Tag Archives: bulk handling

ASGCO, WAGNER-Schwelm and NILOS combine conveyor belt expertise

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

ASGCO® “Complete Conveyor Solutions” says it has signed a tri-lateral distribution, manufacturing and intellectual partnership agreement with WAGENER-Schwelm® and NILOS® to extend its ability to service and provide ASGCO products to servicing distributors, end-users and original equipment manufacturers around the world.

Aaron Gibbs, President of ASGCO, said the integration of highly precise German engineering from WAGENER and NILOS, combined with the manufacturing, marketing, sales and service strength of ASGCO will bring customers “excellent, highly engineered, ‘best in the world’ conveyor belt vulcanising products” manufactured in the US.

“By providing our ASGCO conveyor products through the NILOS service branches and then also incorporating the WAGENER and NILOS range of products into ASGCO’s product line, this will provide the ‘best in class’ range of conveyor material handling solutions for our customers,” he said.

Thomas J Ziller, Owner of WAGENER-Schwelm and NILOS, said the partnership will provide the “strongest and most innovative range of products in the conveyor belting industry”.

“The knowhow transfer in both directions guarantees sustainable and high-end production as well as increases our after-sales service around the world,” he said.

WAGENER-Schwelm has decades of experience in the development and manufacturing of portable and stationary vulcanising presses, for splicing and repairing conveyor belts, while NILOS is known for the application-oriented development of high-quality and innovative hot and cold vulcanising materials, compounds, cements and other conveyor belt related products.

ASGCO, founded in 1971, is a leading manufacturer, distributor and service provider of proprietary conveyor and screening equipment and accessories to improve the safety and performance of bulk material handling systems.

Weba Chute Systems and Kwatani save the day at South Africa gold mine

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , ,

Weba Chute Systems and Kwatani have come together to design and install ore silo chutes at a South Africa gold mine to reduce mill wear and other processing challenges caused by the uncontrolled flow of mined material into the mills.

The solution from Weba and Kwatani, a leading local manufacture of vibrating screens and feeders, must also deal with frequent large-size material as the mine has no crushing stage before the milling circuit, Weba said.

According to Weba Chute Systems Technical Advisor, Alec Bond, the over-feeding of material through the existing manually operated chutes is causing regular “mill vomit” in the mine’s four mills. The inconsistent feed exacerbates wear on mill bearings as the material’s weight shifts forwards and backwards inside the mill.

The waves of material causing the “vomit” carry insufficiently milled material out of the mill, including large chunks of rock. This leads to problems for the downstream mineral processing facilities, including inefficient recovery in flotation cells and even blockages in pumps, according to Bond.

“The challenge starts with the existing chutes needing constant supervision and control by operators, being opened and closed with a chain block device,” he says. “Our solution was to design a robust, self-controlling chute and feeder system that would ensure an even flow of material into the mills.”

He explained that the mine’s existing system has no means of closing the silo outlet; any maintenance at the chute area requires the emptying of the silo and the stoppage of the mill. Each of the four silos has three outlet chutes.

Weba Chute Systems Designer, Wesley Hunkin, says: “We therefore added a spile bar arrangement which seals off the silo. The Weba chute, which is choke fed, is placed under this installation. This allows the feed rate to be controlled by the Kwatani feeder, which has been integrated into the chute design.”

The vibrating action of the feeder controls the tonnage and feed rate to the mill, keeping the flow constant. New mounting structures have been designed to accommodate each chute and feeder. There will also be civils works below the silo to provide a solid foundation that absorbs vibrations from the feeder, according to the companies.

A serious challenge is over-sized rocks in the ore feed, which can be up to 800 mm in size. This makes it important for chute designs to accommodate the worst-case scenario of chutes choking, says Hunkin.

He highlighted that the flow of material is also controlled to prevent direct impact onto the conveyor belt feeding the mills, and to ensure central loading onto the centre of the belt.

“If the material from the feeder is biased to the one side, our chute brings everything to the centre of the conveyor,” he says. “This enhances the consistency of material flow into the mill.”

Bond emphasised that the customer motivated for a concept change to address the challenges being experienced with the silo feed.

“Given our materials handling experience, design expertise and high-quality local manufacturing facility, we were able to work closely with the customer and with Kwatani to turn this new concept into reality,” he said.

