Tag Archives: Beumer Group

BEUMER Group to design and supply overland conveyor for Warrior Met Coal’s Blue Creek mine

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , ,

BEUMER Group has been selected by Warrior Met Coal to support the expansion of Blue Creek mine, a new state-of-the-art underground longwall mine producing steelmaking coal.

The extracted coal is to be processed on surface in a coal preparation plant before being moved over 14 km to a train loadout station.

The BEUMER Group recently secured the order from Warrior to design and supply a single-flight curved overland conveyor for this 1,500 short ton per hour transport system.

Daniel Schmillenkamp, CEO of BEUMER Group Canada, said: “In cooperation with Warrior, we addressed the project-specific challenges. The design and implementation are a testament to our commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions.”

The project presented some challenges due to the difficult and hilly terrain of the proposed transport corridor, BEUMER says. To find the most efficient solution, Warrior explored various transportation methods, including rail, troughed and pipe conveyor systems. Over the past 12 months, BEUMER Group worked closely with Warrior to identify the most economical and technically feasible transport method and optimal route, resulting in a single conventionally troughed conveyor with 18 horizontal curves.

Philip Saunders, Senior VP Engineering at Warrior, said: “BEUMER’s holistic approach and our very close working relationship allowed us to expedite the design and procurement phase to move toward the completion of this time-sensitive project at a pace rarely seen in the coal or mining industries.”

BEUMER is responsible for engineering and procurement of all structural and mechanical components and multiple E-Houses with VFDs, MCCs and PLC control systems. The conveyor system will use nine load-sharing drives to limit the overall belt tension.

BEUMER’s Director of Sales, Peter Sehl, said this project uses innovative and proprietary conveyor engineering and design tools to support the fast construction schedule. “With over 5,000 tons of steel for ground modules and elevated sections, 47% of the conveyor flight will be elevated to avoid natural features and minimise earthworks,” he said.

The overland conveyor is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.

With the addition of Blue Creek, Warrior expects to increase its annual High Vol A production by 4.8 million short tons; enhance its already advantageous position on the global cost curve; drive its cash costs further into the first quartile globally; improve its profitability and cash flow generation; and cement its position as a leading pure play steelmaking coal producer, the coal producer says.

BEUMER Group acquires air supported belt conveyor company The Hendrik Group

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, , , , , ,

The BEUMER Group has acquired what it says is one of the leading companies for air supported belt conveyors, The Hendrik Group Inc, in a deal that confirms its commitment towards sustainability.

The move, which is fully complementary to the company’s current technologies offering, ensures an even broader customer benefit, BEUMER Group said.

Founded in 1983 by Henk Hartsuiker and based in Woodbury, Connecticut, USA, the Hendrik Group has become one of the leading manufacturers in the bulk materials handling industry with customers all over the world. In recent years, Hendrik Group has become synonymous with the environmentally friendly transport of bulk materials, using its air supported conveyors to transport sensitive materials while ensuring hazardous substances are not released into the environment. At the very core of the technology is an air cushion used to support the belt and the load. The result is a weatherproof and dustproof transport solution that is quiet, clean and efficient, according to the company.

Hendrik Operations Manager, Rik Hartsuiker, believes that his father’s many years of experience and expertise in air supported conveying technology are now in the best hands.

“We hope my father’s legacy is safe in BEUMER’s care and are confident that they will be as committed to the further development of air supported conveying systems as we were,” he said.

Kay Wieczorek, Head of the Center of Competence Product Business of the BEUMER Group, said: “In recent years, we have often had constructive discussions with the Hendrik Group about international cooperation in the field of air supported belt conveying systems. The acquisition of this internationally successful company is the logical consequence of these constructive discussions. The qualitative expansion of our products is a great opportunity for us: we will continue to develop the groundbreaking technology.”

The acquisition will expand BEUMER’s portfolio and strengthen its market position in both the cement and the minerals and mining industry, it says.

Markus Schmidt, CEO of BEUMER Corporation in Somerset, New Jersey, USA, said: “The Hendrik Group specialises in the efficient and environmentally friendly transport of bulk materials. This aligns very well with our goals of bringing sustainable products to the market and improving our customers’ carbon footprint.”

