Australian Bulk Handling Review by Magazines byDesign

www.BulkHandling.com.au Volume 18 No 7

Jan/Feb 2014

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Profile: Ian Burrell of Control Systems Technology

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Australian company spearheads container tippling in Eritrea

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Containing dust at NSW seed plant

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RKM opens new conveyor roller manufacturing plant in China

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Can red sand be used for road building?

KOCKUMS… a refreshing solution for Boag’s Brewery

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CONTENTS

www.bulkhandling.com.au EDITOR Charles Macdonald Tel: +61 2 9080 4443 Email: charles.macdonald@informa.com.au REPORTER Oliver Probert Tel: +61 2 9080 4484 Email: oliver.probert@informa.com.au ADVERTISING SALES Peter Delbridge Level 2, 120 Sussex St, Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: +61 2 9080 4478 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622 Email: peter.delbridge@bulkhandling.com.au

contents

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Hyundai-AMEC awarded ECI for Hillside

45 Melco’s anti-runback rollers protect inclined conveyors

Transmin to represent Mercodor shredders

GEARS, MOTORS & DRIVES FEATURE

PEER REVIEW Ronda McCallum Tel: +61 2 9080 4354 Email: ronda.mccallum@bulkhandling.com.au

8 Profile: Industry recognises belt weighing guru, Ian Burrell

46 Altra buys Svendborg Brakes

10 Rotainer key equipment for Eritrean copper exports

48 Awards retrospective: Industry’s top innovators

PRODUCTION MANAGER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER Magazines byDesign - Linda Gunek Tel: +61 2 8883 5890 Email: linda@bydesigngraphics.com.au

12 NCIG hires new boss

50 Feed screws a specialty for Bonfiglioli drives

14 Flexicon tackles seed plant’s dust challenge

51 SEW-Eurodrive outlines 2014 training program

18 Tenova to design and supply Maules Creek reclaimers

52 Motor-mounted starter from NORD

FOR SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES Peter Delbridge Tel: +61 2 9080 4478 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622 Email: peter.delbridge@bulkhandling.com.au

18 $197m write-down for Aurizon

52 Centrex examines transhipment plan in SA

20 Tippling operations fruitful for Flinders Ports

54 Milford foldable IBCs a solution for hazardous liquids

24 McAleese adds Mt. Webber to Atlas Iron portfolio 26 30-year-old Munson batch makers going strong

55 50 year celebrations for Busch; new Mink claw vacuum pump

28 Camfil adds touch screen controller to range

56 Hurll Nu-Way on positive displacement blowers

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Peter Attwater

28 Reynolds Soil Technologies veneering New Hope’s coal trains

57 CAPS to distribute Pedro Gil blowers

SUBSCRIPTIONS Natalie Gardner – Tel: +61 2 9080 4447 natalie.gardner@informa.com.au

29 Rino fog maker Tecpro’s “economical” answer; Idrotech’s fog makers

PLEASE SEND ADVERTISING MATERIAL TO Ronda McCallum Email: ronda.mccallum@bulkhandling.com.au Tel: +61 2 9080 4354

ABN 66 086 268 33

AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING REVIEW (ABHR) is published 7 times a year by Informa Australia Level 2, 120 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia PO Box Q1439, Queen Victoria Building Post Office, NSW 1230 Tel: +61 2 9080 4480 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622

(audit period ending September 2013) Member Circulation Audit Bureau (Australia)

58 Kennards Hire adds cordless pendant to JDN air hoist 59 Kockums upgrades office space

34 What NSW’s first Freight and Ports Strategy means for bulkies

60 GrainCorp, ADM deal rejected by Government

38 RKM opens Chinese conveyor roller manufacturing facility 40 Innovation award for Telestack mobile loader 42 ASGCO Pro-Zone conveyor belt load-zone system a world first 42 Atlas Copco finalises Edwards vacuum solutions purchase 44 Toll sells North Qld rail service to Asciano

Copyright © 2010 Informa Australia Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the editorial or pictorial content by any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. While contributed articles to ABHR are welcome, return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings and photographs if they are to be returned and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights in letters submitted will be treated as unconditionally assigned for the publication. All products listed in this magazine are subject to manufacturer’s change without notice and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. The publisher’s advertising terms and conditions are set out in the current Advertising Rate Card, which is available to read before placing any advertisements.

58 Flexicon debuts 15cm tubular cable conveyor

30 Tooperang washing plant equipped by CDE

43 ContiTech to supply ‘intelligent’ belts for Chilean mine ISSN 1444-6308 Circulaton: 5,983

47 4.8 MW belt conveyor drive gets Voith fluid couplings

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

62 Rabobank analyst: efficiency the key for Aussie grain 65 Demag automates material storage facility at Belgian cement plant 66 Abbot Point dredging approval causes a stir 68 Saviz Nekoufar makes the case for pocket conveyors over trucks in open pit mining 70 Dr Wahidul Biswas of Curtin University finds that Alcoa’s red sand bauxite residue can be used in road construction

ABOUT THE COVER Resolving residue sugar at James Boag’s brewery In Tasmania, James Boag’s Launceston brewery had a problem: pressurised ISO containers, bringing sugar to the plant, continually left a residue of two to three tonnes of sugar after emptying. In response, Boag’s and its supply chain partners – Sugar Australia and Toll – turned to a solution from powder handling specialist Kockums Bulk Systems. Kockums supplied a customised sugar receiving vessel, of 0.75m3 capacity, which employs its ‘suck-blow’ technology. In practice, the vessel fills by vacuum from containers arriving at site; it then pressurises to send the load of sugar up to an adjacent silo. For the full story, see page 32.

EDITORIAL OVERHEAD

Powder handling stalwarts to the fore In this edition, ABHR looks at two clever powder handling solutions devised by two thoroughbreds of the field: Kockums Bulk Systems and Flexicon. In Tasmania, brewer James Boag’s By Charles Macdonald had a problem at its Launceston site. Editor – ABHR Pressurised ISO containers, bringing sugar to the plant, continually left a residue of two to three tonnes of sugar after emptying. In response, Kockums designed and supplied a customised sugar receiving vessel, which uses the company’s ‘suck-blow’ technology to fill by vacuum from arriving containers, before pressurising to send its load of sugar up to an adjacent silo. This is a neat solution which will undoubtedly save Boag’s money. See page 32. At Griffith in NSW, seed processor South Pacific Seeds was faced with a dusty plant as it combined a very free-flowing gypsum powder with a glue binder to pelletise seeds for packing and sale. In response, South Pacific Seeds turned to a bulk bag discharger and flexible screw conveyors from Flexicon, which the former company says have eradicated its dust problem. See page 16.

Fancy a tipple? In recent years, many exporters, whether constrained through geography or a lack of capital, have turned to container tipplers to export their ore. South Australia has embraced the technique, with companies like IMX Resources and OZ Minerals to the fore.

A major supplier to the sector, Container Rotation Systems (CRS; formerly known as Rotainer), is now taking its expertise to the world. The company has supplied its container rotation systems and related gear to Bisha Mining, which is exporting copper concentrate through the Port of Massawa in Eritrea. Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa, has a fascinating but troubled history, including regular conflict with its larger neighbour, Ethiopia. ABHR is happy to see an Australian company help Eritrea establish the sort of export operation which will help raise living standards for its six million people. See page 10. Closer to home, ABHR spoke to Andrew Pellizzari of Flinders Ports about the organisation’s expanding tippling ambitions. See page 20.

Ian Burrell recognised Belt weighing master Ian Burrell, proprietor of Control Systems Technology, took out the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling’s top personal award in late 2013. Starting on page 8, ABHR profiles this humble man, who, over the years has injected some integrity into an industry known for some sharp practices.

Editorial Advisory Panel Peter Arnold: Emeritus Professor, Key Centre for Bulk Solids & Particulate Technologies, Faculty of Engineering; Consultant, Bulk Materials Engineering Australia, University of Wollongong. Alan Roberts AM: Consultant, Key Centre for Bulk Solids & Particulate Technologies, and TUNRA Bulk Solids Handling Research Associates. Peter Wypych: Director, Key Centre for Bulk Solids & Particulate Technologies, Faculty of Engineering, and Bulk Materials Engineering Australia, University of Wollongong. Gary James: Bulk Materials Handling Specialist Calibre Global Pty Ltd. Mark Jones: Professor, Director Centre for Bulk Solids & Particulate Technologies, University of Newcastle. Stephen Davis, Technical Director Materials Handling, WorleyParsons Canada

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NEWS

Hyundai-AMEC awarded ECI for Hillside copper project The pairing of Hyundai of Korea and international engineering company AMEC has been selected to perform early contractor involvement (ECI) engineering for the Hillside copper project on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.

ex Minerals, Hillside’s developer, is advancing various project development initiatives. The Hyundai-AMEC team will produce the project execution strategy, the project schedule and the final price for the main engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. A statement from Hyundai, coinciding with a signing ceremony in Seoul, sounded a confident note that Hyundai-AMEC was now in the box seat to secure more work at Hillside. Hyundai said: “By securing of this Hillside Copper Project Early Contractor Involvement (ECI), Hyundai-AMEC is well positioned to secure the main EPC Works in 2014. Rex is planning to seek part of the project debt funding from the financial institutions in Korea, with the support from HDEC and HRC.” Hyundai’s involvement is via two subsidiaries from the parent Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai Engineering &

Construction Co., Ltd (HDEC) is a construction business which has delivered 781 projects in 56 countries. Its 2013 contracts were worth over $100bn. It has delivered two Australian projects, including the dredging and reclamation works for Bunbury Harbor. Hyundai Rotem Company (HRC) is a manufacturer and supplier of heavy equipment to industries such as rail, steel and the defence sector. Hyundai said that HRC “will be integral in the fabrication, supply and procurement of equipment and associated steel structures as well as piping, electrical and instrumentation scopes for the Hillside Copper Project.” Rex Minerals managing director, Mark Parry, said that the company was progressing a number of important project development and funding initiatives for Hillside to allow for the commencement of construction with the aim of commencing copper production in 2016. Parry said; “We have a very busy

Rex bills Hillside as Australia’s largest undeveloped copper project. Mining will be by open cut, supplemented by underground, over 15+ years. Development of the open pit will be staged.

period ahead of us with a number of project elements to be brought together and crystallised. We continue to work towards finalising the Bankable Feasibility Study, we are working closely with the State Government to secure regulatory approvals and we have a range of ongoing discussions to secure debt and equity funding, including with potential offtake partners and export credit agencies.” Contact: www.rexminerals.com.au

AMEC to buy Foster Wheeler

s ABHR went to press, AMEC announced that it had provisionally agreed to buy international engineering,

construction and power equipment supplier Foster Wheeler for US$3.2bn. AMEC said the purchase of Foster

Wheeler would extend its reach in the oil and gas sector and in new geographies, while delivering annual cost synergies.

Transmin to represent Mercodor shredders Mechanical and bulk handling equipment supplier and OEM, Transmin, based in Perth, is to act as the Australian agent for Mercodor, a German company specialising in volume reduction shredding systems and equipment.

ercodor, a family-owned company, has designed and manufactured shredders from its founding in 1973. The company has its manufacturing base at a plant near Frankfurt. Mercodor’s shredders can handle wood, glass, metal, plastic, textiles, rubber, paper, cardboard, aluminium and steel chips, filter fabrics and many other materials. Typical applications include: all types of waste recycling; incineration plants; tyre and cable recyclers; document shredding, PC and hard drive destruction;

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

fertiliser; used bulk bag and packaging shredding; food, large caterers and restaurants; particle board manufacturers and timber companies; hospital and medical establishments; ships – cruise, merchant and naval for volume reduction of waste prior to incineration; abattoirs and meat processors; and wineries and beverage companies. Mercodor’s website states that: “with customer-specific machines tailored to the particular waste problems, the waste volume can be reduced by up to about 80 per cent. As a result, transport, storage

and disposal costs calculated by volume are significantly reduced.” Modular design principles mean Mercodor’s machines can be adapted to difficult local conditions, for example, combining with existing conveyor systems in manufacturing plants. Depending on the function, Transmin says it can provide tailored feed and discharge products, such as conveyor belts, lifting and tipping devices, suction units, and discharge chutes. Contact: Matthew Brooks, tel: 08 9270 8555, email: matthew.brooks@transmin.com.au

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PROFILE

Belt weighing guru recognised Ian Burrell, proprietor of Control Systems Technology, was awarded the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling Award in November 2013 for his outstanding contribution to the field of bulk solids handing. He provided some reflections on his career to ABHR editor, Charles Macdonald.

rmed with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of NSW, Burrell got his first exposure to belt weighing in 1976 at a company called Inflo Belt Weighers, owned by Beaumont McFee. Burrell was impressed by McFee, who he describes as “a great character”. Inflo’s weighing technology, which used a resonating wire like a guitar string and a force transducer, was developed by “a great technologist” called Raymond Dunn. Burrell worked in Australia and the US for Inflo and while the company had a relatively short life, its main product “made a big impact in a short time.” Of Dunn, Burrell says “he’s a man that I have a lot of respect for and we still aspire that our belt weighers be as good as the ones that he built.” After his first taste of belt weighing, Burrell detoured into mining systems for Honeywell’s process control division. However, he soon concluded that he would have to start his own business to make real progress.

Ian Burrell (left) in Korea on a job for Posco.

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“I wanted to have my own business, just because engineers aren’t paid enough money, frankly. I don’t think that’s changed; you have to actually have either very good financial management skills, or start your own business, is how I see it.” So Burrell opened the shingle on Control Systems Technology in 1984 “with some fear and misgiving, but I was very well supported by the industry.”

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Initially, Burrell sold instruments like flow and pressure meters, before being asked by a customer to build a belt weigher. Some early milestones were belt weigher sales to Clarence Colliery and, later, the Baal Bone Coal Preparation Plant. The company grew briskly in its early years – “doubling in size every three years.” With Inflo Belt Weighers going into administration, Control Systems Technology was able to “come in on the back of it and replace a lot of the Inflo equipment”. The Pilbara proved a happy hunting ground for Control Systems Technology, with weighers going to mines and ports across the iron ore province. The company, early on, set a high bar when it came to quality. “In a competitive game, you can have a situation where all suppliers are at each other’s throats in a race to the bottom, to over promise equipment that might, just, be good enough, for a price advantage,” explained Burrell. “And so, when people buy purely on price, they really run a serious risk of ending up with something inadequate

PROFILE

Your greatest asset in this industry is a TUFF partner... Ian Burrell (right), again in Korea.

B ers

elt T rack

agging

Skirting & L

Ploughs

leane

Belt C

“There’s very little, or no, live-weight testing, so it’s an industry that is subject to a fair amount of dishonesty or not huge integrity, anyway. “And so we took the moral high ground and kept on insisting on big weigh frames for accuracy – other people were offering a much lesser weigh frame – so by taking the high integrity approach, our equip- Beau McFee, formerly of McFee Construction ment was working much Engineering and Inflo Belt Weighers. more reliably. Generally, people in the industry have no confidence in belt weighing, but we actually have established credibility in belt weighing, and delivered a reliable technology in a marketplace of low expectations.” Outside the Pilbara, the east coast coal industry has been another major market for Burrell at sites such as Abbot Point, Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal, Hay Point, PWCS, NCIG and Port Kembla. Control Systems Technology manufactures in Australia at Revesby near Sydney. It takes printed circuit boards from a Dee Why business called National Electronic Manufacturing. In terms of skills, Burrell’s 60-person company employs two doctorate-level engineers who spearhead its R&D efforts. Two recent developments include a Cargo Superintendent Scale and associated laser system, MAVIS, which Burrell claims as a “world first in high accuracy in-motion weighing for ship loading facilities.” In 2014, the firm anticipates introducing a system which will do autonomous calibration checks. While it has a number of patents, Burrell, at the end of the day, puts the company’s success down to its quality ethos. “It’s just that people trust us,” he says.

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TIPPLING

Tippling kicks off Eritrean revolution An Australian-designed container rotation technology is set to play a role in the rebirth of one of post-WWII’s most conflicted nations, Oliver Probert writes.

new project exporting copper concentrate from Eritrea pivots on a key piece of Australian technology: the Rotainer. Container Rotation Systems (CRS; formerly known simply as Rotainer) has just announced the successful commencement of an export operation in the Eritrean port of Massawa, for which CRS supplied a full selection of bulk handling equipment, and will, for at least the next six to twelve months, supply a workforce, as well. It’s a development Murray Bridle, managing director of CRS calls an “exciting” one. “[Eritrea] is a very poor country… but everyone wanted to get [the project] done, so it went quite well.” Eritrea was once one of the more prosperous countries in the Horn of Africa. Following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, and Italy’s subsequent invasion of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, Eritrea maintained a relatively successful, stable economy, thanks primarily to its access to the Red Sea, and its extensive mineral deposits.

“When the Italians got kicked out in the Second World War, it just stopped overnight,” Bridle explained. “Prior to the Second World War, [Eritrea] had a huge economy; it used to supply the Western African region with everything from beer to canned tomatoes and oranges.” After World War II, and following a decade of tumultuous administration over the country by Britain, Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia in 1951. But when Ethiopia annexed Eritrea in 1961, in an attempt to make Eritrea its 14th province, it kicked off a war which lasted the next 30 years, until it was officially ended with Eritrea’s independence in 1991. Bisha mine was the first to export in the modern, post-war era, and is the source of the copper concentrate going through Massawa, courtesy of the equipment and labour supplied by CRS. Bisha is a large, high-grade volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit, located 170km west of Massawa. It opened in early 2011 as a low-cost gold-silver doré producer, and operated at around 2mtpa, until mid-way

The management team for the new copper concentrate exporting project, which was supplied by Container Rotation Systems, manufacturer of the Rotainer.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Operations underway at Massawa.

through 2013, when it underwent a $110m expansion, and switched product to copper concentrate, at a rate of 2.4mtpa. Bisha Mining is 60% owned, and wholly-operated, by Nevsun Resources, a Canadian mining company listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. “Nevsun … approached us, probably 18 months to 2 years ago now, I think,” said Bridle. Bridle also said the Eritrean government was a key help in the project’s development. The state of Eritrea owns the other 40% of Bisha – 30% in fully paid ownership, and 10% free carried. Together, CSR, Nevsun, the state of Eritrea, Massawa Port Authority, and junior mining specialist Cliveden Trading, developed and deployed the Massawa containerised copper export project. When the first copper concentrate was exported on October 10, 2013, Bisha Mining (BMSC) had this to say: “This is a significant milestone for Eritrea, its people and the whole BMSC team … now let’s focus on the next 1000 shipments!” Copper concentrate from Bisha travels 18 hours from the mine to the port, along a winding road on difficult terrain. “It’s a 36-hour round trip, currently. The mountainous road; you’ve never seen anything like it. The switchbacks, the road conditions… there’s no infrastructure for rail there,” explained Bridle. On site at the Massawa terminal are two Germanmade Gottwald mobile harbour cranes, each equipped

TIPPLING

Copper concentrate from Bisha is driven 18 hours by road, from the minesite to the export terminal.

