking integrated solutions that simplify specification, installation and lifecycle support.

Ludik believes this approach will continue gaining momentum as operations focus on improving productivity while reducing operating costs.

“The response we received at Hillhead reinforced the fact that customers are looking for practical technologies that deliver measurable operational improvements,” he says. “By expanding our partnership with BREC, we are making it easier for UK customers to access proven weighing and conveyor performance technologies supported by people who understand their operating environment.”

The expanded collaboration also aligns with Tru-Trac’s global strategy of working with experienced regional partners capable of providing the technical support, application knowledge and aftermarket service required to maximise long-term equipment performance.

As conveyor systems continue to evolve into increasingly data-driven assets, partnerships that combine proven engineering with strong local support will play an important role in helping operators improve efficiency, optimise production and reduce total cost of ownership.

For many operations across mining, quarrying, bulk materials handling and processing industries, conveyor problems have become an accepted part of daily operations. Misalignment, carryback, spillage, belt damage, idler wear and unplanned stoppages are often treated as isolated maintenance issues, addressed through reactive component replacement before operations move on to the next failure.

According to conveyor specialist Tru-Trac Rollers (Pty) Ltd, this approach is one of the primary reasons why conveyor failures continue to repeat across the industry.

As the company prepares for Electra Mining Africa 2026, Shaun Blumberg, COO of Tru-Trac, says its focus will not simply be on showcasing products but rather on changing how operations think about conveyor performance and the underlying causes of recurring system failures.

“Conveyor problems rarely exist in isolation,” Blumberg explains. “Replacing a component without understanding the cause often leads to the same failure returning. What may initially appear to be a tracking issue, for example, can quickly escalate into carryback, spillage, belt damage, excessive component wear and ultimately unplanned downtime.”

Tru-Trac believes that many conveyor systems are still managed incorrectly because visible symptoms are addressed without identifying the underlying system behaviour driving the problem.

This creates what Blumberg describes as an industry-wide “failure loop” – misalignment occurs, carryback increases, idlers and pulleys wear prematurely, spillage and belt damage follow, production interruptions occur, emergency maintenance is performed and the same problem returns shortly afterwards.

While these issues are often categorised as maintenance concerns, he argues that the impact extends far beyond the maintenance department.

“Conveyor performance is not only a maintenance concern. It is a production issue,” Blumberg says. “When conveyor systems underperform, the effect is felt across uptime, throughput, labour requirements, housekeeping, safety performance, belt life and ultimately overall plant efficiency.”

This thinking forms the basis of Tru-Trac’s engineering-led approach to conveyor performance support.

Rather than positioning itself as a supplier of individual components in isolation, Tru-Trac positions itself as a conveyor performance partner focused on diagnosing root causes, reducing repeat failures and improving long-term operational reliability.

Central to this approach is a structured five-step process that begins with understanding the conveyor system as a whole.

The first step involves assessing the full conveyor environment rather than focusing only on the visibly failed component. This includes evaluating system conditions, loading behaviour, belt tracking characteristics, transfer points, material build-up and operational conditions that may be contributing to ongoing performance problems.

Once the broader system has been assessed, Tru-Trac focuses on identifying the root cause behind the visible symptom.

“Misalignment, carryback, spillage and belt damage are often connected symptoms,” Blumberg explains. “The visible problem is not always the primary problem. Engineered intervention starts with understanding the system.”

Only once the root cause has been identified does product specification follow. He says engineering judgement and application understanding must always come before selecting a corrective intervention.

Tru-Trac then works with operations to ensure the correct solution is implemented properly on site before continuing with ongoing technical support, inspections and performance monitoring aimed at sustaining long-term conveyor reliability.

This shift from reactive maintenance towards engineered conveyor performance is expected to form a major part of Tru-Trac’s discussions with customers at Electra Mining Africa 2026.

The company believes the industry is increasingly recognising that conveyor failures cannot be solved sustainably through repeated replacement of individual components alone.

“Reactive maintenance fixes what breaks,” Blumberg says. “Engineered performance focuses on diagnosing, specifying, implementing and supporting the correct long-term solution.”

At Electra Mining Africa 2026, Tru-Trac aims to engage directly with operations around the broader production impact of conveyor instability and the importance of system-level diagnosis.

