Tag Archives: mining conveyors

Continental to showcase digital conveyor technologies at SME in Phoenix

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining events, Mining services, Mining software, , , , ,

Continental is to showcase its innovative digital solutions and a comprehensive range of products specifically tailored for the mining industry at the SME MineXchange Conference and Expo, in Phoenix, Arizona, scheduled for February 25-28.

Attendees will be able to visit the booth to see the company’s latest advancements in rubber technology and learn more about its extensive offerings designed to enhance efficiency and reduce downtime in mining operations.

Specifically, Continental will highlight the following solutions in its booth:

  • Conti+: Conti+ integrates advanced technology to provide real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance and performance optimisation for conveyor systems;
  • Repair kits: Continental offers high-quality repair kits designed for quick and effective maintenance of conveyor systems. Repair kits can minimise downtime, ensuring that mining operations stay on track;
  • Industrial belts: Attendees can visit the Continental booth to see a range of industrial belts engineered for durability and optimal performance in mining applications. From heavy-duty to specialty belts, Continental’s solutions are built to withstand the toughest conditions in the mining industry, it says; and
  • Specialty hoses: Continental will present a comprehensive portfolio of specialty hoses for steam, mine spray and hydraulic applications. Continental hoses are designed to meet the unique challenges of mining environments, ensuring reliability and safety.

“We are focused on helping our mining customers maximise the life of their belts, conveying systems and hoses so they can work more efficiently and keep their operations running without interruption,” Michael Schroeder, Head of Product Management – Conveying Solutions, at Continental’s Industrial Solutions AMERICA, Sector ContiTech, says.

“Continental can support a wide range of industrial solutions needed for mining. Our premium products contribute to significant cost savings and operational efficiency, and we look forward to showcasing them to attendees at MineXchange.”

For example, Continental is currently working with Atlas Energy Solutions on its new 42 mile (68 km) Dune Express conveyor belt – provided by Continental – which will be the second longest in the world.

The electric conveyor will deliver sand throughout the Permian Basin of west Texas and New Mexico rather than putting it on trucks. This will be more efficient and will eliminate millions of truck miles driven across the Permian resulting in avoided traffic, accidents, injuries and fatalities on the roads used by trucks to deliver sand, it says. The two companies worked together on this innovative delivery method to help Atlas Energy Solutions accomplish their goals.

Martin Engineering addresses conveyor safety misconceptions

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

Martin Engineering is disputing the idea that putting conveyor equipment out of reach or inconveniently placed away from workers – known as “guarding by location” – is a valid form of safety.

After decades of safe equipment design and comprehensive conveyor safety training in the bulk handling industry, Martin Engineering experts have witnessed where “guarding by location” has led to a lapse in workplace safety, resulting in injuries and – in some cases – fatalities, the company says.

Most people readily accept that conveyors and other machinery require safety guards when positioned near workers or walkways. Guarding by location is the assumption that when hazards, such as moving conveyor belts, are positioned beyond the normal reach of a worker they don’t require a guard. Yet they can still present a serious hazard.

Worker risks from guarding by location

Some regulations define a general safe height for components based on the average height of workers. This means taller employees (1.82 m in height or more) can easily suffer an injury reaching up into a moving component that is 2.13 m above the ground. Working above machinery that is considered guarded by location exposes workers to increased severity of injury if they slip or fall to a lower level.

Most regulations do not account for the potential buildup of spillage underneath the conveyor or in walkways, which can easily change the distance between the working surface and a hazard. It’s also fairly common practice to purposely collect a pile of material or fill a bin to gain access for service or inspection of an elevated component. Using tools and methods that extend a worker’s reach while the belt is running is a hazardous activity that can contribute to serious – and possibly fatal – accidents.

Height prevents a worker from reaching hazardous areas until the reality of bulk operations proves otherwise

Hazards from above

By not requiring a physical barrier, guarding by location creates what is considered by some to be an exception to the general requirements for the guarding of hazards in the workplace. Several hazardous locations are beyond the normal reach of staff when working or walking under or around elevated conveyors. These hazards are commonly found in or around nip points between the belt and return rollers or drive components such as pulley shafts, couplings, drive belts, gears and chains. Additional hazards from falling components may be inadvertently ignored if considered guarded by location.