A contextual map of Eritrea.

with its own Rotainer container tippler, and joined by a small fleet of reach stackers, trucks and other equipment. “We’ve supplied the whole project,” Bridle said. “Which is the cranes, all the Rotainers, the forklifts, the trucks, the containers.” Bridle said the two cranes are currently loading about 35 containers each hour, giving the terminal a total loading rate of 70 containers per hour. Each container carries roughly 35 tonnes of copper concentrate.

“Eventually their output could be 9–10 ships a month, by the end of 2016,” Bridle said. Adding to the terminal’s throughput volume will be the development of another mine in Eritrea, currently being developed by Sunridge Gold. Like Bisha, the Asmara Project is based on a large deposit of volcanogenic massive sulphide, as well as near surface gold mineralisation. The project’s deposits are spread across a 600km2 area, located immediately north, south and west of Eritrea’s capital, Asmara, 65km south west of Massawa. Sunridge’s various studies have defined four separate copper, zinc, gold and silver mineral deposits, which have total combined proven and probable reserves of 57.3mt. “They’re coming online in 2015/16,” Bridle said. “All [of those products] will be going through Massawa, and the round trip from Sunridge is 10–12 hours.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

TIPPLING

A container is tippled using a Rotainer.

The combination of resource exports from both Bisha and Sunridge’s Asmara Project could be a serious boost for the Eritrean economy. But mining’s promise in the African nation does not only apply to those two projects. The Colluli project, a 50/50 joint venture between ASX-listed South Boulder Mines, and the Eritrean National Mining Company (the same group working with Nevsun at Bisha), is gearing up to export potash out of Eritrea by as early as 2016. Since exploration began in 2010, South Boulder says it has identified over a billion tonnes of mineralised potassium bearing salts at Colluli.

A worker at Massawa.

South Boulder is gauging market interest in the potash and associated minerals, looking for potential customers to export to, and for potential methods of export. Bridle doesn’t think South Boulder will go with a containerised tippling method, though, saying: “They’re going to build the world’s biggest potash mine. It won’t use the Rotainer system – it’s too big a project – they’ll use shiploaders.” Nonetheless, the Colluli project is another example of the potential mining has to help get Eritrea back on its feet after years of conflict. Early, smaller exports in recent years – like the gold and silver exports from Bisha, before it shifted to copper production

Locals near the Massawa terminal, beside one of the export operation’s trucks.

– are also seeing a resulting growth in Eritrea’s economy, with gross domestic product per capita rising 15% (based on current prices) from 2011 to 2012, and up 10% in 2013, to US$9312 per annum. The International Monetary Fund is predicting a further rise in 2014, estimating a growth of 9%, and Bridle agrees: Eritrea is a country on the up and up. “Eritrea is a fantastic place to do business,” Bridle said. “Eritrea has been at war until 20 years ago, so the country is very poor. But mining and tourism will get some sort of revenue back into the country.” Contact: www.containerrotationsystems.com

NEWS

After record year, NCIG hires new boss Following a record-breaking 2013 for coal exports at Newcastle, one of the port’s two major terminals, Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group, has appointed a new chief executive.

CIG chairman, Michael Egan, announced that 41-year-old Aaron Johansen will take over the role in mid-February, from the current chief, Rob Yeates. Johansen is currently NCIG’s chief financial officer, and was the commercial manager on the $3bn NCIG construction project when it began in 2008. “Rob [Yeates]’s shoes will be hard to fill,” Johansen said. “He’s established a great culture at NCIG where safety of our workforce and protection of our environment are top priorities for the whole community.” A commerce graduate from Newcastle University, Johansen has a master’s degree in business and technology from the University of New South Wales, is a certified practising accountant and graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 12

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

His appointment as chief executive comes as NCIG continues to ramp up terminal throughput to its projected 66mtpa target capacity. Over the last month, NCIG says the terminal has been running at close to peak rate, and is typically receiving and unloading thirty trains, and loading two ships, each day. Recently, the terminal set a new daily record of 250,000 tonnes. That contributed to a record 2013 calendar year for Newcastle. The major NSW port, which includes the NCIG terminal and terminals operated by Port Waratah Coal Services, exported 150.5mt of coal in 2013 – nearly 17mt more than in 2012. NSW minister for roads and ports, Duncan Gay, said the coordination of the coal chain in the region was key to that success.

NCIG’s new chief executive, Aaron Johansen.

“This strong result is an endorsement for the coordinated work of coal producers and service providers to continue to grow exports,” Gay said. “With the continued development of the Hunter Valley Coal Chain, we will see coal exports from the Port of Newcastle continue to grow.” In addition to the annual record, a new monthly coal export record of 15.1 million tonnes was achieved in December, exceeding the previous record of 14.2 million tonnes set last October. That December rate works out to an annualised rate of 178mtpa. Contact: www.ncig.com.au

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CASE STUDY

Containing dust at NSW seed plant South Pacific Seeds of Griffith in NSW, a major seed processor, contains dust at its plant with a bulk bag discharger and flexible screw conveyors from Flexicon.

An inclined and a horizontal flexible screw conveyor transport gypsum powder from the bulk bag discharger to the rotary treater.

outh Pacific Seeds (SPS) ranks as one of the world’s largest vegetable seed companies. In the 2011/12 crop year, the company produced 2,930 tonnes of seeds from its facilities in Australia, New Zealand, Chile and the U.S. But production at the company’s Griffith treatment plant was generating atmospheric dust. Flexicon helped provide a solution. The equipment manufacturer provided the Griffith plant with a bulk bag discharger and flexible screw conveyors.

Bulk bag discharger controls dust Previously, dust was generated at the beginning of the process where gypsum powder is combined with a glue binder to pelletise seeds for packaging and sale. The powder is extremely free flowing, with a bulk density of 400 gm/l. Bulk bags of gypsum were cut open and emptied into a V-shaped bin feeding an auger that transported the material to a rotary treater. Here, the gypsum is mixed with the seeds and pellets are formed by the rotating action. The machine also adds colour coatings, pesticides and fungicides to the seeds. SPS solved the dust problem by installing a Flexicon bulk bag discharger. Gypsum flows from the bulk bag into a floor hopper, from which the material is transported to the rotary machine 14

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

by two flexible screw conveyors. The enclosed process has essentially eradicated the dust problem, says Peter Pearson, the plant’s operations manager. The Griffith plant receives gypsum powder in bulk bags of approximately 350kg. Each bag is loaded by a forklift into the bulk bag discharger frame, where it is suspended by four loops, and unloaded into a 140L, V-shaped floor hopper. The bag is opened, the inner liner is cut, and the powder is discharged through an iris valve. Bag discharge is aided by a bag

agitation device, which Flexicon calls its Flow-Flexer – two pneumatically driven plates that raise and lower opposing edges of the bag to direct material to the outlet. As the bag empties, the stroke of the plates increases, forming the bag into a V shape and promoting total evacuation. The iris valve essentially eliminates dust, says Pearson. Nevertheless, the company also uses Flexicon’s dust containment system, Bag-Vac, which is attached to the discharger frame and removes any residual dust. “The powder is particularly dusty and for operational health and safety considerations we automatically added this (dust collection) option,” Pearson says. “As a result we have a clean and tidy working environment that is safe for the operator.”

Flexible screw conveyor ‘fits in’ Material is removed from the bottom of the hopper by a flexible screw conveyor. An agitator and vibrator in the bottom of the hopper help to move and direct the powder to the conveyor inlet. The flexible screw conveyor contains a rotating, stainless steel centreless screw, housed in a durable polymer tube. It measures approximately 6 m long by 80 mm O.D. and is powered by a 2.2 kW, 3-phase motor that is located just beyond the discharge point, eliminating material contact with bearings or seals.

Forklift loads a bulk bag onto the discharger frame, which is fitted with dust collector (right).

CASE STUDY

Iris valve prevents uncontrolled bursts of material and dust when bag spout is untied.

From the hopper, the conveyor moves the material at a 45° incline to one side of the rotary treater. At that point the powder is discharged through a small transition hopper into a second, identical flexible screw conveyor that carries it horizontally to an inlet cone on the side of the rotary treater. The combination of the bulk bag discharger with the flexible screw conveyors assures that the delivery of powder to the rotary treater is consistent and uniform, says Pearson. Also, he says the screw conveyors solved “a big constraint,

Flow-Flexer plates raise and lower the bag to promote complete evacuation.

which was the amount of floor space we had to work in. The rotary machine is positioned in a tight corner and so to have a delivery system that would fit in was fantastic.”

How seeds are processed Seeds are received in plastic or cardboard bins of approximately 750L capacity, or in 25kg plastic bags. In the case of bins, the lids are removed and they are emptied by means of a special bin tipper. Bags are cut open.

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Next Edition

In our next edition, Editor Charles Macdonald will present a selection of informative articles covering: • Belts • Scrapers • Idlers • Drives • Pneumatic conveying • Air supported conveyors • Screw conveying • Vibratory conveyors • Cable conveyors • Pulleys • Portable conveyors • Bucket elevators • Container Tipplers • Dust control• Transhipment • Mobile Conveyors If you have something to say, contact Peter Delbridge on 02 9080 4478 or Peter.Delbridge@BulkHandling.com.au Advertising Booking Deadline: 7th March 2014

IMPORTANT BULK HANDLING EDITORIAL TOPICS FOR 2014

Like to include your Products and Services? Your products and services could benefit from advertising placed adjacent to our editorial topics. Call 02 9080 4478 or email Peter.Delbridge@BulkHandling.com.au Comprehensive details of the magazine, weekly and on-line advertising can be found at www.BulkHandling.com.au

March/April

1. Conveyors, Belt scrapers, Ancillary equipment 2. Pneumatic Conveying 3. Container Tipplers Trans-shipment Mobile Conveying

May/June

1. Food Products Powder Handling Pneumatic Conveying 2. Dust Control

July/Aug

1. Weighing and Level Measurement Technology 2. Grain Handling

Peter Delbridge

Sept/Oct

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AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING REVIEW

Nov/Dec

1. Dust Control 2. Explosion Management

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CASE STUDY

Gypsum powder

Horizontal flexible screw conveyor transports the powder through a transition adapter and downspouting, to the rotary treater inlet. Motor at the discharge end drives the conveyor.

Coated seeds from the pelletiser

• Separation by weight, using a gravity table. The seeds pass over an inclined, oscillating mesh deck with a fan that blows air up through the seed. Other cleanup processes include colour sorting, spiral separation and washing. Following cleanup, the seeds are dried to less than 7% moisture content in drying bins, and then delivered to the pelletiser by a V-bin.

Rotary treater produces pellets

Gypsum powder moves from the bulk bag discharger through the inclined flexible screw conveyor which transitions to a horizontal flexible screw conveyor discharging into the red pelletiser.

The containers are emptied into steel, wheeled V-bins that move the seeds through a series of process steps for the removal of plant material, soil, insects, stones and light, undesirable seeds. The main processes are: • Cleanup by size, using an air screen cleaner that has a series of screens for scalping and sieving. • Sorting by length, using an indented cylinder that can pick up either the seed or contaminant, depending on the crop type. 16

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The pelletiser mixes seeds with gypsum-based powder and a glue binder (as noted earlier), forming pellets, which are easier to plant than single seeds. The machine can also coat the seed with a film containing colourant, fertiliser, fungicide or a pesticide, says Pearson. Seeds are weighed and then discharged into the rotary treater, while gypsum powder is delivered by the flexible screw conveyors at a rate of 3.5kg/ min. Following the rotary treatment, seeds are dried and graded, then packaged for sale in woven polypropylene bags, plastic pails, cans and foil packages. Seeds are sold by seed count per kilogram in packages that range from about 15 kg for the bags, down to a few grams in the foil packages. The company has also installed a similar Flexicon system in its New Zealand sales warehouse in Pukekohe. Contact: sales@flexicon.com.au

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NEWS

Write downs of up to $197m for Aurizon Reviews of its rolling stock needs and involvement in major projects have prompted bulk haulier Aurizon to announce asset impairments of $130m - $150m and $47m, respectively, to be recognised in the first half of its 2014 financial year.

Aurizon plans a net reduction in the number of locomotives in its fleet from 829 to 598 by 2018. It is also planning a net reduction in the wagon fleet, from 18,546 down to 16,292.

urizon said that a legacy of its former long history as a government owned corporation is a “complex and diverse fleet” with more than 59 classes of locomotives and 297 classes of wagons nationwide. By 2018 the company plans a net reduction of its locomotive fleet of 28% (829 down to 598) and the wagon fleet of 12% (18,546 down to 16,292). The planned reductions will be achieved through asset disposals and, claims Aurizon, will simplify the fleet, standardise maintenance practices, reduce materials and inventory as well as result in a smaller, more efficient fleet.

The impairments on projects reflects developments such as Glencore’s decision to put the Wandoan mine project on hold and consequent termination of the Surat Basin Rail Joint Venture. It also includes the consolidation of Aurizon options related to coal haulage for GVK Hancock’s Galilee Basin projects. Aurizon says that further restructuring has led it to accept an additional 248 voluntary redundancies across the company since July 2013. This means that since its IPO more than 2,000 people have left Aurizon, a reduction of more than 20%. Aurizon managing director & CEO

Lance Hockridge said the demand environment of key commodities hauled remained strong with increases in coal and iron ore for the five months ending November 2013. “As part of the next step in our transformation journey we are reshaping our operations and fleet for significant productivity and efficiency improvements to deliver better value to shareholders. The safe and disciplined execution of our transformation programs and operating plan, with a heavy focus on productivity, will deliver our financial and operational targets.” Contact: www.aurizon.com

Maules Creek reclaimers Maules Creek Coal and Tenova Australia have entered into a design and construct contract for the delivery of two portal reclaimers for the Maules Creek Coal Project.

he reclaimers are due to be delivered to site and installed in line with the planned commencement of production early in 2015. According to Tenova Australia, the machines are to be built in modular format to reduce site impact and expedite construction. In addition, the machines will be trial assembled upon completion of fabrication and fitted-out both mechanically and electrically to the extent of transport capabilities. Key components will also be dry commissioned prior to site delivery. “A key aspect of the development of this contract has been the close co-operation between the entities to ensure that

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

specifications and commercial conditions were fully developed and agreed on prior to contract execution,” stated Tenova Australia. The reclaimer project is in addition to an earlier design and construct contract of the coal stacker for the CHP facility, due for installation in the middle of 2014. The reclaimers’ specifications are: 64.5m rail gauge; single boom scraper; and 2,500tph average reclaim rate. Whitehaven Coal’s Maules Creek Project lies in the Gunnedah Basin, 18kms north-east of Boggabri. Contact: www.tenovagroup.com

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TIPPLING

Container tippling forges on at Port Adelaide In 2010, South Australian port operator, Flinders Ports started providing container tippling services to iron ore junior, IMX Resources. Four years on, Flinders Ports’ head of logistics, and tippling guru, Andrew Pellizzari, speaks with Oliver Probert of ABHR about progress.

In the first stage of Flinders’ containerised bulk process, boxes are loaded at the inland source (mine, silo, etc.). In this case, product is being loaded at an OZ Minerals terminal.

ABHR: Give us an update about the tippling facilities over the last 12 months. Andrew Pellizzari (AP): We’ve tripled our tonnages. Basically there’s more customers, and the more we educate them to understand the benefits that they get from this process – those clients that are more aligned towards the environmental slant – they are moving more towards this process. There’s no doubt about that. Also, we’ve invested, in the last twelve months, a considerable amount of money. We’ve got another crane [at Port Adelaide’s inner harbour green field site] so we can work two cranes at once, so there’s increased productivity. And we’ve got two new patents out on our misting systems, because of inroads in different vessels. ABHR: Tell us about those misting systems. AP: It’s not one-size-fits-all when it comes to this misting system, so we’ve had to develop that further. That’s been another enhancement to the whole process. I keep going back to when we started this, over three years ago. Tipping a 20

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

container in a hold is not what this process is about; it’s about total containment. The actual dust suppression system is pretty key to this whole process. It’s different per product, and it’s also about the ship, the hold of the ship, as well as the wind, the humidity… We’ve spawned out of a company that has not got that stevedore mind, so we’re focused on very much an environmental solution. It was trial and error for the first six months of operation. Our original misting system that we had was not as successful with, say copper concentrates as it was with iron ore, and that’s because of the technology behind it. Now we’ve perfected that, that’s fine. Now there’s different vessels that we get, where we can’t get the actual misting system around all four sides of the hatch – where we needed to come up with a different solution, which we’ve now got another patent for. It’s almost like a plug-n-play, where you’ll put in another system, which has a greater throw across the hatch, so that’s good for when it’s a windy day, or when

it’s a hatch configuration where we can’t get misting around all four sides. ABHR: You mentioned you’re handling different types of products? AP: Over the last twelve months, there are more customers that are coming to us, and asking us about the system. We have taken on, and we’ve now got more customers using the system, ranging from iron ore, to mineral sands, to copper concentrates. So it’s a wide, diverse product range that we can use this process for. The technology in the containers has changed, as well – you can’t underestimate the yard system that you’ve got to have to make this work. We’ve got customers now that have got five grades of product, and five sub-grades within those grades. And we can blend at the port, because our system can track every type of product in every container, in the whole supply chain. ABHR: So you blend straight into the hold of the ship, essentially?

TIPPLING

The locations of all containers in the facility are tracked via a central IT system, which also carries information about each container, including its contents, its moisture level and other information.

system, and what happens is all the information attached to one of those containers (i.e. the product, the product grade, the moisture, any other information – whatever the clients want to attach to that) we can keep in our yard management system. The container is then put into a slot in our yard, so we know exactly where it is. Then, when a ship is booked, we sequence those containers based on what the client needs so far as grade and the product type, into each hold of the vessel, for our yard management system. And then we’ve got tablets in all our machines that tell the operators what the next container is to be put under which crane, to go in which hatch.

Containers are received at the port and stacked in assigned areas.

