Tag Archives: bulk handling

Martin Engineering on preventing accumulation in mining hoppers and chutes

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Accumulation or blockages in storage systems and build-up in process vessels at mine sites can impede material movement, causing bottlenecks that interfere with equipment performance, reduces process efficiency and put a choke hold on an operation’s profitability, according to Martin Engineering.

Efficient material flow is a critical element of wet mining processes such as stoping, hydraulic mining and wet dredging, the company says. Poor material flow also raises maintenance expenses, diverting manpower from core activities and, in some cases, introducing safety risks for personnel.

“Most systems suffer from some amount of accumulation on vessel walls, which can rob plant owners of the storage systems in which they’ve invested,” Brad Pronschinske, Global Director of Air Cannons Business Group for Martin Engineering, said. “These buildups reduce material flow, decreasing the ‘live’ capacity of the vessel and the efficiency of the bulk handling system overall.”

Pronschinske said the accumulations tend to take one of several forms: arches, plugs, build-ups or “rat holes”.

He added: “If they become severe enough, flow problems can bring production to a complete stop.”

Although many plants still use manual techniques to remove buildup, the cost of labour and periodic shutdowns has led some producers to investigate more effective methods for dealing with this common production issue, according to the company.

Buildup versus throughput

Even well-designed processes can experience accumulations, which have a significant impact on output and profitability. Changes in process conditions, raw materials or weather can all influence material flow, and even small amounts of accumulation can grow into a serious blockage.

Beyond moisture content, there are many causes of raw material buildup on vessel walls, according to Martin Engineering.
Some metals contain naturally occurring magnetic properties; nearly 90% of the earth’s crust contains silica, and the sharp crystalline structure can contribute to buildup. Other factors can include the surface friction of the silo walls, the shape of the vessel, the angle of the slope and the size of the material being loaded.

Lost production is probably the most conspicuous cost of these flow problems, according to the company, but the expense can become apparent in a variety of other ways.

Shutdowns to clear the restricted flow cost valuable process time and maintenance hours, while wasting energy during re-start. Refractory walls can be worn or damaged by tools or cleaning techniques. When access is difficult, removing material blockages may also introduce safety risks for personnel. Scaffolds or ladders might be needed to reach access points, and staff can risk exposure to hot debris, dust or gases when chunks of material are released.

Many of the most common problem areas for accumulation are classified as confined spaces, requiring a special permit for workers to enter and perform work.

“The consequences of untrained or inexperienced staff entering a silo or hopper can be disastrous, including physical injury, burial and asphyxiation,” Martin Engineering says. “Disrupted material adhered to the sides of the vessel can suddenly break loose and fall on a worker. If the discharge door is in the open position, cargo can suddenly evacuate, causing unsecured workers to get caught in the flow. Cleaning vessels containing combustible dust – without proper testing, ventilation and safety measures – could even result in a deadly explosion.”

Getting professional help

“While some large facilities choose to make the capital investment to purchase their own cleaning gear to clear process equipment and storage vessels – as well as train personnel – others are finding it more sensible to schedule regular cleanings by specially-trained contractors,” Pronschinske says. “Given the costs of labour, lost time and potential risk to employees, this can often be accomplished for less than the total investment of in-house cleanouts.”

Safe, effective cleaning requires tools that work inside the silo
from the top, controlled by personnel outside

At one location, for example, the blockage was so severe in one silo that it had been out of use for years. While it took the outside contractor almost two weeks to fully evacuate the vessel, the process restored 3,500 tons (3,175 t) of storage capacity, according to the company.

At another facility, the crew was able to remove enough ‘lost’ product that the value of the recovered material actually paid for the cost of the cleaning.

“In short, regular cleaning of storage vessels can quickly turn into an economic benefit – not an expense, but rather an investment with a measurable return on investment,” the company says.

The costs of cleaning

There are a few types of equipment used for this purpose.

“One operates like an industrial-strength ‘weed whip’ rotating a set of flails against the material in the vessel,” Martin Engineering says. “This approach eliminates the need for confined space entry and hazardous cleaning techniques, typically allowing the material to be recaptured and returned to the process stream.”

The whip can be set up quickly outside the vessel, and it is portable enough to move easily around various bin sizes and shapes, according to the company. Typically lowered into the vessel from the top and then working from the bottom up to safely dislodge accumulation, the pneumatic cutting head delivers powerful cleaning action to remove buildup from walls and chutes without damaging the refractory.