Guarding best practices

The logical solution to guarding by location is to simply install guards and baskets to protect workers from lateral and overhead hazards, while still offering safe and easy access. For maximum risk reduction, all nip points, shear points and moving or rotating components should be guarded, regardless of location or access. However, there is also no global standard for guard mesh sizes and mounting distance from the hazard. Most standards use a gauge to measure the distance which varies by mesh size. When a bulk material handling guard is placed relatively close to a hazard it greatly reduces the ability to inspect components without removing the guard, thereby encouraging guard removal for routine inspections.

It would be far better (and safer) to standardise on a few mesh sizes and mounting distances allowing maintenance workers to build guards to a short list of materials, using standard mounting distances and eliminating the use of the gauges. Below is the recommendation included in Martin Engineering’s book ‘FOUNDATIONS for Conveyor Safety’.

Put an end to the myth

Despite its nearly global acceptance as a concept in industrial safety, the practice of guarding by location remains a particular problem for overhead conveyor applications. It’s time to accept that as far as conveyors are concerned, ‘guarding by location’ is a myth. As such, it’s a concept that should be abandoned in order to make conveyors – and those who work on and around the equipment – safer.

Luna Innovations to provide conveyor heat detection monitoring solution in South Africa

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

Luna Innovations Inc, a global leader in advanced fibre optic-based technology, has won what it says is a large contract to provide heat detection monitoring of 40 km of conveyor belt in 11 South African mines.

Luna’s contract is with a leading South African provider of risk-management solutions providing services to the operator of the mines.

To ensure the safety of their employees and protect their assets, Luna Innovations LIOS™ fibre optic cable and heat detection system was selected to provide a fast and reliable monitoring system. The LIOS DE.TECT linear heat detection system can monitor up to 10 km of conveyor belt and provides fast and accurate information about overheating before a fire develops, according to the company.

Conveyor belt issues are the leading source of fires and operational disturbances in the mining industry, Luna says. Belt rollers experience wear and tear over time, which can lead to overheating. Proactive detection of defective rollers and conveyor systems enables preventative maintenance that can help avoid potential hazards.

Scott Graeff, President and CEO of Luna, said: “We are very pleased to be announcing another step forward for safety systems utilising our fibre optic sensing technology. The applications for fibre optic sensors are nearly limitless and this is another great example of how our solutions are helping our customers create safer, more efficient workplaces. We are happy to add this application in the mining sector to our over 2,500 permanent installations of the LIOS sensing platform.”

The LIOS DE.TECT linear heat detection system continuously measures temperature with a resolution of 1°C or better and provides a response time of four seconds or less, according to the company. In the event of a conveyor belt fire, the DE.TECT system provides immediate, location-specific information about the size of the fire and how it is spreading so efficient fire suppression can be deployed, Luna 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.”

Martin Engineering identifies and addresses conveyor idler issues

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

On any belt conveyor system that moves bulk materials, the belt must run straight and true to maximise its life, minimise fugitive material and safety hazards, and achieve high system efficiency, Martin Engineering says.

There can be many consequences of a mistracking belt, but all result in higher costs and increased maintenance. Even a slight belt misalignment can lead to a variety of issues, from small annoyances to full-blown catastrophes.

The most obvious effects include spillage and dust that require personnel to do cleanup – unproductive work that introduces risks from activities in close proximity to the moving conveyor. Spillage from non-centred cargo often gets into idlers and pulleys, reducing bearing life and causing them to seize, leading to friction damage on the belt and potentially starting a fire.

A misaligned belt can also come in contact with the stringer, causing fraying, shredding or splice damage. Great lengths of valuable belting can be destroyed with surprising speed, and even the support structure itself can be damaged, Martin Engineering says. A compromised bracket or support can cause a catastrophic idler failure, which could damage other components of the system and require extensive downtime to repair. Further, there is potential for injury from a damaged belt or loose idler, not to mention the increased exposure to injury from too frequent a need to clean.

“I’ve been working around conveyors for 20 years, and I’ve seen thousands of belts,” Martin Engineering Process Engineer, Dan Marshall, says. “I’ve seen just about every problem that can be caused by a mistracking belt, but one thing I’ve never seen is a belt that runs true right out of the box. All conveyors, no matter how well designed and built, have some belt wander.”

A wide variety of circumstances can lead to mistracking, and operators have tried many things to correct the alignment. Some have elected to place an obstacle such as a block of wood in the belt path, so it won’t travel too far out of line. This occasionally improves the situation, but more often it’s just temporary and the belt will eventually slice through the obstacle.