BEUMER Group and FAM ‘the right project partner for all challenges’, Hotz says

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining safety, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In June, BEUMER Group completed the acquisition of the FAM Group of Magdeburg, Germany, in the process, increasing its conveyor system and loading technology offering and becoming a significant player in the in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) space.

Close to six months after closing, IM put some questions to Stefan Hotz, Director Sales FAM Group, to find out how the integration of the two companies is going and how the transaction should strengthen the enlarged company’s market position in the minerals and mining sectors.

IM: Where – regionally – do you see the most opportunities in the mining sector for the integrated company to gain market share? South America has been a particularly strong market for FAM in the past; do you see this as a big opportunity for the integrated group?

SH: FAM – member of BEUMER Group – is one of the world’s leading full-range suppliers of bulk handling and processing systems. The customers come from more than 80 countries and the solutions are successfully in use everywhere. With BEUMER’s acquisition of the FAM Group, we were able to expand our portfolio to include bulk material handling, crushing technology as well as conveyor technology. Customers receive solutions from a single source with which they can work efficiently. In addition to engineering and project execution competences, FAM also brings the complete value chain, including after-sales service, to the BEUMER Group. This makes us a sought-after partner worldwide.

Of course, South America is a strong market, especially countries with iron ore and copper resources such as Brazil, Chile and Peru. For example, in Peru, the mining companies are transporting iron ore to the stockyards, which are often located at distances of several kilometres from the port. Callao Port, for example, is home to the most modern and largest ship loading terminal in the country. A reliable and safe connection for material transport is required, which at the same time ideally prevents the emission of particles into the atmosphere. Conveyors are the preferred solution here that can be individually adapted to the respective environmental and technical requirements and to the topography, as well as protect the environment from dust emissions.

IM: Are you expecting to increase your manufacturing capacity or acquire new premises to fulfil this demand, or do you have enough capacity to serve these growing markets in the near-to-medium term?

SH: The FAM Group has subsidiaries in Brazil, Chile, China, Canada and India. In addition, there are the numerous subsidiaries and agencies of the BEUMER Group. This means that we are very well positioned worldwide and can optimally serve these growing markets in the short to medium term. In our project business it’s a must to be, on the one hand, close to our customers but, on the other hand, using our global resource network and know-how to balance workloads. But, of course, we expand the network of our subsidiaries if we notice that we cannot serve certain regions with the desired reliability.

IM: Is the company already pursuing mining projects that involve the solutions/expertise of FAM and BEUMER Group? Can you elaborate on what type of projects these are and what solutions they involve (ie overland conveyors, bucketwheel excavators, spreaders, etc)?

SH: Yes, we are already in the process to support our mining clients from one hand, integrating FAM and BEUMER solutions. For example, we are working on one large project for gold extraction, where BEUMER is providing the long-distance overland conveyor and FAM supports the client with spreader technology to dump overburden. We have combined this with an attractive digitalisation and service package to ensure optimisation of the client’s total cost of ownership.

IM: With this transaction the company has effectively become a major player in the IPCC space. Do you see this as a major growth area for BEUMER Group going forward?

SH: In general, with this new setup, we expand our product portfolio and we are significantly strengthening our market position worldwide, especially in the field of large-scale mining equipment. But the most important thing is that we can provide our customers with even more comprehensive support over the whole value chain from pit to port, including digitalisation and service for our projects. Due to our many years of experience, we also support our clients in complex upgrade, lifetime extension and refurbishment jobs for existing machines. This means we avoid interfaces and customers now have only one contact.

IM: Do you see your ability to offer not only the solutions but also the engineering and design expertise underpinning these solutions as differentiating your offering from your competitors in the IPCC market? What other differentiators will serve you well in winning business in this market?

SH: I don’t want to say much about our market competitors, but I am sure that together with FAM we stand out positively from the market, specifically for continuous soft rock and overburden IPCC applications. Furthermore, we have long-term partners with whom we are serving the needs of our clients in terms of mine planning and pre-engineering. This ensures that we are defining  a solution for the client with a focus on CAPEX and OPEX optimisation. Specifically for IPCC applications, we are convinced of adding value during the first months of operation by providing integrated training and service packages to ensure successful implementation of continuous mining systems after commissioning. In doing so, the specialism is characterised in particular by distinctive engineering at a high level.