He says the company wants customers to move beyond viewing conveyor problems as routine maintenance frustrations and instead recognise them as operational performance issues that directly affect production targets, operating costs and reliability.

By focusing on root-cause analysis, engineered intervention and long-term performance support, Tru-Trac believes operations can significantly reduce repeat failures while improving uptime, belt life and overall conveyor reliability.

As conveyor systems continue to play a critical role in modern mining and bulk materials handling operations, Blumberg says the industry must move beyond reactive thinking and towards a more integrated approach to conveyor performance management.

“The goal is not simply to sell a component,” Blumberg concludes. “The goal is to improve conveyor performance.”

A shift towards structured service level agreements (SLAs) is redefining how conveyor systems are managed with moving operators away from a cycle of breakdown and repair towards proactive performance optimisation.

According to conveyor systems specialist Tru-Trac, this trend recognises the central role that conveyors play in high tonnage mining and bulk materials handling operations, where conveyor downtime poses a direct threat to production, safety and profitability.

“Misalignment, belt wander, spillage and premature component wear can quickly escalate into unscheduled stoppages and costly repairs,” AJ van Eyssen, Business Development Manager at Tru-Trac, says. “Production losses alone can run into millions, making conveyor reliability a critical strategic priority for these operations.”

From a field service perspective, Van Eyssen notes that catastrophic events causing serious downtime rarely occur in isolation. Instead, they are usually the cumulative result of neglected fundamentals.

“From my experience, the root causes are usually found in a lack of conveyor maintenance,” he says. “This leads to issues such as conveyor belt misalignment and product carry-back, which in turn create knock-on effects like idler failure and pulley lagging damage, eventually resulting in major breakdowns.”

He emphasises that the operational efficiency of all conveyor components is interconnected and that one problem inevitably leads to another. Inadequate maintenance allows relatively minor issues to accelerate wear across the system, from idlers to tail pulleys and chute structures. Left unchecked, this cascade can result in spillage events, environmental risks and unplanned shutdowns.

“An SLA can change this dynamic fundamentally,” he explains. “By introducing scheduled inspections, continuous monitoring and structured maintenance interventions, operators can have real-time ‘eyes on the plant’ before problems escalate.”

He estimates, for instance, that up to 60% of conveyor belt performance issues could be resolved by identifying belt misalignment at an early stage and addressing it effectively.

This shift in maintenance strategy also reflects a changing relationship between conveyor specialists and end-users. While traditional procurement models in the conveyor space have typically focused on component supply, many mines today are looking for partners that offer holistic solutions.

“Where trackers, idlers or scrapers are delivered as standalone products, the burden of system integration, maintenance and performance optimisation remains with the operator,” Van Eyssen explains. “Tru-Trac’s SLA model represents a marked departure as we are not there just to sell products. We are there to resolve problems and look at the broader picture to provide a 360-degree solution.”

The company’s interventions begin with a detailed on-site assessment, where specialists evaluate conveyor system performance and identify opportunities for improvement. From there, a tailored SLA is developed, aligned to the specific conditions, constraints and priorities of the operation.

David Pereira, Head of Sales at Tru-Trac, highlights the strategic rationale behind this approach.

“The logic behind using SLAs is to move away from ad hoc decisions and reactive maintenance,” Pereira says. “Putting a service level agreement in place gives operators a data-driven basis for decision-making and a clear plan for action.”

Instead of fragmented interventions, he explains, the SLA model introduces structured service delivery, predictable costing and a framework for continuous improvement. One of the most tangible benefits is its ability to drive optimisation efforts.

“Conveyor belts are high-value assets, and even minor inefficiencies can undermine an operation’s productivity and profitability,” he says.

A mining customer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), for example, has seen plant availability rise dramatically. Tru-Trac began the relationship with a basic SLA, which later evolved into a full maintenance contract. Based on the client’s own records, plant availability improved from 65% to over 90%.

“The result of a tailored SLA is not simply fewer stoppages but a conveyor system that operates more efficiently, more safely and at a lower lifecycle cost,” Van Eyssen concludes. “This allows mines and processing plants to focus on what matters most: sustained and efficient production.”

In their debut appearance at this year’s Hillhead exhibition, Tru-Trac and its UK partner BREC Ltd are set to showcase solutions that help conveyor operators extend belt life, improve uptime and reduce operating costs.

