How Do You Work With a Conveyor Belt Manufacturer as a Distributor?
A distributor stands between the end user and the factory. If the belt is wrong, the distributor carries the problem.
Short answer
A distributor works well with a manufacturer that can turn an end user’s sample or photos into a drawing, let the distributor approve a trial before production, pack neutrally with the distributor’s marks, and rebuild the same belt on the next order.
I am Sunny Ye, Global Sales Director at YIYI MESH BELT in Ningjin, Shandong. We have made metal conveyor belts since 1998 and run 280 units of production equipment, including 9 automatic welding robots. Distributors in Europe, Asia and Africa send us their end users’ belts, and this is how we work together.
At a glance
| Product | All 12 metal conveyor belt families and sprockets |
|---|---|
| Application | Replacement and new belts for the distributor’s end users |
| Key parameters to confirm | Sample or photos, drawing approval, trial, neutral packing, repeat orders |
| Buyer type | Distributors, service companies, importers |
| What to send for a quote | The end user’s sample or photos, quantity, destination and marking rules |
How do you turn an end user’s belt into an order?
Most distributor orders start with a used belt and no drawing.
Send the end user’s sample or photos with a caliper in view. We measure every sample in our workshop, draw each belt and send the drawings to you for approval. You confirm with your customer, and nothing is built until you sign. The drawing is kept for repeats.
For a distributor in South Korea we reverse-engineered four trapezoidal belts from samples, with widths from 200 to 650 mm and 3 to 9 spaces. The distributor approved the drawings, then the trial sections, before mass production.
Why should a distributor insist on a trial section?
The trial is what you show your customer before you commit.
A distributor should insist on a trial section because it lets you show the end user the new belt next to the old one before mass production. If something is off, it is fixed on a metre of belt, not on the whole order.
For a distributor in Southeast Asia we made new forming tooling for a flat wire belt, photographed the trial next to the end user’s sample, and started production after the distributor confirmed.
Can the factory stay in the background?
Many distributors prefer their customer to see their brand, not ours.
Yes. On request we pack neutrally: no Chinese text, no YIYI name on cases or labels, and your shipping marks and packing list wording. We send packing photos before dispatch, so you see exactly what your customer will receive. Technical support stays with you, with our engineering behind it.
Measured photos and inspection reports can be prepared for you to forward to your customer.
How do repeat orders work for distributors?
The second order is where a distributor earns its margin.
Repeat orders reference the approved drawing, so you can quote your customer quickly and we build the same belt again. A Korean distributor re-ordered 400 m of trapezoidal belts to the same drawings, and a Southern African distributor re-ordered a chain plate belt to the drawing from the year before.
Keep the drawing numbers with each end user’s file. When the next enquiry comes, you can send us a three-line reorder instead of a new sample.
When this is not the right choice
Quoting the end user before the drawing is approved is not the right order. The quote follows the belt, and the belt follows the drawing.
Copying a belt that failed early is not right either; send photos of the failure so we can check the cause with you first.
From our engineering experience
A distributor in South Korea sent us samples of four trapezoidal belts in use at an end user, with no drawings. We measured every sample, drew each belt, built trial sections and photographed them next to the originals. After the first order of 350 m, the distributor re-ordered 400 m to the same drawings.
My advice to distributors: let the factory do the measuring and the drawing, but keep the approval and the customer relationship in your hands.
Evidence from our work
- Situation
- A distributor sent samples of four trapezoidal belts used by an end user, with no drawings.
- What we checked
- Every sample measured: widths 200–650 mm, wire 1.6–2.0 mm, pitch 7–10.2 mm, 3–9 spaces, pressed edges 9–11 mm; drawings approved by the distributor; trials compared with the samples.
- Why it matters
- The distributor could show the end user a matched trial before committing.
- Result
- First order of 350 m shipped; the distributor re-ordered 400 m to the same drawings.
- Buyer lesson
- Samples become drawings, drawings become repeat orders.
FAQ
Do you work with distributors?
Yes. Distributors in Europe, Asia and Africa order belts for their end users from us.
Can you pack without your name?
Yes, on request: neutral cases, no Chinese text, your marks.
Can you copy a belt from a sample?
Yes. We measure the sample, draw the belt for your approval and confirm it on a trial section.
Can you prepare reports I can forward to my customer?
Yes. Measured photos and the inspection report of each belt can be prepared for you to forward.
Which belt types can you supply?
All 12 YIYI product families, from spiral freezer and self-stacking belts to chain plate belts and sprockets.
Conclusion
Send the sample, approve the drawing and trial, ship neutrally and reorder by drawing. The distributor keeps the customer; we keep the belt right.
Useful files for your project
I have worked on metal conveyor belt projects for 15 years, from new spiral freezers to belt replacement. I share project notes and replacement checklists on LinkedIn.
Technical reviewer: Sunny Ye, Global Sales Director, YIYI MESH BELT · Last updated: 2026-10-12