It's four years since Smiley Monroe opened its plant in Kentucky, and ZIP CLIP® mechanically-fastened replacement conveyor belts have revolutionised downtime across the USA. Designed for aftermarket, ZIP CLIP® provides a ready-to-fit replacement conveyor belt system to get machines up and running within an hour. Now accounting for up to 50% of sales in the region, ZIP CLIP®’s popularity is one of the main drivers of the company’s Stateside growth.
Founded in 1979, Smiley Monroe began as a service company to local quarries and mines and understood the challenges and costs associated with conveyor belt repairs and replacements in the field. Now a trusted manufacturer of endless belts delivering direct to the production line of many prestigious manufacturers of mobile equipment - Smiley Monroe recognized a gap in the market for a fast, safe and easy-to-fit belt replacement system which has the same quality assurance as the original endless belt. ZIP CLIP® ‘the world’s fastest replacement belt’ entered the market in 2015 and there are now over 3500 operating in quarries around the world.
The challenges of fitting replacement belts are well understood by Kenny Harris, Superintendent of Gaddie Shamrock Quarry in Kentucky, USA.
Gaddie Shamrock is a limestone quarry, running a variety of portable equipment from the Kleemann Evo line. Supplied through their Kleemann dealer, Bramco, Gaddie Shamrock have made the switch to ZIP CLIP® Replacement Belts throughout their fleet.
‘ZIP CLIP® has cut our downtime a lot. Before ZIP CLIP® we were at the mercy of teams coming in to vulcanise the belts or fit the mechanical fasteners, this could mean a machine being down for 24 – 26 hours. Now with ZIP CLIP® downtime is three hours or less. With ZIP CLIP® the clips are already fitted to the joint so it’s ready to go, we just pull the old belt off and fit the ZIP CLIP®. It’s much safer too, as we don’t need to take the conveyor out of the machine, so eliminates a lot of the safety concerns we had with other methods. We like to keep a ZIP CLIP® belt in stock for our most critical conveyors, giving us peace of mind, that should anything happen, we can act quickly.’
Smiley Monroe Inc in Franklin, Kentucky offers premium dispatch, meaning a ZIP CLIP® can be ready to dispatch same day in an emergency. Morgan Walker, Plant Manager of Smiley Monroe Inc, explains:
‘ZIP CLIP® has been one of the main drivers behind our success in the USA. The Smiley Monroe name gives customers the reassurance that the ZIP CLIP® belt is just as good as the original endless belt and will operate, not just as a temporary solution but can be left running indefinitely. Our agile operations mean we can get customers back up and running as quickly as possible’.
In partnership with Smiley Monroe, equipment dealers also recognize the value of being able to service their customers quickly with a ready-to-fit, quality solution during a breakdown and can rely on the quick turnaround and stock options available with Smiley Monroe.
Smiley Monroe will be exhibiting at the upcoming Agg1 and are welcoming visitors to learn more about stocking ZIP CLIP® as well as their wide range of endless conveyor belt options.