ABHR: How do you manage empty containers? AP: With an empty container, we put it back onto an internal

AP: Yes, that’s exactly right. That’s a big selling point to this process as well. But to execute that you’ve got to have the yard system, which has been developed in house with a key supplier of software that we use out of our container terminal. ABHR: Now these misting systems – with any of these materials, is liquefaction a risk? AP: There’s too little liquid involved.But what we also do is we know, in each container, the moisture content of that container. And before we tip it, that goes into our yard management system – this is how it’s all integrated – and then we sequence those specific containers into the hold of the vessel. So we know the total moisture level inside the container, and in each hatch, and then we meter and log how much water we’re using on our misting systems. So we know exactly how much water we use. That doesn’t mean that’s how much [water] goes into the hold, this is a worst case scenario … and then we monitor that against the transportable moisture limit. We never go over, and in fact we’ve never come close to it. The actual system we’ve got now, funnily enough, uses about a third of the water we used to use in our original misting system. So it actually saves us water. That’s part of the innovation process, and the continuous improvement process, that we’ve been through. ABHR: So what sort of volumes are you guys handling? AP: We’re doing approximately 2.5mtpa. We’ve got four major clients at the moment. ABHR: What are the secrets to navigating that much bulk volume in container form? AP: The first thing is that the containers are filled with the product at the mine … and then transported down to the port, either by road or rail, and we’ve got clients that do both. Then we gate in all those containers into our yard management Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

TIPPLING

AP: There’s nothing that we’ve taken from outer harbour, or with the container terminal, and brought into our other operations, at this stage, other than improving the yard management system, improving the misting system, and the creation of the container guidance apparatus with the slewing cranes. We’ve actually now got tippling operations out at that container terminal, as well as at the inner harbour site.

To deliver product from a container into a waiting vessel, the container is lowered into the hold of the ship and, in the case of lidded containers (such as the one shown here) the lid is removed by a specialised spreader, which also rotates the container.

ABHR: So you’ve added some tippling operations at the container terminal in the outer harbour, to join the dedicated inner harbour site. To summarise: what does your tippling operation look like in terms of overall assets? AP: We’ve got four cranes [at the container terminal in the outer harbour], but we only use one on this [tippling] operation. That’s about 1.5 to 1.7mtpa of iron ore. We’ve now got two mobile Gottwald cranes [at the dedicated tippling site in the inner harbour]. ABHR: So in the outer harbour you’re using a modified version of a traditional container crane? AP: Yes. Because it’s very versatile and it’s using containers, we just put a different spreader on it. We put one for bulk containers on there that can rotate. So container terminals around the world can actually do this quite easily, with a different spreader.

Product is ‘tippled’ into the waiting vessel by the specialised spreader, which rotates the container. Errant dust is captured by a misting system, which surrounds the hold of the vessel.

transfer vehicle like a truck, and that goes to the stack. That actually gets put back in the stack, with that container number, so we know what’s empty, because that’s very important. They all look the same when they’re in the stack, but you want to know what’s full and what’s empty. That’s until the next truck comes in, or train comes in, then [the container] gets placed on the truck, or the back of the train, and goes back up to the mine and gets filled again. ABHR: Are there any future development planned? AP: There are other refinements in improving productivity. We’re using a slewing crane, like a mobile harbour crane, to actually attach to the containers a lot quicker, and reduce the damage, so that’s increased 22

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

productivity. But it also takes the tagline man off the wharf. What we have is a tagline on the end of the tippler, and there has to be someone on the ground, guiding that either on the back of a truck, or on the wharf. Now, with this guidance system that we’ve got, we eliminate having that person on the wharf, and everyone’s in a machine. So we’ve improved the safety, there. We only had one person out, that was not in a machine, and that was that person. Now we’ve taken him off. That’s our container guidance system. ABHR: I know recently Flinders Ports acquired full ownership of the container port in the outer harbour of Port Adelaide, which used to be run by DP World. Have you learnt anything through running that which applies to your tippling process?

ABHR: Have you had much interest from international businesses? AP: In the last six months, I’ve had probably three overseas, major mining companies come and have a look at our operations, so this has now been recognised. Our facility in Port Adelaide inner harbour is now recognised worldwide as the benchmark. ABHR: And you’ve got enough patents on it to hopefully protect your IP? AP: We just don’t want people to pick up what we’re doing and try and replicate it. I understand some of this stuff’s not rocket science. But things like the misting system – the original one – won’t cut it for these concentrates, and we’ve developed it, and that’s what we’re focused on. As far as the process is concerned, it is what it is and we do it well. I can give you quotes of companies that have said they’ve seen other operations like this, and that we are the benchmark in the world. That’s a good feather in the cap of my guys. It’s not me that does it – I support them, they do it, and they do it very well.

NEWS

Atlas sticks with McAleese for Mt. Webber haulage McAleese Resources has won a four-year, $250m contract with junior miner, Atlas Iron.

tlas Iron, which already uses McAleese for haulage of iron ore from a number of its other Pilbara mines, will now use the bulk haulage provider to move iron ore from its new Mount Webber mine. McAleese will haul the iron ore, by road, to export facilities at Port Hedland, 230km to the north west. The contract is due to commence mid-way through this year, and will last until 2018. Mount Webber is part of Atlas’ Horizon I expansion, intended to lift the miner’s export production from 10mtpa to 15mtpa. “Mount Webber will be a significant addition to Atlas’ iron ore exports and we look forward to working with Atlas to continue to safely and efficiently deliver iron ore to port from their fifth mine commissioned in five years,” said McAleese Group’s chief executive, Paul Garaty. “The flexibility and lower capital requirements of road haulage has delivered an effective transport solution for Atlas and supported their rapid growth.” Garaty said Atlas’ complement of smaller scale, close-to-port mines made a flexible, dynamic schedule paramount to ensuring the road transport fleet meets production, shipping and grade quality targets. The addition of the Mount Webber contract will result in about 500,000km per month of haulage for McAleese, bringing its total work for Atlas in the Pilbara to roughly 3,000,000km each month. “We are delighted that we continue to be Atlas’ preferred road transport provider,” said Garaty. As happy as McAleese may be, executives at the transport company are no doubt concerned over the growing chance that Atlas moves its ore haulage to rail in the short-to-medium term future. Atlas has publicly expressed its desire to use rail to transport product from its Pilbara mines to port, writing on its website: “For the longer term developments and production beyond 15mtpa, rail haulage will be preferable due to the scale and distance to port.” However, Atlas has been unable to gain access to other companies’ existing rail lines, namely Fortescue Metals Group’s, writing: “Access to existing rail in the Pilbara has typically not been historically achievable on commercially acceptable terms.” To cope with this, Atlas has made an 24

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

McAleese adds the Mount Webber haulage deal to its collection of Atlas contracts.

alliance with junior minerals exploration company, Brockman Resources, and rail operator Aurizon, to conduct a study of the feasibility of the development of an independent rail network in the East Pilbara to transport ore to Port Hedland. Atlas says the first phase of that study has concluded, and shows there are merits in a new, standard-gauge railway in the region. “Negotiations with a number of infrastructure owners and developers are progressing with the intent of unlocking the value of Atlas’ Horizon II assets,” the miner says on its website. Horizon II is Atlas’ next expansion wstage, and is by far its most ambitious. Atlas hopes to expand its production from the 15mtpa target at the conclusion of the Horizon I project, to up to 46mtpa,

Atlas’ expansion plans.

at the conclusion of Horizon II. That includes the McPhee Creek project, the site of Atlas’ biggest direct shipping ore (DSO) resource, as well as the Davidson Creek Hub in the south east of the Pilbara, a significant DSO resource at McCamey’s North, and another DSO project at Western Creek. Contact: www.atlasiron.com.au

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CASE STUDY

30-year-old batch makers going strong at feed plant A trio of rotary batch machines – which run 20 hours a day, every day – are still putting out consistent mixes, thirty years since they were installed.

rcher Daniels Midland subsidiary, Alliance Nutrition is a manufacturer and distributor of vitamin and trace mineral pre-mixes, ingredients and food additives used in manufacturing pet food products. In addition, about 10% of the company’s output is mixes for bovine and swine feed. “We run about 1100 pre-mixes from 400 different powdered ingredients, largely for pet food producers,” says Alliance Nutrition’s location manager, Kyle Taylor. “The mixers we use to produce our blends are critical to the success of our business.” The ingredient list is vast, including zinc sulphate, zinc oxide, manganese, L-pheronine, riboflavin, lysine, assorted vitamins and minerals, and a host of other nutritional compounds. Putting those ingredients together at Alliance Nutrition’s plant in Quincy, Illinois, are the company’s three rotary batch mixers, which are over thirty years old. The Munson machines were installed in the 1980s, and run twenty hours a day, seven days a week. “The rotary batch mixers have lasted a long time, process high volumes, and are very reliable,” Taylor says. “Their motors are a lot smaller than the ones in our paddle mixers, so they are very energy-efficient. “They also clean up quicker because they discharge completely with little or no product heel. This is important because of the many fast changeovers for different customers we need to make each day.” Once a unit discharges, workers stop the machine, lock the drum and physically get inside to sweep out residues. “It’s pretty much a dry process. Sometimes we use limestone, but no cleansers.” Taylor prepares each batch to keep the particle size and bulk density of his raw materials as uniform as possible, in an effort to get the best mix for each product run, but says sometimes this is not possible. But Munson assures that its rotary batch mixers can produce uniform

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Munson Rotary Batch mixers at ADM Alliance Nutrition have been processing high volumes 20/7 for more than 30 years.

Operator dumps “hand-adds” into mixer from floor above.

CASE STUDY

The rotary batch mixers discharge with little or no product residual, simplifying changeovers.

Blends are bagged below the mixers.

blends, even if particle sizes are significantly different and densities are as disparate as 320kg/m3 to 1350kg/m3. “The units are versatile,” Taylor says. “In the past we used them to do batches of peas and carrots with virtually no separation, and when we switched them over to pet food powders we got the same even results without having to make any engineering changes.” The smallest of the three mixers, the 700 THS-110 model, has a capacity of

Sample packs indicate the many blends produced at ADM Alliance Nutrition.

3.1m3. The other two – one a 700 TS-180, the other a 700 THC-180 – are rated at 5.1m3. The 700 THS-110 and 700 TS-180 machines can mix 2727kg per batch, while the 700 THC-180 can mix 5454kg, thanks to its more powerful motor and gearbox. Considering their longevity, Taylor says, maintenance has been light. “We’ve replaced the main sprockets, chains, rollers and drive motors twice in the last 25 years,” he says, “and we

replace the seals about once a year on average.” One key benefit of rotary batch mixers to the animal vitamin industry, as opposed to agitated mixers, which Alliance Nutrition also utilises, is that rotary batch mixers don’t heat material up to a significant extent during mixing. This prevents delicate and expensive additives, such as vitamins with time-release coatings, from breaking down. Individual product runs on the rotary batch mixers average between 900kg and 2700kg, but can go as high as 27,000kg for bulk loads, which are packed into pneumatic trucks, or hopper bottoms as they’re also called, that customers provide. Smaller batches are packed either in bulk bags or standard bags in the 9-27 kg range. Alliance Nutrition has three bagging lines and four bulk bag lines. At an average six minutes per batch, it completes about 60 batches per day for an average weekly output of 843 tonnes. The rotary batch machines at Alliance Nutrition have been mixing heavy volumes for decades, and will likely continue for decades to come. But Taylor understands that everything has an expiration date in industry. “Sooner or later, like everything else, they will be up for replacement,” he admits. “But considering how robust and well designed they are, an overhaul if and when needed could make them last another 20 years.” Contact: info@munsonmachinery.com

Alliance Nutrition’s process

owder flow at the facility is largely gravity fed over four floors, and assisted by ‘drags’ – paddles hooked to Ushaped conveyor chains. At the top level, workers feed the special ingredient handadds into the mixers. One floor below are the mixers, along with 17 bulk bins for 12 different bulk ingredients that automatically batch into the three units. Surge bins, which are rectangular steel holding tanks sized to accommodate one entire load from the mixers, are located on the second floor. These in turn feed the bulk loaders, bulk bags, and bag lines on the ground floor. Metal detectors, which use either ceramic or rare earth magnets, are in place at strategic locations throughout the plant. “If material coming in has gone through a grinding process – for instance calcium carbonate which starts as large rocks – we want to be sure we can catch a loose bolt, broken blade, or other item from equipment failure, which is rare, but nothing we want to take chances with,” explains Taylor.

Testing for consistency As part of its quality assurance policy, ADM says it carries out mixer studies on a regular basis. Small samples of the batch are taken from various areas of the mixer (around 15 typically), and the number of particles of each ingredient are counted. The number of counted particles in each sample is then compared to the average in the batch recipe. “Assays are an important part of the quality control program we’ve developed together with our customers over the years,” explains Taylor. While the plant is considered ‘feed-grade,’ Taylor says high-tech quality and other controls are moving it toward food-grade. “Companies involved in companion animal feed are going toward that way of doing things,” he says. Contact: info@munsonmachinery.com

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

NEW PRODUCT

Touch screen controller for industrial dust collectors Dust collector manufacturer Camfil APC has debuted a new touch screen controller, designed to provide full monitoring and control of all functions of an industrial dust collector and associated equipment.

he controller is designed for use with Camfil’s Farr Gold Series dust collectors, or other types of collectors if they are integrated with a motor starter or variable frequency drive package. A built-in differential pressure sensor monitors the primary filter pressure drop. Four analogue inputs can be used to monitor the secondary filter, as well as other devices such as leak detectors, flow meters and compressed air pressure monitors. Six digital inputs are also included to monitor hopper level, smoke detection, remote cleaning and other functions. Four relay outputs are provided to signal faults from any of the digital or analogue inputs or from internal device faults. The 4-20 milliamp output will remotely monitor air flow or pass through any analogue input to a remote location.

Camfil’s touch screen controller is designed to give maximum monitoring and control.

The controller can also monitor fan power consumption, and can provide data logging of system performance with multi-language capability. Contact: w ww.camfilapc.com/touch-screen-controller

DUST CONTROL

Dust veneering chemical at New Acland Loaded rail wagons leaving New Hope Group’s New Acland Coal Mine in Queensland are being veneered by a solution known as RT4 Superskin, in an effort to suppress environmentally harmful dust emissions.

T4 Superskin, designed by Australian dust suppression and soil stabilisation company Reynolds Soil Technologies, is diluted in water and sprayed directly onto the surface of loaded coal. The water-based dust suppressant crusts and binds the coal’s surface layer to create a durable veneer coating, aimed at preventing the movement of dust and fine particles throughout the transportation phase. Key to the project was Queensland based civil engineering company Shadforths Civil Contractors, which designed and built the new rail wagon veneering system at New Hope Group’s Jondaryan Rail Loading Facility, located west of Toowoomba. Through one automated spray application during the loading process, coal 28

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

fine particles are tightly suppressed as the water dispersive polymers dry, according to Reynolds. This process ensures that New Hope Group is complying with Queensland’s Coal Dust Management Plan and meeting the Department of EnReynolds Soil Technologies’ RT4 Superskin solution veneering trains at New Hope vironment and Heritage Group’s Jondaryan Rail Loading Facility. Protection’s standards. and efficient in application and is also a “Our RT4 Superskin product is a cost-effective alternative to covering the highly effective, non-hazardous dust supcoal wagons with materials and lids. The pressant specifically developed for the strength and durability of the RT4 soluminerals transportation industry,” said tion will also prevent the veneer coating Reynolds Soil Technologies’ operations from cracking throughout travel.” and technical director David Handel. “Comprising the latest in eco-friendly Contact: www.rstsolutions.com.au chemical technology, RT4 is both easy

DUST CONTROL

Rino fog maker Tecpro’s economical’’ answer Equipment supplier Tecpro Australia has extended its range of industrial fog makers, with the launch of the Rino, designed for economical dust suppression, odour control, humidifying and evaporative cooling.

Tecpro’s Rino fog maker.

he Rino is designed for greater versatility, with the ability to operate effectively with either low or high pressure water, and at many different flow rates, Tecpro told ABHR. “Thirty nozzles are positioned around the fog cannon’s mouth, with different types of nozzles used depending on whether water pressure is high or low,” Tecpro Australia’s managing director, Graeme Cooper, said. “The nozzles atomise the water into a fine mist capable of being propelled 30 metres by its powerful fan.” The use of fine water droplets (i.e. mist) in the control of dust works on

the principal that fine droplets will readily combine with dust particles, causing the dust to fall to the earth, aided by gravity. The Rino can be set for high water pressure (up to 70 bar) or low water pressure (up to 15 bar). Tecpro says that by varying the nozzles and pressure, the Rino produces droplets of a size that eliminates water pooling and therefore reduces environmental and safety hazards in the vicinity. A number of mounting options are available for the Rhino, but Tecpro says the most common is the 3-wheel trolley version, which allows it to be moved where needed and with a rotation angle of up to 340 degrees and an elevation range between -25 degrees to +35 degrees. This design allows fog to be directed over a broad area, or targeted, when needed. Contact: (02) 9634 3370 www.tecpro.com.au

Tecpro distributing Idrotech’s fog makers Down Under With their cannon-like ability to disperse a fine mist over extensive areas, Idrotech says its Elefante and Giraffa fog makers are effective in suppressing fugitive dust in mining and construction environments. Idrotech’s fog makers on show at Tecpro’s stand at AIMEX.

ecpro Australia showcased the ‘long necked’ Giraffa and the bigger bodied Elefante dust suppression products at AIMEX 2013 in Sydney. “Each has a 340 degree rotation angle and elevation range of -25deg to +45deg. The Elefante has a throw distance of 60 metres and the Giraffa’s throw distance is 25 metres,” said Graeme Cooper, managing director of Tecpro Australia. “Over these long distances, the fine mist particles combine readily with airborne dust, and the combined weight causes the dust to fall to the ground.” Cooper said many visitors to Tecpro’s AIMEX stand said they’d been frustrated in their previous efforts to control dust effectively. “They were very interested to see the complete range of solutions we have on offer,” he said. “This included the Elefante and Giraffa as well as the customised solutions we have developed to address site-specific dust problems being

experienced by our customers.” Tecpro Australia has designed a variety of dust suppression solutions for transfer stations, conveyor belts, hopper bins, and product crushers. Among the systems on display at AIMEX was the company’s award winning solution designed for Centennial Coal’s Mandalong Mine. “For the Mandalong Mine site, Tecpro, in partnership with the University of Wollongong, developed a solution that won the 2012 Australian Bulk Handling Review Award for Dust Control, Technology, Application or Practice,” said Cooper. “After trying a variety of approaches without success our team, in conjunction with the University of Wollongong, designed and fabricated a solution that dramatically reduced dust emissions around a large underground bin.” Contact: (02) 9634 3370 www.tecpro.com.au

NEWS

$4.5m silica sand washing plant for Tooperang Quarry Global supplier, CDE has provided equipment to the Tooperang Quarry for a silica sand washing plant at a site near Adelaide, South Australia. The new plant is producing glass sands for use by Owens-Illinois at its glass bottle manufacturing plant in Adelaide.