Many operators have realised that pivoting an idler is a quicker and more effective way to steer a belt. This common approach is called “knocking an idler”, striking it with a hammer to move it slightly and realign the belt (see below).

Equipment manufacturers have also designed components to help align a belt, and these solutions can be successful in specific applications. They include specially-shaped rollers, angled idlers and devices that apply pressure to the belt edge to push it back in line.

“While these mechanisms can improve a belt that’s consistently off-centre in one direction, they do not react to dynamic belt movement, meaning that they don’t correct intermittent belt wander,” Marshall continued. “To combat such changing conditions, engineers designed the tracking idler. Unlike the edge correction approach, the device senses belt movement in either direction, and pivots the idler slightly to steer the belt back into position. It doesn’t apply a great deal of force to the edges, which can damage a belt and splices. When the belt is running true, it remains centred, and when it senses a misaligned condition, it gently corrects the belt.”

Unfortunately, to accommodate limited space availability, tracking idlers typically have short sensing arms, according to Martin Engineering. This requires a fairly large belt displacement to create a small movement of the idler. While these designs do tend to improve tracking, there are limits to how much correction they can deliver, and short sensing arms can actually pinch a belt if the idler pivots too far. To combat this, some operators choose to “tie off” a tracking idler to limit its movement. While the practice can help preserve the belt, it doesn’t address significant mistracking, the company says.

To overcome the limitations of existing belt alignment devices, Martin Engineering has invented and patented a Multi-Pivot Belt Tracker, which employs sensors, pivoting idlers and geometry to align a wandering belt. The sensors avoid pinching the belt, and the engineered geometry amplifies any detected misalignment to create a greater pivot.

Multi-Pivot Belt Trainers (see photo at the top) use longer arms than other designs, positioning the guide rolls further from the pivot roller, as well as closer to the belt edge, according to the company. The closer proximity allows guide rolls to sense very slight misalignments and make immediate corrections. Rather than waiting for a powerful mistracking force, the longer arms require considerably less pressure to move the pivot roller. The result is better correction with no pinch points and less wear on conveyor and tracking equipment, for longer and more efficient service life, Martin Engineering says. Specific designs are available for both the load-carrying belt path and the return run.

“Installing trackers is the economical solution, but operators should do a full analysis and consider also addressing other causal issues,” Marshall added. “By focusing solely on belt alignment, plant personnel may miss other opportunities to increase production and relieve some of the burdens on their system.”

Keeping the belt centred and moving quickly is the key to high production, controlled operating cost and a safer workplace.

“Misalignment causes downtime and costs money,” Marshall concluded. “But nothing causes more downtime and expense than a destructive belt fire or other catastrophe as a result of inattention to mistracking problems.”

Metso Outotec bags overland and in-plant conveyor order from the Americas

Bulk handling, Mining equipment, Mining services, , ,

Metso Outotec says it has been awarded an order for a large belt conveyor package for delivery to a mining customer in the Americas.

The value of the order is around €60 million ($61 million), of which a third was booked in the Minerals division’s June-quarter orders received and the rest in the September quarter.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery includes 3.5 km overland and in-plant conveyors as well as shuttle head conveyors with a nominal equipment capacity of up to 21,000 t/h.

Metso Outotec says it has the capability to design and deliver even the largest conveyor systems with high project quality, with its overland solutions providing flexible and reliable material transportation with increased energy savings for the lowest total cost of ownership.

Martin Engineering on ‘carryback’ issues with conveyors

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

“Carryback” is defined as the material that fails to unload from a conveyor belt, adhering to the belt and typically falling off at some point other than the intended discharge, and it’s one of the main sources of fugitive materials, estimated to account for 85% of all conveyor maintenance issues, according to Martin Engineering.

Accumulation on moving components from dirty belts can cause premature wear and require frequent cleanup, which exposes workers to potential workplace injuries and respiratory diseases, it warns.

It can be shown practically and theoretically that a conveyor belt cannot be cleaned 100% because the surface of the belt and the blades are not without imperfections. However, this does not do away with the need for operators to take a proactive approach to keeping the belt clean. Most industries have gravitated to basic mechanical scraping with a metal or elastomeric blade for flat rubber or PVC belting as the best combination of effectiveness, ease of maintenance and low belt wear to yield the lowest cost of ownership.