Since BREC was appointed as Tru-Trac’s UK distributor in late 2024, the partnership has gained significant momentum, according to Tru-Trac National Sales Manager Guy Fitt. As a leading innovator in belt tracking technology, Tru-Trac has already seen strong market uptake in the UK through BREC’s efforts.

“The opportunities for our belt tracking and related solutions in the UK are growing steadily,” Fitt says. “Our joint presence at Hillhead provides an ideal platform to demonstrate the combined strength of our partnership and the value we can deliver to customers.”

For Tru-Trac, the exhibition represents a strategic opportunity to present its technologies to a highly targeted audience within the quarrying and bulk materials handling sectors. Steve Perruzza, Managing Director of BREC Ltd, says the company’s presence at the show reflects its commitment to delivering premium, value-driven conveyor solutions that enhance operational efficiency.

“As one of the world’s leading quarry exhibitions, Hillhead is a high profile platform that aligns with our growth as a nationally recognised conveyor specialist,” he says. “It offers an excellent opportunity to showcase the breadth of our offering, including the exciting Tru-Trac solutions now available through BREC.”

At the core of Tru-Trac’s offering is its range of conveyor belt trackers, engineered to maintain precise belt alignment and significantly extend belt life. These solutions align closely with BREC’s philosophy of preventative maintenance and long-term value creation.

“The Tru-Trac trackers are exactly what we need within our service offering to customers across the UK and Ireland,” he says. “It is a value-added solution that helps customers achieve longer belt life which is critical in reducing total cost of ownership by extending replacement intervals.”

Perruzza explains that BREC’s existing portfolio of conveyor components and services provides a strong platform for integrating Tru-Trac’s tracking technology. From initial consultation and product selection to installation support and after-sales service, BREC offers a comprehensive lifecycle-focused solution.

“Our strategy has always been to align ourselves with premium brands,” he says. “We see Tru-Trac as a premium brand in belt tracking devices which is why it fits so seamlessly into our offering.”

Fitt emphasises that achieving higher conveyor uptime has become increasingly critical in both the mining and quarrying sectors, and this will be a key focus for the two companies at Hillhead.

“Conveyor uptime remains a critical performance metric across a wide range of bulk materials handling operations,” he says. “Belt misalignment continues to be one of the most common and costly issues affecting conveyor systems, often resulting in premature belt wear, material spillage and unplanned downtime.”

Tru-Trac addresses this challenge with a tracker design that rapidly corrects misalignment without damaging the belt – a problem often associated with conventional tracking systems.

Perruzza adds that the strength of the collaboration is also reflected in the high level of technical support provided by Tru-Trac, including regular on-site engagement.

“The support we receive from Tru-Trac has been fundamental to our success to date,” he says. “At BREC, we believe collaboration is what sets us apart from our competitors and our partnership with Tru-Trac strongly reflects that philosophy.”

Fitt echoes this sentiment, noting that Hillhead comes at a time when economic uncertainty is placing even greater pressure on quarries and mines to improve productivity and resilience.

“In the current global environment, more conveyor uptime is essential to achieving these strategic objectives, and that is exactly where BREC and Tru-Trac can add value,” he concludes.

Conveyor belt misalignment and roller slippage remain among the most persistent and costly problems in mining and bulk materials handling operations. While these issues are often treated as unavoidable, the real costs can be significant – from lost tonnes and spillage clean-up to premature belt replacement and emergency downtime. Leader in conveyor belt solutions, Tru-Trac continues to focus on helping mines and other operations address these hidden costs directly.

“Conveyors are the arteries of any mine and the costs of inefficiency add up quickly,” Guy Fitt, National Sales Manager at Tru-Trac, says. “When you calculate the production losses, unplanned maintenance and shortened belt life caused by misalignment the savings from properly aligned systems are substantial. Our Apex Series and Grip-Trac range are designed to pay for themselves many times over during the life of the conveyor.”

Belt mistracking is not just a maintenance issue. It can stop production, force emergency shutdowns and drive up operating costs through increased spillage, damage to structure and premature belt wear. The Apex Series trackers have been designed to minimise these risks by providing faster correction and more stable belt alignment, even under fluctuating loads and speeds.

A key feature is the use of adjustable wing rolls on the trough units, giving operators greater control in stabilising the belt path. This innovation reduces the likelihood of spillage and uneven wear while extending the working life of the belt. 