Technicians lower the device all the way down through the topside opening, then start at the bottom of the buildup and work their way up, undercutting the wall accumulation as it falls by its own weight, the company explains. “In extreme cases, a ‘bin drill’ can be used to clear a 12 in (305 mm) pathway as deep as 150 ft (45 m) to start the process.”

Flow aids

Regular cleaning is one approach to keeping materials flowing freely by removing buildups from silo walls, but there are other flow aids which may reduce the need for cleaning or even eliminate it, according to Martin Engineering.

Industrial vibrators for bin & chute applications can reduce or even eliminate the need for cleaning

One method is through industrial vibrators designed for bin and chute applications.

“Electric vibrators are generally the most efficient, delivering the longest life, low maintenance and low noise,” it said. “The initial cost for an electric vibrator is higher than for pneumatic designs, but the operating cost is lower. Turbine vibrators are the most efficient and quietest of the pneumatic designs, making them well suited to applications in which low noise, high efficiency and low initial cost are desired.”

Air cannons (pictured) are another approach to maintaining good material flow, according to the company, particularly in larger vessels. Also known as an air blaster, the air cannon is a flow aid device that can be found in mining, coal handling and many other industries. Applications vary widely, from emptying bulk material storage vessels to purging boiler ash to cleaning high-temperature gas ducts.

“In the mining industry, air cannons are frequently specified to eliminate build-ups in hoppers, storage vessels, transfer chutes, bins and other production bottlenecks,” the company said. “They can also be found in mineral processing plants where metals are extracted using processes creating slurries and other wet, tacky tailings.”

Air cannon technology has been used in mining and material processing for many years, helping to improve flow and reduce maintenance, according to the company. The timed discharge of a directed air blast can prevent accumulation or blockages that reduce process efficiency and raise maintenance expenses.

In underground mines with potentially explosive dust, manual firing of cannons without the use of electrical solenoids is an option, the company says. “By facilitating flow and minimising build-up, air cannons help bulk material handlers minimise the need for process interruptions and manual labour,” Martin Engineering claims.

The two basic components of an air cannon are a fast-acting, high-flow valve and a pressure vessel (tank). The device performs work when compressed air (or some other inert gas) in the tank is suddenly released by the valve and directed through a nozzle, which is strategically positioned in the tower, duct, chute or other location. Often installed in a series and precisely sequenced for maximum effect, the network can be timed to best suit individual process conditions or material characteristics, the company says.

Pronschinske concluded: “The core message for mines and material processors is that they don’t have to put up with accumulation problems and the additional expenses they can cause. There are a number of approaches that can help resolve those issues before they turn into expensive downtime, lost material and safety hazards.”

Siempelkamp to supply conveyor belt press line to Fenner Dunlop’s Kwinana facility

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

Siempelkamp is to help Fenner Dunlop expand its Kwinana facility in Western Australia with the delivery of a new steel cord conveyor belt press line including a multi-cylinder press.

Fenner Dunlop, only last month, announced it would again expand this facility, with a third steel cord press line set to boost capacity by 50%.

With this new project, both companies continue their long-standing cooperation in the production of high-quality steel cord conveyor belts, Siempelkamp said. The scope of supply includes the whole production line, especially the multi-cylinder press, which provides, as with both existing press lines from Siempelkamp at this facility, an “outstanding pressure distribution” during the full curing process, it said.

“This state-of-the-art press technology enables our customer to cure conveyor belts from 5-50 mm thickness, providing a unique process accuracy and stability which cannot be achieved with other, traditional press concepts,” the company said.

The entire machine and process control technology has been developed, tested and implemented by Siempelkamp when it comes to hardware and software. Installation and start-up of the new press line is scheduled for 2021.

“With the new Siempelkamp press line, Fenner Dunlop once again demonstrates its commitment to the growing market for conveyor belts in Australia, a country rich in raw materials,” Siempelkamp said. “The use of conveyor belts, compared to the conventional ‘truck and shovel operation’, results in considerable CO2 savings when transporting the billions of tonnes of kilometres of bulk materials within the mines, between mine loading stations, and within the loading ports.”

Since 2006, companies of the Fenner Dunlop Group in Australia and the USA have been relying on Siempelkamp expertise in the area of presses for textile or steel cord conveyor belts, Siempelkamp said.