Belt cleaning effectiveness varies day to day with changing conditions and the number and type of cleaners applied, as well as the maintenance they receive. Keeping the material in the process is always better than letting it accumulate on components and build up under the conveyor. Without effective belt cleaning, experience has shown that as much as 3% of the total cargo can be lost due to spillage, dust and carryback.

The exposure to hazards and injuries is also reduced when less cleanup is required, saving significant – but seldom considered – indirect costs. The key to consistent cleaning effectiveness is to control the process through proper selection, installation, inspection and maintenance of the belt cleaning system and establish a safe cleanup routine and schedule.

The use of multiple mechanical scrapers on a belt has been accepted for quite some time as an effective cleaning approach. In most operations, multiple cleaners are required to reduce the carryback to a safe, acceptable level while limiting manual cleanup to weekly or even monthly tasks.

Effectiveness vs efficiency

The undulating action of the loaded belt passing over idlers tends to cause fines and moisture to migrate and compact on the surface of the belt. The amount of carryback that clings to the belt can range from a few grams to a few kilograms per square meter. The level of belt cleaning required is a function of the operational schedule and method of collecting/disposing of the carryback that is cleaned from the belt or dislodged by return idlers and collects outside of the conveyor discharge chute.

When discussing the efficiency of a belt cleaner, it’s meaningless to talk about efficiency without stating the initial level of carryback. When considering the beginning and ending levels of carryback as a measure of improvement, effectiveness is a better term. Some guidelines do exist. The US Bureau of Mines states that an average of 100 g/sq.m of carryback is a reasonable level of performance for belt cleaning. At this level, a 1,200-mm wide belt traveling 2 m/s and operating 24/7 would create a cleanup workload of about 7 t/d, a significant labour investment that also increases worker exposure to a moving conveyor and the associated risks.

Carryback level determines the cleanup schedule, but, in reality, a typical belt cleaner loses effectiveness over time due to wear, lack of inspection and maintenance. On systems with average or poor maintenance, effectiveness values are generally in the range of 40-60%, thus the need for multiple cleaners.

Cleaning location

Unfortunately, designers often focus on the lowest installed cost of the structure around the head and snub pulleys, without allowing enough space for optimum cleaner installation. The figure below shows the clear areas needed on a discharge chute for installation of belt cleaners in the optimum positions. The installations should be at an ergonomic height above the work platform to encourage proper inspection and service. Consideration in the design stage for locating cleaners in the optimum locations will lead to more effective inspections, maintenance and belt cleaner performance.

Belt cleaning positions (© 2022 Martin Engineering)

Belt cleaners can be placed anywhere along the return run of the belt, as long as the belt is supported in some fashion. Since it’s desirable for the carryback cleaned from the belt to be returned to the main material flow, most belt cleaners are installed inside the discharge chute. Cleaning on the head pulley – labeled the ‘primary cleaning position’ – is preferred. Cleaning the dirty side of the belt before it reaches a snub, bend pulley or return idlers is considered less desirable, requiring a dribble chute for cleaners in the secondary position.

Typical installation of primary, secondary and tertiary cleaners (© 2022 Martin Engineering)

The secondary position is complicated by another fact: the nature of carryback is such that it can adhere to vertical surfaces and not flow down a sloped dribble chute. A tertiary position is sometimes required for difficult materials or critical applications such as conveying over wetlands. In such cases, the tertiary cleaners are often enclosed in a spray box and the effluent directed to a settling basin.

Belt cleaning pressure & blade wear

Without enough cleaning pressure, the blade cannot stay in contact with the belt, resulting in poor carryback removal effectiveness and increased blade and belt wear. With too much cleaning pressure, the cleaning performance declines due to deflection of the elastomeric blade or metal blade indentation into the rubber belt. Power consumption also increases dramatically with excessive cleaning pressure.

Elastomeric primary blade pressure at a positive rake angle (left) and metal secondary blade pressure at zero rake angle (right)

Keeping a belt cleaner properly tensioned is critical for maximum effectiveness and lowest cost of ownership. The cleaning pressure usually varies over time, based on the maintenance department’s attention or lack thereof. Some manufacturers have begun to offer automatic tensioners and wear indicators which maintain the optimum cleaning pressure and alert operators when blades are worn.

Automatic tensioner maintains optimum cleaning pressure without operator intervention (© 2022 Martin Engineering)

Conclusion

Many belt cleaner systems are installed and forgotten. A survey of technicians indicated that about 25% of all belts have cleaners installed, and of that percentage only about 25% are properly maintained. Lack of inspection and maintenance results in a gradually lower level of effectiveness, higher operating cost and an increased exposure to the hazards associated with cleaning up carryback.