“The Apex design is a rethink of how trackers interact with the belt,” Gerhard Strydom, Technical Manager at Tru-Trac says. “It gives mines far more control in maintaining stability, which directly impacts uptime and cost reduction.”

Tackling slippage 

Slippage between belt and rollers is another major contributor to lost productivity and roller wear. Traditional lagging solutions, often relying on standard rubber or polyurethane compounds, tend to wear quickly in demanding mining conditions. Tru-Trac’s Grip-Trac lagging addresses this through a reinforced rubber compound with greater wear resistance, combined with a tread pattern specifically designed for mining applications.

The pattern improves traction, disperses water and fines and reduces heat build-up and uneven wear. It also acts as a built-in wear indicator, giving maintenance teams a clear signal for timely intervention. “This extends service life and reduces the risk of unexpected failures. It allows mines to plan maintenance, rather than react to breakdowns,” Strydom notes

Built to last

According to Franco Cloete, Manufacturing Manager at Tru-Trac, the commercial value of these products lies as much in the way they are built as in their design. “Every Apex Tracker and roller with Grip-Trac lagging is manufactured to exacting standards in our South African facility,” he says. “We focus heavily on material selection, machining tolerances and assembly processes to ensure consistent reliable performance. Our customers can trust that these are not short term fixes but rather long term solutions.”

Tru-Trac’s belt tracking and lagging technologies have been proven across multiple continents from chrome operations in South Africa to coal mines in South America and iron ore operations in Australia. The company’s global footprint demonstrates that these solutions perform reliably in diverse and demanding environments.

Sidebar / Insert Box 

The Hidden Costs of Mistracking and Slippage

Mistracking

• Lost production tonnes when conveyors are shut down for correction
• Belt edge damage leading to costly premature replacements
• Spillage clean-up including additional labour and equipment time
• Structural damage to idlers, frames and skirting systems

Slippage

• Reduced throughput from poor belt-to-roller traction
• Accelerated wear on rollers and lagging, increasing replacement costs
• Heat build-up that shortens belt and lagging life
• Unplanned downtime when rollers or belts fail unexpectedly

The Bottom Line

Even modest levels of mistracking or slippage can cost mines millions annually in direct and indirect losses. Investing in effective belt tracking and lagging solutions reduces these risks, extends equipment life and delivers measurable savings over the long term.

Lost production is a major direct cost that quarries and mines contend with when a conveyor system goes down. Some of the most common conveyor issues include belt misalignment, material carryback and rip events, amongst others. Drawing on decades of field experience, Tru-Trac’s Douglas van der Westhuizen and Guy Fitt outline some of the best-practice maintenance approaches to keeping conveyors at peak performance. 

One of the most common causes of unscheduled downtime on conveyor systems is belt misalignment which often results in spillage, belt edge damage, damage to the structure, increased power consumption and increased labour costs. According to Guy Fitt, National Sales Manager at Tru-Trac, a specialist provider of conveyor components for the global mining and bulk material handling industries, misaligned belts will ultimately result in lost production, increased operating costs and safety hazards.

Douglas van der Westhuizen, Technical Sales Representative at Tru-Trac, says misaligned belts can also result in environmental issues by increasing material spillage and dust generation which can contaminate nearby ecosystems and water sources, lead to regulatory non-compliance and negatively affect the health of both workers and nearby communities.

Apart from belt misalignment, carryback is another common enemy in conveyor systems. Carryback directly reduces conveyor productivity by creating unscheduled downtime for cleanup, degrading components such as rollers and pulleys and causing material loss and leading to belt tracking issues that necessitate further maintenance. Carryback represents loss of product, which, over time, can add up to significant financial costs, especially in systems handling large volumes,” says Fitt.

Commenting on some of the best-practice maintenance approaches to keeping conveyors at peak performance, Fitt says that continuous inspection is one of the principal approaches to making sure that conveyor systems function optimally. With this approach, minor issues are identified early on before they escalate into major problems that lead to unexpected breakdowns. This minimises unplanned interruptions ensuring that material transport is uninterrupted and production schedules are maintained.

“Constant condition monitoring of conveyor components is one of the best practices in always ensuring correct belt tracking. It is essential to be fully aware of the basic characteristics of the different belt tracking components and for these to be employed correctly,” Van der Westhuizen says, adding that all the structural conveyor components such as pulleys, idlers, take-ups and the supporting structure should always be properly aligned at all times. 

