Bulk Handling Review Mar-April 2017

 Conveyors, belt

scrapers, ancillaries  Grain handling  Container tippling www.bulkhandlingreview.com Volume 22 No 2 | March/April 2017

CPS Conveyor Products & Solutions Australia's leading conveyor roller manufacturer adds FRAS composite rollers to their range

Your specialist partner for the manufacture and supply of heavy duty conveyor components.

Idlers | Pulleys | Belt Cleaners | Conveyor Belting For more information please call 1300 70 70 67 C3, 20 Tarlton Crescent, Perth Airport, Western Australia, 6105 info@lorbrand.com.au | www.lorbrand.com.au

CONTENTS

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EDITOR Charles Macdonald Tel: 02 9080 4443 Email: charles.macdonald@mohimedia.com ADVERTISING SALES Patrick Roberts Level 18, 347 Kent St, Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: +61 2 9080 4015 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622 Email: patrick.roberts@mohimedia.com PEER REVIEW Ronda McCallum Tel: +61 2 9080 4354 Email: ronda.mccallum@mohimedia.com

contents

MARCH/APRIL 2017

6 Mohi Media is new owner of ABHR

42 Soto says advances in DEM boost analysis capabilities

PRODUCTION MANAGER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER

8 Pelletising plant uses Kason circular fluid bed dryers

44 Rockwell to the fore at Internet of Things conference

Magazines byDesign - Linda Gunek Tel: +61 2 8883 5890 Email: production@bydesigngraphics.com.au

CONTAINER TIPPLING

FOR SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES Patrick Roberts Tel: +61 2 9080 4015 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622 Email: patrick.roberts@mohimedia.com

45 Flexicon’s sanitary high lift box tipper

12 Ray Lee of Portside Solutions on containerised bulk 14 Qube’s Rotabox at Galaxy Resources’ Mt Cattlin 16 CRS supplies system to Taiwan 18 Steinert, Hazemag & Allmineral combine in Australia 19 Loren Neil Peterson, Vortex founder, dies CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS, ANCILLARIES

Ronda McCallum Email: ronda.mccallum@mohimedia.com Tel: +61 2 9080 4354

20 Trials and commercialisation for Smart-Idler 24 Cover story: CPS’ FRAS composite roller 27 Kinder Australia’s K-Conlock Clamp System

AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING REVIEW (ABHR) is published 7 times a year by Mohi Media Pty Ltd ACN: 611591210 ABN: 436111591210 PO Box 455 Rozelle, NSW 2039

48 Siemens modernises drive system for Chilean ore mills 49 Pfisterer’s hybrid diesel/renewable micro-grid GRAIN HANDLING 50 Rabobank says ‘world awash with wheat’

PLEASE SEND ADVERTISING MATERIAL TO

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Michael Mohi Email: michael.mohi@mohimedia.com

46 Case study: Flexicon’s pneumatic conveying of silicon powder for batteries

50 ABARES on bumper winter crop 51 Brisk business for Quattro since formation 52 GrainCorp breaks harvest records

28 Flexco on mechanical splicing vs vulcanising

54 Newcastle Agri Terminal boss upbeat

32 CPS lauds its polyurethane rollers

56 Mega trains equate to grower savings

33 Martin Engineering now manufacturing CleanScrape

57 Gangbuster harvest sees CBH smash records

34 CoBond disrupting conveyor repair kit market

58 RAM Spreaders on containerised grain

36 MLT preaching benefits of its splice solutions

60 Kotzur’s new maintenance business

37 Minprovise to supply primary crusher for Silvergrass

62 Tubeveyor helps ARTC deliver first ‘direct from farm’ loading

38 Bumper $140m contract for Takraf in Africa

61 FLSmidth wins EPC contract for Brazilian mine

38 MaxiTrans’ new boss

64 Concetti bagging line for silica powder

39 NSW sales manager for Bonfiglioli

65 Brendon Grylls burnt by mining lobby

40 Metso to spend a million on Tomago service facility

66 Mobile conveying & transhipping: Green Coast Resources and Metro Mining direct ship bauxite

41 Enerpac’s self-propelled modular transporter ISSN 1444-6308 Circulaton: 5,263

(audit period ending September 2015) Member Circulation Audit Bureau (Australia)



Conveyors, belt scrapers, ancillaries



Grain handling



Container tippling

ABOUT THE COVER

www.bulkhandlingreview.com

Copyright © 2017 Mohi Media 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.

Volume 22 No 2 | March/April 2017

Conveyor Products & Solutions (CPS) adds FRAS composite rollers to its range After exhaustive research and development, CPS, in late 2016, finalised development of the first non-metallic conveyor roller to satisfy all of the mandatory tests within clause 3.4 of MDG3608.

CPS Conveyor Products & Solutions Australia's leading conveyor roller manufacturer adds FRAS composite rollers to their range

This means that underground coal mines can now enjoy the benefits of CPS’ composite rollers, such as low weight and noise, longer life and lower cost of failure.

CPS’ new roller is being marketed as High Tensile Composite or HTC. It features an innovative composite shell manufactured from a conductive thermoset resin with glass fibre reinforcement.

For the full story and details of CPS’ R&D, see page 24.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

3

EDITORIAL

Keeping the arteries flowing Conveyors serve as the arteries and veins of most bulk handling sites. When they function efficiently, the site is healthy and happy. When they block or under-perform, the site sickens.

This edition’s conveying feature covers several initiatives which

By Charles Macdonald should have conveyors, and sites, in Editor – ABHR rude good health.

The Smart-Idler, which ABHR has followed closely for three years, is ready for commercial roll-out. The clever technology sees tiny sensors fitted inside conveyor rollers. The sensors wirelessly transmit warnings of impending failure, potentially avoiding a catastrophic breakdown for a conveyor.

Recent tests at Port Hedland have fine-tuned the device’s design, ruggedising it to harsh real world conditions.

Able to be inserted into any roller, Vayeron, the small OEM behind the invention, is forging close relationships with roller builders such as CPS, Nepean, Van Gorp and Lorbrand.

All that remains is for the BHPs, Rios, and FMGs to spec the device into their rollers of choice.

In a breakthrough for the underground coal sector, Conveyor Products and Solutions (CPS) is introducing its High Tensile Composite roller. This is the first non-metallic roller to satisfy stringent mine safety requirements around underground operation. It promises lower weight and noise, longer life and a lower cost of ownership.

Joining or repairing damaged belts can be a headache for sites.

There are drawbacks around traditional techniques, particularly

hot vulcanising, which needs specialist staff, high pressures and heat, and lots of time.

Into the breach are stepping innovators with cheaper and more efficient solutions.

For example, CoBond Material Solutions says it is “disrupting” the conveyor repair kit market with its Qik Fix polyurethane repair kit. First developed to repair drag racing tracks, CoBond says the product is fast curing with no sagging or slumping on inclines up to 50 degrees.

Another player with an innovative solution is Minet Lacing Technology (MLT). Its Super-Screw is a flexible rubber splice that can be installed by on-site personnel as and when required, in any weather conditions.

The conveyor feature starts on page 20.

A new era for ABHR As you may have noticed, the magazine has a new owner with Mohi Media buying the business from London conglomerate, Informa.

I’m delighted with the change. Informa has been a good proprietor but it is increasingly focussed on the US – where it has just completed a $2.1 billion acquisition – and has made the strategic decision to exit publishing.

Instead, ABHR is back in the hands of someone with publishing imprinted deep in their DNA. Michael Mohi is a 45year veteran of the media, magazine and printing industries.

He has some exciting plans for ABHR and sister title Rail Express, which he has also acquired. The future is very bright for both publications.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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NEWS

New owner for ABHR The leading magazine title in the bulk handling industry, Australian Bulk Handling Review has a new owner, Mohi Media.

A

nnouncing the sale, Informa Publishing Director, Peter Attwater, said the company had decided to concentrate on other core areas of its business as opposed to trade publishing.

“It has been a great pleasure to have ABHR in our stable for the past 10 years and I am delighted that the magazine and all the staff have found a new home with Mohi Media,” he said.

“I am sure it will continue to produce its high standard of content and I wish the whole ABHR team all the best,” he added.

Mohi Media is a local, specialist publishing company. The business’ principal, Michael Mohi, is an experienced media executive with an extensive background in television, publishing and printing.

Michael has a long association with ABHR. For 10 years, as Sales Manager for printing company Spotpress, he handled the magazine’s printing and production.

For the last six months, he worked closely with the ABHR team and Informa management during the magazine’s transition of ownership.

“I’ve been close to ABHR for many years,” explained Michael.

“I’m very confident that the publication will grow over the next few years and I am currently developing new ideas with the team

6

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

(Left to right) Longstanding ABHR editor Charles Macdonald; Rail Express editor Oliver Probert; the new owner – Michael Mohi of Mohi Media; Ronda McCallum, editor of Bulk Handling Equipment & Services Guide; Patrick Roberts, national sales manager for ABHR; Peter Attwater, publishing director of old owner Informa; Margaret Shannon, sales executive, ABHR.

to build upon what is a very well established and important industry product.”

Michael, a Kiwi, has 45 years’ media experience. He worked as a radio and television journalist and current affairs producer with the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation and Television New Zealand. Crossing the Tasman Michael joined TCN Nine as a director and amongst other duties was responsible for the Network’s promotion of World Series Cricket.

In the 1980s he formed his own publishing business, successfully launching a raft of national magazines in Australia. He launched Countdown magazine with the ABC, the title becoming Australia’s biggest circulating youth music lifestyle magazine with a circulation of over 100,000 copies.

Mohi Media has also acquired Rail Express, a sister title to ABHR, from Informa.

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DRYING & PELLETISING

Plant's pelletising systems rely on circular fluid bed dryers US-company Mars Mineral designs and builds turnkey systems to convert a wide range of bulk powder materials into spherical pellets. To develop the pelletising process for a customer, the company offers research and testing services, including the pilot pelletising line at the company’s 4180 sq m production facility in Mars, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.

On the pilot pelletising line, pellets are dried in a 750 mm diameter, two-stage circular fluidized bed dryer. Moist pellets are conveyed into the top of the unit. Dried pellets exit from the bottom. The heater is shown at rear.

A

critical part of the pelletising process is drying the pellets without altering their size, shape or properties. To provide effective drying with maximum design flexibility, Mars Mineral says it specifies a Kason 750 mm diameter Vibro-Bed circular fluid bed dryer for its pilot-scale pelletising line used for process development.

The circular fluid bed dryer is gentle enough to handle the most delicate pellets, and offers advantages over a horizontal fluid bed dryer, including footprint and cost, says Craig Vaughan, general manager at Mars Mineral, adding that the company specifies circular fluid bed dryers for a number of its customer sites depending on throughput requirements.

Mars Mineral’s pilot-scale pelletising line On the pilot line, a Mars Mineral pin mixer combines the feed material with 8

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

the binding fluid and forms the pellets.

The pellets are then dried in the 750 mm, two-stage circular fluid bed dryer. From there, the pellets are conveyed to a circular screener where they are separated by size, typically 0.5 to 5 mm in diameter for products such as fertilisers and carbon black, Vaughan says. Finally, the finished, sorted pellets are packaged.

How a circular fluid bed dryer works A two-stage circular fluid bed dryer has a circular housing fitted with two horizontal screens, one above the other. Two gyratory motors vibrate the vessel to keep the pellets in motion. A centrifugal fan takes in ambient air and blows it through a heater section. The dryer in the Mars Mineral pilot line uses electric heating.

Others use oil, natural gas, or steam as a heat source.

The heated air enters the housing at the bottom, passes up through the screens, and exhausts into a duct connected to the top of the unit. Meanwhile, wet, newly formed “green” pellets are fed onto the top screen of the dryer. The hot air flowing upward surrounds and dries the pellets as the vibration agitates them.

The pellets are partially dried on the top screen and, as vibration moves them to the periphery, pass to the lower screen where drying is completed.

The pellets exit the dryer through a discharge chute on the circumference.

On the screens they follow a path determined by the unit’s geometry and vibratory motion so that processing is first-in, first-out and continuous.

Green pellets contain as much as 40 percent water. Pellets of different materials have different requirements for final moisture content, which may be less than

DRYING & PELLETISING

How pelletising works

The circular fluidised bed dryer gently handles delicate pellets and offers footprint, energy and cost advantages over a horizontal fluid bed dryer.