Effective belt cleaning starts in the design stage, with adequate space for cleaners and well-positioned work platforms for ergonomic inspection and maintenance access. Service-friendly designs improve production, minimising carryback and prolonging the life of equipment. If the cleaners are located in the optimum positions and easy to access, it is more likely that regular inspection, cleaning and maintenance will be performed, delivering optimum results.

Second Doppelmayr RopeCon goes live at Northam’s Booysendal mine

Bulk handling, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , ,

The second Doppelmayr RopeCon® system at Northam Platinum’s Booysendal platinum mine in South Africa has gone live, helping transport approximately 400 t/h of mined material over a distance of 2.8 km and a difference in elevation of -160 m.

A RopeCon system has been transporting platinum ore at Booysendal since the end of 2018, with this first installation transporting some 909 t/h of material over a circa-4.8 km distance through hilly terrain.

In December 2021, the second installation at Booysendal North was handed over to the customer.

The Booysendal North RopeCon discharges the material into the same silo from which the material is loaded onto the Booysendal South system, which makes it a perfect link in a continuous conveying line, Doppelmayr explained. Since early 2022, the second loading point along the line has been in use, too. The option of an alternative loading point was provided at tower 2. A conventional feeder conveyor transports the material to the RopeCon line where it is loaded directly onto the belt via a chute.

RopeCon, developed by Doppelmayr, offers the advantages of a ropeway and combines them with the properties of a conventional belt conveyor, according to the company. It essentially consists of a flat belt with corrugated side walls: just as on conventional belt conveyors, the belt performs the haulage function. It is driven and deflected by a drum in the head or tail station and fixed to axles arranged at regular intervals to carry it. The axles are fitted with plastic running wheels which run on fixed anchored track ropes and guide the belt. The track ropes are elevated off the ground on tower structures.

“By using the RopeCon system, the customer did not have to rely on trucks to transport the material, a definite advantage in this topographically challenging terrain with its sometimes very steep roads,” the company said. “Furthermore, using the roads only for the transport of people and supplies will have a positive effect on road maintenance costs.”

Booysendal was also particularly careful to choose a transport system that would minimise the environmental footprint of the mine. By guiding the RopeCon over towers, the space required on the ground is reduced to a minimum, or more precisely to the tower locations. At the same time, the system does not represent an insurmountable obstacle for wildlife or humans. The track crosses a number of roads, and even wildlife can roam freely underneath the RopeCon, according to Doppelmayr.

Greenland Resources makes plans to employ Doppelmayr RopeCon at Malmbjerg moly project

Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Greenland Resources Inc is taking a different tack to mine haulage at its Malmbjerg molybdenum project in Greenland, laying out plans in a feasibility study to use a Doppelmayr RopeCon® aerial conveyor to transport ore to the concentrator.

In a definitive feasibility study that outlined a 20-year open pit mine life with annual life of mine production of 24.1 MIb of molybdenum, Dr Ruben Shiffman, Executive Chairman, said the company had chosen to “prioritise the environment over capital expenditure”.

In addition to the planned use of a Doppelmayr rope conveyor over cheaper and less environmentally friendly diesel haul trucks – which would save the company over $80 million in capital expenditure, according to Shiffman – the company also planned to use salt water as process water in its process plant, with very low reagent concentrations to mitigate any potential environmental contamination.

The Malmbjerg project comprises of a conventional open-pit mine producing 35,000 t/d of molybdenum-rich ore for processing in a conventional base metal sulphide concentrator. The mine plan equipment fleet consists of two 34 cu.m hydraulic shovels loading 13 x 230 t haul trucks operating on 12 m benches.

The operational mining plan will utilise an economic grade control system where higher value ore will be separated and transported to the concentrator while the lower value ore will be stockpiled and processed at the end of conventional mining.

Waste rock will be stored on the west side of the deposit and used for haul road and construction activities at the mine site.

Current mining reserves dictate a mine life of 20 years where the concentrator will be fed directly from the open pit for a period of 11 years and stockpiled ore will be processed for the remaining nine years.

Ore produced from the open pit will be transported to the primary crusher and loaded onto the Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH ropeway aerial conveyor for transportation to the concentrator located 21.7 km northeast of the open pit on tidewater.