IM: What other areas of your business do you see growing with the need for mining companies to move away from their reliance on diesel-powered mobile mining equipment for material transport? Are you seeing more interest in your overland conveyor portfolio, for instance?

SH: Our belt conveyor systems are used successfully all over the world. They solve complex transport problems for any bulk material and are suitable in many cases as an economic alternative to truck transport. While the basic task – to transport bulk materials from the mine to the final discharge point – appears very comparable, no two systems are alike. The range of potential materials to be conveyed, alone, requires individual consideration of the components to be used in terms of wear resistance or the maximum permissible gradients of a conveyor. In addition, above all, the mass flow to be transported and the height to be overcome determine the dimensioning of the drive unit of an overland conveyor. Plants at high altitudes pose a further challenge. At altitudes above 4,000 m, as is often the case in the Andes for example, it must be taken into account that the air pressure and, thus, the density of the air decreases with increasing altitude. This reduces both the cooling effect and the insulating capacity of the air. We are the right project partner for all these challenges.

BEUMER Group prepares to showcase complete material transport solution offering at Bauma

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, , , , , , ,

BEUMER Group is gearing up to present an even wider product portfolio to attendees of Bauma 2022, in Munich, on October 24-30, following the acquisition of the FAM Group.

Since May of this year, the full-service provider has been offering its entire product spectrum, ranging from bulk material handling, and processing plants to conveyor technology. This sees customers provided with complete material transport solutions from a single source, the company says.

The BEUMER Group has been firmly anchored in the bulk solids handling technology market for decades, with the acquisition of the FAM Group significantly strengthening the system provider’s position in the minerals and mining markets. The FAM Group has its headquarters in Magdeburg, Germany, and is an internationally active, medium-sized group and manufacturer of systems for open-cast mining, stockyards, mineral processing, ports, conveying and loading.

The BEUMER Group offers machines along the entire transport chain for bulk goods, with solutions including the extraction, conveying, loading, storage and processing of various raw materials, for  various industries.

BEUMER Group says it combines many years of serial production know-how with customised manufacturing experience, offering high-quality engineering and extensive services.

“The BEUMER Group delivers turnkey complexes for the extraction, transport and processing of raw materials, thanks to its wide range of large-scale equipment and individual machines for open-cast mining, such as bucket wheel excavators, belt wagons and conveyor systems,” the company said. “Mine operators can transport various bulk materials with BEUMER’s pipe and overland conveyors, even over long distances and above terrain which is often rough and impassable. Steep gradients and tight curve radii enable individual routes to be adapted to the topography and the task at hand. The BEUMER Group can customise the systems to match the conveying task and topography exactly. The system provider relies on modern planning and layout tools to support plant operators early in the project and design the ideal conveying solution together with the customer.”

The product portfolio includes extensive storage space technology, loading systems and various crushing & screening plants, including impact, hammer, single & double-roll crushers, plus many more crushers and mills.

BEUMER completes acquisition of conveyor systems provider FAM Group

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , ,

BEUMER Group says it has completed the acquisition of the FAM Group of Magdeburg, Germany, in the process, increasing its conveyor system and loading technology offering.

BEUMER, a leader in the manufacture of intralogistics systems for conveying, loading, palletising, packaging, sorting and distribution, signed the purchase agreement in early May, with the transaction legally concluding on June 9, 2022.

The BEUMER Group has held a stable position in the bulk materials technology market for decades and, with the acquisition of the FAM Group, the systems provider has significantly strengthened its market position in the minerals and mining sectors, it said.

The FAM Group is a manufacturer of conveyor systems and is an internationally operating, medium-sized group with 750 employees. The company is one of the world’s leading full-range bulk handling and processing equipment suppliers, able to plan, design and manufacture turnkey plants and systems for mining, extracting, loading and storing minerals, raw materials and goods.

In addition to expanding the BEUMER Group’s portfolio, FAM’s know-how and global positioning also complement BEUMER’s competence in the project planning of plants, BEUMER said. FAM brings not only planning and engineering, but the entire value chain to the BEUMER Group, including aftersales service.