1 percent or as high as 15 percent. As an example, Vaughan says, to inhibit mould growth in chicken manure fertiliser, the pellets must contain no more than 10 percent water.

Selection criteria for dryers Vaughan says Mars Mineral specifies circular fluid bed dryers for the pilot line and certain customers’ pelletising systems based on the following criteria.

Space: The circular design saves floor space, as much as 50 percent over rectangular units with similar capacity. To gain additional capacity, the pilot

Mars Mineral manufactures several types of pelletisers that produce spherical pellets formed by agitation agglomeration. Dust or powder particles are wetted with a binding material – water or a water-based solution – and agitated. As particles encounter each other, some stick together forming tiny pellets. More and more particles stick to the pellets and they grow in size, continuing until the pellets reach the desired diameter. At this stage, they are called green pellets. They are finished by drying to remove most of the moisture.

Many different materials can be pelletised, including fertilisers, limestone, bulk chemicals, food products, pharmaceuticals, carbon black, fly ash, ores, pigments, and pesticides.

Pelletised material is easier to handle and produces less dust when handled. Pelletising a product such as limestone dust (used as a soil amendment in gardens, lawns, and crop fields) adds value to the product for a higher selling price. Other materials are pelletised to reduce or eliminate dust and improve handling, flow characteristics, and/or processing performance.

In many cases, pelletising can turn a waste material into a valued product, for example, pelletising fly ash from coal-fired plants for use in lightweight cement.

DRYING & PELLETISING

The heater section (at right) blows hot air into the bottom, which passes up through two vibrating screens and exhausts into a duct at the top.

line dryer has two screens – two stages – permitting higher capacity in the same footprint. “It’s like building a two-story house instead of one,” Vaughan says. “If you go vertical, the cost for incremental capacity is lower.”

Energy source: Most dryers use natural gas to heat the air. The Mars Mineral fluid bed dryer uses electric heat. For different customers, Mars Mineral specifies the customer’s preferred energy source: natural gas, oil, steam, or electric.

Ease of Cleaning: For a dedicated pelletizing line, this is less important, but since the pilot line runs many different materials, thorough cleaning between runs is critical to prevent cross-contamination. A circular fluid bed dryer cleans much more easily and quickly than a large rectangular dryer, Vaughan says.

Preserving delicate pellets: Pellets of some materials can withstand rough handling. “Cement or metals or coal make pellets like bullets,” Vaughan says, which can withstand rough treatment. But some pellets, such as kitty litter, organic fertilizer, or carbon black, need to be handled gently to prevent their falling apart during drying. Some types of dryers, such as drum dryers, may damage the pellets.

The circular fluid bed dryer, however, is more suitable for handling fragile pellets, as it agitates, moves, and dries the pellets with only vibration and air flow. The pilot

Mars Mineral builds equipment and systems that convert bulk powders into spherical pellets for industries including steel, foundry, mining, chemical, cement, lime, fertiliser.

10

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

line dryer has to be gentle enough to handle the most delicate pellets.

Cost: Mars Mineral found the circular fluid bed dryer a cost-effective choice for the pilot line.

Vaughan gives an example, filling the above criteria, of a company that makes organic pelletised fertiliser from fresh chicken manure. Because the manure is fresh and not composted, it needs to be pasteurized to destroy harmful microbes to make it safe for consumers to handle. Mars Mineral developed a drying process with a circular fluid bed dryer that keeps the manure pellets in the dryer long enough and at a high enough temperature to pasteurize them, eliminating the additional costs, energy use and space requirements of a separate pasteurization process.

Drying capacity and throughput determine dryer selection Some or all of the water contained in the green pellets may be present as “free water” and some water may be chemically bound to the material, Vaughan explains.

Therefore, part of the drying-rate equation is theoretical and part needs to be determined through testing. Removing a pound of free water requires 1850 BTU (4303 kJ for 1 kg). Bound water takes more energy to remove. Through experiment, Mars Mineral’s laboratory and the

pilot pelletising line fine tune the overall drying requirement and process.

For any pelletising system, the dryer is specified according to the desired throughput and amount of water to remove from the green pellets. The pilot line’s 750 mm two-deck circular fluid bed dryer is equipped with a 500,000 BTU/hr (147 kW) heater. Vaughan offers an example of green pellets of a special chemical product entering the dryer at 40 percent water and exiting at 15 percent. This product runs on the pilot line at the rate of about 273 kg/hr.

The pilot line processes about 1.1 to 2.7 tonnes /day, depending on the amount of moisture to be removed, Vaughan says.

Mars Mineral pelletising systems at customer sites typically produce 1.1 tonne/ day to 11 tonnes/hr of pellets – capacities that usually require a larger dryer.

“We provide the enabling technology to convert waste powders into valueadded products,” says Vaughan. “As part of that process we supply customers with the entire suite of processing equipment needed to complete that conversion. Depending on capacity, we include circular fluid bed dryers as an integral part of that process because of the advantages of space and cost.”

Kason is represented in Australia by DTD Engineering of Thurgoona in NSW. Contact: mpolidano@dtdeng.com.au

CONTAINER TIPPLING

Consultant says that containerised bulk solutions economical and fast Ray Lee has 43-years’ experience in container and bulk ports, more recently acting as a consultant to the sector via his business Portside Solutions. He spoke to ABHR editor Charles Macdonald about his enthusiasm for containerised bulk export solutions.

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ee was closely involved in the advent of one of Australia’s earliest pit-to-port containerised solutions. As director of operations for DP World in Port Adelaide, he was instrumental in IMX Resources starting containerised exports of iron ore in 2009.

“IMX didn’t have a conveyor system on the wharf, so this was a way of loading bulk without the expense of a conveyor system or need for sheds,” said Lee. “It’s really interesting that you can turn a container terminal to a bulk terminal with the change of a spreader on the crane, and then service bulk ships.”

Containerised solutions cost a fraction of conventional conveyor and bulk shed-based systems. The latter frequently run into hundreds of millions of dollars. In contrast, a container fleet might cost between $15m and $20m but can also be rented. A mobile harbour crane is around $3m to $4m, with a tippler or rotating spreader coming in at around $750,000.

The containerised solution is quick, too. “It doesn’t take long to get it up and running,” said Lee. “You can go from nothing to having an operation up and running in six months, whereas traditional infrastructure would take a lot longer.”

Containers are custom-made. For powdery and flaky cargo, like copper concentrate, the inside of the container will resemble a bathtub, with a Teflonstyle finish. The containers come with lids, are self-locking and are gravity fed off the weight of the spreader. Containers can be of lighter build for commodities like wheat, or can be more robust for denser cargos of coal or iron ore.

After IMX at Port Adelaide, Lee got involved in another containerised iron ore system, this time for Exxaro Resources Mayoko project in the Republic of Congo in West Africa.

“Exxaro was using the container bulk handling system while they were building their conveyor system at the wharf (at Pointe Noire). So it was an opportunity to move some cargo; while you don’t get the volume of a conveyor system they were able to commence producing for export and get it to market while they were putting other 12

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

“You can go from nothing to having an operation up and running in six months” - Ray Lee of Portside Solutions infrastructure together. The plan was to maintain the bulk container as it was a $20m outlay. So they kept it going in tandem with the conveyor system.”

Since then, Lee, in his consulting capacity, has investigated containerised bulk solutions in various localities. He looked at opportunities for grain in Australia, and minerals, including coal and graphite, in South Africa, Nigeria and Mozambique.

Lee’s broad background in container and bulk ports means that Portside Solutions offers a wide variety of services.

“We offer services across every facet of the port industry,” he explained. “We have looked at terminal design, and port operations is our core business; also training and development, safety and security, and negotiating enterprise agreements with unions.”

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CONTAINER TIPPLING

Lithium concentrate loading with Qube Rotabox on NY Trader 1.

Tippling helps Mt Cattlin back into production Lithium favourite Galaxy Resources has re-started shipments of spodumene (lithium concentrate) from Esperance using Qube’s Rotabox.

L

ithium is one of the hottest sectors on the Australian Stock Exchange with demand for the material expected to soar due to the coming proliferation of enhanced lithium-ion batteries in electric cars and devices like Tesla’s Powerwall.

The International Energy Agency suggests that by 2020 there will be 17.8m electric vehicles in 14 countries, driven by government schemes based around subsidies and support for charging stations.

Prices of lithium have surged to over US$900/tonne, triple the level of recent years and twice what many industry analysts had expected.

In response there is a pell-mell rush around the world to bring lithium properties into production, be they hard-rock or brine-style deposits. In response, share prices for juniors like Orocobre and Galaxy Resources have soared, with the latter up 300% over 2016.

Galaxy Resources has recently re-started production at its re-commissioned Mt Cattlin project, which is situated two kilometres north of Ravensthorpe in Western Australia. With a fine-tuned flowsheet and upgraded process plant, Galaxy is looking to avoid problems of excess mica – a contaminant – which cruelled earlier mining efforts. The new plant has capacity of 1.6mtpa and 2017 output is stated as 160,000t of spodumene.

Following a successful commissioning in late 2016, Galaxy loaded its first shipment of lithium concentrate at the Esperance Port in WA in early January. Around 10,000t was loaded on the NY Trader 1 bound for Lianyungang Port in China. The shipment had a gross contract value of around US$6m.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

The Galaxy Resources team, pleased as punch, at the first shipment of lithium concentrate from Esperance in January. (Left to right): Nick Rowley, director, corporate development; Derek Bryne, general manager Mt Cattlin operations; Anthony Tse, group managing director; Erin Ireland, principal metallurgist.

Galaxy’s managing director Anthong Tse welcomed the first shipment from the re-commissioned Mt Cattlin project, describing it as a “significant achievement and milestone”. He said it “signals Galaxy’s formal transition back to producer status, elevating it into the ranks of global lithium producing companies.”

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OVERHEAD TIPPLING CONTAINER

CRS supplies system to Taiwan Container Rotation Systems supplied a complete tippling system to Chien Shing Harbour Service Co of Taiwan in late December 2016. It is being used to handle copper concentrate.

Images show Container Rotation Systems’ container handling system in action for Chien Shing Harbour Service Co of Taiwan.

Strong demand for container

C

hien Shing receives bulk deliveries of copper concentrates from South American copper miners, which it then unloads, blends and breaks down into smaller parcels for shipment to China.

Due to tightening environmental rules, Chien Shing needed a cleaner solution to minimise dust and spillage. This saw it turn to a containerised solution from Australian firm Container Rotation Systems (CRS).

CRS supplied a complete container handling system. This comprised: its Rotainer RS, a heavy duty container rotator; Ezzeloadore tool, which quickly connects containers to mobile harbour cranes; a batch of Multibulker heavy duty containers designed for 360 degree rotation or tilting for discharge via the large rear door; and the Lidgripper lid removal tool.

CRS’ representative told ABHR – “They expect to handle 80,000 tonnes of copper per month which is discharge, blending and re-export. They load the containers in a shed, then they put lids on, take them out and they are unloaded into ships via our Rotainer attached to a newly purchased Liebherr 230 crane with our Ezzeloadore.

“The port in Taiwan had very limited space so by using the Ezzeloadore systems they manage to keep up high productivity but with minimal people and equipment traffic around the site.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

CRS has reported “great success” for its Multibulker, a new container certified for 360 degree operation by top or bottom twist locks or discharge by the optional rear door.

“The inbound rear door system is specially designed for Rotainer and Containertippler operations,” explained the CRS representative. “Hinges and locks are recessed to prevent damage or abuse. It has the largest rear door on the market which provides clean discharge and reduces dust. The duel function door lock mechanism provides additional operator safety.”

A surge in enquiries CRS says that it has had an unprecedented surge in enquiries over recent months, which it expects to translate into new sales.

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Loading container with copper concentrate.

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NEWS

The Hazemag Horizontal Impact Crusher is a modular system with a broad range of applications.

Steinert, Hazemag and Allmineral join forces in Australia The Australian offshoots of three German-headquartered mineral processing equipment companies have joined forces in a bid to add value, generate synergies and boost their service network.

T

he trio of companies have come together under Steinert management. Steinert is a magnet and sensor sorting manufacturer. Hazemag started as an impact crusher producer and now markets a broad range of equipment. Allmineral is best known for its Alljig gravel jigging machines.