Tooperang quarry.

he new turnkey plant includes a range of equipment from CDE including an M2500 mobile washing plant with integrated Counter Flow Classification Unit (CFCU), EvoWash fines recovery system, fine sand screens, attrition cells and spirals. CDE says the plant configuration also includes an AquaCycle thickener which reduces the volume of fresh water required to feed the washing plant by more than 90%. According to CDE, the design feed rate to the plant is 100 tons per hour and this produces 50 tons per hour of glass sand with an additional 30 tons per hour of concrete sand. The plant accepts -120mm feed to the M2500 hopper and this material is transferred to the integrated ProGrade double deck rinsing screen. The top deck removes the 40120mm material to a stockpile while the bottom deck sends the 7-40mm material to another stockpile.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The 0-7mm material collects in the ProGrade sump and is pumped to a five deck fines screen. At this point the silica sand is screened at 0.43mm and the 0.43mm to 7mm material is sent to a separate EvoWash sand washing plant to allow for the production of concrete sand. Meanwhile, the 0-0.43mm material is sent to an EvoWash fines recovery plant where following delivery to the EvoWash sump the material is pumped to the integrated hydrocyclone which removes the -63 micron material. The cyclone overflow containing the waste material is sent to the AquaCycle thickener. The underflow from the cyclone is delivered to the EvoWash dewatering screen before being transferred to the attrition cells. The function of the attrition cells is to assist with the removal of iron oxide and other deleterious materials from the silica sand. The iron oxide is adhered to

the silica particles and must be scrubbed from the surface of the particles to allow removal later in the process. Refractory heavy minerals and iron oxide particles are separated from the silica sand through the introduction of spiral classifiers. As these particles have a higher specific gravity than the silica sand particles, the spirals are able to perform the required separation. The rejects from the spirals â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sand product containing the liberated heavy mineral and iron oxide â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is delivered to the EvoWash sand washing plant sump and is destined for the concrete sand product. The silica sand slurry is delivered to the sand sump on the M2500 where it is then pumped to the integrated counter flow classification unit (CFCU). The CFCU unit is used to remove the <106um particles from the sand as required by the specification. The

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CFCU is an upward flow classifying unit which operates on the principle that an upward flow of water will cause the lighter particles to rise and the heavier particles to sink. According to CDE, this facilitates the removal of any remaining fines while the silica sand slurry is delivered to a dewatering screen. The dewatered silica sand is transferred via an integrated stockpile conveyor. The fine material removed in the CFCU is sent to the concrete sand Evowash for recovery into the concrete product. From an initial iron oxide (Fe2O3) content in the feed of 0.3% the glass sand is required to achieve 0.25% Fe2O3 in line with Owens-Illinois’ sand specification for coloured glass. The final product has less than 0.1% iron oxide. The FE2O3 content in the final silica sand product is reduced to 0.1% ensuring that it meets the specification required by Owens-Illinois at its Adelaide plant. “We are achieving the 0.1% figure consistently which is as important as achieving the reduction in the iron content,” explained Chris McKeown, CDE project manager. Both the dewatered silica sand and concrete sands are subsequently

stockpiled using 26m radial conveyors which ensure a stockpile capacity of 5,000 tons. From an initial silica content of 93% for the excavated material the final product achieves +99% silica. Waste water from the plant is processed by the AquaCycle thickener which, according to CDE, recovers 90% of the water for re-circulation around the washing plant. The plant requires 400m3 per hour of water for its operation and the introduction of the AquaCycle ensures that the top up water supply is only 40m3 per hour. The sludge from the AquaCycle thickener is pumped to on-site settling ponds. The glass sands produced by Tooperang Quarry will be used at OwensIllinois’ Adelaide plant in West Croydon which produces mainly wine bottles to supply Australia’s wine industry. Owens-Illinois’ Adelaide plant is one of four the company has in Australia. Across its four production plants Owens-Illinois employs around 900 people and produces almost 860,000 packed tonnes of glass products or around 3.4 billion containers each year. Contact: www.cdeglobal.com

Tooperang quarry.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

COVER STORY

Resolving residue sugar at James Boag’s brewery Kockums Bulk Systems designed and supplied a customised sugar receiving vessel to James Boag’s brewery in Tasmania. ABHR spoke to the company’s chairman, Ivan Price.

Unloading location at Boag’s.

ames Boag’s had a problem: pressurised ISO containers, bringing sugar to the company’s brewery in Launceston, continually left a residue of two to three tonnes of sugar after emptying. Apart from the environmental impact and wasted freight cost, the residue represented an effective loss of capacity in the supply vessels. The stakeholders in the sugar supply system – the sugar supplier, Sugar Australia; the carrier, Toll Group; and the end user, James Boag’s brewery – realised they needed an effective solution. The stakeholders discussed the application with Brian Watson at Kockums Bulk Systems on the basis of the Melbournebased company’s previous work with the handling of bulk solids in shipping containers and its ‘suck-blow’ module for the unloading process. 32

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The suck-blow module.

“The advantages offered by handling bulk solids in shipping containers have been long recognised in terms of availability, flexibility and cost,” explained Ivan Price, Kockums Bulk Systems’ chairman. After an initial trial and demonstration at a Sugar Australia site in Melbourne, the sugar receiving test vessel was sent across to Boag’s in Tasmania for a week’s trial purposes. “However, Boag’s was so happy with the solution to handling their sugar at arrival, that they ended up keeping it for about 12 months while a customised vessel system was developed and manufactured to suit their requirements,” said Price. The end result was the installation of a special purpose sugar receiving vessel (as pictured) which has been developed to suit Boag’s application for sugar. The vessel is 0.75 m3 capacity and fills by vacuum from the containers brought to

site by Toll Transport. It then pressurises to send the load up to the adjacent silo. The vessel is made totally from stainless steel, of clean design and food grade quality, with quick release couplings for access for cleaning. Another aspect is the fitting of hazardous area instruments and controls for handling a product of the nature of sugar. Transfer rate is 10 to 12 tonne per hour. “The vessel utilises food grade Posiflate inflatable seat butterfly valves for quick response time and for long valve life,” said Price. “The system is a development of Kockums Bulk Systems’ standard container unloading module used for flour, cement, magnesium oxide and alumina. In fact it is suitable for any powdered product.” James Boag’s is an Australian company founded in 1883 in Launceston by

COVER STORY

James Boag. It is now owned by Lion, one of Australia’s leading brewers. “James Boag’s produces a range of beers to suit every taste, some of which are exclusive just to Tasmania. This provides more than one good reason for a holiday to the Apple Isle to find out more and go on one of the tours offered at James Boag’s brewery,” quipped Price. “This project required close collaboration between: Sugar Australia; Toll Intermodal, who were responsible for the critical container set up, loading and transfer; Toll Tasmania for the local logistics, handling and operation of the equipment at site; James Boag’s brewery; and, of course, Kockums Bulk Systems for the interface and unloading expertise. “It was a most impressive and gratifying team effort by all.” Contact: B rian Watson, Email: b.watson@kockumsbulk.com.au Module from above.

Vacuum hose connected to module.

How Kockums’ suckblow vessels work

he picture on the right is of a typical unloading arrangement. In the foreground is the module and behind is the tipped container with the rear doors opened for access. The liner in the container is visible, and this enables any powder to be carried in a standard shipping container. Shipping containers are readily available and able to be put back directly into container traffic when emptied. A hose is connected from the container to the suck-blow module and another hose from the module to the silo is evident. In operation, the truck driver gradually tips the container as the emptying process continues, to ensure all the product is fed to the rear outlet. The module sucks a charge of product, and, when full, changes from vacuum to pressurise. At the set pressure, the discharge valve opens and the product is transferred to the silo. The controls confirm the transfer is complete and the vessel empty. Then the vessel changes back to vacuum operation to suck the next charge into the vessel. The system is fully automatic in operation, run by a PLC. This type of ‘suck-blow’ module was originally developed by Kockums Bulk Systems (KBS) as a method of retrieving powder from suitably prepared shipping containers. With fine powders, an aeration mat is required in the liner.

According to KBS, the system is finding a wide range of other applications. Configured for vacuum filling and pressure discharge, the module is able to retrieve powder from any vessel that is provided with a hose connection. The module may be located and configured to retrieve powder from up to four silos, without the need of air slides or screw conveyors. It may be used to draw powder from a bin or hopper with very little clearance overhead, or from a hopper located in a pit. According to KBS’s publicity, the system’s other advantages include: “The module is quite portable, so may be moved to where the action is. Also, it is suitable for general housekeeping or product spill retrieval. It is a sealed

system, so dust is contained. “It may be driven by plant air or by an auxiliary compressor. No vacuum pump or dedicated dust filter is required on the standard models. “Standard unload rates are 12 to 18 tonne per Cut-around picture of the hour with fine Boag’s module as it left Kockums Bulk powders, but speSystems’ works. cific projects have been supplied to a rate of 60 tonne per hour with cement.” Contact: www.kockumsbulk.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

NEWS

Freight and Ports Strategy targets efficient logistics future for NSW New South Wales’ first Freight and Ports Strategy was released in December and bulk handlers around the state took note. A number of the many strategic actions outlined in the 20 year plan will have an impact on the bulk handling sector, Oliver Probert writes.

year after releasing the draft report, NSW roads and ports minister, Duncan Gay, released the final copy of the plan aimed at managing the near-doubling of freight volumes in NSW over the next 20 years. The strategy was finalised by its author, Transport for NSW, following consultation with local government and industry, and more than 80 submissions in response to the release of the draft in November 2012. “With the volume of freight on our transport network forecast to nearly double over the next 20 years to 800mt each year, the NSW Freight and Ports Strategy is a critical long-term road map which puts NSW on the front foot to meet the task ahead,” Gay said. The report says more than 409mt of freight moves through NSW each year, contributing roughly $58bn to the state’s economy. It also employs half a million people, per the report. “The NSW Freight and Ports Strategy … shows the NSW Government is taking seriously the freight and logistics industry,” Gay continued. “With an efficient and effective freight network underpinning the strength of our exports and reducing the costs of everyday goods and services, the strategy will ensure that freight is at the forefront of our economy.” The strategy is broken down into three strategic action programs: one targeting efficiency on the existing freight network, one targeting the growth and development of that network, and one targeting the improved sustainability of that network.

In its report, Transport for NSW highlighted unused capacity as a waste of investment, and pointed to the words of former BHP Billiton chief executive, Marius Kloppers, who said in 2012: “The cheapest capacity that you can normally find is latent capacity.” Looking to target the utilisation of this unused capacity, Transport for NSW will first identify freight movements and network demand. To do this, it will develop macro and micro level indicators of performance, to measure and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of the freight network. This will allow it to build and maintain a dataset, which will help it articulate the value of the NSW state task, as well as the value created by efficient operation of the freight network. These actions tie into a message delivered in 2012 by Sir Rod Eddington, chairman of Infrastructure Australia, who said: “Governments must be smarter and focus on evidence-based analysis of what infrastructure is needed and why, rather than on short term political pressures, before giving the green light to projects.” Once it’s established a statistical framework – against which it can measure the impacts of other initiatives – Transport for NSW will look to improve network efficiency through a number of other means. This includes the development of purpose designed cargo movement models,

Former chief executive of BHP Billiton, Marius Kloppers: “The cheapest capacity that you can normally find is latent capacity.”

the guided optimisation of the road freight network, the promotion of off-peak time slots to freight handlers, and working with the trio of national transport regulators – for rail safety, heavy vehicles and maritime – to help improve the interstate network. Two network efficiency initiatives which are particularly interesting to the bulk handling industry are the improvement of productivity on the rail freight network, and the facilitated use of coastal shipping. “Rail freight plays a critical role in the NSW transport task for bulk as well as containerised freight,” the report said. “For rail freight operations to work efficiently, an access pathway on the network at the right place and right time is needed.” In an effort to facilitate access pathways for potential rail users, a review is underway to create a new rail access regime in NSW, aimed at promoting “a consistent approach to rail access regulation, [and] competition, through the economically efficient operation, use and investment in rail.”

Strategic Action Program 1 – network efficiency The first of the government’s three strategic action programs is focused on maximising the efficiency of the existing freight network in NSW. 34

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The MV Kowulka discharging gypsum at Sydney’s Glebe Island wharf. Almost 400,000 tonnes of gypsum is delivered each year to Glebe Island, for distribution to plasterboard manufacturing facilities.

The front page of the strategy.

NEWS

While coastal shipping currently represents a small part of NSW’s freight task, Transport for NSW says it’s an important one. “The majority of coastal shipping consists of construction materials, bulk minerals and fuels,” the report said. “Coastal shipping offers significantly lower per kilometre costs and less environmental impacts compared to road or rail freight. However, slow journey times restrict the amount of freight suitable for coastal shipping.” Looking to increase the use of coastal shipping in industry, Transport for NSW said it will analyse the role coastal shipping plays in the freight task, and investigate ways its use can be promoted to industry. “Facilitating the use of coastal shipping will enable the use of a relatively efficient and environmentally sustainable mode of freight.” A final initiative targeted at improving network efficiency is improving coordination between participants in commodity chains, to help reduce congestion around the ‘pinch points’ that are ports. “The movement of bulk and break bulk cargoes to Port Kembla by rail has

Transport for NSW said. Its scope of activity would include break bulk cargo such as steel and bulk cargoes such as coal, other minerals and grain.

a direct impact on the metropolitan rail network due to the volumes of grain and coal that transit through Sydney from western NSW,” the report said. “Similarly, steel products originate at Port Kembla and are transported nationwide by train using the Illawarra line for the first part of the journey.” To tackle congestion issues like the ones caused by bulk at and around Port Kembla, Transport for NSW said it’s investigating establishing the NSW Cargo Movement Coordinator (CMC). “This body would share some similar characteristics to the successful Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator, modified to reflect the important differences with the cargo transport network around Port Botany and Port Kembla.” The CMC would be a development of the Port Botany Landside Improvement Scheme undertaken over the last few years by Sydney Ports, and would aim to optimise landside cargo transport to meet Port Botany and Port Kembla demand growth, and to minimise overall supply chain costs, including externalities like congestion. The CMC would look for, and take steps to eliminate, coordination failures and ‘pinch points’ in NSW’s freight network,

Strategic Action Program 2 – network capacity NSW’s freight network – in the eyes of Transport for NSW – has been built, maintained and improved “in a fragmented manner dependent on ownership, funding and usage patterns.” The issue with this is that it has resulted in a network that achieves varied levels of performance. “The examples of ‘missing links’, pinch points and weight limitations that constrain performance are numerous and not limited to any particular region or mode,” the report stated. As such, Transport for NSW said it will endeavour to identify and protect strategic freight corridors, and will develop and maintain capacity for freight on the road and rail networks. But perhaps the most important initiative from a bulk handler’s perspective for boosting network capacity, is the work Transport for NSW plans to do around NSW’s ports.

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NEWS

White Bay (bottom of picture) with Glebe Island at bottom left. Transport for NSW believes White Bay’s role as a bulk terminal for Sydney’s metropolitan customers should be expanded and optimised.

It intends to grow port capacity through three growth plans: one for Sydney, one for Newcastle, and one for Port Kembla. The primary bulk facility in Sydney is at Glebe Island and White Bay – on the city’s main harbour (not Botany Bay). Transport for NSW said Sydney Harbour is an ideal port for the import of dry bulk products, as transport costs represent a significant portion of their product cost – and importing them close to a metropolitan area minimises transportation costs. The three main lessees in the precinct – Sugar Australia, Gypsum Resources Australia and Cement Australia – have all indicated to Sydney Ports that they wish to extend their leases beyond the current term of 2020, and Transport for NSW believes that this should be capitalised upon, and more bulk handlers should be encouraged to use the precinct to transport their goods. “Sydney Ports’ proposed land use strategy for Glebe Island/White Bay envisages the consolidation of existing and future dry bulk trade at Glebe Island,” the report said. Transport for NSW believes the Hanson aggregate import facility at Blackwattle Bay and the Hymix cement batching plant at Pyrmont could be relocated to the Glebe Island site, releasing land for alternate uses. “If relocated,” the report continued, “the concrete batching plant could use cement and aggregate from Glebe Island 36

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

without transporting the material via the external road network, as currently occurs.” The growth plan for the Port of Newcastle will need to stress rail access, if projected growth in the local grain handling industry is to be met with improved capacity, Transport for NSW said. “Grain exports through the Port of Newcastle totalled 1.8mt in 2011-12, rising from the 1.3mt recorded in 2010-11. The port has a nominal grain export capacity of around 4.2mtpa, which is sufficient for forecast growth demands,” the report explained. “Achieving this nominal capacity is, however, dependent upon receiving sufficient rail access to move these volumes to port as well as supply, demand and logistic support impacts.” Coal would be the major focus of the growth plan for Port Kembla, with a pair of expansions set to increase the port’s coal export capacity to 25.5mtpa (it currently sits around 14mtpa capacity). As well as ports, intermodal terminals will also be a key focus of Transport for NSW going forward, as well as continued support for the development of regional networks, and other projects designed to boost network capacity.

Strategic Action Program 3 – network sustainability

NSW’s future as the expansion of capacity itself, according to the report. This was a topic heavily represented in submissions made by local governments to Transport for NSW during the report’s drafting process. In practical terms, it means better integrating freight requirements in all types of planning schemes, managing congestion, noise and emission impacts of freight transport, prioritising safety on freight transport, and supporting the growth of the transport and logistics workforce. That last issue is to be achieved, Transport for NSW says, by finding ways to attract and retain skilled workers to the freight transport industry. The first step of this will be to quantify the scale of skill shortages in the transport and logistics industry, including identifying the regions which are most greatly impacted, the report explained. “The industry can then target entry level workers for education and training, working with community colleges and tertiary institutions such as TAFE. “Workforce initiatives in the freight and logistics industry will result in development of the required employment profile. It will also encourage people to enter the sector and make them aware of the available occupations and career progression.”

Sustaining the freight network – and thus its capacity – will be as important for

Contact: www.freight.transport.nsw.gov.au

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NEWS

RKM opens new manufacturing facility in China Conveyor roller, idler and structure company, RKM opened a new 18,000 sqm factory in Dong Guan City, Guangdong in late November, 2013.