The company concluded: “The BEUMER Group offers FAM a long-term perspective anchored on the highest possible quality, sustainability and innovation: for almost 90 years now, the BEUMER Group, a family-run and wholly self-financed company, has been developing customized system solutions for the mining industry, among others.”

Earlier this month, Rudolf Hausladen became the new CEO of BEUMER Group, succeeding Dr Christoph Beumer, who had led the group as CEO since 2000.

BEUMER Group develops hybrid conveyor technology for ports

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

BEUMER Group has responded to the changing demands of dry bulk customers with two new products that leverage its existing expertise in pipe and troughed belt conveying technology.

Speaking at a recent virtual media event, Andrea Prevedello, CEO of BEUMER Group Austria, announced the new additions under the U-Shape conveyor family.

Leveraging the advantages of pipe conveyors and troughed overland belt conveyors, the U-Shape conveyor enables an environmentally friendly and efficient operation in port terminals, BEUMER Group said. The design allows the implementation of more narrow curve radii than a troughed belt conveyor with higher mass flows than a pipe conveyor, all with dust-free transport, the company says.

The company explained the hybridisation of the two: “The troughed belt conveyors allow high mass flows even in case of heavy and robust materials. Their open design makes them suitable for coarse materials and very large volumes.

“The pipe conveyors, on the contrary, present other specific advantages. The idlers form the belt to a closed tube protecting the material transported against external influences and the environment from emissions such as material loss, dust or odours. Partition plates with hexagonal cuts and idlers in a staggered arrangement keep the tube shape closed. The pipe conveyors allow the implementation of more narrow curve radii and larger angles of inclination than open troughed belt conveyors.”

With requirements changing – the quantities of bulk materials growing, the routing becoming increasingly complex and environmental considerations rising – BEUMER Group found the need to develop the U-Shape conveyor.

“In this solution, a special idler configuration brings the belt in a u-shape,” it said. “Thus, the bulk material reaches the discharge station. An idler configuration similar to that for the troughed belt conveyor is used for opening the belt.”

Bringing together the advantages of open troughed belt conveyors and closed pipe conveyors, conveyed material is protected against external influences such as wind, rain or snow; and the environment against possible material loss and dust.

Within the family are two products that offer higher curve flexibility, higher capacity, bigger lump size allowance, no spillage and reduced power consumption, according to Prevedello.

The T-U-Shape conveyor is a U-shape conveyor designed like a normal troughed belt conveyor, but comes with a 30% reduction in width, allowing the ability to take on tighter curves, Prevedello says. This looks to have many applications in tunnelling applications.

The P-U-Shape conveyor, as the name would infer, is derived from the pipe conveyor, but offers 70% higher capacity with the same width and 50% higher lump size allowance, Prevedello says, explaining that it could allow BEUMER Group to consider the use of pipe conveyors in space-constrained environments.

New installations will obviously be targeted as part of this new product launch, but Prevedello says there are both greenfield and brownfield application possibilities with these new conveyors.

The T-U-Shape conveyor had more ‘new’ installation opportunities in tunnelling applications, he said, with the tight turning radii benefits allowing for small installations in tunnels.

With many ports shifting focus away from coal and handling different materials, the P-U Shape conveyor’s increased capacity and higher lump size flexibility could be of benefit in brownfield applications, he added.

“The ports are facing the challenges of dealing with new materials, so adapting what they have is important here,” he said.

BEUMER Group’s conveyor and ship loading solutions to be highlighted at MINExpo

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

BEUMER Group is planning to highlight just how conveying and loading systems enable safe, efficient and environmentally friendly handling of bulk materials at the upcoming MINExpo 2021 event in Las Vegas, USA.

The company’s overland conveyors and pipe conveyors enable mine operators to create individual routes for the transport of raw material with steep angles of inclination and narrow curve radii that are adapted to the respective task and topography, BEUMER says. When planning these systems, the system provider also relies on camera-equipped drones for planning, implementation and documentation. Using special software solutions, the engineers evaluate the aerial photographs photogrammetrically to generate digital terrain models.

