A conveyor belt or belt conveyor consists of two end pulleys, with a continuous loop of material that rotates about them. The pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. Conveyor belts are extensively used to transport industrial and agricultural materials, such as grain, coal, ores, etc. Conveyor belts with regularly spaced partitions are often called elevator belts. Conveyor belts are used in self-unloading bulk freighters and in live bottom trucks. This technology is also used in conveyor transport such as moving sidewalks or escalators, as well as on many manufacturing assembly lines. Stores often have conveyor belts at the check-out counter to move shopping items.

In contrast, the moving floor system is a technology that uses reciprocating slats to move cargo through the floor. Also in contrast is a roller conveyor system, which uses a series of rotating rollers to convey boxes or pallets.

The longest conveyor belt in the world is in Western Sahara. It is 100 km long, from the phosphate mines of Bu Craa to the coast south of Laayoune.

See also

• thermohaline circulation