Owners, visitors and staff at the official opening.

he lavish opening was attended by Chinese Government officials, international suppliers and customers, and executives and staff of RKM-Rokonma, the Australian-Chinese-Malaysian company behind the new facility. Brett Maiden, a senior executive of RKM based in Hong Kong, explained that the new plant would allow low cost manufacturing, competitive pricing of products, easy access to raw materials and handy proximity to port and transport infrastructure. The factory is one hour’s drive from the port of Shenzhen and 2.5 hour’s drive from Hong Kong. “Our goal from the beginning was to establish a world class manufacturing facility, fully focused on providing quality-engineered products, at the best possible price,” said Maiden. “Our design work is still carried out in Australia, and all our products are designed and engineered to suit the large tonnage, high-speed conveyors that we see in today’s mining and materials handling sectors.” 38

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

“Our goal from the beginning was to establish a world class manufacturing facility…”

The new factory employs 120 staff, 90% of whom live on site in the company’s accommodation block, which also provides all meals. The plant includes a testing facility which Maiden describes as “world class”. “It gives confidence to our clients that their specifications are measurable by them in person, and is supported by our comprehensive inspection and test plan,” he said. At RKM’s factory a new design program enables the company to evaluate the stress and deflection of a roller shell under specific loading conditions. The program can be applied to various types of rollers, including but not limited to

Brett Maiden speaking at the opening.

Outside of the new factory.

NEWS

Your Partner for High Performing Conveyors Comprehensive suite of testing equipment in the new plant.

Rim drag testing.

steel, aluminium, nylon, PVC, UHMWPE and HDPE. “Once the calculations are complete, we can then provide the customer with a detailed, one page print out, including graphs, showing the allowable and actual loads and stresses that are being applied to the roller,” said Maiden. With the new factory, RKM has expanded its product range. Roller production is about 2,000 per day, depending on the size and type. Frames Roller milling in progress and stack of the finished are manufactured roproduct. botically at a rate of around 400 per day. “All rollers are now available in our premium RS seal package, or in our economic TK2 seal package along with our low rolling resistance package,” explained Maiden.

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NEWS

Festivities in full swing.

“We have now developed a complete range of rollers to accommodate all markets and market segments; this gives our customers a complete range to choose from. It includes plain steel, aluminium, nylon engineered plastic, and steel shell with poly composite housings.

“All these rollers are available in weigh quality and low noise, dynamically balanced options. “Our heavy duty poly disc rollers and plain steel rollers are designed to accommodate extremely harsh impact zones where standard rollers are not up to the duty requirements.

“We also supply Impact and RDRT rubber disc rollers, in plain rubber or our Mines Department approved FRAS rubber disc,” concluded Maiden.

Contact: B rett Maiden, email: bmaiden@rkm.com.hk

Telestack mobile loader wins innovation award Bulk equipment specialist, Telestack, won an award for innovative technology at the IBJ Awards held in Paris in November 2013.

TS2058 all wheel travel shiploader.

3D model of TS2058 all wheel travel shiploader showing capabilities.

elestack designed a unique solution using existing technology for Arcelor Mittal, providing the steel and mining company with an innovative mobile shiploading system. Telestack believes the system offers the shortest hatch change time in the mobile shiploader industry, thus providing the customer with added efficiencies. The TS2058 All Wheel Travel Mobile Shiploader can load iron ore at a rate of 2000tph. It can load vessels with a freeboard height of up to 16m, and a beam of 43m. “Drawing on our extensive knowledge and experience gained from numerous installations across the globe and especially those handling heavy ores, we designed a very unique solution using proven existing technology,” the company said. “In the first 12 months our customer loaded approximately 3.5mt with the Telestack system. The unique mobility of the system allows Arcelor Mittal to quickly move from hatch to hatch and when loading is complete, the entire system is easily relocated away from the quay side to free up valuable ground space.” Telestack says its ISO 9001:2001 certification helps it adhere to processes and procedures internally so that it meets and

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

TS2058 all wheel travel mobile shiploader loading vessel at 2000tph from HF2020 heavy duty tracked mobile hopper feeder.

exceeds the needs of its customers in terms of specification, performance, delivery, reliability and aftersales support. Contact: salesenquiries@telestack.com www.telestack.com

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DUST CONTROL

Conveyor load zone system for dustless loading Bulk handling supplier, ASGCO, says its patent pending modular conveyor belt load-zone system, Pro-Zone, is a world first in the containment and dust control of bulk materials.

SGCO says the system is especially suitable for dusty conveyed products and processes, for example in coal-fired power plants, and in facilities that handle wood chips, grain and soy beans, other dry minerals and recycling products. The ‘skirt-less’, fully self-contained Pro-Zone has an optimised seal on the receiving end of the conveyor belt, for air and dust-tightness. It is made up of ASGCO’s Slide-NRoll beds, with removable, ‘slide-out’ designed polyethylene and steel side supports, and easy to remove centre rollers, the company says. Slide guards, an internal splash sealing system, dust curtains and angled

A computer rendering of the ASGCO Pro-Zone.

hoods (which come in both aluminium and steel) are designed to completely enclose the entire system. These features, according to ASGCO, promote productivity and longer conveyor belt life, because the completely sealed

load zone helps eliminate turbulence and conveyor belt cover abrasion. The ‘skirt-less’ design can also lead to lower maintenance costs, the company says, because it means there are no adjustments of metal skirt-boards or rubber skirting. A modular design means the unit can be installed in any combination of 1.2m or 1.5m lengths, to fully cover a load zone area, the company says, and quickly removable hoods, slide-out sections and removable centre rolls are designed to aid in the system’s installation and maintenance. Contact: www.asgco.com

NEWS

Atlas Copco finalises Edwards acquisition Mining and bulk handling equipment manufacturer, Atlas Copco, has bought vacuum and abatement technologist, Edwards, in a deal worth roughly $1.84bn.

tlas announced the deal in August last year, saying it would buy the UKheadquartered Edwards in an effort to expand its influence in a global vacuum solutions market valued at more than $6.93bn by Atlas. The deal was finalised late last week, when Edwards formally became part of Atlas Copco’s new vacuum solutions division, which itself is within the compressor technique portion of the business. “Edwards is a technology leader with a well-developed structure and solid customer relationships in industries we know well,” said Atlas Copco’s president and chief executive, Ronnie Leten. “It is a great fit for Atlas Copco.” Edwards has more than 90 years’ experience in the vacuum products and abatement solutions technology industries. It has more than 3,200 employees, and despite being headquartered in Crawley, UK,

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

was (until now) listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange in New York. Following the acquisition, Edwards was delisted from the NASDAQ stock exchange. Atlas Copco had initially paid Edwards shareholders US$9.25 per share. Once Edwards’ audited 2013 income statement is final, an additional payment of up to US$1.25 per share will be made, Atlas says. Leten said a key benefit of the Edwards business in Atlas’ view was its people. “We recognize the strength Edwards has in its people and products as well as their excellence in technology and innovation,” he said. “We are excited that this professional company will join our group.” Edwards earned the equivalent of AUS$1.1bn in revenues in 2012. It earned more than half of that in Asia, where its adjusted EBITDA margin was 19.1%.

Atlas Copco’s president and chief executive, Ronnie Leten.

Atlas Copco made the all-cash acquisition utilizing its own existing funds. Contact: www.atlascopco.com

CONVEYORS, MOTORS & DRIVES

‘Intelligent’ conveyors support Chilean copper development More than 20km of ContiTech steel cord conveyor belts will be fitted at the El Teniente copper mine in Chile by 2017, the manufacturer says.

Designing & constructing world class materials handling systems

S TO AN ing osS vey - D Con le tex Cor h-Ang Hig

he mine, which is run by Codelco, is being expanded and a project is underway to open up new copper reserves in the deeper layer of the mountain so that mining can take place underground. ContiTech says the new conveyor system, which will transport the mined rock, implements energy-saving solutions. The steel cord belts are manufactured with what the manufacturer calls the XLL Compound: a special, energy-optimized rubber composition. Since this rubber compound significantly improves visco-elastic properties, ContiTech says, the indentation rolling resistance on the conveyor belt system is minimized. “In comparison with conventional conveyor belts, this enables energy consumption during the transport of raw materials to be cut by up to 25%,” the company reports. “In this way, energy costs and CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced.” Alongside the energy-optimized steel cord belts, ContiTech is supplying innovative electronic conveyor belt monitoring and inspection systems for El Teniente. The manufacturer says these systems are well suited for the diverse challenges of the copper mine and guarantee a high degree of safety and reliability.

Electronic monitoring systems like ContiProtect Belt Rip Detection increase process reliability, according to the manufacturer.

ContiTech says its energy-optimized conveyor belts minimize indentation rolling resistance. In this way, energy consumption during the transport of raw materials can be reduced by up to 25%.

Tel: +613 9543 5225 www.cortex.com.au

CONVEYORS, MOTORS & DRIVES

“ContiProtect monitoring systems protect conveyor belt systems against serious damage, thereby making a major contribution to enhanced operational reliability by reducing the number and length of malfunction-related downtimes. “ContiProtect Splice Elongation Measurement is designed to monitor larger conveyor belt systems and uses magnetic markers to detect irregularities in splice length.” Arndt Bunzel, application engineer in ContiTech’s mining segment, says splice

monitoring can prove invaluable to a conveyor operator. “On conveyor systems with ever more stringent safety factors and ever increasing conveyor belt strengths, monitoring the splice increases operational reliability,” Bunzel says. Another monitoring system, ContiProtect Belt Rip Detection, uses conductor loops vulcanized into the conveyor belt to detect longitudinal slits as early as possible.

ContiTech’s mining head, Claus Peter Spille, was happy to announce the contract with the Chilean miner. “We are absolutely delighted to be involved in this large-scale project and to support the expansion with our innovative products,” he said. ContiTech received the order via Tenova TAKRAF from Leipzig.

Contact: www.contitech.com.au

NEWS

Asciano nabs Toll’s North Qld rail service Transport and logistics company, Asciano, took over operation of the Toll Group’s rail service in North Queensland at the start of February 2014. Toll, meanwhile, has acquired a heavy haulage business in Port Kembla.

A Patrick straddle carrier loading a Toll shipping container onto a truck.

oll announced late in December that it had entered into a 13-year rail haulage agreement with PN Rail, a subsidiary of Asciano, for the latter to take over Toll’s North Queensland rail operations. Toll said the agreement was made so that it could continue to service its customers in North Queensland. “The deal allows us to continue to provide Toll Intermodal’s customers with long-term access to quality rail infrastructure and significantly enhances the operational flexibility of our North Queensland business,” Toll Group managing director, Brian Kruger, said. “It also reduces capital employed in this part of the business, which will result in an improvement in our return on invested capital.” Toll has been pushing through headwinds in recent years. Net profit after tax and non-recurring items declined in the 2012 financial year, by 75.9%, to $70.9m. That improved in the 2013 44

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

financial year to $91.7m. Under the new agreement, PN Rail will acquire from Toll five Queensland intermodal rail terminals, for approximately $70m, at Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Brisbane, together with associated plant and equipment. Toll Intermodal will continue to operate its freight forwarding business at those terminals. “This agreement is a very positive transaction for Toll and all of our North Queensland customers,” Kruger said. Earlier in December, Toll also announced the acquisition of Nationwide Transport Solutions (NTS). NTS, which has annual revenues of $17m, is headquartered in Port Kembla, and specialises in the over-dimensional and heavy haulage sector, particularly in the heavy haulage of major infrastructure projects as well as the energy, alternative energy, and heavy industrial sectors. Toll Contract Logistics’ divisional

Toll Group managing director, Brian Kruger.

Toll’s share price over the past five years (red line), compared with the ASX All Ordinaries (blue line), suggests Toll hasn’t bounced back as rapidly as the rest of the Australian economy after the GFC in 2009.

general manager, Bruce Wilson, said Toll sees strong growth opportunities in businesses like NTS. “We are excited about this opportunity to build on the expertise we have already developed around the wind energy sector,” Wilson said. “Along with building on our existing activities, NTS provides us with the opportunity to drive strong growth such as in infrastructure projects.” Contact: www.tollgroup.com

CONVEYORS

Anti-runback rollers Conveyor equipment manufacturer, Melco says it’s finding commercial success with its range of uni-directional, anti-runback conveyor rollers.

A cutaway of a high density polyethylene, anti-runback roller from Melco.

A cutaway of a steel anti-runback roller.

he rollers are designed to prevent an inclined conveyor from running backwards in the event of a belt break. This is achieved thanks to a patented mechanism fitted into the rollers, which only allow them to run one way. This differs from standard steel and high density polyethylene rollers, which are fitted with bearings that enable them to turn in both directions. Gavin Hall, Melco’s managing director, says the anti-rollback range has been particularly popular in platinum, gold, coal and copper mining applications in various African countries, as well as in Australia and Canada. “The product is appealing to engineers because of the inherent safety features of the anti-runback rollers, and because incline conveyors fitted with the product may experience less downtime in the event of a belt snap,” Hall says. “Conveyor belts with inclines of between 6° and 18°, which are commonly found in mining applications, are most prone to running back in the event of a belt snap. Some of these belts are as long as 1km, and could cause unprecedented damage if breakage occurs.” The majority of conveyor belts in mines are run through confined spaces, and Hall says that this can further exacerbate the issue of belt breakage, should the belt be allowed to reverse. “Downtime related to clearing the tunnel and repairing the belt may result in significant lost production, resulting in crippling financial effects.” Melco’s anti-runback rollers are designed to react instantly in the event of a belt snap. “We have received positive feedback from numerous mining customers, who have revealed that anti-runback rollers, if correctly installed to the pattern recommended by Melco, bring the snapped belt to a standstill within a short distance, which substantially reduces safety risks, the risk of any damage, and associated costs,” Hall says. Anti-runback rollers are not designed to be used all the way along a conveyor. Instead, they are designed to be spread evenly along the conveyor. The anti-runback rollers are the same size and shape as standard rollers, but are identified with an arrow marked on their ends, which points in the direction allowed by the roller. Melco says it can assist clients determine an appropriate ratio of standard to anti-runback rollers in a specific conveyor, based on belt length and width, product type and capacity, inclination, and other factors.

Melco’s anti-runback rollers are specially marked on their ends to identify them among standard rollers in a conveyor belt assembly.

The anti-runback roller has been popular in platinum, gold, coal and copper mining applications.

“Each conveyor belt is unique to its specific operating environment and, using the technical details of the conveyor belt, Melco is able to recommend to the customer precisely how many anti-runback rollers, and the installation pattern they require for a particular application.” Contact: www.melcoconveyors.com

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Membership is open to ALL practitioners in bulk solids handling and related technologies.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

Altra buys Svendborg Brakes Massachusetts-headquartered Altra Industrial Motion Corp has acquired Svendborg Brakes, a leading global manufacturer of caliper brakes.

eadquartered in Vejstrup, Denmark, Svendborg provides engineered braking systems for a wide range of industrial markets including bulk handling, oil and gas, mining, wind power, marine and metals. “Svendborg is a leading brand that provides Altra with new technology and access to a number of new geographic regions,” said Carl Christenson, Altra’s president and CEO. “This acquisition presents a number of new opportunities to help drive our topline and bottom-line growth, and we are

excited to deliver on this key part of our growth strategy.” Svendborg joins Wichita Clutch, Industrial Clutch, Twiflex Limited, Formsprag Clutch, Marland Clutch and Stieber Clutch as brands of Altra Industrial Motion’s Heavy Duty & Overrunning Clutch Brake Group. This supplies brake and clutch solutions to a broad variety of applications. Altra Industrial Motion Corp, through its subsidiaries, is a global designer, producer and marketer of a wide range of electromechanical power transmission products.

The company’s brands cover over 40 product lines with production facilities in eleven countries. Altra’s brands include Boston Gear, TB Wood’s, Bauer Gear Motor, Nuttall Gear, Kilian Manufacturing, Warner Electric, Warner Linear, Inertia Dynamics, Matrix International, Wichita Clutch, Svendborg Brakes, Twiflex Limited, Formsprag Clutch, Marland Clutch, Stieber Clutch, Ameridrives Couplings, Bibby Transmissions, Huco-Dynatork, and Lamiflex Couplings. Contact: www.altramotion.com

Aumund opts for Siemens drives

erman company Aumund Fördertechnik GmbH, a specialist in transport and storage solutions for difficult bulk materials, has opted for integrated drive systems from Siemens. According to Siemens, Aumund wanted “a complete one-stop solution” for geared and frequency-controlled drives – including engineering, drive configuration, and consulting. Siemens says its entire

drive train comes mounted on a skid and is ready for installation. Siemens said that: “Tedious component logistics, interface losses and consequent malfunctions have become a thing of the past for Aumund. This speeds up processes and makes possible faster delivery.” Contact: www.industry.siemens.com

NORD DRIVESYSTEMS | Intelligent Drivesystems, Worldwide Services

Unicase industrial gear units from NORD Modular concept • Mirror image installation thanks to symmetrical construction • Lower weight than jointed housing gear units • Same physical size for 2 and 3 stage gear units • Short delivery times

Oil & fans • Oil supply by ﬂangemounted pumps in all installation orientations • Optimal axial fans • Synthetic oils for greater reliability

NORD industrial gear units were developed according to the tried-and-tested unicase principle. The design was developed for a wide range of applications in many different sectors of industry. With all of the available options and modules it is very easy to configure especially compact drive solutions. This standardisation guarantees quality, reduces the number of components, simplifies storage and ensures rapid availability for our customers. You can find out all about NORD energy efficiency under www.nord.com. NORD Drivesystems AU 18 Stoney Way, Derrimut Vic 3030 Phone 1300 00 NORD Fax +61 3 9394 1525 au-sales@nord.com

Production and quality • High precision production due to rigid housing • High power density • Longer bearing life than with jointed housing gear units

GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

Voith fluid couplings in 4.8 MW belt conveyor drive Chinese miner Xishan Jinxing Energy Co. Ltd is using fill-controlled 866 TPKL fluid couplings from Voith.

Voith says its 866 TPKL fluid coupling protects the belt conveyor as well as the drive components against damage and prevents unplanned downtime.

total of three fluid couplings are used underground in the powerful 4.8 MW drive of the main belt conveyor in the Xiegou No. 12 coal mine in Shanxi Province, China. Three 1600 kW drives power the 1900 metre long main inclined belt conveyor. This conveyor transports 3800 tonnes of coal per hour. According to Voith’s publicity, through controlled application of torque, the fluid coupling pretensions the belt slowly and permits smooth conveyor start-up. Voith said: “This controlled soft start protects the belt and driveline components and extends their lifetime. As a result, the fluid coupling reduces unplanned downtime – the operator benefits from lower maintenance costs and continuous production. “Regardless of the load state of the belt, start-up times of up to three minutes are possible. Thanks to stand-by cooling of the operating oil, the 866 TPKL fluid coupling also permits multiple conveyor start-ups in succession, even when the belt is loaded. “An additional benefit of the 866 TPKL is its ability to operate

The Chinese mining company Xishan Jinxing Energy Co. Ltd is using the Voith 866 TPKL fluid coupling.

with reduced filling to drive an empty conveyor at a reduced speed. During the creep speed operation, less power is transmitted and the belt runs more slowly. “This function is useful for the visual inspection of the belt and splices. In the Xiegou No. 12 coal mine, the fluid couplings were operated in the partially filled mode during commissioning to be sure that the belt was tracking properly. With the fluid couplings operating in the partially filled mode, the belt speed could be reduced to 1.2 – 1.7 m/s instead of operating at the rated speed of 4.5 m/s. “Until now, the coal mine has been operating at the initially planned production capacity of 15mt of coal per year. The operator plans to increase production capacity in the next one to two years. This will require the main belt conveyor to be upgraded with a fourth drive. For this, the operator plans on installing an additional 866 TPKL fluid coupling from Voith.” Contact: www.voith.com

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GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

The winners in gears, motors and drives The award for Excellence in Gears, Motors or Drives has been part of the Australian Bulk Handling Awards since 2010. Oliver Probert takes a look back at past winners of the prestigious category.