“Our solution promises direct savings in terms of mill bearings, as well as less mill downtime. There will also be significant gains in terms of recovery rates in the plant if the flow and size of milled material can be improved.”

Doppelmayr opens up vertical transport options in underground mining

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

Doppelmayr has turned its RopeCon® system on its head, designing a new vertical material transport concept for the underground mining space called the Vertical Shaft Conveyor.

Unveiling the concept at the AIMEX 2019 event in Sydney, Australia, the company said the Vertical Shaft Conveyor “opens up new material transport options for underground mining and gives the chance to reduce the haul truck fleet and exhaust emissions”.

Doppelmayr has become synonymous with its RopeCon installations at global mine sites across the globe. These innovative continuous conveyors (pictured) can be adapted to uneven terrain, transporting material on a flat belt with corrugated side walls, elevated off the ground on tower structures. Installations include the ELG gold complex in Mexico (Torex Gold) and Booysendal South in South Africa (Northam Platinum).

The Vertical Shaft Conveyor, meanwhile, comes with a vertical lift capability of up to 750 m, a conveying capacity of 2,000 t/h, a maximum lump size of 150 mm and clear shaft diameter requirement of 3.5 m. The company pointed out these specifications are all dependent on the material specifications and operating conditions with, for example, a 700 m vertical lift application coming with a conveying capacity of 700 t/h.

System advantages the company stated included:

  • No access to shaft required – neither for installation nor operation;
  • Maintenance can be carried out in the terminals;
  • Re-use of existing ventilation shaft is possible;
  • Continuous material flow, and;
  • Heat development is reduced with the main drive installed above ground.

The company says: “Maintenance is simple and cost effective, as all moving parts are mounted to the belt and will pass the terminals at regular intervals. Ropes and shaft are inspected by a camera system which is attached to the belt.”

Like a conventional conveyor, the system can be loaded by transfer conveyor or by an ore pass, with the material transported to the surface on a conveyor belt.

“This belt is equipped with side walls and cleats, forming pockets for the material,” Doppelmayr says. Above ground, the material is transferred to another conveyor, another RopeCon installation or discharged onto a stockpile.

The company puts the vertical lift capabilities down to, among other things, the belt being turned after discharge. This sees the entire belt tension deflected via on return drum, with the entire belt width can be used as a bearing surface.

Another reason for the lift capability is the wheel sets run on guiding rails at the loading terminal, which safely guide the belt into the shaft. Ropes in the shaft always guide the belt during operation.

Ava Risk Group, Mining3 launch Aura IQ conveyor monitoring solution

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

Ava Risk Group and Mining3 say they are ready for the global launch of the Aura IQ conveyor health monitoring solution following surface and sub-surface testing with some of the world’s largest mining houses and bulk material handling facilities.

With conveyors underpinning efficiency, and ultimately profitability in bulk handling operations globally, maintenance has traditionally been a real problem.

“Conventional methods of advanced conveyor failure detection is often unreliable, subjective, time-consuming and labour intensive, but that is all about to change,” Ava and Mining3 said.

Aura IQ uses real-time data to optimise production and on-site performance, enhance occupational health, hygiene and safety management, and introduce new predictive maintenance and support capabilities to asset management, they say.

With test work in the bag, Aura IQ is now available for sale globally.

The companies said: “Aura IQ’s award winning technology harnesses the power of Ava Risk Group’s fibre optic detection and sensing platform (FFT TM Aura Ai-2), combined with Mining3’s advanced signal processing algorithms, predictive analytics, and identification tools to acoustically monitor and assess conveyor health via the cloud-based analysis, reporting and alerts.

“Providing deeper insights to maintenance technicians, site personnel, regional operational hubs and global headquarters, conveyors are automatically connected to the cloud via an Industrial Grade Wireless Internet of Things Gateway, enabling daily asset reliability reports from every conveyor, at every site around the world.”

By transmitting a series of short, laser pulses along a single fibre optic cable retrofitted along the length of a conveyor, acoustic disturbances from the conveyor system cause microscopic changes in the backscattered laser light that is then categorised into known parameters, the two companies explained.