“By combining the strengths of these established German-originated and now global companies, we will be able to offer customers added value by providing a much larger service network throughout Australia and being able to pass on savings from reduced overheads,” said Steinert Australia’s managing director, Johan van Zyl.

The Allmineral Alljig is capable of handling a large variety of primary and secondary raw materials such as coal, ore, gravel, sand, slag and various other recycling materials.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Dry processing utilising ore sorting and dry jigging is an example of a combination for mineral beneficiation that the expanded Steinert Australia can now offer.

“We’re in an increasingly competitive global arena and in this current environment, it makes so much more sense to join forces to provide the market with more accessible and aligned industry solutions,” added van Zyl.

Mains power electromagnet Steinert Australia has released a mains power electromagnet – the Steinert MP range. While the company has been

The Steinert MP mains power electromagnet. It does not need a separate power supply and has been specifically designed to run directly off the user’s mains power supply.

supplying tramp removal magnets into harsh working environments for many years, the challenge has been the need to provide a stand-alone power supply to run the magnet.

The new range does not need a separate power supply and has been specifically designed to run directly off customers’ mains power supplies.

According to Steinert, the MP range has a reduced footprint as there is no need for a control cabinet. The company adds that it has reduced costs of installation time and commissioning, and is underground compatible for mining (zone 21).

“It is a convenient magnet solution by not having to find placement for a transformer rectifier,” said van Zyl. “The simplicity of plugging it into the site’s mains power source makes it so much easier. Being electromagnetic it contains much more ‘grunt’ than a permanent magnet. Once the product is attracted it stays firmly stuck until the time of release. It’s perfect for where you need to slot a magnet in the mix, or re-locate, without requiring too much fuss.”

Contact: sales@Steinert.com.au

NEWS

Vortex founder dies Valve and spout specialist Vortex has announced the death of company founder, Loren Neil Peterson, at the age of 87.

A younger Loren Neil Peterson on the factory floor.

P

eterson’s career in dry bulk solids began in the 1950s with Salina Manufacturing (now known as Coperion). As a mechanical engineer he developed formulas Loren Peterson in his later years. for conveying material other than flour, which was very unproven at that time.

After much experimentation and analysis, he ascertained how to test a gallon-sized sample of product, and scale it up to a full size system. He also invented equipment for the company, including a patent on a “Y” type diverter valve and coupling system with a straight-line layout to reduce pressure losses in pneumatic conveying systems.

In 1977, Peterson left Salina Manufacturing to co-found Vortex with his son-in-law, Lee Young. At that time they developed a new type of slide gate called an Orifice Gate.

The valve was designed to sheer through flowing material, self-clean on the opening stroke, and eliminate areas of build-up through the bore. The design also incorporated a shimming system, allowing factory maintenance personnel to perform simple adjustments to sealing tolerances while the valve remained in-line.

Vortex was granted a patent on the Orifice Gate in 1980 and received the John C. Vaalar Award by Chemical Processing Magazine judging it “a major contributor toward more efficient and effective operation of plants in the chemical processing industry”.

Peterson continued to develop new products during the 1980s until his retirement in 1989. This included the Wye Line Diverter, Roller Gate, and Fill Pass Diverter. He was awarded his last patent for the Clear Action Gate in 1990.

Joe Walton, former CEO & president of Walton/Stout Inc remembers Peterson’s acumen as an engineer, “Neil was great.

Nobody worked harder than him. When I left Salina, I looked everywhere for the same calibre of engineer. Unfortunately for me, he was one of a kind.”

Staying true to Peterson’s legacy, Vortex says it continues to focus on innovations that improve plant operations and economics. Today, Vortex’s materials handling valves and dustless loading spouts are used world-wide for handling dry bulk foods, chemicals, and minerals.

HANDLE YOUR BELT WITH CARE Many conveyor belt load zones experience impact damage from large lump size and long drop heights at velocity. This results in punctures, damage to idlers and structure, and decreased material containment.

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ESS GUARDABELT ™ Impact Cradle design features include: - Polyethylene surface to reduce friction - Rubber body to absorb impact - Stable bases for effective sealing - Trac-Mounted components that slide in and out to assist inspection and service - Available in Mild Steel or Stainless Steel.

Benefits of the ESS GUARDABELT ™ Impact Cradle include: - Reduced manual handling during installation and service - Eliminates conveyor belt sag between idlers - Reduces material spillage and leakage - Eliminates Material Rebound - Reduces damage to the conveyor belt , structure and idlers - Reduce belt drag

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Trials and commercialisation for Smart-Idler Following field tests at Port Hedland, Vayeron has improved its Smart Idler technology to make it tougher and better able to cope with heat, dust and shocks. Now, Vayeron director Ryan Norris, brains behind the conveyor roller condition monitoring device, says it’s time for commercialisation and sales. Charles Macdonald reports.

A

s previously reported in ABHR, the Smart-Idler is a clever technology which adds intelligence to conveyor rollers.

Tiny sensing devices, designed to be installed by manufacturers within rollers during the production process, aim to eliminate unforeseen roller failures at sites. By wirelessly transmitting warnings of impending failures to operators, the Smart-Idler

“It’s a complex little device in the sense that you have to put a whole lot of features or capability into a tiny little space…” should avoid sudden catastrophic failure of rollers.

In terms of operation, the Smart Idler’s sensor monitors the main physical parameters seen around roller failure: temperature, vibration and sound events – both ultrasonic and audible.

Smart-Idler-equipped rollers are connected to a mesh network and in turn to a central collection device and the operation’s PLC and SCADA, with cloud access another avenue.

Since ABHR last reported on Smart-Idler (ABHR March/April 2016) the company has completed more trials with two of the world’s largest iron ore miners at Port Hedland. The tests went well, pleasing both Vayeron and the miners. But important lessons were learned.

“We conducted a full design analysis and released a field trial report off the back of that which states our findings, and what we did to improve any inefficiencies identified during the testing process,” explained Norris.

“We’ve fixed up any minor issues and ruggedized the design; now we’re happy with where it is, so are our miner partners. We’re now saying to the market ‘the product is ready to go, it’s a commercial solution’.

“The company is moving from the product development phase to a full commercialisation phase where we are conducting market education and really pursuing the commercial deployment of the technology. It’s not about R&D any more, it’s about getting it out there.

“The product development has been a long road; we have been developing the technology for three and a half years.”

Refining the design Transitioning from lab to field trials in the heat and dust of the world’s largest bulk port exposed various deficiencies with the original version of Smart-Idler.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

A representation of how the Smart-Idler is installed within the roller tube.

“It’s a complex little device in the sense that you have to put a whole lot of features or capability into a tiny little space that is found within a roller,” said Norris. “It’s quite technically challenging to actually pull that off successfully.

“So we could do the best we could do in our lab environment and design something for our lab test bench but at the end of the day things really needed to be put in a real world conveyor.

“We needed to tick the box that we could sense the parameters that we needed to sense in order to detect failure, that the device was rugged and could survive the tough mine environment.

“There are units from those tests still running and in service. We know they are robust, withstanding the heat and being knocked around on the conveyor, which is a harsh environment.”

Another important part of the trials was determining whether the material being conveyed would interfere with radio communications.

“We did find that the general environment could diminish the radio signal but our engineers ensured that the correct radio configuration was designed. Our system relies on node-tonode communication and as conveyor rollers are not too far apart, we are able to maintain a robust area network.”

The rotor for Smart-Idler is pressed into the internal diameter of the tube. It is used to harvest the roller's rotational energy, eliminating batteries.

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

“We can detect a bearing at stage two of failure.”

The Smart-Idler module can be built into a universal range of conveyor rollers. Roller suppliers such as Sandvik, Nepean Conveyors, CPS & Lorbrand are all creating value added, enhanced rollers to meet their clients’ needs.

Building relationships with roller manufacturers, end users As a tiny technology OEM, Vayeron needs to build relationships with the roller manufacturers who will actually build the Smart-Idler sensors into their rollers on their production lines.

At the same time, it is the major miners – the end users – who need to be shown the Smart-Idler’s value, prompting them to spec it in their rollers.

“Our model really benefits from the fact that ultimately the product is being sold to mining companies as an integrated solution,” explained Norris. “It’s our technology within conveyor rollers.

“The conveyor roller manufacturers have their markets and customers and we can leverage off that and rely on them carrying us across geographic borders and promoting us all round the world and there is that exponential sales effect when you integrate with a global player.

“But we are still finding that manufacturers like making rollers – they’ve always made rollers – and to ask them to upset the applecart means that we also need the pull-through and demand from the end user.

“It’s not something the roller manufacturers are going to pick up and go and promote without the knowledge that the end user desires the technology. So we start educating mining companies that this is a solution that’s available.

“They think we make rollers but we say ‘no we are an OEM smart sensor supplier.’ They can spec the technology into any roller that they prefer. They already do that with their bearings.

For example, a global miner may prefer SKF bearings and they specify to the roller manufacturer that they only want SKF bearings in their rollers. They can do the same with our product.

“That manufacturer wants to keep its client happy and will generally be happy to work with us to integrate our technology because they can then provide the solution that their customer wants.”

International interest piqued at MINExpo Vayeron took a stand at the world’s largest mining exhibition, MINExpo, held in Las Vegas in late September 2016. Norris was delighted with the experience.

“We had a really good MINExpo in the USA, unveiling the technology to that part of the wold. We had fantastic interest and the response was overwhelming; our three guys at our little booth couldn’t keep up.

“Off the back of that we have been able to get solid enquiries from South America and North America.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

As a result, Vayeron is speaking to international roller manufacturers.

“They get the concept but they have never put devices like this inside their rollers. There is an engineering challenge. We have to work through that but as soon as these guys are comfortable producing smart rollers in any sort of volume, we will start seeing our order and sales volumes pick up amongst the miners. It’s the roller manufacturers who can be the bottleneck in the supply chain. Once preferred suppliers for different sites around world are comfortable with the technology, I think we will start seeing it being promoted more widely.”

More partnerships Last year ABHR reported on Vayeron’s partnerships with local roller providers CPS and Nepean.

“We have brought on a number of others since then,” said Norris. “One of our exciting partnerships is with Van Gorp Corporation from the US. We have signed an MOU with them and we are undergoing technology integration – the engineering side of putting the technology inside their rollers. They have had a very favourable response when pitching the technology to some of their clients, from Canada and Chile.

“As a result Van Gorp is pushing for us to have a fully integrated solution which is market ready to their customers by November of this year. That’s keeping us busy. Aside from Van Gorp there are a number of other international players that we are bringing online such as Lorbrand, who are currently going through the product integration process as well.”

No direct competitors Vayeron hasn’t spied any direct competitors. While some researchers believe fibre optics might have potential for solutions around conveyors, Norris isn’t convinced.

“We have looked at the merits of fibre optics,” he said. “It has pros and cons. Ultimately we are happy that we are monitoring a conveyor roller from inside a conveyor roller; you can’t get any closer to the problem. Our technology will provide features and capability that fibre optics won’t be able to, if that technology does get up and running.”

Detecting roller failures at what stage?

A key question for Vayeron and Smart-Idler is at what stage it can detect roller deterioration and failure. Norris suggests that while work is ongoing on this important question, indications are that warnings will come good and early.

“To be honest, we are still honing that through data and time in the field. But we do know that we can detect a bearing at stage two of failure. Bearings go through a four stage progression; stage two is at an early stage and you have at least a few months of warning before progressing to the catastrophic stage which is stage four.”

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Increasing safety in underground coal conveyors

By Ernest Lapornik, CPS Pty Ltd

B

efore the development of suitable conveyor belts in the early 20th century, coal was transported from the mine by rail transport systems, but for decades coal transport has almost invariably been by conveyor systems which have presented a unique set of challenges for mine engineers and managers tasked with minimising risks. A new conveyor roller recently developed

by Perth-based Company Conveyor Products and Solutions Pty Ltd (CPS) mitigates the risks associated with composite conveyor idlers in underground coal mines and reclaim tunnels through purpose-developed materials technology.

Previously, only steel rollers have been used for underground coal conveyors, despite the health, safety, and operational risk advantages that newer composite and polymer roller designs can achieve. This is primarily due to previous concerns with fire risks of polymer and composite compounds. Therefore, elimination of these fire related risks has come into focus to allow the coal industry to benefit from composite and polymer roller designs underground.