“In fact, these should be the principal areas of concern whenever trying to identify belt tracking problems. All pulleys, snub rollers, troughing and return idlers must be square with the frame parallel to each other, and also be level,” Van der Westhuizen concludes.

Conveyor systems are the backbone of material handling in mines, quarries and bulk processing plants. They move massive volumes of material across long distances and through complex circuits, linking each stage of production. When they operate reliably, they underpin productivity. When they falter, the knock-on effects can halt operations and drive up costs within minutes. Issues such as spillage, carryback, misalignment, premature belt wear and safety incidents can escalate quickly and recovering from them is seldom straightforward.

Against this backdrop, monitoring technologies have developed rapidly over the past decade. What began with basic mechanical indicators has now evolved into sophisticated real-time digital systems capable of providing continuous insight into the performance of the entire conveyor line. This evolution reflects a broader trend across heavy industry with the shift from reactive maintenance to condition-based and predictive strategies. For plant operators, the opportunity lies not simply in collecting more data but in taking an integrated approach that combines mechanical excellence, instrumentation and actionable intelligence. And, critically, the success of that integration is best achieved when supported by a reputable conveyor systems OEM such as Tru-Trac.

The evolution of conveyor monitoring

Monitoring once meant responding to failures after they had already disrupted production. A tripped motor or overheated bearing was the signal that something was wrong and maintenance teams were left scrambling to diagnose and repair the issue. While this reactive model kept belts running, it also locked plants into cycles of unplanned downtime, expensive repairs and higher safety risks.

The first significant change was the move from single-point alarms to broader visibility. Traditional setups might flag motor temperature or belt speed anomalies but these offered only a narrow window into what was happening along the conveyor’s length. Subtle but critical upstream issues – idler failures, belt wander, loading inconsistencies or fugitive material at transfer points – remained invisible until they caused real damage.

Today’s systems integrate multiple data streams across the conveyor line. Belt tracking status, idler vibration, chute and skirt performance, scraper effectiveness, bearing temperatures, power draw, belt thickness and cover wear and load profiles can all be measured and correlated. By piecing these signals together, operators can see how small deviations trigger cascading problems – for example belt wander leads to edge damage which worsens misalignment which in turn drives spillage, cleanup costs and eventual belt replacement.

Equally important is the trend toward placing monitoring closer to the source of the problem. With the arrival of edge computing, low power devices can now process vibration, thermal and acoustic data directly on idler frames or pulley housings. Instead of waiting for anomalies to surface hours later in the plant’s historian system early signs of wear or friction are flagged immediately, allowing for targeted intervention before a catastrophic failure occurs.

The final, and perhaps most transformative, stage of evolution has been the shift from raw data to actionable intelligence. Monitoring platforms increasingly translate sensor values into clear prioritised recommendations such as which idlers to replace, where to re-tension a scraper or when to inspect a chute liner. Integrating these outputs with a plant’s computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) ensures that the right work orders are raised, the correct spares are allocated and technicians arrive on site equipped for the task. This closes the loop from detection to intervention.

Monitoring and mechanical excellence go hand in hand

Despite the sophistication of today’s monitoring technology, the fundamentals of conveyor performance remain mechanical. Belts must track true, loading must be controlled, chutes must flow smoothly and material must be cleaned effectively. If these fundamentals are neglected, even the best monitoring system cannot prevent failures.

This is where a holistic approach comes into play. Hardware such as Tru-Trac belt trackers, primary and secondary scrapers, skirting systems, impact beds and slider cradles continue to form the foundation of reliable conveyor operation. Monitoring enhances these investments by confirming their performance, providing measurable proof of reduced carryback or improved alignment and highlighting when adjustments are required. The fusion of mechanical excellence with digital oversight delivers results that neither approach could achieve alone.

The sustainability and safety dimension

Monitoring also addresses the increasing emphasis on sustainability and safety across mining and materials handling. Conveyor belts consume substantial amounts of energy and misalignment or poor cleaning only increases friction and power draw. By keeping belts centred and return strands clean, operators can achieve measurable energy savings. Extending belt life also reduces the frequency of costly replacements, lowering both material usage and waste.