PIVPosiplan BPH series bevel/ planetary/helical gearbox, which helped Brevini Australia win the award in 2012. Baldor Australia’s MagnaGear XTR gear reducer, which was part of Baldor’s winning nomination in 2010.

ehind nearly every piece of machinery in a bulk handling plant is a gear, motor or drive. And high capacity ore terminals and related facilities provide some of the toughest environments on earth for these technologies. According to the criteria, the award for Excellence in Gears, Motors or Drives is for a new or innovative technology or practice in the area of gears, motors or drives, or for the application of such technology in an Australian bulk handling facility.

2010 winner – Baldor Australia Industrial motor supplier, Baldor Australia, won the inaugural ‘Excellence in Gears, Motors or Drives’ award thanks to a nomination which included details of three innovative technologies. One standout was the Dodge MagnaGear XTR Gear Reducer. Designed to provide maximum reliability in tough applications, the MagnaGear was recognised for its money-saving potential. It is a modular, global product that extends the advantages of planetary gear technology to achieve size reductions of 25% or more compared with all helical or bevel gearing systems. 48

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The judges also praised Baldor Australia’s Dodge ISAF Bearings, which reduce assembly time and prolong bearing life, and the company’s Motorized Torque Arm, which was the first to meet the demanding American Gear Manufacturers Association standard. Bonfiglioli Transmission (Australia) was highly commended for its enormous commitment to the local gears, motors and drives scene. The company has invested $22m in local facilities and products with much more to come. The money has gone on assembly facilities and factories which allow local assembly of drives, cutting delivery time to weeks rather than 3 – 6 months.

2011 winner – Bonfiglioli Transmission (Australia) Following up its runner’s up position in 2010, one of the big boys in terms of the global gears, motors and drives market, Bonfiglioli, took out the award in 2011 for its work supplying mine site services company Ontrak Engineering with conveyor, crusher and travel drives for three feeder breakers working underground at BHP Billiton’s Appin mine.

Bonfiglioli supplied conveyor, crusher and travel drives for Ontrak engineering, to win the award in 2011.

Bonfiglioli’s large and diversified product range earned the judges’ recognition for effectively providing a one-stopshop for Ontrak to get three very different kinds of geared motors. Ontrak’s crusher was set up with a Bonfiglioli heavy duty bevel helical HDO gear box, in an alignment-free configuration with a built-in slip for coal crushing. A smaller Bonfiglioli A90 helical bevel gearbox modified with a hydraulic motor was installed to provide conveying to bring the coal to the crusher. And the whole feeder breaker was made mobile by track drives running Bonfiglioli’s 711 hubs with a releasable brake system to allow for towing.

GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

The system powered by Metso Mining and Construction’s gears, motors and drives allows Fortescue Metals Group to simultaneously tipple two containers every 90 seconds, helping FMG and Metso win the award in 2013.

The judges recognised Bonfiglioli in 2011 because they asserted that, generally, the supplier’s alignment-free drives save both time and money in a range of applications because there is no need to laser align the motor and gearbox shafts.

2012 winner – Brevini Australia Power transmission specialist, Brevini Australia, took the award for gears, motors or drives in 2012. Brevini was selected for an application of its PIVPosiplan gear units at the Genesis Xerowaste Facility in Eastern Creek, NSW. The judges recognised Brevini’s gear units for achieving a more compact design, and their use in applications like take-up winches, screw conveyors and cranes. The units also have high efficiency gear reducers, with figures over 97% typical for twostage units. The PIVPosiplan gear unit was designed using the finite elements method with 3D modelling, meaning that the device’s performance was optimised during the virtual prototype phase. At the $300m Genesis recycling plant, which has 49 conveyor systems, Brevini designed a drive solution using its PIVPosiplan units. The system powers a downhill conveyor that carries materials such as mixed construction and demolition waste including concrete, steel, metals, cardboard, paper and timber. Brevini’s units were chosen for their compact dimensions, roughly 65% that of an equivalent bevel helical gear reducer.

Altra products help keep material moving at mines throughout Australia Our global family of industry-leading “power brands”, extensive application knowledge and award-winning design advantages provide proven product performance and reliability. Thousands of Altra backstops, couplings, clutches, brakes, torque limiters, and belted drives are hard at work in mining applications including conveyors, shovels, draglines, ball and sag mills, winders and hoists, crushers, compressors, fans, stackers/ reclaimers, sizers, and vehicles. Many major mining equipment OEM’s and end users partner with Altra to access the latest power transmission technologies. www.AltraMotion.com.au www.AltraMining.com

2013 winner – FMG and Metso Mining and Construction Fortescue Metals Group and Metso teamed up to win the latest instalment of the award for gears, motors or drives. Metso provided Fortescue with two new train unloaders in the second half of 2012. These were needed to help Australia’s third force in iron ore cope with mine production rising towards 155mtpa. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the massive unloaders have to deal with trains which are 2.7km long, with 240 freight cars carrying 32,800 tonnes of iron ore. During unloading, two wagons are simultaneously emptied every 90 seconds. Judges agreed that this must be one of the most demanding installations in Australia for gears, motors and drives. One component alone – the indexer – uses variable speed drives that deliver a power output of 1.1 megawatts to move the train. SEW-Eurodrive was highly commended by the judges in 2013, for its supply of gears, motors and drives to Queensland-based electrostatic separation company, OreKinetics.

For the distributor nearest you, contact us at: (02) 9894-0133 Sales@AltraMotion.com.au

GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

Bonfiglioli details drives’ feed screw applications Feed screws function on the same principle as an Archimedes’ screw, where a helical surface, surrounded by a hollow pipe, rotates and moves fluids (or fluid-like dry bulk) upwards.

Combination Trasmital/A series drives. Bonfiglioli’s Trasmital planetary gear unit.

he original Archimedes’ screw has been used to lift water to higher levels since ancient times, perhaps most notably in the Nile delta, where such screws were used in ancient irrigation systems. Now, feed screws are used for the horizontal transport of cereals like barley, wheat and maize, or granular products like soya, grain and cocoa. Drive manufacturer Bonfiglioli thinks its range of materials handling drives is particularly suited for application in feed screws.

F Series (left) and A Series (right) drives.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The supplier has designed a range of drives that it says can be custom-engineered for local conditions, demanding compact performance in a wide range of ambient conditions. These include its range of Trasmital planetary gear units (pictured) which are generally favoured in slow moving applications where high output torque is required, according to managing director of Bonfiglioli Transmission Australia, Malcolm Lewis. “Their planetary drive train makes them the ideal choice for all the severe duty applications, where shock loadings and impacts are more the rule than the exception,” Lewis explains. “The product configuration is highly versatile, with several options for mounting, the gear layout, the output shaft and the motor interface. All the features are available for each of the 20 finely spaced frame sizes, spanning over the 1,000-1,400,000 Nm torque range.”

Trasmital planetary drives can be combined with A Series drives for ultra slow applications, such as screws for live bottom bins.

Meanwhile, Bonfiglioli’s F Series drives can be applied to a feed screw by being mounted directly on its shaft, Lewis says. “F series offer easy and neat installation to achieve lightweight, cost-efficient performances with high dependability proven across material handling applications,” he says. Torque range for the F Series extends from 140 Nm to 14,000 Nm. “Because of its great flexibility, excellent performance and extremely favourable price/rating performance, we believe the F Series sets the benchmark in the expanding market segment for shaft-mounted speed reducers and gearmotors.” Finally, Bonfiglioli’s A Series helical bevel drive range is targeted at the smallto-medium sized applications. The series is available in nine sizes from 0.9-55Kw and 150Nm-14000Nm torque, and has a ratio of up to 1700:1 in a single gearbox, with four reduction stages. Contact: www.bonfiglioli.com.au

GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

SEW-Eurodrive announces 2014 training dates Drive engineering business, SEW-Eurodrive has announced new dates for 2014 for its nation-wide motor and drive training program, DriveACADEMY.

he DriveACADEMY training courses are designed to provide end-users and system integrators with a comprehensive set of skills to get the most out of motor and drive technologies and applications. The combination of theory and hands-on practical segments used in each training course is aimed at equipping attendees with specific knowledge relating to SEW products, meaning they are better able to use this functionality in their own workplace. All courses are tailored to a variety of end-users, including drive engineers, service application engineers, operations managers and maintenance technicians. SEW-Eurodrive’s national training manager, Michael Stranieri, said the company is trying to make it easier for more customers to receive training. “In addition to training offered at our DriveACADEMY centres located in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, we are offering site training for companies in country areas,” Stranieri said. “It is important that our customers are equipped with the proper training to get the most out of the products.” Topics covered at DriveACADEMY

The DriveACADEMY training courses are designed to provide end-users and system integrators with a comprehensive set of skills to get the most out of motor and drive technologies and applications.

training courses include maintenance and condition repair, focusing on the maintenance and repair of SEW gearmotors and condition monitoring systems for preventative maintenance. Product specific courses are also offered.

The SEW-Eurodrive group is a global designer, developer and manufacturer of mechanical power transmission systems and motor control electronics, headquartered in Bruchsal, Germany. Contact: www.sew-eurodrive.com.au

MOBILE VEHICLE

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SAFETY

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

GEARS, MOTORS AND DRIVES

Decentralized starter with motor protection NORD Drivesystems has introduced a motor-mounted starter with what it describes as “an extended performance range for the economic distributed implementation” of soft start and reversing functions, for motors from 0.25 to 7.5 kW.

he compact SK 135E integrates motor overload protection through PTC thermistor monitoring, mains and motor phase failure monitoring, I²t monitoring, and magnetizing current monitoring. According to NORD’s publicity: “The electronic, wear-free switching technology replaces motor circuit breakers, reversing contactors, and brake rectifiers, thus rendering entire control cabinets unnecessary in large facilities. “As PTC thermistor connection cables and brake control cables are not required, either, installation becomes generally more cost-effective, space-saving, and faster. When the drives are ordered complete and wired with gearbox, motor, and

starter, any assembly effort is reduced to simply tightening the screws and establishing the electrical connection, which is optionally with plugs. “The soft start function reduces mechanical stress, preventing shocks during start-up and braking. A voltage boost can be programmed for applications requiring high break-away torques. Various braking modes are available. “The starter features four potentiometers and four DIP switches for adjusting the most important parameters. LEDs signal the operating status. Parameterization and diagnosis can be carried out via parameter boxes or via a PC, using the freeof-charge NORD CON software.

NORD says that with a compact, easy-to-clean enclosure, the SK 135E starter provides for equipment-friendly soft start-up of distributed drives in a variety of sectors.

“NORD’s entire distributed electronics program, which also includes the SK 180E and SK 200E series frequency inverters, provides the benefit of a uniform operation concept.” Contact: T el - 1300 00 NORD (6673), Email: AU-Sales@nord.com, Web: http://www.nord.com

TRANSHIPPING

Transhipment plan cheaper for Centrex in SA ASX-listed project developer, Centrex Metals, has finished a pre-feasibility study into a potential iron ore transhipment option for exports at Port Spencer in South Australia and says it can reduce start-up costs to $142m.

he plan is an alternate option to Centrex’s initial proposal for an export facility at Port Spencer. The developer’s original plans called for a deepwater loading facility, featuring a 515m jetty capable of loading Cape-class vessels on any tide. But the new study has suggested an alternate approach, using transhipment – where smaller vessels shuttle back and forth between a landside loading facility, and a larger ship, anchored offshore. The study suggested that a jetty to load these feeder vessels could be just 200m in length – D E 315m shorter than previously planned – thanks to the smaller depth required for smaller vessels. The company says its transhipment plans are similar to those being performed at another South Australian port, Whyalla, by transhipment specialist, CSL. CSL’s new transhipper technology comprises a self-powered, self-docking vessel, replacing the traditional barge and tug arrangements, and also eliminates the need for tug facilities. “Under the new design option the transhipper would load cape-class vessels anchored approximately one nautical mile offshore in a water depth of about 23m,”

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

CSL transhipper in operation loading iron ore into a Cape-class vessel.

Centrex said in an ASX release. “This depth would also allow consideration in the future for larger vessel sizes if warranted. The transhipper would also be capable of loading smaller Panamax-class vessels required for grain exports.” Centrex hopes to build an export facility to support a number of its projects in the region. Its Eyre Iron magnetite joint venture with Wuhan Iron & Steel, currently in its feasibility stage, would ideally move product 40km by slurry pipeline to Port Spencer. The Bungalow magnetite project, a joint venture with Baotou Iron & Steel

Group, also in its feasibility stage, would use a 100km slurry pipeline to export from Port Spencer. Meanwhile, Centrex’s wholly owned hematite project, Wilgerup, yet another project in its feasibility stage, would transport product by road, 110km to the port. Finally, Kimba Gap, an exploration-stage magnetite project also wholly-owned by Centrex, is located 150km from the site. Centrex has not specified how it would move product from Kimba Gap to Port Spencer. Contact: www.centrexmetals.com.au

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IBCs

Milford’s first UN-certified Qubit announced Foldable container manufacturer, Milford IBC thinks it’s solved the complex issue of hazardous liquids transport.

he Milford Qubit UN is a 1000L intermediate bulk container (IBC) designed to hold hazardous liquids within a disposable plastic lining. It can fold, when empty, into a unit a third of the size, meaning three can be stacked in the space usually taken up by one full container, for a return trip. The cost of a return trip for an IBC, along with costs associated with cleaning an IBC which has contained a hazardous liquid, often result in a ‘one trip’ scenario for hazardous liquid IBCs, according to Milford. One alternative in the past has been to construct IBCs out of resistant, quick-clean metals, but this in itself is an expensive process, and return transport costs are the same, if not higher due to the excess costs of moving a heavier IBC. Looking to find an innovative, economical solution, Milford IBC has designed the first UN-certified IBC in its Qubit range. A protective, disposable lining, which the Qubit UN is designed to house, is aimed at tackling cleaning costs. The foldability of the containers, once they’re empty, makes a return trip more economical, too. In fact, the foldability of the Qubit UN means that 126 of them can be crammed into a standard forty-foot shipping container, while just 21 erect ones would fit in the same space.

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On the left is an empty Qubit UN, and on the right are three units, folded and stacked.

It’s that efficiency that can be achieved on the return leg of a logistics chain that Milford says it is looking to exploit with the Qubit UN. “The movement of hazardous liquids has traditionally been an expensive operation,” Milford IBC says. “Moving product over vast distances in many cases makes the return of the IBC either too costly or involves complex washing processes making it economically unviable A front view of the Milford Qubit UN. At to return IBCs when they have middle bottom is the valve of the unit’s disposable internal lining. only completed a single trip. “The need to remove all chemical residues from the IBC before return trips, (as is required in some cases), further exacerbates the costs associated with the logistics operation.” Milford says it spent time talking to customers to help identify the shortcomings in existing IBC options in the transportation of hazardous liquids, before trying to find a solution. Once it had designed the new container, Milford set about getting UN certification. That involves passing an independent and rigorous testing program, including a barrage of drop, stack and pressure testing, to ensure the final design of the IBC is capable of safely carrying a range of hazardous liquids. “Early into the design and testing phase of the Milford solution it soon became apparent why the dangerous/hazardous goods industry does not have access to a wide choice of folding UN certified IBC units,” Milford says. “Although it seems that they would be the obvious solution to the identified problems of hazardous liquid logistics, the testing levels which must be achieved are in most cases a barrier to most IBC manufacturers.” After several years of design and testing, the Milford Qubit UN received its accreditation certificate in December 2013. “The life cycle of the Milford Qubit UN … offers the strength of steel with the benefits of plastic, so the user has the confidence that the Milford product will last for many years in a hazardous liquids environment.” Contact: Ian Millhouse, email: i.millhouse@milfordibc.com

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

NEW PRODUCT

Latest Busch pump suitable for pneumatic conveying Pump supplier Busch has expanded its range of Mink claw vacuum pumps, with the addition of the Mink MV 1202 A, the largest industrial claw vacuum pump yet from the manufacturer.

ith 950 cubic metres per hour for operation at 50Hz, and with 1150 cubic metres per hour for 60Hz operation, the Mink MV 1202 A is now the top end of the Busch line of vacuum pumps, which now numbers eleven separate sizes. The new addition to the line achieves an ultimate pressure of 200mbar, making it suitable for many industrial sectors and fields, according to Busch. “The main areas of application are pneumatic conveying, clamping of work pieces onto CNC processing machines in the woodworking industry, and degassing or forming processes in the plastics industry,” Busch says. “Generally, this new size can also be used as a module in centralized vacuum systems.” Busch believes its line of Mink vacuum pumps finds a competitive advantage over competing products thanks to a sophisticated claw vacuum technology, which helps achieve a high level of efficiency, resulting in a positive effect on energy consumption and performance. “In practice, this means potentially great energy-savings and a consistently high performance compared to conventional vacuum generators,” Busch argues. “An additional benefit of claw

vacuum technology is the virtually maintenance-free operation due to the non-contact operating principle; none of the moving parts inside the vacuum pump come into contact with one another, meaning there is no wear at all.” In this way, Busch says, the Pumping speeds of up to 950 cubic need for maintenance work, such metres can be achieved with the new as the inspection or replacement Mink MV 1202 A claw vacuum pump. of worn parts, is completely eliminated. Mink claw vacuum pumps are air-cooled. Contact: www.busch.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

NEWS

Busch celebrates 50 years I

n late 2013, German-headquartered manufacturer, Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems, celebrated its fiftieth year since starting business in 1963. Dr Karl Busch and his wife, Ayhan, launched Busch with the idea of designing simpler, more effective and more user-friendly industrial vacuum technology, the company said in a statement. Fifty years on, Busch comprises 57 companies in 39 countries, and employs around 2,300 people. “The company prides itself on having an extensive global presence while having considerable local expertise from employing local people to run the overseas businesses,” Busch said. To celebrate the anniversary, Dr Busch embarked upon a world tour, visiting several international branches, including the

Dr Karl Busch and his son, Kaya.

