In a recent interview, Dr Andreas Echelmeyer, Director Conveying & Loading Systems, BEUMER Group talked about a new focus at the company on bulk handling solutions for mining. He states: “Since August 2015, I have been the head of the new Center of Competence (CoC) for Conveying & Loading Systems (CL Systems) segment. Under the leadership of the CoC, we would like to globally develop and implement complex system solutions for various industries, such as the mining and raw materials industries, and port handling.”
Echelmeyer said that in order to achieve this, the customers will have to notice BEUMER in those fields. “BEUMER is known for providing innovative intralogistics solutions. Some are still surprised to learn how fast the BEUMER Group has grown in recent years. Today Beumer now also offers complex system solutions in the raw materials industry, a sector in which business was traditionally limited to sales of single machines. Our goal is to become internationally known as a reliable partner in the area of plant engineering as well. We have fewer inquiries from Germany, and increasingly more from Australia, the Far East, Africa, South America and the US. Our mission is to build an international team for Conveying & Loading Systems that works together on specific projects. In order to ensure a high standard internationally, we must get qualified colleagues from all our local companies on board in all regions.”
He adds: “We are rooted in material handling, which is specifically about the efficient movement of bulk materials. Each industry we serve has very specific requirements however. The cement industry, for example, relies increasingly on alternative fuels and raw materials to reduce the use of expensive primary fuels, such as coal and oil. This can also be achieved with household waste that is processed for a particular application. Due to the differing composition of this material, its handling is often very complex. We consult with our customers based on our extensive knowledge of system solutions and provide entire systems, starting from receiving the material at the factory gate, to storing, mixing, conveying and introducing it into the cement production process via the main burner or calcinator.”
On finding the right people he states: “Often they need to find new ways in order to find the perfect system solution. Particularly with large conveyor systems, the demands on engineers are becoming increasingly complex. Public acceptance of road transport by truck is declining throughout the world, which means that our conveyors have to deal with greater and greater challenges in overcoming topography. For example, we are designing systems with a length of more than 12 km that transport material over extremely steep inclines and declines – and without transferring material on the way.”
Specifically, on the current development for plant design in mining, Echelmeyer says: “The prices for raw materials like iron ore or copper have been extremely low for the last two or three years now. This is why the market situation is very difficult at the moment. We feel the effects of companies cutting investments and stopping projects. We expect this low level of investment to continue for another two, three years, until the market stabilises. What else has changed? There is a general trend towards larger tonnages and throughputs because larger production facilities are more efficient. Many users don’t want to set up several parallel systems, but want to cover their entire requirements with one line or as few as possible. This trend influences considerably the development of our systems.”
Finally, on complete solutions, he says: “We want to offer comprehensive services to our customers, so that we can also avoid unnecessary interfaces. This is why we deliver everything from one single source. For many of the components that are not part of our portfolio, we always ask ourselves whether to purchase or manufacture them in-house. For gear units and electric motors, as well as systems to quantify material flows, we use selected partners. We also attend trade shows to get a clear picture of the current market developments. It’s the only way to make sure to provide the perfect solution to our customer in terms of profitability. It is not uncommon for plant manufacturers to purchase many of the components. This way we focus on our core competence and always provide the perfect solutions. Our goal is to always supply turn-key systems that allow the customer to work efficiently.”
