TBK Group’s wide bulk handling expertise includes conveying systems

The TBK Group of companies offers great expertise in the bulk handling market. The group’s experience ranges across many different sectors, from mining and heavy industry to the feed and food industries. It delivers practical, innovative and sustainable solutions which minimize waste, pollution and dust emissions, and that convert waste streams into new, valuable raw materials.

The group’s four divisions specialize in different angles of bulk handling, as detailed below.

DCP BENELUX

Sustainable customized solutions for industrial dust extraction such as filters, complete dedusting installations and central vacuum cleaning systems (CVC), including the possibility of undertaking the entire process, from engineering to commissioning. For more information, please see ‘Managing dust emissions with DCP Benelux’ on p119 of this issue.

IFE BENELUX

IFE Benelux offers customized solutions for conveying, screening, separating and reusing bulk goods and waste streams for both the bulk material processing industry and the recycling industry.

Conveying and separation solutions as offered:

Customized vibratory feeders, sieve shakers, magnetic separators and recycling machines.

TBK SPILLAGE CONTROL

TBK Spillage Control has 65 years of experience in optimizing conveyor systems. Equipment and solutions as offered are based on conveyor belt systems optimization, more specifically on keeping the conveyor belt clean and on the right track, preventing spillage and airborne dust around transfer points and controlling dust nuisance near transfer points. Product solutions are offered within several brand names: CenTrax, DusTek, ImpTek, ProTek, SealTek, Spill-Ex, StarClean, Shock-Blower. Keeping a conveyor belt clean and on v the right track: the two biggest problems with conveyor belts are carry back and mistracking. They cause unnecessary material waste, damage, excessive wear, high clean-up costs, unplanned downtime and an unhealthy and unsafe working environment. The CenTrax and StarClean are ideal in this role.

Preventing spillage and airborne dust v around transfer points: transfer points are an essential component for clean, safe and trouble-free conveyor belt transport. However, they are also a source of spillage, wear and airborne dust. With TBK Spillage Control’s Clean Transfer point Technology — products developed in-house — customers are guaranteed lowspillage, low-dust and low-maintenance transfer points. CenTrax, ImpTek, ProTek and SealTek are excellent solutions.

Controlling dust nuisance near v transfer points: when bulk material flow through a transfer point, the material stream brings air along with it. This airflow collects fine particles from the material stream, creating dust. The overpressure created during loading the belt blows this dust through every opening. Controlling the airflow reduces the amount of dust, and gives the airborne dust time to settle before the material stream leave the transfer point. In this situation, DusTek, ImpTek and SealTek are ideal.

Tbk Services

TBK Services supports the three business units; DCP Benelux, IFE Benelux and TBK Spillage Control and focuses on installation, inspection, measurements and maintenance such as assembling and maintaining on-site its equipment and its conveyor belt components.

Assembly: TBK Services assembles v the equipment and components supplied by its three units. Its professionals are at home in many industry sectors, from mining to the fine food industry, and from bulk handling to recycling.

Inspections and audits: TBK Services v carries out audits and inspects the performance of conveyor components, transfer points and dust filters. It analyses the causes of contamination and mistracking, and carries out system and dust emission measurements. It puts forward concrete proposals for sustainable improvements.

Maintenance: engineers carry out v preventive or corrective maintenance, based on findings from the inspection report. This includes cleaning, replacing parts and, if necessary, repairing, adjusting and fine-tuning. TBK Services records all activities in a maintenance report.

About The Tbk Group

Commodities handled by the TBK Group include all sorts of bulk materials across many different sectors; from mining and heavy industry to the feed and food industries. These include: coal, ore, concrete, sand, household waste, compost, milk powder, bakery products, seeds and cocoa.

Because TBK Group has multiple divisions, it is able to meet a broad demand. The group has supplied its services to a wide range of clients, many of which cannot be revealed due to confidentiality requirements. Those that can be mentioned include:

ArcelorMittal, the second largest v producer of steel in the world — another (unnamed) huge producer of steel is also a major client.