The product range includes stackers and bridge reclaimers for storage yards, with or without blending bed systems. These reclaimers stack bulk material and guarantee a maximum blending effect, according to the company. Users can also efficiently homogenise large quantities of different bulk materials and bulk material qualities and, thus, ensure the uniformity of the raw materials used. For efficient loading, BEUMER Group also offers ship loaders with fixed booms and extendable telescopic belt conveyors. To supplement these, users can also procure bulk loading heads to use when loading bulk materials into silo vehicles quickly and without dust.

The company will present efficient system solutions with overland conveyors, pipe conveyors and ship loaders from September 13-15 at MINExpo.

BEUMER Group provides further customer support with Smart Glasses

Bulk handling, Communications in mining, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , ,

BEUMER Group, a designer and manufacturer of overland and pipe conveyors, has tackled the need to address machine malfunctions and standstills as soon as possible by developing the BEUMER Smart Glasses.

BEUMER Customer Support technicians use these specialised glasses to take a “virtual look over the shoulder” of a customer’s service technician to solve the problem together, with the digital solution reducing travel times and costs.

“With the BEUMER Smart Glasses, our customers can get in live contact with our service experts anywhere and at any time,” Christopher Kirsch, Team Leader of BG.evolution, said.

The Smart Glasses originated from the university location of Dortmund, with BEUMER Group bringing this digital innovation into the group to address customer needs.

Together with their colleagues from BEUMER Customer Support and the Department for Research and Development in Beckum, the employees in Dortmund made this digital solution ready for the market.

“From October 2018 to January 2019, long-term tests were carried out with various customers, including one with live testing with a long-term customer from the building materials industry,” Kirsch said. “We were successful in concluding this phase.”

Kirsch explains the rationale for commercialising such a product: “If a machine suddenly breaks down, the problem must be solved as fast as possible.”

The company expanded on this: “If the users are not in a position to handle this by themselves, the BEUMER Group sends their globally located technicians to prevent longer downtimes. In addition to service technicians, Customer Support also provides qualified telephone support for troubleshooting, which is available 24/7.

“However, it can be challenging to successfully communicate complex problems quickly and clearly over the phone. Imagine if the customer had the opportunity to have a BEUMER technician take a quick and easy look at the problem at any time – on-site support, without actually being there. The BEUMER Smart Glasses make it possible.”

The employee at the machine puts on the glasses and starts the BEUMER Support app via voice command. The employee transmits a service number and a pin code to the hotline, and the connection with image and sound is established, with the BEUMER technician receiving the same image as the customer.

The technician can directly give instructions and display all relevant information in the field of vision. The employee has both hands free to follow the instructions of the expert and carry out the necessary actions. Faults can be solved quickly and precisely – at any time, BEUMER Group says.

BEUMER Group makes the economic case for ore transport by conveyor

Bulk handling, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

BEUMER Group thinks more miners should include the use of conveyor belts for ore transport in their mine development calculations, as, on many occasions, the investment can pay off in the short- to medium-term.

Raw materials must be transported from the mine to a factory or port, often over uneven ground and across populated areas. To do this, companies often choose trucks for transportation.

As an alternative, system suppliers including BEUMER Group offer open troughed belt conveyors or closed pipe conveyors. These solutions are more environmentally friendly and can be considerably more economical, according to BEUMER.

“Deciding if the investment is worthwhile depends on several factors,” the company said, adding that a feasibility study and cost comparison can help with the decision.

Richard Munson, who manages the development and sales of conveying systems for the energy, cement and mining industries and port terminals, says a positive investment outcome depends on the application at hand, adding: “Companies should carry out a profitability evaluation beforehand.”

Whether it is calculating the net present value, or carrying out a cashflow analysis, the comparison needs to factor in the topography, length and power consumption associated with running the conveyor systems.

BEUMER Group says costs for conventional conveying systems average between €1,000 ($1,084) and €3,000 per metre. “More costs are added for the construction, supply and the mechanical and electrical installation,” it said.

Complex construction work is also often necessary, which makes the initial investment in a conveying system fairly high, the company says.

Munson says the operating costs are, however, considerably lower than the use of trucks.

The costs for the vehicles also include the labour input, vehicle depreciation, maintenance, repair, fuel and street maintenance, for example. And, oftentimes there are additional, more difficult to identify charges.”