In 2012 the Mines Safety Operations Branch of NSW Trade and Investment published a guideline for non-metallic materials for use in underground coal mines, MDG3608, which identifies the major risks presented by non-metallic conveyor idlers underground, such as: • Initiation of a fire due to friction • Initiation of a fire due to static electrical discharge • Initiation of a fire due to heating or melting of materials used in the roller construction • Propagation of fire due to the quantity of non-metallic materials • Toxic emissions and smoke produced by products of combustion • Manual handling injuries relating to manual lifting and installation of conveyor idlers • Elevated noise levels causing permanent hearing loss CPS have since used the tests and requirements pertaining to the above points, given in MDG3608, as a baseline with which to develop materials that would allow non-metallic roller advantages to be used underground.

In late 2016 CPS finalised the development of the first non-metallic conveyor roller to satisfy the mandatory tests within clause 3.4 of MDG3608.

CPS HT Composite “HTC” Conveyor Rollers.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

The new roller, marketed as “HTC” or “High Tensile Composite” features an innovative composite shell manufactured from a conductive thermoset resin with glass fibre reinforcement and utilises a fire resistant, conductive version of the CPS patented CBH composite bearing housing and multi labyrinth seal with a fixed face flinger covering 80% of the roller end to prevent rock jams.

Reduction of ignition risk due to heat/static build-up One of the biggest challenges faced in the development of nonmetallic conveyor rollers for use in underground coal mines relates to minimising the risk of initiating coal dust or explosive gas fires due to friction between a non-metallic material and another surface, static electrical discharge and heating or melting of non-metallic materials. Coal dust can ignite at temperatures above 150°C with an oxygen concentration greater than 21%2 and methane gas has a known auto ignition temperature of between 537°C - 600°C3.

To test the performance of the CPS HTC roller in relation to ignition of fires a project was established to test the ignitability and maximum surface temperature of an idler subject to friction as detailed in MDG3608 Appendix F: Non-metallic Conveyor Idler Tests, F2.1.6(a).

Thermographic Image of HTC roller face during seized idler simulation.

Graph of seized idler simulation.

CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Conducting the testing through TUNRA, the test apparatus consists of a belt loop (approximately 5m in length) that is installed with a Fire Resistant Anti-Static (FRAS) rated belt 600mm wide joined with a metal clip as required by the guideline. The belt speed used for the test was 3m/s and the load placed on the idler was equivalent to 104kg per 900mm belt width. After a two hour stabilisation period and additional 2 hour run period to test completion the HTC roller never exceeded a maximum surface temperature of 131°C with a mean of 123°C as shown in the table.

In a conventional steel shell roller this maximum temperature exceeds the baseline temperature for testing of 325°C with additional sparking due to the metal belt clip striking the steel shell observed. As such it can be concluded that the seized CPS HT Composite roller is less likely to initiate a fire than a conventional seized steel roller When tested in accordance to AS1334.10 – 1994 a method to determine the ignitability and flame propagation characteristics of non-metallic materials to test the “Finger Burn” test detailed in MDG3608 3.4.4.3, and a test method outlined under ISO45892:1996 to determine the “Oxygen Index” was conducted. All non-metallic components of the roller were tested in this way and found to comply in the same way that FRAS conveyor belts are assessed.

Interestingly MDG3608 calls for conveyor rollers to be orders of magnitude more conductive than conveyor belts when tested under ISO2878:2011 with the pass/fail criteria being that there “must be no more than 1MΩ electrical resistance between any two points on the non-metallic idler and between the non-metallic idlers and ground”1. For conveyor belts this criteria is set to 300MΩ.

Control of combustion bi-products Along with heat, the burning of every combustible material produces smoke – gases and aerosols that, in sufficiently high concentration, present hazards to people in the vicinity. Products near those already burning may also contribute to the smoke as they decompose from exposure to the heat from the fire. Predominant among the hazards, which generally occur simultaneously, are the following: • Sensory irritation of the upper and/or lower respiratory tract, which can affect speed of movement and the ability to negotiate escape and, at higher exposures, can lead to incapacitation or death • Central nervous system depression resulting from inhalation of asphyxiant fire gases, which can, in ascending exposures, lead to impaired judgment, disorientation, loss of motor coordination, unconsciousness, and, ultimately, death • Thermal effects, including hyperthermia and thermal burns of the skin and respiratory tract Exposure to these hazards is often prolonged by eye irritation and diminished visibility due to smoke obscuration, which can affect the ability of occupants to see and negotiate escape routes efficiently. Survivors from a fire may also experience post exposure complications that can lead to delayed health effects or even death.4 MDG3608 mandates that the toxicity of non-metallic conveyor idlers must be tested under the method outlined in IEC60695.7.50-2006 Fire hazard testing part 7.50: Toxicity of fire effluent – estimation of toxic potency-Apparatus and test method; Allied Fire Assessment Publication 3 (AFAP-3).

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Under this protocol CO2, CO and NOx levels were tested on each component of the conveyor roller. In addition it was decided to conduct an experiment to determine the levels of O2, CO2, CO, NOx, and SO2 during the full scale fire under controlled conditions using a FRAS conveyor belt on steel rollers comparing the results against the HTC composite rollers. The HTC composite roller emitted measurably lower toxic by-products than the control steel roller with the conclusion being that in the instance of an underground conveyor fire using HTC composite idlers is safer than using conventional steel idlers. Results can be viewed in the following tables noting that changes in SO2 levels were indeterminable on both samples.

CPS HTC rollers at completion of “Gallery Test”.

relating to conveyors for 2013-14, compared to 32 in 2012-13. Of these 13 were reported from underground coal mines.

In one well publicised case a former mining employee filed a suit for more than $2 million after he sustained a lower back injury while changing trough rollers. According to the claim, the former employee injured his back when he was replacing a trough roller on a 1.8m conveyor belt that he was fixing with two other men. While he was holding the trough roller behind his head and twisting his trunk he “felt a pop in his lower back and immediately experienced severe pain”. As a result of the alleged incident the former employee sustained “soft tissue and intervertebral disc injuries” that required surgery and caused aggravated pain down the back of his leg.5 The CPS HT composite idler was originally conceived as a solution to this very issue. A measurable reduction in mass of 40% is achieved in practice using a common 3 roller suspended set with 127mm diameter rollers for a 1600mm wide conveyor belt as an example, the mass for steel rollers would be approximately 29.5kg. For HTC rollers this would be reduced to 17.7kg resulting in an 11.8kg reduction in total idler mass.

Reduction of noise and risk of hearing loss

This same experiment was used to determine the risk of flame propagation using a modified version of the standard “flame gallery” test described under AS1334.12-1996 with acceptance criteria being determined under clause 6.1.2 of AS4606-2012 fire resistant and anti-static requirements for conveyor belting used in underground coal mine. It was decided to standardise the experiment by testing steel rollers as a control and then comparing the results against the HTC roller. While both the steel and the HTC rollers passed the requirements in all instances it was observed that it took a considerably longer time for the steel rollers to dissipate any residual heat compared to the HT composite rollers. One implication derived from this observation relates to auto ignition of bearing grease which while observed after “flame-out” on all roller types was observed to persist longer in the steel rollers.

Reduction of manual handling risks Manual handling injuries relating to physically handling and installing suspended idlers on underground conveyors has long been an issue to mine operators. Statistics published by The Department of Natural Resources and Mines’ Queensland mines and quarries safety performance and health report for July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, shows there were 38 permanent incapacities reported 26

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is a significant health and economic problem in Australia. Between July 2002 and June 2007 there were about 16,500 successful workers’ compensation claims for industrial deafness involving permanent impairment due to noise. The economic burden of ONIHL is borne by workers and their families, business owners and managers, and the wider society.

The National Standard for Occupational Noise NOHSC:1007-2000 sets the maximum daily occupational noise exposure level at an eight-hour equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level (LAeq,8h) of 85 dB(A) and, for peak noise, a C-weighted peak sound pressure level (LC,peak) of 140 dB(C). In addition, a code of practice NOHSC: 2009-2004 outlines the noise management program that workplaces need to implement when the National Standard is exceeded.

The preferred solution to excessive noise exposure is to completely eliminate the source of the loud noise. When this is not possible or practical, the legal requirement is to minimise exposure through a hierarchy of controls such as the following: • substitute the noise source with quieter machinery or processes • isolate the noise source from workers • apply engineering solutions (e.g. fit mufflers, redesign the noise source, and install noise guards or enclosures) • apply administrative solutions (e.g. schedule noisy work for when fewest workers are present, provide signs and quiet areas for breaks), and when none of the above are reasonably practicable • provide personal hearing protectors (e.g. ear muffs and plugs).

CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Within this hierarchy, priority is given to the source of the noise, followed by the path of transmission and, as a last resort, the exposed worker. A comprehensive hearing conservation program or noise control program should include strict adherence to the hierarchy of controls as well as assessments of noise exposure and hearing; education with respect to risks, solutions and responsibilities; and training on noise control and personal protection.6 Non-metallic conveyor idlers can assist in reducing the overall noise levels in an underground mine. AS 1055.1-1997, using TUNRA’s Acoustics-Description and measurement of environmental noise provides the most accurate repeatable test method for analysing conveyor roller noise. A typical non machined and balanced steel roller has a noise output of approximately 85dB(A) while non-metallic rollers are observed to have a noise output typically in the 75 – 80dB(A) range effectively mitigating the risk to below the 85dB(A) threshold outlined in NOHSC:1007-2000.

In 2016 CPS tested a number of conveyor rollers to determine noise output with the results in the graph measuring raw noise as an ambient background noise measured at 49.7dB(A) and also with the background noise subtracted in the test.

Note: CPS designates plain rollers as R01, low noise rollers as R08.

Final result summary After a significant material and mechanical engineering development process, in late 2016, Conveyor Products and Solutions Pty Ltd finalised the development of the first non-metallic conveyor roller to satisfy all of the mandatory tests within clause 3.4 of MDG3608.

Through this technology that is now in place, it has become possible for the advantages of modern composite roller designs to be brought to underground coal mining, particularly with regards to their lower weight, lower noise, higher operating lifetime and lower cost of failure.

In addition to the above benefits, CPS has managed to exceed original requirements, and the new design has proven not just equivalent, but superior to conventional steel rollers in fire safety performance.

References 1. MDG3608: Non-metallic materials for use in underground coal mines. Mine Safety, Trade & Investment Department, NSW Government. August 2012.

2. Norman F, Berghmans J and Verplaetsen F, 2013, The minimum ignition energy of coal dust in an oxygen enriched atmosphere, Chemical Engineeing Transactions, 31, 739-744 DOI: 10.3303/CET1331124 3. D.B. Smith London Research Station, British Gas Corporation, Michael Road, London SW6 2AD United Kingdom Received 10 May 1983, Accepted 19 May 1983, Available online 29 August 2001 4. Richard G. Gann Nelson P. Bryner Combustion Products and Their Effects on Life Safety Chapter 2 Section 6 5. Madeline McDonald, Gladstone Observer, Employee suing Anglo for $2m, claiming back injury, published 3 Aug 2015 6. Dr Perri Timmins and Mr Oliver Granger, Occupational noiseinduced hearing loss in Australia: Overcoming barriers to effective noise control and hearing loss prevention, Safework Australia published August 2010 Contact: www.cpsconveyors.com.au

Unlocking conveyor spillage and dust problems Identification of material spillage and dust containment at transfer points and load zones is important if sites are to operate efficiently and within health and safety regulations.

C

onveyor component company Kinder Australia says that its internal conveyor transfer point wear liners, such as K-Containment Seal, provide a sacrificial wearing point within the loading zone that will be worn away by the conveyed material. Internal liners are commonly used in applications where material is highly abrasive, and therefore there is a requirement for routine replacement.

The internal liners perform important functions apart from wear protection of the chute wall. The liners help to keep the material centralised therefore assisting belt tracking and ensuring the best life and function of the external skirting media.

As the internal skirting is a key component of the transfer point, reliability is dependent upon accessibility to maintain adjustment.

Given that it can’t be seen during inspections, the effectiveness is often overlooked. Also, replacement and adjustment is difficult and requires confined space permits and procedures.