From an environmental standpoint, reducing spillage and dust directly supports compliance with community and regulatory expectations. Cleaner conveyors mean cleaner plants, safer walkways and reduced reliance on dust suppression systems. Meanwhile, improved diagnostics for pull-cords, emergency stops and guarding systems provide reliable assurance for both employees and regulators that safety measures are in place and functioning as intended.

The business case for integration

The economic benefits of integrated monitoring are clear. Unplanned downtime on a production-critical conveyor can cost tens of thousands of rand per hour. By identifying issues early, plants can act before small problems escalate into major disruptions. Replacing an idler identified as running hot costs little compared to repairing belt edges or recovering from a derailment.

Energy savings are another driver. A belt that is properly aligned and free from excess material runs with lower resistance, drawing less power and reducing stress on motors and drives. Over time, these savings add up to significant reductions in operating costs. Planned maintenance also becomes more efficient. With accurate wear data, spares can be ordered in advance and repairs scheduled during planned shutdowns eliminating the need for costly emergency interventions.

“An integrated approach to monitoring is no longer optional,” Shaun Blumberg, COO of Tru-Trac says. “You cannot look at sensors in isolation or mechanics on their own. The real value comes when you combine proven hardware with smart monitoring, so you can prevent issues before they escalate and keep the operation running at peak efficiency.”

Why an OEM partner matters

While the technology is compelling, the true success of any monitoring initiative depends on execution. This is where a reputable OEM such as Tru-Trac makes all the difference.

Firstly, an experienced OEM ensures that monitoring is built on a solid mechanical foundation. Tru-Trac’s belt trackers and cleaning systems are designed to withstand the realities of dust, moisture, misloading, misalignment and heavy duty operating conditions. By addressing the mechanical root causes of issues, they create the conditions in which monitoring can deliver meaningful insights.

Secondly, a trusted OEM provides lifecycle support. From correct commissioning and baseline audits to regular follow-up inspections, an OEM partner ensures that performance standards are maintained and that monitoring data is correctly interpreted. They can validate root causes when alarms are raised and implement permanent fixes rather than leaving operators to battle recurring symptoms.

Thirdly, integration is made practical. Rather than overwhelming plants with excessive sensors and data streams, a partner like Tru-Trac identifies the critical monitoring points that deliver the most value. This ensures that monitoring remains focused, manageable and aligned with operational priorities.

Finally, the reliability of ongoing support cannot be overstated. In regions where logistics and skills shortages can undermine uptime, having a partner who can supply spares, provide training and deliver rapid technical assistance is crucial.

A roadmap to success

For operators looking to embark on this journey, the starting point is a baseline survey of conveyor performance. This assessment highlights the key problem areas – whether mistracking or misalignment on a long overland conveyor, recurring idler failures in a curved section or persistent carryback at a wet transfer point. Mechanical improvements such as upgraded trackers, scrapers or impact systems are implemented first, followed by targeted monitoring to verify performance gains and catch regressions.

Over time, the monitoring architecture can be expanded across the conveyor network. Clear alarm thresholds, direct integration with maintenance systems and monthly review sessions with the OEM partner ensure that monitoring remains relevant and effective.

Conveyor monitoring has progressed far beyond isolated alarms to become a discipline of integration. By combining mechanical excellence, digital intelligence and structured response, operators can reduce downtime, optimise energy consumption, extend asset life and strengthen safety. The role of a reputable OEM such as Tru-Trac is pivotal in making this integration practical and sustainable, ensuring that both hardware and monitoring are designed, implemented and supported to deliver lasting results.

“In an era where efficiency, sustainability and safety are under constant scrutiny, conveyor systems can no longer be managed in silos. With Tru-Trac as a partner, operators are empowered not only to track their belts but to take full control of their operations, achieving consistent and predictable performance across the life of the conveyor,” Blumberg concludes. 

As the industrial sector undergoes rapid digital transformation, conveyor systems – once regarded as passive infrastructure – are emerging as intelligent data sources. Shaun Blumberg, COO of Tru-Trac, notes that at the centre of this shift is the belt scale.

“This technology was historically focused on weighing material flow but is now transforming into a strategic tool for real-time production visibility, process optimisation and predictive analytics,” he says.

Tru-Trac’s AccuTrac™ AI-enabled Belt Scale platform represents the leading edge of this evolution. Rather than being a retrofit of outdated hardware, it has been designed around the principle that mass flow measurement should be dynamic, contextual and adaptive – not static and reactive. Developed in partnership with Germany-based SHG, the system fundamentally changes the way material flow is measured and managed in industrial environments.