Hoving Holland, a company based in v the Netherlands that designs and produces custom-built machines and entire installations for mushroom culture and waste management. There are also many other waste management companies that are part of TBK Group’s customer base. Sand and gravel sector. v Storage and transshipment sector v

TBK Group is able to stay competitive in the market through: combined product knowledge for v optimized solutions; customization: standard products can v be customized for the specific situation; competitive knowledge; v improving existing products and v developing new products; and optimizing requested products in v tenders by advising the customer of the best solution.

Technical Developments

In terms of recent developments, TBK Spillage Control has developed an extraction unit, called DusTek. This extraction unit is specially designed for installation on a conveyor belt transfer point, with the option to connect standardized extraction units together for maximum flexibility in filtration surface and extraction flow rate. The extraction units can be supplied with or without a filter housing as desired. They are accessible for maintenance via the side of the overflow cabinet and the extraction units are available in accordance with ATEX 114 (directive 2014/34EU) for use in zone 22.

DusTek extraction unit

During loading of the belt, air is both displaced and simultaneously induced. Most transfer points are not properly designed for this. As a result, the air speed in the transfer point increases considerably, and the resulting ‘storm’ picks up fine particles from the material stream. This creates enormous amounts of dust. The airborne dust is blown out through all available openings, with all the associated consequences.

The DusTek dust control programme focuses on reducing and controlling the air velocity within the transfer point. This is done by using an active (extraction) and a passive method. In practice, it is often a combination of both methods.

The DusTek extraction unit offers the following advantages:

TBK Spillage Control’s knowledge v and experience of both conveyor belt and dust control technology. The division has years of practical experience in both conveyor belt systems and dedusting systems. Based on this expertise, its people are able to assess, reduce and control the volume of air that passes through a conveyor belt transfer point.

Special spot filter for the transfer v point: this is specially designed for installation at a conveyor belt transfer point. Thanks to its integrated reverse jet cleaning system, the filter can operate 24 hours per day without interruption. The modular construction of the filter allows maximum flexibility in set-up, filtration area and suction flow rate. The filter is equipped with convenient 700 or 1,000mm-long filter elements. These can easily be replaced from the side of the transfer point. Naturally, DusTek can be built in compliance with ATEX 114 (directive 2014/34EU) for use in zone 22.

A combination of active and passive v dust control: passive dust control measures limit the amount of air that is induced along with the material flow during loading and reduce the air velocity in the transfer point. As a result, a relatively small spot filter is sufficient to reduce the air velocity further to below the critical value. In addition, the transfer point must be provided with an effective seal and the impact zone must be sufficiently supported. Sufficient length of the transfer point is important to ensure that the remaining amount of swirling dust can settle on the material stream.

Currently TBK Group is working on another technological development but it’s still too early in the process to reveal anything about this now. More information will follow in the near future.

Company Background

Since 1956, TBK Group has been providing innovative solutions for companies in the mineral processing, mining, (animal) food bulk handling and recycling industries. Worldwide, it offers customers total solutions to the many complex problems they encounter during transport, sieving, separation, crushing, grinding and storage of bulk goods.

Wijnand van de Vendel and Bart Kelderman worked together as managing director shareholders at TBK Group for many years, until Kelderman unfortunately had to step back from the company due to health reasons. In May 2022, Kelderman was succeeded by Stan Egging, the current co-director-shareholder.

In April 2023 TBK Group entered its next phase following the appointment of a new management team and with the participation of investment company Anders Invest. Of this development, Egging said: “Anders Invest is a participant that enables us to grow into the player that we are. They also have a preference for the manufacturing industry. We attracted this investment company because of their good growth strategy, which certainly does not include an exit strategy. The participation is an additional opportunity for us to realize the desired expansion also for international markets. This powerful party can now take that step more quickly.”

As in previous years, the new management team will continue at the helm, leading a superb team of technical specialists, mechanics and engineers, who operate at the highest technical level thanks to regular training and courses, which enable them to produce exemplary work within a flat organization.

TBK Group now has more than ten partners worldwide. This includes Europe, Australia, Africa, Canada and America. This means that its products can be used worldwide. Therefore, the company continues to expand its partnerships.

IFE Benelux recently became a dealer of Lubas, leader in the production of polyurethane elastomers which offers a wide range of products used for the transportation of bulk material on conveyor belts such as Polyurethane (PU) screen covers and wear cladding. Due to this dealership it’s possible to supply complete sieving solutions from now on.