K-Conlock Clamp System allows external skirting and internal K-Containment Seal Skirting from outside the conveyor

transfer point. The wear and tear of skirting or sealing material will require the operator to provide continuous adjustment depending on the abrasive wear of the product, or the design and functionality of the transfer point.

If the skirting clamp is difficult to maintain then the necessary adjustment may not happen. Or, over adjustment can occur which results in excess pressure applied by the skirting seal thereby damaging the belt.

According to Kinder Australia “Performing in the same way as the K-Lock Wedge Skirting Clamp, the K-Conlock fulfils the practical requirement of a reliable and serviceable system that is free of complications and doesn’t rely on the need for special tools to maintain correct seal pressure. The K-Conlock incorporates a design modification to now allow access to the outer face of the slotted arrangement, which is one of the key features of K-Containment Seal’s simple installation adjustment functions.”

Contact: www.kinder.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES Mechanical fasteners can be installed onsite, with in-house maintenance crews, usually in less than 60 minutes.

Mechanical splicing vs. vulcanising Mark Colbourn of Flexco Australia compares two methods of belt splicing in search of increased productivity.

Flexco is a manufacturer of belt conveyor products.

W

ith commodity markets in an era of volatility, experiencing swift growth and sharp drops throughout the year, mining operations must do everything they can to improve operating efficiencies and reduce costs. At the heart of a mine is its conveyor system – an excellent first checkpoint when seeking to optimise productivity.

A critical area of importance on any conveyor system is the splice, and in most mining applications, there are two preferred types of splicing methods: mechanical splicing, which joins belt ends by metal hinges or plates; and vulcanised splicing, which joins belt ends through heat and/or chemicals. Understanding the pros and cons of each splicing method is extremely important when making an educated decision on which splicing method to use. What are the environmental factors that might affect the splice? Are workers up against time constraints? What are the costs associated with long conveyor downtimes? These are just some of the questions to ask when choosing between mechanical fastening and vulcanisation.

The vulcanisation process Vulcanisation is an involved procedure that, if done correctly by an expert, can offer a smooth splice with minimal risk of snagging, tearing and other harmful wear to the belt. There are several different types of vulcanised splices, including stepped splices, finger splices and overlap splices, and two types of vulcanising processes, hot and cold. Each process requires unique tools and an intimate knowledge of the rubber bonding process.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

For both hot and cold vulcanisation, the belt must be disassembled and each belt end prepared according to that particular belt’s splicing recommendation. Proper belt preparation is crucial to ensure that the finished splice will hold and to its published tensile ratings.

With hot vulcanisation, splices are heated and cured under pressure with a vulcanising press. This process takes several hours. If a belt is retensioned and used before the splice is bonded and completely cooled, the splice will be ineffective and may come apart completely, causing additional downtime.

Cold vulcanisation does not employ a vulcanising press, but rather uses a bonding agent that causes a chemical reaction to splice the two belt ends together.

When vulcanising, several factors must be taken into account to ensure a high-quality splice. Firstly, a vulcanised splice must be performed by an expert who is skilled and trained for the procedure and who has a thorough knowledge of solvents, bonding materials and other cover and fill materials.

Secondly, the process requires a specific temperature, compression and dwell time of the equipment, in addition to a virtually moisture free work area.

Thirdly, some types of belts may not allow for vulcanisation at all. If the belt is old, dirty or unevenly worn, vulcanisation is not a good option, because it will not always cure evenly, which can result in a weaker splice.

The entire process for the vulcanised splicing of a 600mm wide belt could take about 6 – 11 hours, depending on working

ContiTech is your conveyor solutions provider Choosing the best conveyor belt for your operation is vital for maximising productivity and minimising cost. There is only one rubber manufacturer founded in Germany in 1871 which today has combined sales of $8 billion. Only one that has over 41,000 employees in 150 locations in 31 countries. Only one who provides market-leading Technical and Onsite 14658 A4

Services for all makes and types of conveying systems.

And only one who has more repeat business customers than any of its competitors. Make ContiTech Australia Pty Ltd www.contitech.net.au +61 3 9721 0600 Melbourne VIC +61 8 6240 3502 Perth WA +61 8 8 91860500 Karratha WA +61 7 48419800 Mackay QLD +61 2 8839 9600 Parramatta, NSW +61 2 4966 3493 Beresfield NSW

sense? Then talk to ContiTech before you make your next conveyor decision. And ensure it will be one of the best you’ll ever make.

CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Mechanical fasteners are available in two types – hinged and solid plate – and with a variety of attachment methods, including rivets, bolts and staples.

conditions. Wider belts may take longer. And because vulcanisation often requires time for a specialised vulcanising crew and equipment to be brought onsite, mining operations can be shut down for half a day or more.

To summarise, use vulcanised splicing in the following circumstances: • The belt is clean and free of contaminating agents, such as oil, sand and material fines.

• The belt is compatible with the adhesive of choice.

• The belt is new or without excessive wear.

• The procedure is performed by a trusted, certified vulcaniser.

• The work environment is at an optimal temperature and moisture level.

• There is easy access to the area that needs splicing and plenty of room to work.

• There is enough downtime available to allow for a properly installed vulcanised splice.

An alternative: mechanical fasteners Mechanical splice installation is quick and simple. Depending on belt width and thickness, most mechanical splices can be finished in less than one hour and are installed by an in-house crew with portable, easy-to-use installation tools. In the event that an unexpected splice is required, it is not necessary to wait for professional assistance. Additionally, mechanical splices can be made in restrictive environments, with no special regard for space, temperature, moisture or contaminants.

Mechanical splicing also offers reduced belt waste and visibility of splice condition, both of which can significantly reduce costs. Because vulcanised splices often require consumption from 2 to 3 metres of belt length, conveyors may not have enough ‘take up’ if more than one splice is necessary over time.

And, because a mechanical splice is visible, wear and deterioration is visibly apparent and can be taken care of before a complete belt failure. Vulcanised splices, in contrast, typically deteriorate from the inside out due to poor adhesion. The first sign of wear comes too late for any preventive measure, resulting in longer downtime.

Mechanical splicing and mining applications As with vulcanisation, there are several types of mechanical fasteners, each created for use with different belt widths, lengths, thicknesses, speeds, tensions and belt cleaners. Identifying the correct fastener for the application is essential to 30

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

ensuring maximum splice life and performance. Mechanical fasteners are available in two types – hinged and solid plate – and with a variety of attachment methods, including rivets, bolts and staples.

For mining applications, rivet hinged fasteners allow for the greatest versatility. Rivet hinged fasteners combine top and bottom fastener plates, which are joined at one end by two wide hinge loops. Each pair of plates sandwiches the belt end and is secured to the belt with a staggered pattern of rivets. The rivets penetrate the belt without damaging or weakening the belt carcass because they slip between the load-bearing carcass fibres. The rivets are installed in a staggered pattern to provide maximum resistance to pull-out and to distribute splice tension evenly across the width of the belt.

No matter what the belt condition, mechanical fasteners are a good choice for both new and older, worn belts. Rivet hinged fasteners can be used on belts ranging from 3 – 25 mm with minimum pulley diameters of 230mm. Concerns about comparable vulcanised splice strength can also be dismissed: rivet hinged fasteners have a long history of service on belts, with mechanical fastener ratings of up to 350 kN/m (2000 P.I.W).

Because hinged fasteners can easily be separated by removing the hinge pin, these designs are essential in mining applications where belts must frequently be removed, extended or shortened. In addition, hinged fasteners also provide several installation benefits to mining applications. The hinged fastening system permits separate halves of the belt to be pre-spliced, requiring only the hinge pin to be inserted at the job site. If belts of different thicknesses must be joined, hinged fasteners can often satisfy this need by allowing two different fastener halves to be joined by a hinge pin acceptable to both.

Mechanical fasteners are installed onsite, with in-house maintenance crews, usually in less than 60 minutes. The mechanical splice installation tools are easily transported to the job site and offer splice installers versatility in installation methods. Depending on the mine’s available power source, mechanically attached rivet hinged splices can be installed with as little as a basic installation tool and hammer, or with a modified installation tool and choice of electric, air or powder actuated power source.

Mechanical fasteners can also be countersunk during the installation process so that the fastener plates are flush with the belt’s cover, which eliminates interference with tight-fitting scrapers, skirtboards, and other conveyor components. Countersinking also strengthens the fastener-to-belt attachment by positioning the plates closer to the belt’s load bearing carcass fibres. The belt strength remains intact as only a portion of the top cover material is removed, while the belt’s vital carcass fabric is left intact.

Besides virtually eliminating fastener rip-outs, rivet hinged splicing cuts downtime by giving maintenance crews more freedom in deciding when to replace a splice. Any splice damage or wear and tear is very visible on a mechanical splice and operators can finish a shift even with a few plates missing and not worry about belt failure.

Vulcanisation vs mechanical fastening: common misconceptions Every splicing method has its limitations and it is essential to get the facts before deciding how to splice a belt. Some of the most common misconceptions include the following.

Mechanical fasteners cannot be used with higher tension belts (i.e. over 800 P.I.W.).

Synthetic belts and improved fastener designs have resulted in mechanical fasteners that are compatible with belt tension ratings of up to 350Kn/m (2000 P.I.W).

CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

With mechanical fasteners, sift-through of carried materials is a problem.

To prevent leakage and sift-through, vulcanised belts are ideal.

However, when all things are considered, mechanical fastening may be preferable. If the splice is done properly, sift-through should not present a problem. Solid-plate splices can be siftproof, and, if filler materials are used with a hinged fastener only minimal sifting should occur.

Mechanical fasteners are noisy, incompatible with belt cleaners and scrapers and generally damaging to the belt.

If mechanical splices are properly installed, maintained and countersunk by skiving the belt, there should be no problem with noise or damage to the belt or belt cleaners.

All belts can be vulcanised Old and/or worn fabric belts are not well-suited to vulcanisation because the belt layers are weaker and will become brittle when heat is applied. Older rubber belts are also poor candidates for vulcanising, as the bondable properties of rubber deteriorate over time. Finally, vulcanising requires additional belt length, so operations with little take-up simply may not have enough belt to vulcanise.

You can vulcanise anytime, anywhere Only clean, dry and relatively warm conditions are suitable for vulcanising. Chemical residue, excessive moisture and extreme temperatures can interfere with the curing of the adhesives and cause nicks and/or bubbles. These conditions, in turn, weaken the strength of the splice. In addition, vulcanising can be extremely difficult in areas that are not easily accessible.

Vulcanisation does not mean a lot of downtime In fact, vulcanisation requires the shut down of the belt for a substantial amount of time – much longer than a mechanical splice would require. Not only do the chemicals take several hours to cure, but a vulcanised splice is also at the mercy of the vulcaniser’s schedule.

Vulcanisation does not compromise belt strength.

Vulcanising actually robs the belt of an entire ply of strength – even more if not done properly. Mechanical fastening on the other hand, does not compromise the belt’s integrity.

Inspecting a vulcanised splice is easy The early signs of adhesion breakdown in a vulcanised splice are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Often, operators are not even aware that a vulcanised splice is experiencing problems until it fails – a catastrophic event that requires the immediate shut down of the line.

Conclusion Conveyor belt and belt splice damage will always be a fact of life in most material-handling applications. Consequently, operations and maintenance personnel should have a thorough understanding of the available splicing and repair alternatives and how each method can affect the productivity and cost-effectiveness of operations.

New designs, materials, and processes are making mechanical splicing better than ever and incorporating mechanical belt fasteners into a splicing routine can provide numerous benefits for output and bottom line. In most applications, mechanical splices offer the flexibility, economy and speed to keep material and labour costs down and avoid expensive downtime situations.

CPS lauds its polyurethane rollers Alan Douglas of Conveyor Products and Solutions (CPS) told ABHR about the research and development behind its polyurethane rollers.

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n recent years, advanced polyurethanes have been developed that feature unique combinations of performance characteristics, such as high impact strength with excellent heat resistance and good flexural properties.

“Our next-generation polyurethanes are formulated with outstanding tensile strength and elongation, excellent chemical, oil and abrasion wear resistance and good UV stability, resulting in the optimum material for disc vee and flat returns as well as impact rollers,” explained Douglas.

“Our R&D testing, which included dry and wet wheel abrasion tests, and ASTM 5963 (DIN 53516) testing, showed that CPS polyurethane disc return rollers can be expected to yield a minimum life increase in the range of 100-300% over steel shelled rollers in areas of high wear.