In 2011, the Fenner Dunlop Australia subsidiary placed an order for a complete steel cord line for conveyor belt production as part of an initial expansion of the Kwinana plant. With this first line, Siempelkamp said it set three records at once: the world’s largest conveyor belt press, the strongest press in the plastics and rubber industry, and the first multi-cylinder press for the Australian market.

“The multi-cylinder press concept provides plant operators with a particularly even pressure distribution which leads to a more stable process control and thus to more uniform product qualities,” Siempelkamp said. “With this new production line, as in both the existing press lines at this manufacturing facility, the creel is equipped with twice the required maximum number of steel cord let offs to provide a higher flexibility and a quick changeover with respect to the production settings.”

This design effectively eliminates several hours of downtime for loading and unloading of the creel and dramatically increases the number of usable production hours of the whole production line, according to Siempelkamp.

The new project was initiated by the intensive cooperation between the Australia Siempelkamp subsidiary, headed by Geoff Robson, and the Siempelkamp sales team in Krefeld, Germany. Negotiations and design were conducted during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Steffen Aumüller, Sales Manager at Siempelkamp, said: “With this order, we are pleased to continue a successful co-operation in a special application and to support Fenner Dunlop Australia, member of the Michelin group, with our technology.”

Fenner Dunlop ACE wins overland conveyor contract from Anglo American

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

Fenner Dunlop ACE has been contracted to deliver an overland conveyor system for Anglo American’s Aquila coal project in Queensland, Australia.

Aquila is an underground hard coking coal mine near Middlemount, which will extend the life of Anglo American’s existing Capcoal underground operations by six years. It comes with an expected capital cost of $226 million (Anglo American share), with first longwall production of premium quality hard coking coal expected in early 2022, according to Anglo.

Tyler Mitchelson, CEO of Anglo American’s Metallurgical Coal business, has previously said Aquila will become one of the most “technologically advanced underground mines in the world”.

Under the new contract award, Fenner Dunlop ACE will undertake the complete design, supply and installation of the ACV002 Overland Conveyor. Works will include the overland structure, belting, electrics and an elevated stacker to load coal onto the site stockpile. Several conveyor components, including mechanical supply, electrical supply and belting, will be manufactured in Australia.

Brendon Harms, Regional Manager ACE QLD, said: “After delivery of the initial underground development works, we are very excited to be working on this project. We believe we have created a culture of delivering on our promises. Completing the design, supply and installation give us a great opportunity to ensure effective conveyor operation for our client.”

Fenner Dunlop ACE will also be responsible for the complete install and commissioning of the overland conveyor, providing even further responsibility and ownership for the project. The overland conveyor project is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2021.

Fenner Dunlop presses ahead with Western Australia expansion plans

Bulk handling, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Fenner Dunlop is to once again expand its Kwinana manufacturing facility in Western Australia, with a third steel cord press line set to boost capacity by 50%.

Since opening the A$70 million ($50 million) manufacturing facility in Kwinana, in 2009, the company has looked to progressively expand its capabilities in line with market demand.

The original facility, built specifically to produce steel cord belting, represented, at the time, the largest investment in conveyor belting manufacturer ever made in Australia by any company, according to the company.

In 2013, an additional A$20 million was invested to install a second press line to double the plant’s production capacity and increase the Kwinana workforce by 30%.

“Australian manufacturing has survived many challenges over the past decade,” the company said. “The COVID-19 crisis in 2020 has demonstrated the value of Australian manufacturing to the economy and to the mining sector in particular.

“While other companies are contracting and moving their manufacturing operations offshore, Fenner Dunlop continues to support the local economy and is proud to be the largest conveyor belt supplier in Australia and the only company to manufacture the complete range of conveyor belts for all mining applications locally.”

Today the facility houses two of the world’s largest steel cord press lines and has the capability to produce steel cord and rubber ply belting up to 3,200 mm wide and up to 50 mm thick.

Steve Abbott, Chief Operating Officer, said: “Kwinana is close to its main customers, allowing us to provide a quality product with reduced lead times while keeping the investment in Western Australia.

“Our customers have the convenience of dealing with a global business, supported by a state-of-the-art conveyor belt manufacturing facility in their backyard and the assurance of technical support that understands the local operational environment.”

These customers include Rio Tinto, BHP and many more.

Fenner Dunlop says it is once again partnering with Siempelkamp to commission the third line, which is the finest multi-piston press and associated equipment in the world, continuing the longstanding partnership in the production of high-quality conveyor belts.