Data is then simultaneously gathered from every metre of the conveyor and processed by Aura IQ to pre-emptively alert operators, either on or off-site (in operational hubs or control rooms), to potential failures before they happen.

Andrew Hames, Head of Innovation, Extractives and Energy at the Ava Risk Group, said: “This is a game changing solution which will optimise conveyor performance and create substantial cost savings for operators.

“A typical conveyor can have up to 7,000 bearings per kilometre, which means 7,000 potential points of failure. Aura IQ can monitor the condition of every conveyor roller – eliminating the need to ‘walk the belt’ and allowing a controlled and scheduled plan of roller maintenance and replacement to be put in place.

“With Aura IQ, costly delays from roller failure are a thing of the past, while less manual involvement reduces health and safety risks. Taking a formalised and proactive approach to asset health monitoring means data can also be used to optimise maintenance strategies – reducing reliance on costly manual inspections and demonstrating ongoing compliance with operational standards.”

ABB tightens bulk handling roller bearing offering with Dodge Safety Mount

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, , , , ,

ABB says the built-in patented locking mechanism on its newly launched Dodge® Safety Mount spherical roller bearings reduces installation time by up to 75% compared with traditional products.

Best suited for bulk material and air handling applications, the new bearing mounts by tightening fasteners instead of using a hammer and other tools. The new system also allows for simple installation and removal from the same side of the bearing, which means only one person is needed for the task, according to ABB.

“The new mounting system replaces the blows of a hammer with the tightening of fasteners,” Jim Madsen, Dodge Mounted Roller Bearing Product Manager, ABB, said. “It also makes it faster to install large bearings, but more importantly, it makes is safer for the installer.”

Safety Mount bearings feature a triple-lip contact seal and corrosion-resistant flinger sealing system, which prevents contamination from entering the product during installation and operation, ABB says. A labyrinth seal option is available for high-speed and high-temperature applications.

Dodge Safety Mount spherical roller bearings come ready for installation of the ABB AbilityTM Smart Sensor for mounted bearings, a wireless sensor that monitors the health of bearings.

The company said: “Safety Mount spherical roller bearings combine the advantages of the Dodge Imperial family of bearings; factory sealed and greased, shaft ready out of the box, with no feeler gauges required.” They are offered in split cap and single piece housing options in standard SAF, metric SN, Type E, and Imperial housing dimensions in sizes 4-15/16” to 7” (115-170 mm).

Weba Chute Systems increases design accuracy with 3D scanning

Bulk handling, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , ,

Weba Chute Systems & Solutions says it has leveraged the latest technology to ensure high-quality results for its global customer base.

Using 3D scanning technology during on-site assessments has enhanced the levels of accuracy which has, in turn, minimised rework costs in design and manufacturing, and significantly reduced downtime during installation, according to Managing Director, Mark Baller.

“Implementing 3D scanning technology to our capabilities two years ago enabled our on-site technical teams to obtain accurate measurements from a safe distance, and allows us to inspect and survey large infrastructure in detail,” Baller said. “The technology allows us to consider all elements in existing infrastructure and this plays an important role when replacing transfer points or chutes as we are able to create an accurate preliminary design and costing in the early feasibility stages of a project.”

Design engineers can use the data from modern laser scanners to superimpose this information on their design intent, according to the South Africa-based manufacturer of custom transfer points and chute systems. “This allows them to pick up any interference, existing defects, redundant elements, structural deformation and undocumented historical alterations made to the site’s infrastructure that may lead to problems during the design and execution phases,” Weba Chute Systems said.

From this data, taken on-site, Weba Chute Systems teams can generate 3D models specific to on-site conditions enabling accurate reverse-engineering to be done. Baller said it is not just the access to accurate measurements provided by the 3D scanning technology that makes this possible, but also the level of in-depth expertise and experience the company has garnered over its more than 35 years in operation.

“Many companies offer 3D scanning, but do not have the in-house ability that Weba Chute Systems does to process and effectively use the data in a mining engineering environment,” Baller said.

“As a market leader, that is one of our strengths; and comes from our continuous investment in upgrading our systems and work flow processes to ensure that we stay abreast of best practice.”

He concluded: “Leveraging this technology allows our engineers to get to the highest probability factor, so the project can be seamlessly executed and time overruns are not incurred during the constrained shutdown periods which are normal on these projects.”