To operate a conventional conveying system, the typical costs for transporting one tonne of material amounts to €0.20, with trucks the costs are roughly €3, according to BEUMER Group.

“The biggest variable for the vehicles is the number of trips per hour,” Munson said. “In the case of short and direct routes, this ranks better than for long routes, where detours are necessary to get to the destination.”

Troughed belt conveyors and closed pipe conveyors lead directly to the destination, on the other hand. They can also be adapted to the specific surroundings, with an essential feature of the technology being the ability to handle horizontal and vertical curves. Angles of inclination of up to 15° are possible, depending on the characteristics of the material to be transported and the topography, with lengths greater than 12 km.

“Due to their ability to navigate curves, considerably fewer and − in some cases no − transfer towers are required,” BEUMER Group said. “This results in substantial cost savings for the customer and the system continuously transports the material even over challenging ascending and descending sections, rivers or street crossings.”

Using BEUMER calculation programs, the experts precisely calculate the static and dynamic tractive forces of the belt during the system development phase. This is the prerequisite for the safe dimensioning of the curves, according to the company.

For trucks, more cost factors must be accounted for that are not as easy to estimate; control measures against dust and rain drainage, for example. These variables are eliminated completely in the case of closed pipe conveyors.

Munson said: “If circa-1 Mt of bulk material are moved per year, then the gross differential value between trucks and a conveyor, using the above mentioned costs of the material that needs to be conveyed, is at €2.8 million.”

According to Munson, such a conveying system pays for itself after only a few years.

The electric drives and low-energy belts also have a positive effect on the operating costs of the belt conveying systems. They are also better for the environment compared with truck transport.

“Therefore, especially in these times of climate change and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, they are considered a more sustainable option,” BEUMER Group said. “The motors used for these systems are usually adjustable, which permits the loads to be optimally distributed on the drive units under various operating conditions. If the belt conveying system conveys downhill, the system works in regenerative operation. The generated electric energy is fed to the mains by a regenerative feedback unit. This way the owners can further reduce the operational costs of the entire system.”

Depending on the project, belt conveying systems require up to 90% less primary energy compared with truck transport, Munson says, referencing a project implemented for China cement manufacturer Sichuan Yadong Cement. Here, trucks operated with diesel fuel required a specific primary energy of 11.4 kWh for each tonne of transported material at the site. The belt conveying system built later on required only 1.44 kWh.

“If, as in this case, 7.5 Mt of raw material are transported annually, the user can save a total of 74 million kWh/y with the belt conveyor,” BEUMER Group said. “This corresponds to an energy consumption of more than 20,000 single-family houses. Solely by saving diesel fuel, the operational costs of the company are reduced by more than €5.5 million/y.”

Munson concluded: “In the end, the operator needs to consider the total costs per tonne over time when evaluating both transport options.”

The operational costs for a belt conveyor are considerably lower than for a truck, but the decisive factor is how much material is transported during the project term and the environmental concerns at play with the project.

BEUMER Group helps coal miners with environmental impact, optimal stockpiling

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Environmental, IoT, Mine operation news, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

The combination of BEUMER Group’s sophisticated modelling techniques and use of drones has enabled Knight Hawk Coal’s Prairie Eagle mine, in the Illinois Basin of USA, to reduce its long-term environmental impact.

Drone technology is being used more frequently during project planning, implementation and documentation to optimise the design phase, according to BEUMER. The recorded aerial photos are reconciled with regards to their perspective and evaluated photogrammetrically.

The software calculates a point cloud in order to generate 3D models from the 2D views, ie digital terrain models, allowing stockpile designs to be generated for both greenfield and brownfield developments.

Opened in 2005 as a surface mine, Prairie Eagle was expanded over time to include two underground mines, Knight Hawk’s main coal preparation plant and multiple truck load-out facilities. Now one of the most efficient underground mining plants in the US, according to BEUMER, it produces around 5 Mt/y of coal, of which more than 80% is processed and delivered to the Prairie Eagle preparation plant.

Management was looking for a more sustainable operating solution that reduced its reliance on truck transportation, according to Andrea Prevedello, System Technology Global Sales Director, BEUMER Group, Germany.