The third line will increase the plant‘s capacity by a further 50%, and additional investment will support the efficient manufacture of fabric conveyor belts for Western Australian customers, the company added.

Abbott said: “The plant expansion is part of our longer-term strategy, following the plant opening in 2009 and the initial expansion in 2013. While the expansion is a reflection of our success, it allows us to maintain our responsiveness in quoting, production and delivery to meet the constantly changing requirements of our customers.”

The A$23.5 million investment is part of Fenner Dunlop’s commitment to grow its conveyor belt production to meet the increasing demand in Western Australia, it said.

The manufacturing plant also incorporates a testing and R&D laboratory to ensure all work is done to the highest quality and safety standards and all systems are under constant review and continual improvement.

Site work is scheduled to start in March 2021 with the commissioning in December 2021. The new press line will start full production in January 2022, according to the company.

ScrapeTec-Trading boosts conveyor belt product flow with AirScrape

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , ,

A new side sealing system for belt conveyors patented and manufactured in Germany is reducing material spill, dust formation and explosion hazards at transfer points and other critical sections in the conveyor chain, according to ScrapeTec-Trading.

The contact-free AirScrape® conveyor belt skirting system hovers freely above the conveyor belt, meaning skirt friction and belt damage is eliminated and service life extended, the company says.

Thorsten Koth, Sales Director, Scrapetec-Trading, said the system, which encompasses inward facing, hardened-steel diagonal blades, operates according to a new principle where it hovers 1-2 mm on the left and right side above the conveyor belt.

“These blades deflect larger particles inwards, while using the air flow of the conveyor belt and conveyed material to create an inward suction, flowing any dust and fine particles back into the product flow,” Koth said. “Through these diagonally fitted blades and the speed of the running belt, air is drawn from the outside inwards. As a result, neither the dust nor material can escape.”

Conventional skirting is pressed against a conveyor belt to keep dust and material in the middle of the belt, according to Koth. After a period, wear of the skirting and belt can be so severe that material and dust escapes, he said, adding that material spillage at transfer points needs to be removed and regular maintenance of belt skirting and transfer points is necessary.

“With the AirScrape dust-free and contact-free side sealing system for belt conveyors, there is no skirt contact and therefore no belt wear or damage,” he said. “Motor power requirements are reduced as there is no belt-skirt friction and, because there is continuous skirting with no gaps, product loss is minimal.

“Studies show that even three years after installation and with continuous use in harsh conditions, the AirScrape system hardly shows any signs of wear. Operational costs are also reduced because there is no need for spillage collection, regular maintenance, or replacement parts.”

This system comes in pairs of left and right hand two metre, inter-connectable pieces to form any required length, and is available in three different base widths of 100 mm and 55 mm to suit various belt widths and chute sizes. For flexibility on site, this system is completely extendable, according to the company.

AirScrape is fitted using spacers, floating the blades just above the belt, and is attached to the outside of the chute by using existing skirt clamps or a bolt and nut system. It is longitudinally adjustable to follow the contours of conveyor belt rollers and the belt trough angle.

This durable system consists of non-flammable and anti-static polyurethane materials and blades made from Hardox/stainless steel, the company said. FDA-approved materials are also available for specific conveyor handling applications.

Designed and manufactured in Germany by ScrapeTec Trading, the AirScrape system is available from BLTWORLD throughout Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands; from Grupo-ISC throughout South America and from Scrapetec-Trading for the rest of the world.

ASGCO on the move in Pennsylvania as bulk material handling system demand increases

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , ,

ASGCO will be expanding and moving its headquarters to a newly purchased and soon to be built operation in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, it has announced.

The company, which operates at 301 W Gordon Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania, will be moving to 730 Bangor Road in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 2021, it said.

ASGCO is a manufacturer, distributor and service provider of proprietary conveyor and screening equipment and accessories that improve the safety and performance of bulk material handling systems, it says.

ASGCO’s most recent eastern Pennsylvania expansion involved the purchase of 19 acres (7.7 ha) and now is building a new facility to meet growing demand for its products and services, it said. The new facility will be 194,000 total sq.ft (18,023 sq.m) with 30,000 sq.ft of offices, wellness, and training areas, and the rest dedicated to fabrication, manufacturing, assembly, distribution and service departments.

Construction of the new facility will begin next month and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021, the company says.

All 90 current Allentown and Nazareth employees are expected to move to the new building, the company said. “While the relocation itself will not immediately result in any new positions, the company anticipates a 30% increase in personnel based on projected sales growth expectations,” it added.

