Tag Archives: materials handling

ROXON to convey materials handling expertise message to Australia market

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

ROXON has launched its entire range of materials handling solutions into the Australian market as it looks to expand its reach beyond the Europe, Middle East and Asia markets that it has become familiar with.

The entry into the Australian market comes on the back of the recent acquisition of ROXON by Australian engineering, mining services and industrial manufacturing organisation NEPEAN. Previously owned by Sandvik, NEPEAN purchased the ROXON business in November 2017.

NEPEAN Managing Director, Rolf Van Rooyen, said: “The ROXON brand is well known and trusted throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia having specialised in bulk materials handling solutions for well over 50 years. We are really excited to be bringing its world-class engineered solutions, innovative products and market leading services to the Australian market.”

NEPEAN Conveyors is the largest manufacturer of conveyor components in Australia, according to the company. It is also well known for its solutions for underground conveyors.

“With the introduction of the ROXON brand to Australia, the combined capacity will give customers access to deep technical expertise, global product sourcing and the latest in materials handling technology for surface and overland conveyors,” the company said.

ROXON is an OEM and solutions provider for bulk material handling for surface operations. Its products and services span the entire life cycle of conveyor systems – design, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, midlife upgrades and asset re-deployment – and include a comprehensive suite of conveyor components, conveyor equipment and turnkey conveyor systems.

Van Rooyen highlighted the technical expertise of the ROXON Australia team, which will be headquartered out of Gosford, New South Wales: “ROXON Australia has a dedicated team of technical conveyor system specialists who have many decades of deep industry experience and knowledge. This team of experts can also draw upon the deep experience and operational capabilities of the ROXON teams in Finland and Sweden if needed.”

He added: “Leveraging our deep domain knowledge developed over more than 40 years, our global industry leading engineering capabilities, and our best-in-class in-house software, ROXON specialises in tailored, engineered design conveyor solutions that reduce costs and increase efficiencies.”

The company recently executed its first project in Australia, a A$15 million ($10.2 million) fixed crushing and screening plant at the Lima South quarry in Benalla, Victoria. In this project, ROXON Australia partnered with asphalt plant specialists Astec Australia. The scope included the design and supply of all structural, mechanical and electrical components for conveyors, including interfaces with Astec’s process equipment; design and supply of structural support steelwork for crushers, screens and feeders; and supply of all conveyor components, 19 x off conveyors in total.

Bis gets firm handle on GFG Alliance Whyalla contract

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

Bis says it will become the single materials handling contractor for GFG Alliance in Whyalla, South Australia, as of October 1.

As part of GFG Alliance’s strategy to maximise efficiency at its Whyalla-based operations ¬– incorporating its Liberty Primary Steel and SIMEC Mining businesses (which includes a 10 Mt iron ore mine in the Middleback Ranges of South Australia) – several materials-handling work packages were consolidated into a single contract to be operated by a single contractor partner.

The contract will see Bis deliver a range of site services to Whyalla including steel services, scrap processing and handling, slag processing and handling, and bulk materials handling.

The award comes as Bis celebrates 60 years in Whyalla this year, where it currently employs 170 people. Bis will bring on another 80 employees as part of the expanded scope of works.

Liberty Primary Steel Acting Executive Managing Director, Jason Schell, said: “GFG Alliance is looking forward to partnering with Bis to help drive our continuous-improvement culture and turn our business around for a sustainable, long-term future.

“This consolidated contract will result in significant cost savings for our business, while providing greater opportunities to optimise Bis’ assets and workforce across multiple work-fronts.”

Bis Chief Executive Officer, Brad Rogers, said the announcement showed the strength of the company’s relationship with GFG Alliance, as well as Bis’ track record of safely and reliably delivering flexible, efficient solutions for its customers.

Hadyn Shepherd, Bis General Manager Mining Services South East, meanwhile, said the win was great recognition for Bis and the team in Whyalla.

NEPEAN offers mine truck haulage alternative with relocatable conveyors

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

NEPEAN Conveyors’ New South Wales General Manager, Bill Munday, thinks its relocatable conveyor system will “change the game for materials handling” in 2019.

Munday said this to the Australian Mining publication during a site visit to Port Kembla.

Last year, NEPEAN Conveyors acquired Sandvik’s International Conveyor Components businesses and Sandvik’s Specialist Conveyor Systems business in Hollola, Finland.

NEPEAN’s Relocatable Conveyor system has taken over two years of research and design to develop and “promises to upend the traditional approach to conveyor design on account of its improved mobility, operational flexibility, ease of transport and speed of installation”, the company said.

Instead of building conveyor parts to meet the needs of freight shipping container dimensions, the NEPEAN Relocatable Conveyor is a half-height high cube portal frame configuration certified for standard freight shipping.

This means the conveyor is transportable anywhere in the world as a fully assembled unit, according to the company.

The frames are 12 m long, with the unit inside supporting belt widths of up to 1,800 mm on straight conveyors and 1,600 mm on curved conveyors. Roof-mounted wind guards are also available for each module in a single curve or straight two-piece configuration.

The modules can be triple stacked on a prime mover and unloaded in one bundle using standard container handling equipment, which can then place each module in line for final connection, according to the company.

This approach vastly reduces the total install cost per lineal metre by minimising both time and staff requirements during setup, NEPEAN said.

“One of the areas we really wanted to target was logistics,” Munday told Australian Mining.

“It can turn into a real logistical exercise moving all this equipment from one site to the next and doing so efficiently. The beauty of having a half-height hi cube shipping container format is that they can be multi-stacked on ships, trains or trucks,” he said.

“You can potentially get nine modules per road train at a length of 12 m per module.”

The frame’s integral legs can be set in place by removing a pin, folding them out and replacing the pin to lock the legs in position, minimising ground works.

The foot plates also have holes in for additional stakes to be inserted, which adds stability and security.

Once the modules are aligned to an installation jig on the ground – adjustable for idler spacing and roller configurations – the structure can be super elevated by up to 7° and banked around corners, according to the company.

“All the equipment is pre-designed for a fully functioning conveyor and the container module is just part of the system,” Munday said. “We have also designed a unique one-piece head end that incorporates a drive system up to approximately 4,000 kW, a loop take-up and delivery jib that can be put on a 200-t float to transport around mine sites. It is held in place by large ground anchors — there’s minimal concreting or civil works — you just dig a couple of holes and bury the ground anchor.”

In addition to significantly lowering civil works and installation costs, the NEPEAN Relocatable Conveyors mobility allows it to be adaptable to changes in mining operations and positions it as a true alternative to mine trucks when it is time to move the conveyor on site, according to the company.