PE firm Jolimont on board with indurad radar offering

Automation, Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mine surveying, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

METS-focused private equity group, Jolimont, has made another investment in the sector, this time putting €4 million ($4.5 million) into RWTH Aachen University spinoff indurad.

Indurad calls itself the global leader in radar-based automation and productivity solutions for mine sites, train loadouts, stockyard equipment and shiploading facilities. Its patented 2D and 3D radar systems are installed at mining operations and ports worldwide to increase ore throughput and minimise downtime and collisions.

Reik Winkel, indurad CEO and co-founder, said: “indurad’s radar solutions remove bottlenecks in the movement of ore from mine to ship to market at a fraction of the cost of building larger facilities.

“Bringing Jolimont on board as shareholders represents a significant step in our strategy to build the company to €50 million in revenue.”

Winkel said the key reason for selecting Jolimont as an investor was their strong network in the mining industry and deep understanding of innovative technologies. Co-Founder Christian Augustin acknowledged the success of Jolimont as an active shareholder in Newtrax, recently acquired by Sandvik, making them “perfect partners” for indurad’s next growth phase.

Jolimont’s Lyle Bruce and Lex McArthur will be joining the indurad Board of Directors.

Bruce is a Partner of RCF Jolimont and was formerly Managing Director of GroundProbe, a leading radar-based rock-slope monitoring provider, from 2003 to 2013. He is Chairman of MineWare, a dragline monitoring software company and Chairman of Blast Movement Technologies, providing solutions that accurately locate ore and waste zones after blasting.

McArthur, a Founding Partner of Jolimont, is also a director of Blast Movement Technologies and is a director of Minnovare, specialising in improving the productivity of underground drilling operations.

McArthur said: “We undertook extensive due diligence on indurad and three things stood out; their best-in-class radar systems, the glowing testimonials from their customers and partners in terms of value delivered, and the high calibre of their engineering and management team.”

indurad was founded in 2008 as a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University, in Germany. It has a team of more than 100 employees globally and offices in Germany, Australia, Canada, USA, Brazil, Chile and South Africa.

Martin Engineering on handling uptime and potential hazards in conveyor belt operations

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

Martin Engineering is aware of the potential hazards and injuries that can come from a build up of material around or near conveyor belts and has issued some advice to mining companies to prevent such events occurring and to ensure bulk handling equipment works to its potential.

“As tonnes of material per hour are quickly dropped with great force through receiving chutes onto a receiving conveyor, fugitive cargo often piles up around the frame and dust migrates throughout the area, collecting on idlers, pulleys and floors and affecting air quality,” Martin Engineering said.

“Workers have to continuously clean up the material before it encapsulates the belt, potentially exposing them to a hazardous work area around a moving conveyor, where even incidental contact can result in serious injury in a split second. Considering that most conveyor injuries occur though routine maintenance or clean up, controlling fugitive material is becoming one of the primary elements in a well-organised effort to reduce hazards and prevent injuries.”

Jerad Heitzler, Product Specialist at Martin Engineering, said conveyor operators need only to take a broad look at the expense that fugitive material has on a system to realise the full cost that accompanies inefficient transfer point designs.

“Problems such as improper belt support, badly sealed chutes, damaged idlers and uneven cargo distribution can all result in spillage and belt mis-tracking,” he said. “They also contribute to increased costs for lost material, premature equipment failure, maintenance and clean-up, as well as the potential for injury and compliance issues. These factors raise the cost of operation and reduce profit margins.”

In a properly-engineered transfer point, each component, from the chute design to the cradles and dust seals, is employed to maximise its specific function and contain dust and fines, while at the same time offering workers easy access for maintenance, the company said.

Transfer points

Containment is the key to avoiding spillage and dust and there are several components designed for this purpose, according to Martin Engineering.

Although shaped transfer chutes and rock boxes direct the material flow to mitigate the concussion of material on the belt, most high-volume operations need one or more impact cradles to absorb the force of the cargo stream.