REMA TIP TOP adds more conveyor belting to Monadelphous South Flank contract

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , ,

REMA TIP TOP Australia says it has been contracted by Monadelphous to install a further 24 km of conveyor belting and provide expert splicing services for the “outflows infrastructure” at BHP’s South Flank iron ore project, in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

It follows a contract to install more than 50 km of conveyor belting at South Flank that was awarded last year. Monadelphous, meanwhile, was awarded a major infrasture package for the mine build in February 2019.

The new contract is the third in a series of agreements that sees REMA TIP TOP supporting Monadelphous to deliver key infrastructure projects for the region’s largest miners.

This includes an agreement to provide splicing capabilities across more than 10 km of new overland conveyor and modifications to three existing plant conveyors at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas Deposits C & D project.

REMA TIP TOP Industry Australia CEO, Michel Ciepelinski, said: “This new contract is a testament to Monadelphous’ faith in our ability to deliver. We have demonstrated that we have both the skills and capacity to provide expert services in full conveyor solutions and this new agreement extends our successful relationship.

“Now, more than ever before, we are committed to helping Australian industry keep moving and its projects like this that are critical in ensuring our economy and the nation maintains momentum.”

The new contract will see the delivery of belt installation works across 13 conveyors, which tie into the existing BHP Mining Area C stock yard.

Terex ups its bulk handling capability with ProStack launch

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Terex has launched a new range of products to, it says, address the needs of the bulk material handling and product stockpiling industries.

The new ProStack range has been designed for key markets and applications including aggregates, mining, recycling, agriculture, ports and terminals, and many other bulk material handling industries, it said.

Steven Aiken, Global Product Line Director of ProStack, says ProStack is a tailored range of mobile bulk handling solutions, which includes feeders, telescopic conveyors and truck unloaders.

“These products have been specifically developed and built for large port and larger-scale bulk handling environments,” he said.

The company sees an opportunity through ProStack to bring value to customers in these industries by providing high-performance equipment that is simple to operate and maintain, automated during operation and requiring minimal setup time, it said.

“High performance is at the heart of the brand and, as new products are developed, the focus will be on moving the most amount of material, cost effectively in the shortest time possible,” the company said.

Aitken added: “We want to provide high capacity, intelligent machines to the bulk handling market.”

ProStack enhances the existing core range of conveyors sold by Terex dealers globally.

“Regardless of the type of job, mobile conveyors can improve safety by reducing traffic levels on site and save customers money by eliminating the double handling of material, coupled with low operating and maintenance costs,” Terex said.

The ProStack launch portfolio consists of a Bulk Reception Feeder Range, the Hornets (pictured), and a Telescopic Conveyor Range, the Telsons, both designed to include a multitude of options that tailor these machines to meet customer demand.

The Bulk Reception Feeders can receive high volume material feeds, delivering uniformed material flow onto secondary material handling systems. The 10-12 feeder has a 1,200 mm wide belt design that can handle up to 1,000 t/h and discharge the material at a maximum height of 3.1 m, according to the company. The larger 15-18 feeder has an 1,800 mm belt and can handle 1,500 t/h discharging at a height of 3.5 m.

The range of radial telescopic conveyors, the Telsons, are available from 42 m up to 58 m in length with capacities up to 1,500 t/h in standard specification. They come in a portable wheeled format and are enhanced with on-board hydraulic systems to allow for quick, efficient site deployment. Advanced PLC automation and radio remote control of the radial, telescopic and luffing movements, meanwhile, allow creation of large precise desegregated stockpiles, loading material carrying vessels, barges and ships or being integrated into existing bulk handling operations, the company said.

ProStack products will be manufactured in existing MP Centers of Excellence in Northern Ireland, with additional support and service from facilities in North America and India, Terex said.

“We look forward to adding more products to the portfolio in 2020 and serving our new customers to a very high standard,” Aiken concluded.

Martin Engineering delves into the danger zone for conveyor belt best practice

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , ,

In bulk material handling applications, a conveyor is typically a massive, complex and extremely powerful system. It is usually constructed of rubber belting, set on rolling idlers, wrapped around large steel drums at each end and driven by a high-torque motor. As such, a conveyor presents enough danger zones that the entire system should be considered a hazard, according to Martin Engineering.