Blumberg explains that conventional belt scales rely on assumptions such as constant belt speed, consistent loading geometry and stable mechanical conditions. In reality, these factors vary: belts stretch, rollers wear unevenly and bulk density fluctuates. This leads to drift in measurement accuracy, frequent recalibrations and reduced confidence in the data.

“The Tru-Trac AccuTrac AI Belt Scale does not rely on static assumptions. Instead, it continuously learns from the conveyor’s operating behaviour and compensates for factors such as drift, vibration and anomalies in the load profile in real time,” Blumberg says.

At the core of the system is a fusion engine that processes inputs including belt speed, load cell output, vibration patterns and environmental conditions. Adaptive algorithms then generate a normalised computational mass flow that more accurately reflects true material movement in demanding environments.

The intelligence is embedded at the edge rather than in a remote server, allowing the system to respond immediately without relying on constant connectivity. This provides operations teams with real-time information and alerts such as early indications of belt tension changes, density fluctuations or idler failures.

“Unlike traditional systems that provide delayed or averaged readings, the Tru-Trac AccuTrac AI Belt Scale delivers contextual data that can be acted upon immediately,” Blumberg adds.

Beyond mass flow measurement, the scale also performs diagnostic functions. It can identify belt slip or stretch, uneven loading, mechanical wear and systemic inconsistencies. By combining these roles into one device, the system reduces the need for additional sensors and infrastructure, simplifying installation and maintenance while lowering potential points of failure.

Calibration, often a challenge with conventional belt scales, is managed through intelligent auto-calibration. The Tru-Trac AccuTrac™ AI Belt Scale system references historical data, production baselines and throughput values to optimise its internal models, improving accuracy with use rather than degrading over time.

The platform is also designed for integration with plant control systems using standard protocols. This allows belt scale data to feed into wider process control loops, such as adjusting feed rates based on downstream capacity or modifying loading geometry in response to live conditions.

In this way, the system moves the belt scale from a static measurement device to an embedded intelligence platform, delivering operational insights across industries such as mining, cement and ports.

“Our AccuTrac AI Belt Scale is designed to adapt continuously to real operating conditions. By embedding machine learning into the system, we can deliver reliable mass flow measurement and diagnostics that support more accurate, efficient and responsive operations,” Blumberg concludes.

Having built a strong customer base across Europe over the past two decades, Tru-Trac Rollers is now strengthening its regional presence with the appointment of three master distributors.

According to Tru-Trac COO Shaun Blumberg, the move aligns with the launch of the company’s new Apex Series Trackers which is the next generation range of belt trackers delivering significant performance benefits and attracting strong interest in international markets, as it has locally.

“We have established a solid foothold in the European market where customers value the quality and dependability of our belt tracking solutions,” says Blumberg. “There is widespread recognition that our products set the benchmark when it comes to addressing the critical challenges of belt misalignment.”

Blumberg notes that the company is excited to reignite its expansion strategy through partnerships with three well-established players in the industry, based in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

In the Netherlands, Cannon Belts will serve as the master distributor and distribution hub for most of Europe and maintain stock levels of Tru-Trac trackers to support efficient supply to the continent. In the UK, the appointed exclusive distributor is Brec, while Masanés Servindustria will handle exclusive distribution of Tru-Trac products across Spain and Portugal.

“These are highly respected companies in their respective regions, each with a strong service centre network to ensure our solutions are fully supported,” says Blumberg. “They have embraced our collaborative approach and we are looking forward to increased market engagement and more frequent visits with resellers as we move ahead.”

The three distributors collaborate closely with preferred partners and resellers, ensuring a consistent supply of products along with active technical support for both the reseller network and end-users.

According to Philipp Starrach, International Sales Manager at Tru-Trac, the company is looking forward to fostering proactive relationships that will enable more advanced levels of technical support and specialised training for its partners.

“In addition to our regular visits to Europe, these distributors will have direct access to the technical expertise at our head office,” says Starrach. He notes that while mining is a declining sector in the region, there are substantial growth opportunities in industries such as quarries, food processing, power generation, ports and recycling.

Blumberg emphasises the ongoing innovation and development within the Tru-Trac Rollers product range, which the company is eager to introduce more broadly to the European market. 