“Site installations have verified this life extension, resulting in exceptional results typically at head/tail ends, shuttle/take-up areas and convex curves on multiple conveyors across iron ore and coal industries.

“In addition to the standard disc design, we also manufacture this roller as a spiral option that has the added benefit of cleaning the bottom side of the conveyor belt. The PU spiral roller is well suited where carry back builds up on the return rollers causing belt damage and misalignment.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

CPS’ polyurethane spiral roller.

“CPS has a full range of customisable PU disc vee and flat returns as well as impact rollers available for manufacture to suit the toughest conveyor applications.”

CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Martin Engineering now manufacturing CleanScrape Martin Engineering, a global supplier of belt cleaners, vibrators and dust management products, has recently acquired the German manufacturing facility of the CleanScrape belt cleaner.

Unlike conventional cleaners mounted perpendicular to belt travel, the CleanScrape design addresses the belt diagonally.

Left: CleanScrape forms a three-dimensional curve beneath the discharge area that conforms to the pulley’s shape.

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artin has been distributing CleanScrape in Europe, the Americas and Asia since 2015.

Closer to home, the product is distributed in Australia by Australian Belt Cleaning.

CleanScrape won the award for Innovative Technology at the 2013 Australian Bulk Handling Awards.

“The patented cleaner features outstanding performance, low belt wear, extended service life, reduced maintenance and improved safety, ultimately delivering lower cost of ownership,” explained Michael Hengl, managing director for Martin Engineering Europe. “It has been proving itself in a wide range of applications, including mining, coal handling, quarrying, cement, scrap and other bulk handling operations.”

Unlike conventional belt cleaners that are mounted at a 90 degree angle to the belt, the CleanScrape belt cleaner is installed diagonally across the discharge pulley, forming a three-dimensional curve beneath the discharge area that conforms to the pulley’s shape.

The unique design incorporates a matrix of tungsten carbide scrapers and is tensioned lightly against the belt to prevent damage to the belt or splices.

“Despite extremely low contact pressure between belt and cleaner, it has been shown to remove as much as 95% of potential carryback material,” said Mike Camphuis, senior account manager at Australian Belt Cleaning. “The novel approach has been so effective that in many operations, previously crucial secondary belt cleaners have become unnecessary, saving further on belt cleaning costs and maintenance time.”

The CleanScrape protects the belt with its specific application of low force and is suited for both slow and fast conveyor belts, including those with mechanical splices.

“With its compact size, the design is an excellent solution for areas with restricted space,” said Camphuis. “It can be located either inside or outside of the transfer chute, and the straightforward installation typically requires less than two hours.”

“The CleanScrape cleaner represents an entirely new dimension in belt cleaning, and we’re so confident in its performance that we provide a money-back satisfaction guarantee,” concluded Michael Hengl. ontact: Mike Camphuis C mike.camphuis@australianbeltcleaning.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

Images show a damaged belt, before and ten months after repair with Qik Fix. The repair took place over a two-day period in mid-2016, and Scott van Epen expects an additional one to two years’ of belt life. There was 55 metres of skirt damage to the feeder conveyor belt, 150mm in from the edge. According to CoBond, the mining company was looking at a $275,000 bill to replace the belt. Instead, repair came in at $35,000.

CoBond disrupting conveyor repair kit market A company that developed one of its major products for the drag racing industry is making major inroads in the mining sector with its Qik Fix conveyor belt repair kit. Charles Macdonald reports.

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oBond Material Solutions started life in 2013 offering adhesives, ceramic wear plate liners, coatings, castings and Qik Fix to mining and industry.

The company’s two owners have complementary skill sets. Technical brain Adam Fairbairn has a background in mechanical, composites and materials engineering. Scott van Epen is the company’s commercial and public face.

In one instance, the firm developed material and tooling for an outer seal for James Cameron’s deep sea submersible.

The first incarnation of the conveyor belt repair kit came with development of a product to repair drag racing tracks.

Drag racing tracks, whether of concrete, asphalt or bitumen, are topped with a rubber coating which can be damaged when the powerful dragsters do ‘burn-outs’. CoBond’s repair kit allowed swift repairs of the track to keep the action going.

In time, this product evolved into Qik Fix which is used to repair conveyor belts.

“We can repair punctures, tears, holes and skirt damage,” explained Scott van Epen, a director and co-owner of CoBond Material Solutions.

Traditionally, companies have looked to short term fixes and repairs to tide them over until early replacement of a conveyor belt, costing hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

“We have taken a different view,” said van Epen. “We are looking to prolong the life of the belt. In a lot of those instances skirt damage to the belt has limited the life of the belt. At the edge or just inside the edge it has worn down to the fabric or the steel cord, but the centre of the belt is still fine.”

In applications in the abrasive and demanding iron ore and coal industries, van Epen has seen repaired conveyors still going after two years.

“We have clearly demonstrated that our product holds in, it wears particularly well and we are actually extending the life of the belt for them.”

In practice, the application of Qik Fix is simple. Unlike other types of repairs, including hot vulcanising, there are no requirements for special equipment, tools or permits to complete the repair. The product comes in a two-part cartridge. An operator will simply use a caulking gun to dispense the material.

The material is then mixed through a static mixing nozzle.

“The system takes out the element of people on site having to hand mix,” said van Epen. “They don’t have to do that. It’s very fast and easy to apply – one of the product’s differentiating factors.

“A key factor is that when they are doing a skirt damage repair on an angle, the product does not sag or slump. They can get through the repair very quickly and get the belt back up

CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

“A key factor is that when they are doing a skirt damage repair on an angle, the product does not sag or slump.”

and running. That’s important in coal and iron ore, with the cost for every hour of downtime coming in at hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

In comparison to other conveyor belt repair kits, van Epen emphasises CoBond’s Australian ownership and production.

Another application for Qik Fix is over the mechanical clips used to join a broken conveyor.

“We have demonstrated that when you put our product over those clips, you protect the scraper blades and stop material falling through any gaps in those clips,” said van Epen.

Outside of conveyor repairs, another product for CoBond is its proprietary bonded high-density ceramic wear plate liners.

“Traditionally ceramic wear plates are either embedded in polyurethane or rubber through hot vulcanisation. These methods typically require

heat and high pressure, it’s very expensive, and traditionally results in 6mm to 13mm of material holding in the ceramic to the steel plate. In many instances, these products are being manufactured overseas and imported into the country.

“We have developed a cost effective, proprietary manufacturing method and new adhesive system which sees only a fraction of the amount of material between the steel plate and ceramic yet increases the energy absorption properties. We are proud of the fact that we are also manufacturing these products in Australia.”

In Australia, CoBond’s products are distributed by TS Global. The company is also looking further afield and has begun exporting to the USA and Canada.

Contact: www.tsglobal.net.au

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CONVEYORS, BELT SCRAPERS & ANCILLARIES

MLT preaching benefits of its splice solutions A higher-profile MLT is working hard to educate the market on the benefits of its innovative splicing solutions.

ABHR editor Charles Macdonald spoke to MLT Asia Pacific’s general manager, Robert Gilbert.

Above and right: Super-Screw flexible rubber splice in surface and underground applications.

A

cross Australia, mining companies have reason to be cautiously optimistic. Commodity prices have lifted, and they can make good money by maximising production. At the same time, chastened by recent tough trading conditions, cost control is paramount.

In the conveyor space, Robert Gilbert sees them looking to “give their conveyor belts a greater availability percentage while reducing costs.” And he thinks that Minet Lacing Technology’s splicing solutions have real advantages when compared to traditional hot and cold vulcanising and mechanical fasteners.

“For mechanical fasteners you need tools, a lacing bed and room to put the join in,” explained Robert. “For the vulcanised splice, you need a crew, specialised equipment and a lot of time.”

In comparison, Robert said that MLT’s Super-Screw, a flexible rubber splice, “can be put in by on-site personnel as and when required, in any weather conditions.

“There are no limitations whatsoever: it is put in with a battery or electric-type drill driver because everything is basically screwed together. It is as strong as the parent belt, so this is quite novel.

“It’s a new way of joining conveyor belts. Rather than taking eight hours to do a hot splice, you do a Super-Screw in less than two. It’s available to be used straightaway, it has no shelf life, there are no chemicals in it. It doesn’t have to be stored in certain conditions like a splice kit.

“It’s on a roll so it is cut to length. It is available for all rubber belts, even food grade belts.”

Another MLT product, FIX’N GO, a permanent patch and repair for heavy duty fabric conveyor belts, shares some similarities with Super-Screw.

“It works on the same principle,” said Robert.

“It’s rubber, it’s flexible, it’s screwed together, it’s a permanent patch and repair system for any hole, tear or break in a conveyor.”

Left: One MLT customer has extended the use of FIX’N GO to repairing a heavy duty tyre.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

FIX’N GO permanent patch and repair for fabric conveyor belts.

Revitalising distribution The route to market for MLT’s products has traditionally been via belt servicing companies and belt splicing companies.

However, in recent times, and with ownership of the Australian business reverting to the French parent company, MLT is presenting a higher profile, with more appearances at trade shows, membership of Austmine and a re-fresh of company branding.

Robert Gilbert, who joined the company in 2015 after a long career in the conveyor service and component sectors, is reaching out to end users, while supporting traditional distributors.

“We want to create the sense that we will go to the direct end user but push them back through service companies to do the work and supply,” he said. “We are not trying to take direct end user sales ourselves. We want to go through our distributor networks. We will feed enquiries through to local people that support our product.”

Contact: http://www.mlt-lacing.com/en/

NEWS

Minprovise awarded primary crusher supply for Silvergrass Project Western Australian-owned engineering services company Minprovise will supply the primary crusher for Rio Tinto’s Silvergrass mine. The GY54-74 primary gyratory crusher will form part of the processing plant supplied by RCR Tomlinson.

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he GY54-74 primary gyratory crusher assembly will be manufactured by Japan’s EarthTechnica, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Assembly, engineering support and project management of the crusher and related ancillary items will heavily utilise Australian local content and expertise.

Minprovise managing director Graham Townsend stated, “we are grateful to again be given the opportunity to contribute to another Western Australian mining project. We look forward to repaying RCR and Rio Tinto for their support by delivering a

world class product within a significantly reduced timeframe (compared to other recent gyratory crusher installations).”

Minprovise is EarthTechnica’s Australasian partner and a leading supplier of crushing equipment, service and support.

The GY54-74 primary gyratory crusher being supplied to Silvergrass is the same model supplied to Rio Tinto’s recently completed Western Turner mine and, says Townsend, is part of the next generation range of crushers offering improved throughput, greater reliability and reduced maintenance.

An EarthTechnica GY54-74 at an iron ore operation in Australia.

More than 110 Earth Technica crushers have been supplied into Australia including three of the last four primary gyratory crushers into Rio Tinto Iron Ore operations.

Minprovise offers full support ranging from installation, maintenance and on-site repairs to spare parts and off-site repairs and refurbishment.

“EarthTechnica crushers offer considerable advantages over industry peers,” said Townsend. “As part of the Kawasaki group they share the same passion for innovation with the backing of one of the world’s leading industrial engineering companies.”

NEWS

Bumper $140m contract for Takraf in Africa German-based material handling specialist Takraf GmbH has won a big contract for the turn-key supply and installation of a bauxite handling plant in Guinea, West Africa. The contract value is approximately A$140m.

G

uinea, situated on the west coast of Africa, boasts the world’s largest reserves of bauxite, used for the production of alumina, in turn used in the smelting of aluminium.

Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée (CBG) was formed in 1963 by the Government of Guinea and Halco Partners to develop bauxite in the Boké region. The Government of Guinea owns 49%, and Halco Partners, which is comprised of Alcoa (22.95%), Rio Tinto Alcan (22.95%) and Dadco (5.10%), own 51%.

With approximately 2,400 employees, the company exploits the world-class Sangarédi bauxite deposit in northwestern Guinea, recognized for its rich ore body containing more than 50 per cent alumina.

CBG exports a total of about 15.2 million tons of high-grade bauxite annually and has ambitious expansion plans.

Takraf will supply equipment for the unloading of rail wagons and crushing and conveying of the bauxite. A major challenge is the brownfield character of the expansion works, which means that the new supplies and modifications to the existing plant have to be carried out whilst the installation is in operation.

