ISO 14890
ISO 14890 is the international standard 'Conveyor belts — Specification for rubber- or plastics-covered conveyor belts of textile construction for general use', defining test methods, cover grades and dimensions for fabric belts.
ISO 14890 is the international standard governing rubber- or plastics-covered conveyor belts with textile carcasses — in other words, the fabric (EP, NN, EE) belts used across general industry. It standardizes nominal breaking strength values, [ply rating](/glossary/ply-rating) designations, dimensions and tolerances, cover thickness ranges, and the test procedures used to verify belt strength, adhesion, abrasion, elongation and ageing. It is the international counterpart of the older German DIN 22102; many specifications cite both in parallel.
The standard works closely with the cover-grade classification of ISO 10247, which defines Grade L (general), Grade D (heavy abrasion) and Grade H (cut-and-gouge resistant) [cover compounds](/glossary/cover-compound). Belt designations under ISO 14890 — for example 'EP 500/4, 4+2 mm, Grade D' — fully specify the carcass (4-ply EP, 500 N/mm), the cover thicknesses (4 mm top + 2 mm bottom), and the cover grade. This level of single-line specification makes ISO 14890 designations the standard nomenclature for tender documents and purchase orders worldwide.
ISO 14890 does not cover specialty belts: steel cord (ISO 15236), heat-resistant (ISO 4195), oil-resistant (ISO 1957), flame-retardant for underground coal (ISO 433 / EN 14973), or food contact (FDA, EU 1935/2004) — each of those has its own document. But for the great majority of industrial bulk belts, ISO 14890 is the single most-cited international standard alongside DIN 22102.
Reference standards
- ISO 14890Conveyor belts — Specification for rubber- or plastics-covered conveyor belts of textile construction for general use
Current international standard for fabric (EP, NN, EE) conveyor belts; covers ratings, dimensions and test procedures.
- ISO 10247Conveyor belts — Characteristics of covers — Classification
Companion standard that defines cover grades L, D and H referenced in ISO 14890 belt designations.
Related products
Related engineering tools
Related terms
- Fabric Conveyor Belt(EP / NN)
A fabric conveyor belt uses 2–6 textile plies (typically polyester warp / nylon weft, designated EP) bonded with rubber skim coats to form a flexible, high-strength carcass.
- Cover Compound
Cover compound is the rubber formulation laminated to the top and bottom of a conveyor belt carcass, classified by abrasion (D, H, L), heat, oil or anti-static resistance per DIN 22102 / ISO 10247.
- Ply Rating (EP200, NN200, etc.)
Ply rating designates a fabric belt carcass by its fabric type (EP = polyester-nylon, NN = nylon-nylon) and per-ply tensile strength in N/mm — e.g. EP200/4 means 4 plies × 200 N/mm = 800 N/mm.
- Breaking Strength (kN/m)
Breaking strength is the minimum tensile force per metre of belt width at which a new belt's carcass fails — e.g. an EP500 belt is rated 500 N/mm = 500 kN/m — used with the safety factor to derive working tension.