“Heavy duty impact cradles can be equipped with rubber or urethane impact bars with a top layer of slick UHMW plastic to minimise belt friction. Able to withstand impact forces as high as 17,000 lbf (53.4-75.6 kN) and drop heights of up to 50 ft (15.2 m), support beams in the centre of the cradle are set slightly below the receiving belt’s line of travel. In this way, the belt avoids sustained friction when running empty and yet can absorb hard impacts during loading, while still retaining a tight belt seal.

“Within the settling zone – located after the impact cradle in the conveyor chute box – slider cradles can then create a troughed belt to centre the cargo and reduce disruption quickly, aiding in dust settlement.”

Slider cradles, located down the length of the skirted area, have several functions, the company said. One is to create a trough angle that adequately centres the load. The trough angle also plays an important part in retaining a tight seal between the belt and the skirt. Lastly, using track mount idlers in between each cradle, a smooth belt path is created through the settling area, one that can be easily maintained.

“A smooth belt path should have no gaps, minimising disruption and promoting containment, allowing dust and fines to settle into the cargo stream prior to leaving the containment area,” the company said.

Airflow

With a constant stream of material crashing on the impact point of the receiving belt, the transfer point can be extremely turbulent, and this turbulence must be contained, Martin Engineering said.

By slowing the airflow in the skirted area, suspended dust can settle onto the cargo path. To contain the mixture of air and disrupted material, a stable, correctly-supported belt is needed for the sealing components to function properly, according to the company. Without a stable beltline, the belt will sag between idlers, and sealing components will not prevent air and fine material from escaping out of the resulting gaps, causing spillage and dust emissions.

Chute sealing

By closing gaps and keeping a tight seal on the belt, apron seals can also be attached to the chute walls to prevent fugitive dust and fines from escaping.

“A crucial requirement in any transfer point designed for reduced spillage and high efficiency is an effective skirting and wear liner sealing system at the edge of the belt,” Heitzler said. “Modern designs feature external skirting, which establish the tight belt seal needed to eliminate fugitive dust and fines.”

The external design requires minimal tools and no confined space entry to inspect, adjust or replace wear liners or skirts and, in most cases, can be performed by a single worker, Martin Engineering said. “The low profile of the skirting assembly needs only a few inches of clearance, allowing installation and maintenance in space-restricted areas. The design of these components drastically reduces scheduled downtime and the potential workplace hazards associated with replacement and adjustment.”

Dust filtration

In operations with limited space for a settling zone or especially dusty materials, dust bags and curtains may be “essential components”, the company said.

“Providing passive relief via positive air pressure created at belt conveyor loading zones, dust bags prevent the escape of airborne particulates by venting the air and collecting dust at the same time. Installed at the exit of the loading zone and mounted in the skirtboard cover, dust curtains can help create a plenum for dust suppression and dust collection.”

For additional dust control, an integrated air cleaner system can be installed at the point of emission, containing a suction blower, filtering elements and a filter cleaning system.

Conveyor uptime

The company concluded: “Managers concerned with the overall safety and cost of operation need to review potential hazards, the impact of rising labour costs for clean-up and maintenance, combined with the expense of potential fines or forced downtime, to determine specifically how they can affect the bottom line.

“Using the technologies described here, even poorly-performing conveyors often don’t need to be replaced or rebuilt, but merely modified and reconfigured by knowledgeable and experienced technicians installing modern equipment.”

Heitzler signed off: “These improvements will help operations improve efficiency, reduce risk and contribute to regulatory compliance.”

Wood to sell Terra Nova Technologies to Cementation Americas

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

Wood has agreed the sale of its Terra Nova Technologies business to Cementation Americas, a business owned by Murray & Roberts Holdings.

The sale of the conveying and material handling systems solutions business is expected to bring in cash proceeds of $38 million, Wood said, with closing expected in the June quarter.

David Kemp, Wood Chief Financial Officer, said: “Terra Nova Technologies has a strong track record in delivering material handling equipment to our customers. Wood’s strategy going forward is to focus on asset-light solutions rather than the manufacture/fabrication of equipment.

“The disposal makes a good contribution to our non-core asset disposal programme which is a key element of our deleveraging plan.”

Terra Nova Technologies has complete design/supply and engineering procurement and construction capabilities. Its systems are custom engineered for the mining and mineral processing, iron, coal, aggregate, phosphate and cement industries.