Takraf says the company is executing the contract out of Germany, in close cooperation with its subsidiaries in the USA, China and South Africa. Takraf’s Leipzig-based CEO Dr Frank Hubrich said the Guinea contract is important to the company’s ambitions in west Africa. The commissioning of the plant is scheduled for the 2nd half of 2018.

Pictures show government-backed CBG’s bauxite facilities.

Takraf is supplying equipment for a major expansion.

MaxiTrans snares ex-Weir/UGL exec as new boss Maxitrans, Australia and New Zealand’s largest supplier of road transport trailers, has appointed Dean Jenkins as the company’s managing director and chief executive officer.

J

enkins replaces Michael Brockhoff who has retired from the company.

Chairman of Maxitrans, Robert Wylie, said the board was delighted to appoint a senior international executive of Mr Jenkins’ calibre and experience to the role.

“Dean has over 20 years’ executive experience in managing transport and manufacturing businesses. He has a strong track record of successfully leading large, complex and truly global companies, driving change and improvement throughout his career.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Dean Jenkins.

Jenkins was most recently chief operating officer & executive director of the Weir Group PLC, which employs over 14,000 people across approximately 70 countries, with a market capitalisation of over £4 billion.

Prior to joining the Weir Group, Jenkins was CEO of UGL Rail from 2008-2010, Australia’s largest supplier and maintainer of rolling stock.

He also spent 11 years in senior leadership roles with Qantas, culminating in the role of group general manager/head of engineering, material and logistics.

NEWS

NSW sales manager for Bonfiglioli Gears and drives specialist Bonfiglioli Australia has appointed Gary Brown as its new NSW sales manager.

He has extensive experience in mining, energy, waste and recycling industries.

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rown’s experience includes two decades in mechanical power transmission, a decade working with a global gearbox supplier and several years working with a waste and recycling company. During this time he says he gained extensive knowledge of the coal and minerals processing sectors as he worked closely with major mining companies.

“Good customer service is about listening to the customer’s needs and being receptive to their ideas,” said Brown. “It’s no use encountering a problem down the track and hearing the phrase ‘but the customer didn’t tell us that,’ when it should have been our job to ask.

“I can see straight away why Bonfiglioli has grown to have a global turnover of a billion dollars. They’ve got world class products and an extremely broad manufacturing program. I’m keen to assist in any way I can with the company’s expansion objectives.

“I’m looking forward to seeing more investment in waste processing in NSW and the opportunities that brings.

“I also look forward to strengthening Bonfiglioli’s alliance with water treatment manufacturers, which use our HDP Heavy Duty Parallel Shaft Helical Reducers with mechanical lubrication pumps.

“Another strong sector for Bonfiglioli is bulk handling, where we have gearboxes and technology to suit their gravity take-up

Gary Brown.

winches and dynamic take-up winches in underground mining and shiploading conveyors, amongst other applications.”

Brown’s former roles include: senior consultant at Enviro Systems; sales manager at Lubo Systems; sales manager at Australian Winch and Haulage; state manager at Brevini Australia; state manager at Rossi; senior sales role at Fenner Dunlop.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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NEWS

Metso spends a million on Tomago service facility

A scalping screen being moved into the screen test bay at Metso’s new service centre in Tomago.

Despite a dearth of spending on infrastructure and equipment across Australia’s mining industry, Metso has spent close to one million dollars on a new East coast service facility at Tomago.

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etso has been supplying equipment and services to the broader mining and quarrying industries from its East Coast Service centre based in the Newcastle suburb of Carrington since 1959.

After more than 50 years at Carrington, in 2016 the company relocated its service centre to a new 2,000 square metre facility in Tomago - 20kms North West of Newcastle. The facility houses around 35 personnel, comprising: a proportion of Metso’s East Coast services staff, part of the company’s HSE team and associated support staff.

The facility provides extensive services to the coal and metalliferous mining industries along the entire East Coast of Australia. It also services the company’s clients in the quarry industry.

Metso says its service offering to mines has always been very comprehensive. It includes diagnostic services; mechanical, structural and electrical inspections; on-site technical support and supervision; planned outage, shutdown and emergency breakdown services. On the equipment supply and refurbishment side, the facility houses fully integrated assemble, test and paint capabilities.

The service centre caters for a broad scope of components, assemblies and complete equipment for mining and quarrying, including mining and quarry screens, all types of crushers, as well as mineral processing equipment like pumps, pulleys, motors, and trommels.

Metso executives explained the rationale for the new investment and the choice of Tomago over Carrington.

Roger Taylor, Metso’s vice president services operations, explained: “Ultimately the decision to invest was based on a core theme of increased efficiency. We also chose a location that brought us physically closer to our customers. The 20km move from Carrington to

Roger Taylor.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Tomago might not sound significant, but it cuts travel time to the Hunter Valley by 30 minutes and so allows our team to respond more rapidly to urgent customer issues.” Jason Richards, Metso’s service manager for Eastern Australia, who is responsible for the Tomago service centre, commented: “Over the years our business has survived by constantly improving its practices. The new centre has provided a leap for us in both efficiency and productivity. The quicker processing times, and overall reduction in costs are a benefit for us as well as our customers.”

Jason cites the facility’s greatly improved lifting capabilities and innovative new paint booth as two examples of significant efficiency improvements.

The paint booth can be retracted upwards when not in use and then lowered over the equipment as required. This allows the floor space to be used for other purposes when the booth isn’t required.

It also saves the time that would be needed to move equipment in and out of a fixed paint booth.

Jason adds that safety continues to be a key focus at Tomago. He said that the facility’s safety record got off on the right foot, with the relocation project being completed according to plan and with a perfect safety record.

Commenting on the success of the new centre, Roger says, “Whilst we do have a positive outlook for business in the region, ultimately we wanted to improve the service that we provide to our customers with a new facility that matches a more cost effective supply model. The benefits of the new centre were immediately recognised by both our customers and personnel. We are confident that we are very well positioned to service a rebound in the mining and quarrying industries.”

Jason Richards explaining the Tomago facility’s capabilities.

NEW PRODUCT

Self-propelled modular transporter Enerpac says its new Self-Propelled Modular Transporters provide simple and compact load moving.

Enerpac’s SelfPropelled Modular Transporter.

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nerpac is introducing to Australasia its new 600 Series SelfPropelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), which provide a compact solution for transporting heavy loads in industries such as bulk handling, heavy manufacturing, oil and gas and power generation.

Designed for in-plant operation, Enerpac says its SPMT’s slim height and compact frame make it easy to lift, manoeuvre and lower a load in a confined space.

“They are ideally suited to moving generators, transformers, compressors, modules, vessels, tank heavy plant/machines, presses, large assemblies and virtually any piece of heavy equipment,” explained Warren Baltineshter, mining and integrated solutions manager, Enerpac Australia.

Each wheel has an individual drive motor, steering actuator and built-in lifting cylinder. This allows the load to be properly distributed across the SPMT and the built-in cylinders can absorb unevenness of the ground and function to lift and level the SPMT for travel. The entire system is controlled by a wireless controller.

“The modular design enables multiple trailer configurations, increasing the total capacity of the system,” said Baltineshter. “A single trailer can transport up to 60t safely and efficiently. Equalised suspension automatically spreads the weight of a load across each of the connected trailers and wheels, to optimise safety and performance.”

Contact: email – info@enerpac.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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DEM ANALYSIS

Advances in DEM boost analysis capabilities Recent improvements and added functionality in DEM software have resulted in dramatic analysis capability improvements, explains Soto Consulting.

Early DEM Early DEM software packages lacked the setup detail of today’s modern programs. Initially, simulation solve time was considered the priority, and as a result, frictionless spherical particles were used for all simulations regardless of the validity of this approximation. The resultant outputs of these early programs coupled with overenthusiastic salespeople led to numerous design failures. These design failures led many engineers to consider DEM software as a toy that was not relevant to real world situations.

Fortunately, DEM programmers continued the development of the software and had worked closely with materials handling engineers to implement significantly more sophisticated material models. The result is a current suite of DEM programs which have evolved to include a range of particle settings that allow the user to replicate real-world behaviours in the DEM environment realistically.

As the sophistication of the programs has developed, so has the range of usefulness of DEM and now the programs are capable of much more than just bulk solids material flow.

Engineering companies and universities are now coupling their DEM software with other analytical software such as FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to analyse a wider range of engineering problems.

“Recent improvements to DEM software have come as a significant benefit to us, and in effect, we have raised the bar regarding our capability to analyse highly complex systems. Our portfolio of work completed in the recent past reflects this,” Soto Engineering’s senior bulk materials handling engineer Dr Richard Elliott said.

the results obtained. “We have undertaken extensive research to create DEM calibration model which allows the determination of material property settings that accurately represent the behaviour of the ‘real world’ material for use in DEM,” said Elliot.

Chute analysis DEM software improvements have also raised the bar regarding achieving accurate results for traditional chute design as the analysis of complex 3D flow is not suited to traditional 2D continuum based hand calculations. “The past decade has seen our ability to tackle highly complex chute design projects increase tremendously and has opened the door to a wide range of chute design projects,” said Elliott.

In light of this, a client recently approached Soto to complete a chute analysis. Through an iterative process, small adjustments were made to the existing design, and then through repeated DEM simulations, trials of each design with materials selected from the calibration model were compared to experimental results to observe if the design alteration was effective in reducing stagnation areas. As a result, the flow capacity of the chute system increased. Also, DEM was used as a tool to determine the boundary wear from impacting particles as well as the impact and shear intensities experienced by the belt during transient and steady state operation (see Figure 1 chute conveyor simulation).

DEM calibration The starting point for an accurate DEM simulation is the development of a calibration model which allows the materials handling engineer to determine the input parameters for the DEM particles. Without a calibration model the materials handling engineer is guessing at the likely input parameters thus the accuracy of the output is uncertain.

A good calibration model will consist of a suite of tests which allow the engineer to compare the output results of DEM simulations with real world material tests. There are some methods to achieve this, using both static and dynamic material behaviours, and all aimed at the single goal of getting the DEM model output to line up with real world test results.

The type of calibration model used will be focused on the output design requirements. For example, if the DEM model was looking at a full dynamic situation then a dynamic model is required, but if quasi-static situations are being modelled such as bins and hoppers, the calibration model requires replication of the standard static material tests.

Soto Engineering has developed calibration models for both static and dynamic simulations as well as for particle breakage.

The development of the models coupled with standard material tests has led to the ability to simulate many intricate designs accurately and gives the materials handling engineer an excellent starting point for producing engineering designs.

Improvements to DEM software have introduced the necessity for a calibration model to provide confidence and certainty in 42

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Figure 1: A chute conveyor simulation.

Particle breakage analysis A relatively recent development in DEM software is the ability to simulate particle breakage in simulations where particle degradation is critical. This is particularly useful when comparing design alternatives at early stages of projects removing the need for significant testing costs on scale models. The “Rocky” software program by Granular Dynamics International is one of the few commercially available DEM software products which can carry out this type of simulation.

The key to particle breakage is Rocky’s ability to use multifaceted particles in the simulation rather than an agglomeration of spheres. The multi-faceted particles coupled with a probabilistic breakage function lead to results which match real world particle breakage. Like standard DEM modelling, particle breakage must be calibrated against test data to determine the model breakage parameters. Figure 2 shows the starting point for the development of a breakage model.

DEM ANALYSIS

Figure 2: Complex single-particle breakage as a starting point for the development of a breakage model.

In a recent project, Soto Engineering developed a DEM simulation model to compare the breakage differences from two unique potential design solutions. The material to be simulated had been extensively tested by the client, the results of which provided an excellent basis for the material calibration. The goal of the calibration was to produce similar breakage volumes and particle size distribution in scale model simulations.

Soto Engineers carried out 58 single-particle breakage simulations and several multi-particle breakage simulations during the calibration period. Comparison with experimentally derived breakage indices and resulting particle size distributions gave confirmation of the accuracy of selected breakage parameters (see Figure 3).

Completion of the breakage investigation coupled with the PSD distribution data provided the complete range of material property inputs for analysis of the degradation seen through a bucket elevator system. Analysis of the lift system revealed realistic breakage of the material and the transfer locations

Figure 3: Using Rocky to simulate particle breakage in a standard breakage test and a rod mill.

responsible for causing the highest levels of breakage. The output of the breakage model allowed controlled modifications and improvements to achieve required breakage levels.