“The ropeway aerial conveyor is similar to historic ore tramline systems that are employed in challenging topography where ore surface transportation systems are not topographically and economically favourable,” Greenland Resources said. “The ropeway is expected to generate electrical power for the mine site during the life of the operation.”

The ropeway aerial conveyor discharges ore into a 35,000 t “live” stockpile at the concentrator for processing. The concentrator is of a modular design constructed on barges and transported from an overseas shipyard to the project site where the barges will be permanently located in a dedicated beach location. The 35,000 t/d concentrator modular design was selected based on the economics of offsite construction and reduced concentrate production commission time.

The life of mine average mill feed grade is 0.176% MoS2 at an estimated recovery of 84.6% MoS2.

The concentrator comprises two SAG circuits feeding a conventional multi-stage flotation circuit to produce a molybdenite-rich concentrate. Due to the four-to-six-month ice-free shipping season, concentrate will be inventoried in containers on site during the non-shipping period and shipped to end users when the shipping season commences.

The estimated initial capital for the project is $820 million with $194.4 million of this being set aside for the rope conveyor.

 

Chute Technology improves the flow at Ulan operations

Bulk handling, Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Chute Technology says its new coal and ore handling technologies, designed to overcome production-limiting factors at mines and bulk handling terminals throughout Australia, are proving their worth in service at the Ulan operations in New South Wales.

The technology packages are designed to eliminate potential bottlenecks, occupational health and safety issues and weak links in the production chain that can increase downtime and reduce output, Chute Technology says.

Typical issues include bin surging, bulk cleaning, spillages, blockages and reduced throughput rates, resulting in inefficient production.

According to Dennis Pomfret, Managing Director, Chute Technology, the company designed a customised chute to eliminate potential downtime for a specific section of the bypass system at the Ulan Surface Operations, which IM understands is owned by Glencore.

The new chute has dramatically reduced downtime since commissioning, according to the company, whereas the legacy arrangements were a source of multiple hours of lost production.

“The new chute allows Ulan Surface Operations to operate with a full feed rate of 2,000 t/h without any stoppages or blockages, so they can maximise their productivity and our profitability,” Pomfret said.

Chute Technology says it combines its decades of Australian and international practical engineering experience with advanced expertise in new flow enhancement and problem-solving technologies to produce modern answers to minerals and materials handling problems. The company provides audits and solutions extending from single issues at individual plants through to whole-of-process improvements extending from mines to port or point of resource use.

Pomfret said Ulan Surface Operations was looking to the future by investing in a solution designed to maximise productivity and eliminate unwanted downtime.

“We’re delighted that we could make Ulan Surface Operations’ bypass vision come to life, and it’s rewarding to see it working out in service,” he said. “Ulan Surface Operations is always looking to employ modern solutions that avoid problems in the first place, rather than cleaning up a mess after it occurs.”

Chute Technology performed an audit of current operations to gain a holistic view of current operations, before recommending the solution. The engineering audit determined that functionality of one known trouble spot, the bypass hopper and vibratory feeder, could be taken out of service and replaced with a simpler transfer chute with an in-built surge capacity.

The chute was designed in such a way that it could all be lifted and installed in one go, minimising installation downtime, the company said.

Chute Technology also designed and installed an adjustable surge control baffle device to control the height of material on the conveyor belt. The device acts like a trimmer on the end of the chute, where it trims the height of material during times of surge loading, to avoid belt overloading, side spillage and keep material heights consistent.

“We anticipate the surge control device will reduce spillage considerably, especially when taking into account the typical delays in conveyor stopping and starting sequences,” Pomfret said.

“A major consideration for the project was to design the new chute around the existing structures as much as possible, so that there was as little rework or modifications needed before installation.

“We also took into consideration that the drop height is almost 15 m. Ulan Surface Operations wished to retain their surge bin, floor structure, vibrating feeder and conveyor structures, so we designed around these as much as was possible. Additionally, the design was modular, so the installation took as little time as possible.”

Chute Technology says it selected an asymmetric chute to avoid belt mis-tracking issues, a “virtual skirtboard” to optimise the internal flow geometry and designed a single point of contact flow path so the material flow is constantly in contact with the chute from the head pulley to the receiving belt.

Pomfret concluded: “This project has been an excellent success, and we look forward to a long-term relationship with Ulan Surface Operations, as they look to maximise productivity and profitability.”