Its renowned mobile stacking systems, including the patented Super Portable® systems, are used worldwide for copper, gold and uranium heap leaching operations as well as dry tailings stacking.

In a later release, Cementation Americas said TNT has earned a solid reputation for providing quality design, supply and commissioning services for crushing and screening plants, overland conveyors, heap leach systems and mobile stacking systems for waste and dry tailings.

Justin Oleson, President of Cementation Americas, said: “The purchase of TNT fits well within Cementation’s strategy to improve our ability to serve clients, both geographically and across the mining value chain. The combining of Cementation and TNT complements both our underground and surface design/build portfolios, and better positions Cementation to support our client’s total mining needs.”

Regarding the acquisition, Ron Kelly, President of TNT, said: “The combination of TNT and Cementation is an excellent fit strategically. We share several key customers, and together, we can provide these customers with enhanced value through a single source for products and services. There is also significant potential for TNT and Cementation to grow, expanding into new common markets.”

Mato Products makes its mark on conveyor belt cleaning market

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

Mato Products, a Multotec company, says it has expanded its bulk handling equipment reach into the design of innovative belt cleaning systems for a number of mineral and metals markets.

The company has long been a household name in clip fasteners for conveyor belts, especially in the underground coal sector. It company operates one of only three high production Mato machines in the world, and significantly the only one outside of Germany.

After over 30 years of operation, this Mato unit was overhauled in 2016 in an intense six-month refurbishment. It was upgraded from 180 t to 360 t capacity, speeding up production and ensuring both ongoing cost-effectiveness and reliability of supply for customers, according to the company.

Mato said: “The company’s exciting line of belt cleaning equipment has for some time now been gathering momentum. Its popularity has extended well beyond the coal sector into other materials handling and mineral processing applications, even in diamond mining.”

According to Benjamin Sibanda, Managing Director of Mato Products, over-feeds at transfer points often lead to material build-up on the inside of a belt.

“As mines and other industrial facilities raise their environmental standards, they want to avoid problems like duff heaps under conveyors, which can cause pollution,” Sibanda said.

The Mato MCP3-S primary cleaner, installed at the head pulley is designed to be an aggressive head pulley cleaner, yet friendly to the conveyor belt surface and suitable for use with mechanical fasteners, the company said.

“It offers a high level of cleaning due to its blade profile, and the spring tensioning system ensures the blade is in constant contact with the belt for the life of the blade while achieving up to a maximum of 75% cleaning.”

Sibanda said: “The secondary Mato MUS2 belt cleaner is one of our latest design belt cleaners and offers an M-TRAK slide on cushion and blade for easy installation and maintenance.”

The M-TRAK is designed to eliminate lengthy maintenance downtime and ensures blade alignment is 100% true across the entire conveyor belt width, according to the company. Blade replacement is simple with the design of the slide-on and slide-off principle, eliminating the need for special tools or training when maintenance is performed, Mato said.

Sibanda continued: “The unique design of our MUS2 cushion is based on the principle of a parallelogram whereby the cushion also stays true to the conveyor belts surface ensuring the angle of attack is maintained. This cleaner’s primary duty is to remove fines and duff, to almost zero carry-back.”

Blades on the cleaners come in a range of materials suited to different applications, including polyurethane and tungsten.

While the application in South Africa was initially mainly underground, equipment variations for surface have now also been developed and introduced to market, Mato said. The plant tail-end cleaner is based on the same concept but is mounted on channels rather than on stringer pipes.

“This product includes innovative blade stoppers,” Sibanda said. “When the blade is worn to a certain level, the mounted flat plate does not touch the belt, for better protection.”

Mato has also engineered closer integration between its fastener clips and the belt cleaners.

“For instance, we have added a profile to the clip which optimises the life of both the clip and the tungsten tip on our secondary belt cleaner,” Sibanda said. “The skiving process embeds the clip slightly into the belt ensuring the mechanical splice is on the same surface as the conveyor belt thereby minimising the impact on the tungsten tip as well as lowering noise levels. Longer life of both means less downtime for the customer and greater reliability.”

Sibanda said all the offerings in Mato’s conveyor belt systems range helps to improve the lifespan of equipment at loading points. The energy of ore transfer is absorbed, and wear resistance is increased by Multolag ceramic products.