“We provided an overland conveyor that transports the coal from the mine to the main processing plant,” he said. “Our conveyor helps the company to considerably reduce its ecological footprint. With this technology, Knight Hawk can significantly reduce its long-term environmental impact compared to using truck transportation.”

BEUMER’s solution at the mine features a single-flight curved conveying system that eliminates the cost of tower steel, and greatly reduces the quantity of components and necessary spare parts, according to the company. It reduces the dust, noise, maintenance and operating costs associated with the transfer points, BEUMER said.

BEUMER not only supplied the conveying solution to Knight Hawk. As a system supplier, the company also supported the mining group in building a stockpile for hard coal.

“The requirements for storing coal are obviously very different from other materials,” Prevedello said. Some of the requirements change if the stockpile is covered and if explosion-proof equipment is needed. Hard coal is very susceptible to spontaneous combustion, which is why the height of the stockpile must, in certain cases, be limited.

Depending on the customer, stockpile dimensions and design can vary. Two layouts are generally available: circular and longitudinal.

“Their dimensioning and design depend on the purpose of the stockpile,” Prevedello said. Space availability and possible future expansions are also critical factors.

The application must also be considered: does, like Knight Hawk, the customer want to store the bulk material temporarily, then continuously feed it for further processing? “Then longitudinal stockpiles are your best choice,” Prevedello said. These structures can also be extended, if necessary, according to BEUMER. The irregular flow of bulk material arrives at the stockpile and can then be continuously introduced to the process.

Circular stockpiles are frequently used for other bulk materials, eg limestone and clay.

Once the layout of the stockpile has been decided on, the next task is to stack the bulk material efficiently. BEUMER also provided these components, such as the stacker, to Prairie Creek.

“Depending on its mobility, the systems can be categorised into three groups,” Prevedello said. The stacker can be stationary, travel on rails, or be circular with endless movement.

If the machine is circular with endless movement, it is positioned on a column in the centre of the stockpile. Over a conveyor bridge installed above the stockpile, the material is transported directly into the axis of rotation of the stacker, and from there distributed centrally. Depending on the stacking method, the boom conveyor can be fixed, or it can be lifted and tilted.

The stacking method of choice depends on whether the bulk material is only temporarily stored, or if it also needs to be blended.

“For simple stockpiling without blending, we provided the simple ‘cone shell method’,” Prevedello said. The stacker only moves up and down, ie does not slew, and the stacker design can be simplified. This method works for longitudinal as well as circular stockpiles, according to BEUMER.

For blending the bulk material, the ‘Chevron method’ can be used. The boom of the stacker starts in its lowest position; the first row is deposited in the centre of the stockpile and the next rows are layered on it. In longitudinal stockpiles, the stacker usually moves in a tilting and slewing motion; in circular stockpiles, the stacker moves in a circulating and luffing motion.

Prevedello said: “The perfect system solution is always an optimal relation between stacker and reclaimer.” Reclaimers such as side reclaimers or bucketwheel reclaimers remove the material as necessary. The best option for the customer depends, again, on the stockpiling task at the end.

Side reclaimers work for both types of stockpiles – longitudinal or circular – with the bulk material reclaimed from the front or the side. When reclaiming from the side, scraper chains move the material on a belt conveyor. Front reclaiming usually uses a rake that, in small side-to-side movements, pushes the material on a scraper chain to be transported further to the conveyor, BEUMER explained. The advantage is the bulk material is reclaimed from the entire cross-sectional area. Bucketwheel reclaimers are generally used when the bulk material, especially large quantities, needs to be blended.

Each operator has their own specific requirements when it comes to the stockpile and stockyard machines.

This is shown in a project BEUMER engineers are currently implementing for a customer in the energy industry. The order includes the delivery of several conveyors, including pipe conveyors, and a ship loader. The challenge: “On the ground where we will install our solution, there can be violent gusts of wind,” Prevedello said. “That’s why we pay special attention to the dimensioning of the steel structure.”

The system provider will be able to hand over a tailor-made system to the customer, with investment expenditure tailored precisely to them, according to BEUMER, which said the expected commissioning is scheduled for the September quarter of 2020.