“With a dedicated research and development (R&D) department, we are continually refining and advancing our solutions,” he explains. “In the past two years alone, we have registered no fewer than 10 new patents.”

“With the introduction of our new Apex Series, we are taking deliberate steps to ensure customers across Europe have access to authentic Tru-Trac innovations through our officially appointed distributors,” Blumberg says “In recent years, we have become aware of look-alike products entering the market that attempt to replicate outdated designs of our earlier tracker models. For this reason, we encourage customers to engage directly with our new authorised partners to ensure they receive the latest, patented Tru-Trac technology, backed by factory-trained technical support and full warranty assurance.”

These innovations, designed to enhance both the performance and durability of Tru-Trac’s belt trackers, are built on decades of hands-on experience and rigorous field testing. Blumberg adds that the well-attended bauma 2025 expo in Munich this past April served as the official European launchpad for the company’s new Apex Trough Tracker range.

“We expect the new patented design of our Apex Trough Trackers to gain strong traction through our new distribution networks in Europe, as belt misalignment is a well-known cause of extensive damage and costly downtime,” says Blumberg. “Key enhancements include, among others, high load-bearing cantilevered wing rolls and an optimised in-line idler frame design, which together offer greater stability and improved responsiveness to belt misalignment.”

He points out that the concept of tapered wing rolls was originally pioneered by Tru-Trac, bringing added value to its tracking solutions. The Apex Trough Tracker also features adjustable wing rolls, ranging from 10 to 60 degrees, and boasts a compact footprint – ideal for tight installations beneath conveyor hoods or on tripper cars, with no protruding adjustment bolts.

By taking advantage of Tru-Trac’s holistic conveyor audits, which provide a ‘360-degree’ view to all components of their conveyor systems, mining operations can identify common issues early on and get actionable insights to keep their conveyor belt systems running smoothly. 

Conveyor belt systems are the lifeblood of mining operations, facilitating a constant and uninterrupted flow of materials. Keeping a close eye on the conveyor systems through holistic audits, such as those provided by Tru-Trac, ensures that operations can stay ahead of common issues such as belt misalignment/mistracking, carryback, off-centre loading and spillages, amongst others.  

“Tru-Trac’s conveyor system audits are holistic in their approach, going well beyond the surface-level checks provided by traditional conveyor ‘inspections’ and ‘surveys’,” stresses AJ van Eyssen, Field Service Manager at Tru-Trac. “The audits entail a broader more comprehensive assessment of a conveyor system, encompassing not just the evaluation of potential problems but also the root causes of the issues at hand as well as the provision of recommendations to get to the bottom of the identified issues.”

Using the company’s proprietary digital Conveyor Audit reporting system, Tru-Trac’s highly experienced technicians can send real-time feedback to customers via email. The innovative digital system provides comprehensive insights into the condition and performance of each component in the system, accompanied by photos showing areas of concern, required maintenance and recommendations on how to optimise the entire conveyor system.

This is complemented by the recent integration of the Tru-Trac Rip Prevent+ system, an advanced monitoring technology that analyses data from the conveyor belt using artificial intelligence (AI)-based models and algorithms, which presents an exciting prospect for the audit process. 

The arrival of yet another Tru-Trac innovation, the newly-launched intelligent belt scale, which made its debut at bauma 2025, further provides another important technological tool to the auditing process. It integrates AI-driven continuous calibration check and real-time load cell monitoring for the accurate measurement and detection of tonnes per hour, as well as advanced conveyor belt monitoring by integrating AI-driven analytics with traditional belt scales.

“By identifying and addressing potential issues early on, our holistic conveyor systems’ audits offer significant benefits, including reduced downtime, improved safety outcomes, enhanced operational efficiency and extended conveyor system lifespan,” says Van Eyssen. 

In a recent successful project, the Tru-Trac audit was central to addressing problematic conveyor issues for a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) mine. The conveyor system was experiencing impact damage on transfer points due to changing operational parameters such as tonnages and belt speeds. 

“The impact damage was significant in that the client experienced breakdowns after every two weeks. Following a detailed audit, we recommended the changing of impact beds, chutes and conveyor skating to meet the new operational needs. This has successfully addressed the client’s pain points, with the conveyor system having to date gone for six months without any issues,” concludes Van Eyssen.