In most applications, a conveyor belt moves at a relatively constant speed, commonly running somewhere between 0.5-10 m/s. An Olympic sprinter has a reaction time of about 0.18 seconds when poised at the starting line and totally focused on the race. If this athlete becomes tangled in a conveyor belt traveling 1.5 m/s, the person would be carried 0.27 m before even realising what has happened.

A ‘regular’ worker would likely require a longer time to react, Martin Engineering says. For simplicity’s sake, assume it would be twice the athlete’s reaction time, so the worker would be pulled twice as far, introducing the potential to strike many more components or to be pulled farther and harder into the first one.

In addition, most conveyors are engineered with the ability to start remotely. The system may go from dormant to active at any time at the push of a button, and that ability can suddenly catch a worker unaware, leading to serious injury or death, the company says.

Martin Engineering Process Engineer, Dan Marshall, said: “When a conveyor belt is moving, there will usually be more tension on the carrying side. If the conveyor is merely stopped and de-energised, that tension may remain in the belt in the form of stored energy.”

A system under tension will always try to approach equilibrium, according to Marshall; that is, it will try to release the energy. This release will likely come in the form of a pulley slip, which occurs when the belt slides around the head pulley to equalise the tension. The distance the belt will move is proportional to the amount of tension stored and the belt’s modulus (elasticity), possibly several feet. If a worker is on the belt or close enough to be pulled in during this sudden release of energy, injuries or death can occur.

“There’s a simple rule of thumb regarding conveyors: if it’s moving, don’t touch it,” Marshall continued. “The most common way to prevent inadvertent contact is with suitable guarding that renders the moving components inaccessible.”

For maintenance or repairs, procedures for lockout/tagout/block-out/test-out should always be followed when working on a stationary conveyor, and systems should be equipped with anti-rollback devices (also known as backstops) on the head pulley.

Many of the moving parts on a conveyor belt system are rotating components. These parts include idlers, drive shafts, couplings, pulleys and speed sensors. Items rotating at a high speed pose the risk of entanglement or entrapment.

“All moving machine parts should be guarded with adequately constructed, properly installed, functioning and well-maintained guards,” Marshall said.

There are many pinch points on a conveyor, components that the belt touches or comes near, including the drive pulleys, snub pulleys, idlers, stringer, chute walls and deflectors. If a worker’s limb travels with a conveyor belt, it will meet one of these components. The limb, as well as its attached worker, will become trapped between the belt and the obstruction.

The same thing can happen with a tool, which can pull a worker into the entrapment faster than the person can let go.

“Effective fixed guards should be absolute in their protection; workers should not be able to reach around, under, through or over the barrier separating them from moving components,” Marshall added.

Many of the fatalities around conveyors have happened when a worker was cleaning fugitive material from the structure or components of a conveyor system. The process of cleaning may put a worker in proximity to a very dangerous machine, according to Martin Engineering. The need to shovel, sweep or hose off accumulations puts the worker within arm’s length of the conveyor, and often closer.

Airborne dust can cause numerous health risks, ranging from material build-up in the lungs to explosions. Categorised as either respirable or inhalable according to particle size, dry, solid dust particles generally range from about 1 to 100 microns in diameter.

According to the EPA, inhalable coarse particles are 2.5-10 microns in size. They are typically caught by the human nose, throat or upper respiratory tract. In contrast, fine respirable particles (under 2.5 microns) can penetrate beyond the body’s natural cleaning mechanisms (cilia and mucous membranes), traveling deep into the lungs and causing long-term or chronic breathing issues.

While it is virtually impossible to prevent all fugitive material from escaping a conveyor structure, taking practical steps to minimise it as much as possible helps reduce the dangers it can introduce, the company says. When clean-up is necessary, performing the job while the conveyor is running should not be an option. Operators concerned with the cost of lost production from stopping a conveyor to clean need only consider the consequences of an accident to confirm the wisdom of this rule.

Until recently, the engineering of belt conveyors to carry bulk materials hadn’t changed much in the last half-century, despite the fact that virtually every requirement for safety, regulatory compliance and production performance has been raised during that time. Standards continue to tighten and industry best practices now often exceed government requirements.

“Using these new and emerging technologies, even poorly performing conveyors often don’t need to be replaced or rebuilt, but merely modified and reconfigured by knowledgeable and experienced technicians installing the right modern equipment,” Marshall concluded. “Specialised conveyor training and trusted resources from global suppliers are helping to raise operator awareness to make conveyor systems cleaner, safer and more productive.”

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.