Industry
Aggregate
Application
Standard Field Belt/Stackers
Product
Flexco® Bolt Solid Plate Fastening System - Size 190
Objective
• Decrease cost
Conveyor Detail
• Belt type: 3-ply 330
• 30–36-inch belts
• 35-degree trough
Problem:
A central Indiana aggregate facility was looking for ways to reduce costs and decided to move away from Flexco fasteners to a competitor’s belt fastening system, hoping for savings on splice materials. However, once the change was implemented, they began experiencing a sharp decline in performance. The competitor’s newly-installed fasteners required more frequent replacements and placed a heavy burden on the maintenance team to constantly make emergency repairs. What was initially seen as a cost-cutting measure quickly resulted in increased downtime, higher labor demands, and greater long-term expenses.
Solution:
After hearing that the site had moved to a competitor product, the site’s distributor alerted the Flexco service team. Although the account was seemingly lost, a Flexco territory manager reached out to the site with a simple offer of support. Without pressuring the team to return, he made a visit to check in and remind them that Flexco was always available if needed. Although appreciative of the measure, the site manager decided to continue using the competitor’s fasteners through the rest of the season and into the next, but when splice failures continued to occur more frequently than anticipated, the team reevaluated their options. Having previously used the Flexco® Bolt Solid Plate Fastening System with sustained success, seeing splices last over two years in similar applications, the site manager reached back out to their distributor, who then recommended returning to the original Flexco fastening solution.
Result:
Since switching back to the Flexco Bolt Solid Plate Fastening System, the facility has experienced more consistent, stronger, and longer-lasting splice performance, with none of the recurring failures they encountered while using the competitor's product. Their maintenance team has regained the ability to plan belt servicing with confidence, reducing the need for emergency repairs and lowering the strain on scheduling resources. This regained reliability has allowed them to return to regular operations without interruption, keeping material flowing and crews focused on other high-value tasks.
Their biggest shift, though, was in their confidence in conveyor system performance and their ability to complete jobs and keep profits at their expected level. With reliable products and dependable support from Flexco and their distributor, the site has made it clear they have no intention of moving away from Bolt Solid again, choosing long-term value, consistency, and trusted partnership over the prospect of short-term cost savings.