A cake from the 50th anniversary celebrations in Melbourne.

Busch office in Broadmeadows, Melbourne, in October. Dr Busch was met in Melbourne by the mayor of Hume City, Geoff Porter, and its chief executive, Domenic Isola. Busch currently has five branches within Australia, having started off Down Under in 1985, and holds interests in key markets including food, medical, chemical, environmental and oil, gas and mining. Contact: sales@busch.com.au

BLOWERS

Advice on positive displacement blowers Hurll Nu-Way product manager, Ben Rowlinson, offers his advice on how to save energy, and increase the reliability of positive displacement blowers.

or bulk handling of cereals and grains, metals and minerals, cement and sand, manufacturers traditionally use positive displacement blowers. Invented over a hundred years ago, they have not changed much. However, if a company seeks to improve efficiency of the blowers to answer the demands of the 21st century, it is still possible. Here are some tips: Keep a backup bareshaft blower on the shelf for maintenance purposes. It mitigates risk of extended downtime, and allows sufficient time for regular blower maintenance to be conducted. It may also be worth using two blowers instead of one, splitting the duty to increase reliability. How old is the blower – would replacing the motor to a more efficient one make a difference? How long ago have you overhauled it? Bringing the blower back to customer specifications can lower energy consumption. Investing in variable speed driven control options can result in significant 56

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

energy savings in variable flow applications. If the blower is operating on a fixed speed, heavy duty cycle there is significant excess energy being consumed during low flow periods. Is the blower sized correctly? Does it consume too much power and make too much air? A correctly sized blower may be cheaper than the one you bought 10 years ago, and it will also be cheaper to run. How much does it cost to maintain? An aging blower with high maintenance costs can be constantly causing downtime and wasting precious energy. It may cost you next year as much to run as buying a new one – it may be time to say “goodbye” to this old unit! If you consider investing in a new blower, here are some questions to ask a manufacturer: • Longevity of blower – would it last at least 20 years?

A GE blower.

• Maintenance – how easy and how often does it have to be checked and serviced? • What’s the warranty? • Would the model range be extensive to find the model that perfectly suits your desired duty? • Is the blower robust and fit for harsh Australian climate conditions? Contact: www.hnw.com.au

BLOWERS

CAPS to distribute Pedro Gil blowers Air compression equipment supplier, CAPS Australia, is now the exclusive Australian distributor for Pedro Gill, a Spanish manufacturer of positive displacement blowers.

A technician inspecting a Pedro Gil positive displacement blower.

APS says it sought a deal with Pedro Gil after it decided the Spanish company’s blowers were well suited to perform in Australia’s harsh environment. “Pedro Gil blowers are truly the perfect fit for our conditions,” Sri Srinivasan, CAPS’ product manager for blowers, said. “The Pedro Gil range has thrived in some of the hottest and [most] humid environments in the world, and has numerous operational advantages over competitor blowers we have distributed previously.” Advantages of the Pedro Gil range, CAPS says, are a small footprint, the potential for savings in piping and electrical installation costs thanks to an integrated base/floor for the blowers, and easy maintenance through front access panels. On top of that, CAPS says, Pedro Gil’s blowers are capable of complying with Australian workplace health and safety standards when it comes to sound, thanks to a specially designed acoustic enclosure. Srinivasan continued: “The range has many great smart design features, including large enclosure ventilation fans to ensure reliable operation even at high ambient temperatures, check and relief valves mounted inside the enclosure, belt guards included as standard, and an optional electronic control panel.” The electronic control panel displays various maintenance indications and allows for monitoring of operating parameters from the customer’s plant PLC. Contact: www.capsaust.com.au

NEW PRODUCT

Flexicon debuts 15cm tubular cable conveyor Flexicon has expanded its line of tubular cable conveyors with the addition of a 15cm diameter system, which can handle more than double the capacity of the bulk handling manufacturer’s recently introduced 10cm diameter conveyor.

he conveyor is intended for the gentle transfer of friable materials including virtually all beans, cereals, coffees, dried fruits, frozen vegetables, grains, nuts, beans, pet foods, seeds, snack foods, spices, teas and other fragile/friable food products, Flexicon says. Typical non-foods recommended for use in Flexicon’s tubular cable conveyors include bulk chemicals, minerals, prills, chopped fibreglass, microspheres, regrind, pellets of all types, tobacco and other fragile products. The aim of the tubular cable conveying system is for low-friction, high-strength polymer discs to slide materials gently, quietly and dust-free through smooth stainless steel tubing, which can be routed horizontally, vertically or at any angle, through small holes in walls or ceilings, and over short or long distances. The system can be configured with single or multiple inlets that are metered and/or non-metered, and discharges that are valved or open, Flexicon says. A drive wheel at one end of the cable-disc assembly pulls it through the circuit, while an automatic cable tensioner at the opposite end keeps the cable taut. “All housings and ancillary metallic components are of 304 or 316 stainless steel with continuous welds ground and polished to food, pharmaceutical or industrial standards,” the manufacturer explains. “In addition to galvanised cable, discs are available affixed to stainless steel and Nylon-encapsulated stainless steel cable for sanitary applications. Wet or dry cleaning accessories can be quickly attached to the cable to minimise downtime between

A cutaway diagram of Flexicon’s 10cm and 15cm tubular cable conveyors.

changeovers, while Clean-In-Place (CIP) accessories allow automated sanitising of the system.” Flexicon offers the conveyor system in either a standalone format, or integrated as part of a system with upstream and downstream equipment. Contact: www.flexicon.com.au

Cordless pendant on JDN air hoist The German made J.D. Neuhaus Air Hoist now features an optional cordless pendant control which has been custom made by Pacific Hoists for Kennards Hire - Lift & Shift.

ccording to its suppliers, cordless technology eliminates issues concerning the air hose length on standard pneumatic pendants and rope lengths on cord control models making procedures more simple and time efficient. It also improves reaction times to less than 150m/s, and increases the operating range to a 100m line of sight. The cordless pendant remote is also available as a multi system, which means up to four hoists can be operated using one handset. Cord control, pendant control and remote control are all interchangeable which allows for more dynamic application. According to Kennards Hire and Pacific Hoists, the remote system exceeds Australian standards, and is the first example of this technology to be seen in the domestic market. Contact: www.pacifichoists.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Cordless pendant on JDN air hoist.

NEWS

Kockums upgrades office space

Inside and outside Kockums’ new office space.

ulk handling equipment supplier, Kockums Bulk Systems has expanded office space at its Heidelberg West premises from 320m2 to 500m2. Further works will see old office space redeveloped into, amongst other things, a conference room. The expansion has incorporated various energy savings measures, including lighting by low energy LED panels throughout. A gas powered Janmar air conditioning system provides heat and cooling.

“Running on piped gas, the Janmar system does not add to the electrical load of the facility and being an internal combustion engine running at constant speed, it achieves great efficiency,” explained Francois Steyn, chief executive, Kockums Bulk Systems. Large windows provide natural light further reducing heating and lighting costs, while a new IP phone system uses the company’s industrial fibre optic

broadband connection to provide low cost calls. “We have been on this site in Heidelberg West for 15 years, and the present continuing upgrade should set us up well for the foreseeable future,” concluded company co-founder and KBS chairman, Ivan Price. Contact: www.kockumsbulk.com.au

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GRAIN HANDLING

ADM bid rejected as GrainCorp chief resigns Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended the government’s decision to deny US-based agribusiness firm Archer Daniels Midland’s $3.4bn bid for GrainCorp, saying Treasurer Joe Hockey “showed a lot of character” in rejecting the takeover.

ockey announced his decision to prohibit ADM’s takeover of GrainCorp in December, under powers vested in him by the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, saying that such an acquisition by an international firm would be “contrary to the national interest.” Two days after Hockey’s announcement, the Prime Minister stepped in to bat for his Treasurer. “I accept that some people have been anxious about [Hockey’s decision],” Abbott told reporters in Brisbane. “Two points – we are one of the world’s most open economies, and I doubt that there would be any other G20 economy where a large foreign business would have been able to purchase an effective monopoly of a major industry here in Australia. “So while I accept that there were arguments on both sides of this issue, I think the Treasurer has very much made the right decision.” Hockey’s decision to knock back ADM’s bid was the first time he had rejected a foreign investment application, having accepted the first 130 brought across his desk. The treasurer explained that the decision had not been an easy one to make, calling it “one of the most complex cases … [and] one of the most significant proposed acquisitions of an agricultural business in Australia’s history.” Hockey’s opposing number, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen, described the decision as “pathetic,” saying Hockey was sending the wrong message to the international market. “Today Joe Hockey has sent a message to everybody who’s thinking of investing in Australia,” Bowen argued, “and that message is, ‘I’ll only tick it off if it passes the popularity test’. “Joe Hockey sent a message today to foreign investors around the world that he is weak Treasurer who is not able to ensure that investment in Australia is welcomed,” he continued. “Today, Joe Hockey said Australia is not open for business.” Also critical of Hockey’s decision was ADM chief executive officer and chairman, Patricia Woertz. “We are disappointed by this decision,” Woertz said after ADM’s bid was

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a massive American food-processing and commodities trading company, tried unsuccessfully to buy Australian grain handling giant, GrainCorp.

Federal Treasurer, Joe Hockey, who had final say on shutting down ADM’s bid for GrainCorp.

rejected by the government. “We are confident that our acquisition of GrainCorp would have created value for shareholders of ADM and GrainCorp, as well as growers and the Australian economy. “Throughout this process, we worked constructively to create an arrangement that would be in Australia’s best interests and made substantial commitments to address issues that were important to stakeholders,” she said. The carrot held out to growers by ADM earlier this year was an investment of $200m into infrastructure throughout the GrainCorp network, if an acquisition went through. Typically only about $20m is spent on GrainCorp’s infrastructure each year, so the promise of an injection of around 10 times that was a juicy one to shareholders, who approved of ADM’s takeover bid, passing it on to Joe Hockey and the Foreign Investment Review Board. While Hockey rejected the bid in the end, he has allowed ADM the option of

taking up a 24.9% share in GrainCorp – a 5% increase on its current share of roughly 19.8%. ADM is yet to act on that opportunity, but is rumoured to be planning to make a fresh bid next year, once the political environment in Australia is more settled. The rejection of the bid has not only upset ADM, it has led to the resignation of GrainCorp’s own managing director and chief executive officer, Alison Watkins. “I had planned to leave the company at the time control passed over to ADM,” Watkins said. “Given last week’s unexpected developments, I feel it is in the best interests Former GrainCorp chief of GrainCorp, our people and executive officer and managing director, Alison Watkins, who customers that stepped down following the I move on now failed takeover bid by ADM.

GRAIN HANDLING

and allow the board to find new leadership to take the business forward into its new phase.” Following the resignation, GrainCorp said it would start the search for a new chairman, and would also look to rationalise its existing network. Company chairman, Don Taylor, said: “What is recognised is that our country, network, storage and logistics will need some work done on it. That will require some rationalisation.” GrainCorp’s eastern Australia grain network includes 280 sites, which combine for 21mt of storage capacity, as well as seven bulk ports, two packing facilities for grain containerisation

and around 20 grain trains (four company-owned) with more than 5mt of freight capacity. One man sure to be happy with Hockey’s decision is federal senator for NSW, Bill Heffernan, who has campaigned staunchly against ADM’s takeover bid since early in 2013. Heffernan was a driving force in the federal inquiry held earlier this year into the bid – and the inquiry informed the review board in its decision making process. Speaking with Alan Jones in July, Heffernan said: “Here we are worrying about what we’re going to do to wages in Australia and we’re letting the large multinationals just take the revenue overseas to a

low taxing regime and get away from it. “It’s almost time for farmers to march I think. It’s not a reasonable go and this episode now with ADM – there are too many risks involved,” he added. “Farmers don’t want to die the richest people in the cemetery. They just want to hand the farm over to the next generation with the gate swinging and the sheep in good order and that’s the pleasure you get out of life. I’ve noticed Alan, some characters in the corporate farming world; they want to die the richest person in the cemetery. But funny when go to the cemetery and walk along the graves you can’t tell the rich ones from the poor ones.”

GrainCorp’s Red Bend first beneficiary of road fixing scheme I mproved productivity via larger vehicle access to GrainCorp’s Red Bend silos will be the target of $1.9m in funding as part of the NSW state government’s new Fixing Country Roads program. NSW roads and ports minister, Duncan Gay, announced the funds in December last year, saying they would ‘kick start’ the program, which is designed to improve road freight productivity and connectivity in regional NSW. The state government will contribute $1.5m to the project, while the local Forbes Shire Council will support that with $400,000 of its own funding.

GrainCorp’s Red Band silos are a major intermodal terminal for grain, processing on average 60,000t each year from surrounding farms across central western NSW. However, only smaller combinations of heavy vehicles can currently access the site from the nearby Newell Highway, leading to increased trips and running costs. “More movements of grain trucks result in added ‘wear and tear’ on state and council roads, bridges and culverts,” Gay said when he announced the funds. “Providing greater access to modern road trains and Bdoubles helps to reduce this problem.”

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The project funds will complement $800,000 of future works within the silo facility by GrainCorp. Gay said the Fixing Country Roads program is about partnering with local councils and industry to identify important infrastructure upgrades needed on local roads, allowing country communities to be better connected to the state road network. “A strong regional economy equates to a strong NSW economy and we’re committed to supporting regional infrastructure projects that help deliver goods faster and more efficiently to market.”

OVERHEAD GRAIN HANDLING

Efficiency the key to keep Australian grain competitive Rabobank senior analyst, Graydon Chong, says the key focus of the Australian grains industry should be on improving efficiencies along the supply chain, if Australia is to maintain competitiveness in the global market, Oliver Probert writes.

number of improvements can be made to minimise supply chain losses and improve efficiencies, Chong says, including increasing yields, improving road and rail logistics and creating economies of scale. “While we currently hold an advantage into the key Asian market because of our favourable sea freight costs, this is threatened by increasing volumes coming out of low-cost producing nations such as in the Black Sea region,” he says. “To retain this advantage and make headway into new markets, the industry needs to develop a unified strategy that addresses productivity along every stage of the supply chain.” Chong says that if no action is taken to identify and then address the inefficiencies in the grains supply chain, Australia’s competitiveness will be eroded. In his report, Australian Grains – Competitive Strains, he outlines changes that can be made on the farm, in storage, handling, and logistics, and gives an idea of the challenges Australia’s grain industry will face in the future.

On the farm While Chong says Australian producers have been embracing technologies to lower their cost of production, their input and labour costs are amongst the highest in the world. “On a per tonne basis, the variable cost of producing a tonne of wheat in Australia is about US$6 per tonne more than wheat grown in the US,” he says. “And that is not taking into consideration any subsidies. “When you look at emerging competitors in the Black Sea region and South America – countries such as the Ukraine and Argentina –their costs are substantially lower.” Chong says one way Australia can maintain its competitiveness in the grain market is to boost the amount of subsidies made available to Australian producers of grain. He says fewer subsidies for Australian producers – relative to some of the world’s other grain producers – often mean a relatively higher cost of production and higher crop production risks (see figure 1). Production subsidies, Chong argues, “play a significant role in global grain competitiveness.” These subsidies can come in a number of forms, ranging from rebates for fertilizer and crop chemicals to government-backed subsidies on crop insurance premiums. Speaking of fertilizer: the majority of variable cost for wheat production is made up of energy, fertilizer, fuel and crop chemicals, with fertilizer costs often making upwards of 30% of total variable costs. Global urea prices have risen by around 140% in the last decade, far outpacing grain price growth, Chong points out. “Australia imported over 2.7mt of fertilizer in 2011, or over 60% of the amount of fertilizer required for the year,” he says. 62

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The paper’s author, Rabobank senior analyst, Graydon Chong.

“Australia’s position as a large net importer of fertilizers and chemicals from regions such as the Americas, Asia and the Middle East comes with significant freight costs, which contribute to a higher farmgate cost of production for Australian grain growers.” On top of variable costs like fertilizer, labour costs play a large part in the total supply chain costs, the Rabobank report highlights. According to US Department of Agriculture figures, US farm labour costs are between US$9.50 and US$12.70 per hour. Compare that to rates often higher than US$15.00 for farm labour in Australia, and that gives a good indication of where Australia’s higher farmgate production costs are coming from. Chong says increasing farm labour costs in Australia have been exacerbated by strong competition for labour from the mining industry – resulting in an average increase in labour costs of 4.4% per annum over the last decade. By comparison, labour costs in the US have only gone up 2% per annum over that timeframe. One benefit of higher production costs, which does give Australian grain a competitive advantage, however, is the high quality grains Australia produces. “The ability to produce, store, segregate and blend high quality grain is a significant advantage for the Australian export market,” Chong writes. “Quality segregation enables Australian grain exporters to match niche demand with supply, providing the ability to tailor export cargoes to meet the desired specifications demanded by end users.” Chong says Australian grain producers will need to maintain these high quality standards while continuing to adopt best-practice to minimise costs of production if they are to remain competitive in the global market. “Increased competition from low-cost producers is changing the global grain export landscape, as key producing nations invest in improved farm practices, as well as improving their yields and their supply chain.” Significantly lower yields (in tonnes harvested per hectare) also restrict Australia’s wheat cost of production versus other major exporters.

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GRAIN HANDLING

Figure 1: Australia is among the most expensive places to produce grain (compared to other major grain producing nations), but it is among the cheapest places to transport that grain to port. Rabobank’s report says the industry should work on reducing the cost of production, while also maintaining a low cost of transport through investment in both road and rail infrastructure.

The national average wheat yield in Australia over the past 10 years is just 1.7t/ha – significantly lower than all other major producers, especially those countries in the emerging Black Sea region (i.e. Ukraine, where yields are 2.8t/ha).

Storage, handling and logistics Improved efficiencies are required not only on the farm but right across the supply chain – from domestic storage, handling and logistics right through to the export logistics, sea freight and asset utilisation – Chong says. “Given the vast distance that grain travels to port, there is much that can be done in the more immediate term to reduce ‘slippages’, which are the inefficiencies stemming from suboptimal operations – such as, weight and speed restrictions on poorly maintained rail infrastructures or unnecessary multiple port loadings for bulk export cargoes.” Slippages can quickly erode margins in an industry like grain handling, Chong says. “For example, while Australia holds a sea freight advantage into Asia, it can be as little as US$10 to US$15 per tonne – which can be lost if there are additional supply chain costs,” he says.

