Industrial conveyor systems commonly use steel flight bars, which can account for nearly 50% of the total system mass and significantly affect energy consumption. This study investigates epoxy matrix composites reinforced with glass, carbon, and Kevlar fibers as lightweight alternatives to steel flight bars. A multiscale analytical approach combining micromechanics, Classical Laminate Theory (CLT), and ply-level failure criteria is applied to evaluate the structural response under an industrial bending moment of 342. 02 N·m. Tensile tests on vacuum-infused woven glass/epoxy laminates are used to validate micromechanical assumptions and calibrate elastic properties. Ply-wise analysis shows that carbon/epoxy laminates exhibit the lowest longitudinal stresses (≈43 MPa), followed by Kevlar/epoxy (≈53 MPa) and glass/epoxy (≈95 MPa), all well below their respective strength limits. Replacing steel flight bars (4. 64 t) with composite alternatives reduces the moving mass to 0. 68–0. 82 t, corresponding to an 82–85% reduction. This mass reduction significantly lowers the required mechanical power, resulting in an estimated annual energy saving of R 8812. 80 under continuous operation. Overall, the results demonstrate that polymer-matrix composite flight bars are structurally safe and energetically advantageous, with carbon/epoxy providing the highest mechanical efficiency.
Bitencourt et al. (2026) studied this question.