Fenner Conveyors has officially opened its K-MIX Materials Innovation Hub in Kwinana, Western Australia, marking a new phase in local conveyor belt manufacturing and materials development.
The facility was launched on 19 March, with Western Australian minister for environment and climate action Honourable Matthew Swinbourn attending the opening alongside industry stakeholders and company leadership.
“This investment shows how Western Australia can grow a strong, diversified economy while protecting and restoring our environment for future generations,” Swinbourn said.
“By recovering and remanufacturing complex industrial materials here in WA, Fenner and Tyrecycle are helping drive the transition to a more circular economy, with more local jobs, more local manufacturing, and less waste.”
Located in the Kwinana industrial precinct, the hub brings together rubber compounding, testing and product development capabilities in a single site. The integrated approach is designed to support the development of tailored conveyor belt materials for mining and bulk handling applications.
Fenner claims the ability to mix rubber compounds locally will allow engineers to customise materials for specific operating conditions while reducing lead times and improving supply chain resilience for Australian customers.
Fenner Conveyors managing director Jen Green said the K-MIX hub represents a step forward in developing materials suited to increasingly complex mining environments.
“We’re proud to officially open our K-MIX facility, marking our latest investment in Australian conveyor belt manufacturing,” Green said.
“The capabilities of K-MIX will provide long-term value to our customers and our people, driving product innovation, manufacturing excellence, and performance-driven quality.”
The facility also supports increased use of recycled materials in conveyor belt manufacturing, with the company continuing its collaboration with tyre recycler Tyrecycle to incorporate recycled polymer composites into new products.
“Our strategic partnership with Tyrecycle has established the first‑of‑its‑kind closed‑loop recycling ecosystem for conveyor belt in Australia,” Green said.
“We’re proud to now launch the first of our InfinitySeries range of recycled content conveyor belts, demonstrating circular innovation in action. We look forward to expanding this series in partnership with our customers.”
The company also confirmed the hub will support the rollout of conveyor belt products manufactured with recycled content, addressing the ongoing challenge of end-of-life belt waste in the mining sector.