Because the edge of a belt marks the connection between different components, it suffers from the usual weaknesses seen at most joints. Fraying is one of the more common causes of damage to the edge of a belt, but chapter four of Martin Engineering's Foundations explains that there are a variety of others.
One of the other leading sources of damage to the edge of a belt is delamination. In this instance, rather than friction wearing away at the material of the belt itself, other pressures cause the different layers of the belt to separate from each other.
This process can expose the less durable inner layers of the belt and the sometimes fragile inner components of the conveyor, dramatically increasing the risk of further damage.
The book notes there are two primary causes for delamination: the pulleys or moisture and other foreign materials. A belt that is wrapped around pulleys that are too small will sometimes see layers start to separate, while moisture and other materials that find their way between layers can push them apart. This could be a particularly significant issue in areas with changing temperatures, where materials will contract and expand inside the belt.
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