Figure 2: Low average yield rates hurt Australia’s production volumes, but can result in higher quality products.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Cost slippages, put simply, are inefficiencies which result from sub-optimal operations, such as weight and speed restrictions on poorly-maintained rail infrastructure or unnecessary multiple port loadings for bulk export cargoes, Chong details. This is a key aspect of Australia’s global competitiveness in the grain market, as the average tonne of grain in Australia travels over 300km before it is loaded onto a vessel. “Given the vast distances involved, the mode of transport and the associated costs become critically important to overall cost competitiveness.” Chong joins an ever-growing group of experts advocating the use of rail over road for long-distance freight transport. He estimates that a tonne of grain costs 13c to move, per kilometre, when moved by road – roughly 30% more than if it’s moved by rail. As a case study, to fill a 60,000 tonne Panamax vessel takes 1500 truckloads of grain (at roughly 40t per truckload), at a cost of 13c per tonne, per kilometre. If the grain is travelling 250km to get to the port, it essentially costs $1.95m to move that grain to the port. In contrast, to move that 60,000 tonnes of grain to the port by rail – which rates at around 9c per tonne, per kilometre – would cost just $1.35m. That’s a saving of $600,000, or $10/t. “The economies of scale offered by rail logistics undoubtedly limit handling slippage in the supply chain,” Chong says. However, it’s not as easy as just flicking a switch and shifting all grain transport to rail, he stipulates: “Grain movement exclusively by rail isn’t always the most cost efficient or practical form of transport in Australia … For instance, in areas where there are large distances between rail infrastructure and storage facilities, it is often more economically viable to utilise road transport rather than move the grain to the nearest rail terminal.” Road transport can also be more cost-efficient for grain travelling a short distance. But more should be done, Chong argues, to make sure grain is moved to port in the most optimal way. “The challenge for the Australian grains industry and government longer term is determining the optimal level of infrastructure investment required to maximise efficiencies in grain logistics,” he says. “Competitors such as Brazil are already investing heavily in infrastructure to help relieve some of the logistical bottlenecks in grain supply chains and increase efficiency and competitiveness.” As a result of this action by competitors, Australia’s grain industry needs to focus on maximising economies of scale and using the right mix of road and rail infrastructure, and needs to invest in that infrastructure, he concludes.

The future The Black Sea region is expected to be a particular source of increased competition for Australia’s grain industry in the future. “The dramatic increase in exports we are seeing come out of the Black Sea region is changing global trade dynamics. While we have seen it displace Australian wheat into markets throughout the Middle East and North Africa, it has the potential to take market share in Asia.” With 70% of Australian wheat exports currently destined for the Asian market, Chong says, remaining cost competitive will be critical to maintaining market share. “Building strategic alliances with end users and reinforcing the quality and reliability of Australian wheat exports will be important, but most important will be the reduction of costs throughout the supply chain,” he says “If managed correctly, this has the potential to increase returns to participants along all parts of the supply chain and strengthen Australia’s position as a key supplier of wheat into Asia and other key markets.” Contact: www.rabobank.com

CEMENT HANDLING

Cement manufacturer automates material storage facility Belgian cement manufacturer CBR has automated the raw material store at its Lixhe plant and has built its new operation around a Demag warehouse management system.

emag, a subsidiary of Terex Material Handling, worked with CBR – itself a subsidiary of the Heidelberg Cement Group – to create the new system, which also includes a Demag process crane with a load capacity of 9t. Lutz Dowy, Terex Material Handling’s vice president of sales and product management, took ABHR through the development of the automation process. “We modernised the store operated in Lixhe by CBR with a strong solution based on rugged crane systems and smart control modules,” Dowy said. “The result will ensure a continuous material flow thanks to consistently high handling rates.” Heidelberg Cement looked to address three clear goals with the project: increased productivity, sustainable improvement in process reliability and a higher level of occupational health and safety. To meet these requirements, a fully automated crane was installed and a warehouse management system was implemented in the existing store.

About the plant The Lixhe plant is one of the oldest locations operated by the cement manufacturer. With an annual capacity of some 1.4mt of clinker and 1.5mt of cement, CBR’s plant in south-east Belgium is the largest cement works in the Benelux countries. Besides the calcareous sand which is quarried locally, three grades of coal as well as ferric oxide are kept in the raw material store at the plant. The storage area measures 86x24m in size and has five compartments that are divided into eight storage zones. Since the store is served by a bridge crane, the owner benefits from full utilisation of the available space, as the crane can reach virtually any point in the store. This work was previously performed by a manually operated 9t overhead travelling crane. Bertouil Hugues, who is responsible for maintenance at the Lixhe plant, explains: “The old crane installation had to be replaced because the electric equipment no longer met current standards

Automated Demag 9t process crane and Demag warehouse management system.

and the structural design of the crane had to be revised. The crane also needed to be used in continuous 24/7 operation. This was no longer economically feasible with a manually controlled crane.”

Rugged crane systems for continuous 24/7 operation An automated Demag double-girder overhead travelling crane that is equipped with a 3.2m³ powered Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

CEMENT HANDLING

clamshell grab is now used for handling the raw materials. Like its predecessor, the process crane has a span of 24m and a load capacity of 9 tonnes. The crane’s components are designed for continuous operation in the harsh environment. Efficient operation of the crane is also supported by high speeds (long-travel motions at 100m/min, load dependent lifting motions up to 90m/min) and integrated load-sway damping. The crane installation is primarily used for clearing the tipping pit and for filling the chutes with the required blend of materials, which is ensured by crane weighing devices.

Continuous measurement of fill levels by scanners The blend and order in which the material is added is controlled by the Demag warehouse management system, which controls the feed schedule to the kilns and facilitates transparent inventory management. Scanner systems were installed on the crane installation to measure the height of the aggregates. The scanners fitted below the crane bridge continuously track the height contours of the

stored bulk material each time the crane travels over it. The software in the crane control centre uses the information to determine a constantly updated height profile and visualises the fill levels in all storage areas, including the minimum and maximum values. In addition, the control centre shows the current status of the crane with all relevant status messages. Customer-specific storage strategies can be added via the user-friendly interface at any time. Some six months after the installation entered service, Bertouil Hugues made an initial assessment: “The automation of the processes has enabled us to boost the efficiency of our raw material store. Besides the higher handling rates provided by the crane system, its continuous operation without the need for any breaks has also contributed to the result. In addition, we have considerably enhanced the stability of our processes and further improved the safety of the working environment for our employees.” Contact: www.demag.com.au

NEWS

Abbot Pt dredging approval sparks environmental debate Federal minister for the environment, Greg Hunt, has approved the capital dredging program for the three new proposed coal terminals at the Port of Abbot Point in Queensland. Oliver Probert reports, with additional reportage from ABHR’s sister publication, Lloyd’s List Australia.

Abbot Point will soon be the site of more coal export terminals thanks to the new dredging approval.

he dredging approval, which opens the door for work to begin on the long-term development of extra coal loading facilities at Abbot Point, was announced alongside the approval of the Adani T0 project, also at the Queensland port, in December last year. Adani’s project would see the construction of a coal terminal at one of the three dredging sites.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Also approved were a pair of projects by gas giant Arrow Energy on Curtis Island, in Gladstone, to build an LNG facility and gas transmission pipeline. The approval of the dredging projects limits the amount of dredged material to just 3m cubic metres of sediment per annum – significantly lower than the proposed 38m cubic metre limit proposed by the previous Labor government.

The public response to the decision to allow dredging was mostly negative. A strong social media outcry was led by activist group, GetUp!, which shared this image on its Facebook page.

Other conditions imposed under the approvals include water quality requirements,

NEWS

$89m of imposed contributions to the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef, and measures for the protection of marine species in the region. But despite imposing what he called “some of the strictest conditions in Australian history” on the projects, the raft of approvals announced by Hunt have infuriated environmental bodies, who have suggested that the moves place the already struggling reef under further threat. “The Abbott government is doing exactly what the World Heritage Committee told us not to do,” Greens senator, Larissa Waters, told ABC radio on the morning following Hunt’s decision. Australian Marine Conservation Society marine ecologist, Dr Liss Schindler, told the Australian Associated Press she thinks the Australian government does not have its priorities in line with the people. “This is something the government could have stopped by simply saying no,” Schindler was reported to have said. “The state and federal governments have both made it very clear where their priorities lie regarding the Barrier Reef, but the Australian people feel very strongly about its protection.” GetUp!, a not-for-profit community advocacy group, which says it “aims to build a more progressive Australia,” is rallying its followers to write to the environmental minister via a campaign on its website and on social media. “The pressure [Hunt] has been facing is huge,” GetUp! says on its website. “Gina Rinehart, Clive Palmer and Indian magnates Guatam Adani and GVK Reddy all have plans to develop mega-mines in the Galilee Basin. They were counting on Minister Hunt – but so were we.” The initial post made on Facebook by the organisation was shared by nearly 11,000 of its followers within the first 24 hours following its posting. Despite the response from environmental groups, Hunt says his decision to approve the dredging projects is significantly better for the local environment than any alternatives. “We are drawing a line in the sand,” Hunt said yesterday. “Today I am announcing new plans to protect the long-term future of the Great Barrier Reef. “I have advised the Queensland Government that it is my intention that the first priority for all future capital dredging projects within the Central and North Queensland coastal zone will be for shoreline, near to shore or land reclamation disposal. “The conditions I have put in place for these projects will result in an improvement in water quality and strengthen the Australian Government’s approach to meeting the challenges confronting the Reef into the future.”

Federal minister for the environment, Greg Hunt, who approved the dredging.

A wide range of environmentallyrelated conditions have been attached to the proposal approved by Hunt. These include measures to limit the effects of underwater noise on protected types of turtles, dolphins, dugongs and whales by stopping construction if any members of these species are sighted in a given area. Other measures include requiring Adani, as port operator, to develop a marine and shipping management plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef and its environment along with a variety of listed marine species and their habitats. Several requirements key to the shipping industry will be imposed on Adani, including a 10kt speed limit, a mechanism to implement best practice for ship loading, and water ballast management measures. Other measures to protect the marine environment include a 150% net benefit requirement for water quality, achieved by a proposed long-term net reduction of fine sediments entering the Marine Park from land-based sources. Welcoming the announcements was Queensland Resources Council chief executive, Michael Roche, who congratulated Hunt. “The staged dredging of a commercial trading port 40km from the Great Barrier Reef has been painted by fossil-fuel opponents as the end of a global icon,” Roche said. “Minister Hunt’s decision confirms what we have known for the past 38 years of industry co-existence with the reef. We have the wherewithal in Australia to protect world heritage and environmental values because we have a standard of living that affords us such choices.” Roche argued that the trading ports working alongside the Great Barrier Reef are responsible for the export of commodities worth $40bn a year to the Australian economy. “North Queenslanders are also looking to them to play a bigger role in supporting inbound tourism, particularly the cruise ship industry,” he added. “The alternative proposal from environmental activists is to shut down

Greens senator, Larissa Waters, has been strongly opposed to the dredging.

shipping along 80% of the eastern Queensland coastline, effectively hanging almost 1m people out to dry. “The conditions set out today for both projects by Minister Hunt show the Federal government is serious about protecting the outstanding universal values of the Great Barrier Reef and he can be assured of the continuing cooperation of industry stakeholders of meeting environmental and community expectations,” Roche said. Greens senator, Larissa Waters, who holds her seat in Queensland and is a former environmental lawyer, condemned the announcement, however. “The Abbott government has sacrificed the climate and the Great Barrier Reef for overseas mining companies with its approval [last night] of the world’s largest coal port and another CSG plant in our Great Barrier Reef,” Waters said in an immediately released statement. She continued the next day in the senate. “I rise with great sadness to talk about the fate of the Great Barrier Reef after the so-called minister for the environment last night approved the world’s biggest coal port at Abbot Point in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area,” she said. “I think it is a crime to prioritise the private profits of offshore mining companies ahead of the beauty of the reef and ahead of those 63,000 Australians who need that reef for their livelihoods and for their families’ livelihoods.” Waters said she shares the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s concerns – that the dredging approval will see the reef moved to the World Heritage Convention’s list of sites in danger, an event that could, eventually, see its removal from the Convention’s list altogether. “We know what a blow a World Heritage in danger listing would be to our tourism sector and we know it would recognise the peril that the reef is in,” Waters said. “Why is this government courting that outcome? Why is it daring the UN to downgrade the reef’s status to World Heritage in danger?” Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

CONVEYORS

Trucks vs. pocket belt conveyors Currently, trucking is the most common method used for moving ore and overburden from a deep pit to a crushing plant at the surface in open pit mining. But Saviz Nekoufar, who finished his postgraduate study in Engineering Management at the Queensland University of Technology in 2009, says pocket belt conveying could be the way to go for a large portion of operations.

he transportation of product from the bottom of a pit can be one of the most challenging operational tasks in open pit mining. The main determinants of finding the most suitable bulk material handling method in open pit mining are cost, safety and time. By weighing up these factors, operators can decide between the two key methods of moving material from the bottom of an open pit, to the surface: haul trucks and pocket belt conveyors. In order to perform a comparison between trucks and a pocket bell conveyor, I assume an open pit mine 200m deep and transport capacity of 2500 t/hr of ore from bottom of the mine to surface. By using an example truck carrying a 180 tonne load and engine power of 1500kw, the technical comparison will be as belows:

Haul trucks • 14 trucks with 180t load • Together are able to transport 2500tph from the bottom of the pit to the surface • Each truck weighs 150t unloaded • Fuel consumption is 250L/h for each truck, with a total cost of $5180/h

Pocket belt conveyor • • • •

Capacity of 2500tph from pit to surface Belt speed of 3m/s Belt width of 1500mm Power consumption of 1500kW (calculated by performing power calculation for conveyor belt) • Electricity price of 0.3 kWhr is $450/h While truck manufacturing companies do not welcome this idea and comparison, by performing an economic comparison between these two means of transportation, we find the pocket belt cost is $450 per hour, and haul truck cost is $5180 per hour, in terms of energy costs alone.

Other advantages of utilizing pocket belt conveyors: • Lower initial capital investment – pocket belt conveyor would cost around $500,000, while 14 trucks would cost in the region of $1.2m each, totalling just under $17m in capital investment for this operation. • Less operational personnel – unless automation is used, 14 personnel are needed for the haul truck operation, while generally only two are needed to operate the pocket belt. • Reduction in energy consumption has an environmental benefit. • More safety for operational crew and reduced safety costs. • Eliminating cost for building roads and trucks maintenance.

Disadvantages of haul truck material handling system: • Diesel efficiency is around 45%, compared to drive unit efficiency, which is around 92%. • Trucks have to carry the weight of their own body. • Diesel engine efficiency reduces as altitude increases. • Using trucks on mine roads, especially at night, requires strict safety and human resource practices. 68

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

The use of haul trucks is currently the most common method of getting product out of an open pit mine. But engineer Saviz Nekoufar says pocket belt conveyors could be a better way of doing things.

Recognising the advantages of pocket belt conveyors is not enough, however. To truly realize the full potential of this method, the following considerations must still be made: 1. If the conveyor is installed vertically, the structure of the pocket belt needs to be supported from side walls, from the top and also anchored to a concrete wall. However, usually these pocket belts will be installed at an inclined direction in most mines. 2. The structure and conveyor should be designed in a manner that is capable of extending from the bottom of the pit in preparation for the time that the mine goes deeper. 3. The length of vertical take-up should be long enough to compensate for extending the conveyor length, when the mine gets deeper. 4. It is better to have at least two pocket belt conveyors instead of a single one. In case of any extension of length or other maintenance, the other conveyor belt could do the job. 5. Length of horizontal section of the conveyor on the ground and inside the pit is also flexible and could extend to any length, which is another advantage.

Conclusion Utilising pocket belt conveyors as a means of material handling in open pit mining is a strong option compared to trucks. Pocket belt conveyors have advantages that mine operation companies may want to consider: 1. Reduced operational cost compared to trucks 2. Increased safety 3. Reduced initial capital outlay 4. Lower maintenance cost for pocket belt 5. Ease of operation 6. Better manageability Contact: saviz.nekoufar@gmail.com

ADVERTISERS INDEX

Advertisers Index Advertiser Page

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Atlas Copco Compressors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

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Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling . . . 45

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TUNRA Bulk Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Bulk Handling Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Kockums Bulk Systems . . . . . . . . (OFC) 1, 53

Veyance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

RED SAND

WA’s red sand could be put to use in roads A research team from Curtin University may have helped find a use for part of the residue left over from alumina production.

urtin’s Sustainable Engineering Group (SEG) works to promote the uptake of sustainable engineering research and practices in WA, and says it may have helped find a way to use red sand in the construction of roads. Mining and refining company, Alcoa, produces roughly 48,000 tonnes of red sand bauxite residue every day, as a by-product of alumina production at its three WA refineries. The residue is made up of 30,000 tonnes of red mud and 18,000 tonnes of a coarser sand fraction. Red sand is produced from the sand fraction of the bauxite residue. For a long time, the residue sand was simply considered a useless by-product. But in 2010, Alcoa approached the SEG with the aim of assessing a more efficient solution. “We were approached by Alcoa to conduct this research project,” Dr Wahidul Biswas tells ABHR. “They wanted to assess the sustainability of the use of red sand for construction purposes.” Biswas is the SEG’s senior lecturer. He says red sand can be used to replace virgin sand and limestone, which are typically used in the layers below bitumen during the construction of public roads. “The trial showed that red sand gives the same performance as other conventional construction materials,” he says. Using red sand in road construction would significantly reduce the need for quarries to extract virgin sand or limestone, resulting in the conservation of land, a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and substantial financial savings, the SEG believes. Specifically, the group estimates the use of 600,000 tonnes of red sand per year, over a 35 year period, would result in around 66,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions being avoided. Around 407 hectare of land would also be conserved, the SEG estimates, and it could also save the construction industry $18m over that time. As well as its suitability for road construction, the SEG assessed the sustainability of red sand being used as top dressing in a variety of circumstances, including golf courses, parks, playgrounds and sports fields. “Red sand is a good soil conditioner, and it can help retain phosphorus, which can save money by reducing the amount

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2014

Trials of red sand for use in road construction.

of lost phosphorus,” Biswas explains. “If the red sand is used, and is replacing virgin sand for soil amendment purposes… phosphorus can be retained, and dollars can be saved.” WA’s Department of Main Roads has conducted successful trials of red sand on a section of Greenlands Road, which connects the Forrest Highway to the South Western Highway at Pinjarra, 80kms south of Perth. There, trials have shown that it takes

Dr Wahidul Biswas is the senior lecturer at Curtin University’s Sustainable Engineering Group, which conducted the research.

around 1680 m3 of red sand per km to build a road of Greenland Road’s dimensions. Contact: W.Biswas@curtin.edu.au

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