“This highly complex system demonstrates the potential use of modern DEM methods to simulate dynamic systems and also illustrates the full process by which DEM is utilised – from calibration to breakage testing and finally

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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DEM ANALYSIS

project imported the output of a DEM model into a CFD model to produce theoretical air flows up through a thick material bed within a process plant.

Figure 4: Particle breakage analysis of a bucket elevator transfer system.

simulation of design,” said Elliott (see Figure 4).

Figure 6: DEM system used to determine a material distribution in a test facility.

Combining DEM with FEA The flexibility of DEM was proven during a recent review of a rod mill system. Soto’s advanced analysis team was approached by a client to develop design improvements to a rod mill. One of the major unknowns in their FEA analysis was the force imparted to the mill from the action of the rods. While the forces could be determined using hand calculations; these were likely to be profoundly conservative due to the assumptions used.

The solution to determine the unknown forces was solved by developing a DEM model of the mill.

The DEM model of the mill simulated the turning of the mill, the rods and the material feed into the mill along with a particle breakage model (see Figure 5). The combination of these simulation components resulted in a model in which the damping effect of the particles and the realistic movement of the rods gave more realistic forces than hand calculations. The resultant forces and their frequency obtained from the DEM model were used as input parameters in the final FEA fatigue analysis of the mill structure.

An accurate DEM model was critical to this application as the airflow was highly dependent upon the particle size distribution (PSD) across and through the material bed. A comprehensive calibration of the model was carried out to ensure the simulated material behaved the same as the real world material. The final calibration compared the CFD model output and DEM PSD output to data gathered from the client’s test facility. The calibrated material was then used to develop commercial designs.

The approach of combining DEM with CFD analysis allowed some different designs to be tested before selecting the most appropriate one for further development. During the DEM modelling, it was found that the DEM model needed to include many different materials handling elements – chutes, bins, feeders, distributors and the like as each of these elements had the potential to change the resultant PSD spread across the final material bed (see Figure 6).

Upon completion of the DEM and CFD analyses, FEA was employed to analyse the structural integrity of critical portions of the final design.

Summary

Combining DEM with CFD

DEM has come a long way in a short period and is now capable of increasing an engineer’s ability to analyse designs which in the past were either too complex or required conservative assumptions to be made. Capacity to combine state of the art DEM models with FEA and CFD has increased the number of applications which utilise this useful engineering tool.

Soto’s team regularly has requirements to develop CFD models for fluid flow within and around structures. A recently completed

Contact: www.sotogroup.com.au

Figure 5: Rod Mill FEA fatigue analysis – internal forces determined by DEM analysis of the Rod Mill.

NEWS

Rockwell to the fore at Internet of Things conference The Internet of Things – meaning the embedding of internet-linked sensors in everything from fridges and toasters to conveyors and chutes – is a topical issue for the bulk handling community. The technology promises major efficiencies and cost savings in operations and maintenance.

S

ome of the keenest proponents of the movement are, unsurprisingly, the automation, control and electrical specialists like Rockwell Automation.

Rockwell representatives spoke at the The Industrial Internet Summit, held on 15-16 February in Sydney.

Rockwell spoke about ‘the connected 44

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

enterprise’ which converges plant-level and enterprise networks, and securely connects people, processes, and technologies.

The company said that implementing the connected enterprise is a journey.

“The first step is to get connected to the smart machines and devices

that generate the data. Fortunately, the convergence of new technologies including mobile devices, the cloud, and big data, can help securely connect plant information with enterprise systems,” explained David Hegarty, managing director, South Pacific at Rockwell Automation.

NEW PRODUCT Flexicon’s Tip-Tite bulk transfer system moves material from boxes into a mobile bin with vibratory feeder, dust-free.

Sanitary high lift box tipper with vibratory bin feeder Flexicon has introduced a new Tip-Tite bulk transfer system that moves material from boxes into a mobile bin with a vibratory feeder that services multiple downstream processes.

A

ccording to Flexicon, all stainless steel construction allows handling of corrosive materials and/or wash down between runs of contamination-sensitive food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and chemical products. Castors mounted at the base of the bin allow it to be rolled away from processing areas for a complete wash down.

Boxes measuring 915 to 1220 mm on a side and 990 to 1117 mm in height are loaded at floor level and raised hydraulically to seat against a discharge hood. The assembly is then hydraulically elevated and tipped, which mates the spout of the discharge hood to a gasketed receiving ring installed on the lid of the mobile bin.

“The dust-tight connection allows opening of a pneumaticallyactuated slide gate and discharging of material into the bin with no contamination of the product or plant environment, while permitting partially-empty boxes to be returned to the plant floor with no dusting,” stated Flexicon’s publicity.

Once the bin is rolled or forklifted to a downstream process, material flows through a pneumatically-actuated slide gate into a vibratory feeder equipped with eccentric weights for gentle, volumetric metering.

Separate control systems – housed in NEMA 4 or NEMA 4X enclosures for wash down using steam, cleaning solutions and high pressure water – provide manual or automated control of all hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical functions.

The system is also offered in carbon steel with durable industrial coatings or with stainless steel material contact surfaces.

Contact: sales@flexicon.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

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CONVEYING

Pneumatic conveying of silicon powder for li-ion batteries The future of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries found in laptops, phones, hybrid cars and other applications may be taking shape at a UK start-up.

N

exeon Ltd has built a plant at its headquarters in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, to produce a silicon anode it developed that significantly improves the energy density and operating life of Li-ion batteries.

A critical part of producing the silicon anodes involves transferring precise amounts of silicon powder and other ingredients from a bag dump station to a slurry tank for mixing in an aqueous solution, using a dilute-phase, Pneumati-Con vacuum conveying system from Flexicon.

The transfer is dust-free and safe. “Silicon powder is combustible and can be explosive under the right conditions,” says David Bent, production director at Nexeon. “Flexicon analysed the powder and developed the pneumatic system for it, including dust control and explosion protection measures.”

Bag dump station contains dust The first step in transporting the powder is manually emptying bags of silicon powder and additives into the bag dump station mounted on a floor hopper. A bag tray support provides a work surface for the operator to stage, clean and open bags.

A dust collection system integral to the bag dump station draws airborne dust through two cartridge filters, as reverse pulse jets automatically clean the filters to and return accumulated dust to the hopper.

Pneumatic conveying system feeds weigh hopper The powders flow from the bottom outlet of the floor hopper through a pickup adapter into the two-stage pneumatic conveying line.

Left: Silicon powder and additives are manually emptied into the bag dump station and floor hopper. The station includes a bag tray support and dust collection through two cartridge filters. Powders flow from the hopper outlet through a pickup adapter into the pneumatic conveying line.

Below: Powders move from the bag dump station through the pneumatic conveying line to the filter receiver (rear) in the main processing area. Fully enclosed system prevents the escape of dust.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

CONVEYING

Nexeon produces silicon anodes that improve the performance of lithiumion batteries.

From the pneumatic line, the filter-receiver separates the silicon powder from the air stream before the powder enters the receiving hopper and is delivered to a slurry tank. A reverse pulse jet system cleans the filter cartridges at timed intervals.

The first vertical section rises 90 degrees from the hopper outlet and connects to the second horizontal section, which runs from the silicon unloading area to the main processing area. The receiving hopper empties into a slurry make-up vessel.

A side channel blower downstream of the filter-receiver atop the receiving hopper provides a vacuum that pulls the material through the pneumatic line, improving dust control. The fully enclosed system transfers the silicon powder virtually dust-free.

Since the system operates under vacuum, even if the integrity of the enclosed system is unintentionally compromised, the silicon powder will remain within the conveying system.

CONVEYING

Silicon Anode substitute boosts Li-ion performance Nexeon’s technology replaces conventional carbon/graphite anodes (the negative electrode terminal) in Li-ion batteries with a proprietary silicon formulation structure that increases the energy density of the cell and addresses inherent expansion issues of silicon.

The market for improved lithium ion anodes is enormous globally as they are found in consumer electronic devices such as smart phones, tablets and laptops. The largest emerging market is electric vehicles where demand is expected to triple, says David Bent, production director.

Silicon powder is the main ingredient in Nexeon’s manufacture of silicon anodes.

Filter receiver is isolated, safe The filter receiver separates the silicon powder from the air stream before the powder enters the receiving hopper. Like the bag dump station, it has a reverse pulse jet system that automatically cleans the filter cartridges at timed intervals.

The filter-receiver is isolated in a safe area and protected with an explosion relief panel designed to exhaust the energy associated with an explosion without causing a catastrophic failure of the filter receiver. At the bottom outlet of the receiving hopper, a pneumatically actuated slide gate valve discharges the silicon powder into the slurry tank.

One set of load cells beneath the floor hopper at the bag dump station in combination with load cells beneath the filter

receiver send signals to the PLC which automate the delivery of a predetermined amount of powder to the slurry vessel.

A low level sensor near the bottom of the floor hopper signals the PLC to stop the conveyor until more material is dumped into the hopper in order to achieve the total batch weight. On the receiving hopper, a high level sensor signals the PLC to stop the conveyor if the hopper is about to overflow in case of a system malfunction.

Nexeon says it avoided a piecemeal approach to equipment selection and installation by relying on a complete system from Flexicon. “We are very happy with the design, construction, installation and commissioning service provided by Flexicon,” explained Mr. Bent.

Contact: sales@flexicon.com.au

NEWS

Siemens modernises drive system for ore mills in Chile As one of the world’s biggest copper producers, the Chilean mining company Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi SCM based in Las Condes in Chile commissioned Siemens to modernise the drive system of four of its ore mills.

T

he mine is located in the North of Chile, around 180 kilometres southeast of the port of Iquique. The contract required Siemens to supply complete systems comprising new motors and Flender couplings with torque limiting shear pin, as well as new Sinamics SL150 cycloconverters with thyristor stacks.

Siemens says the new drive systems will give a huge boost to the reliability and consequently also the throughput of the mills. The contract is valued in the doubledigit million Euro range.

The modernisation project includes two 8 MW SAG (semi-autogenous) mills and two 1.7 MW ball mills with dual 48

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

pinion drives. The new drive systems are replacing the existing synchronous motors and direct converters for the SAG mills and the drive systems of the ball mills, which were installed by a different manufacturer. “The standardised system design now offers all the benefits of controllable drives also for the ball mills,” stated Siemens’ publicity.

“When implementing this project, to prevent costly standstill periods and also to minimise risk it was vital for the new motors to fit on the foundations constructed for their predecessors.

Also with a view to minimising any risks associated with the conversion, a

decision was taken to replace the entire mill automation system with modern technology rather than undertaking the laborious task of adapting the hardware and software.

“The direct converter and the new automation systems were installed in ready-assembled new “E-Houses” which were completely developed, produced and pre-tested in the plant in Santiago/ Chile, to be subsequently connected and commissioned on site.

“The location of the mine at an altitude of over 4,200 meters meant that particular care had to be taken with the electrical and thermal dimensioning of components.”

NEW PRODUCT

Hybrid diesel/renewable micro-grid for temporary projects Powering remote but temporary bulk handling and minerals exploration projects can be a headache, the task most often necessitating transport of huge amounts of diesel to often inaccessible locations.

O

ne possible solution is a transportable micro-grid from German electrical equipment company, Pfisterer, which combines a conventional diesel generator with solar power and wind turbines – all supplied in containers.

The system is called CrossPower and it combines hybrid power generation with an intelligent management system. This aims to guarantee a highly reliable power supply even on a cloudy or windless day.

Modern lithium-ion batteries store the renewable energy, which is automatically prioritised by the management system. Diesel generators charge the batteries only as required, and therefore operate in their optimum output range. According to Pfisterer, “this cuts fuel consumption by more than 50 percent and makes the system remarkably efficient. Since much less diesel is needed, the number of cost-intensive fuel shipments is reduced.”

Even large, temporary bulk handling projects can be powered thanks to the CrossPower system’s scalability.

The Large Grid variant provides a power of 5,000 kW and more.

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GRAIN HANDLING

‘World awash with wheat’ A major international agri banking group sees massive stocks and production keeping a lid on prices. India may well emerge as a crucial market for Australian producers.

R

abobank cautions of a ‘world awash with wheat’ with record high stocks, and building, and persistently high global production muting any possible recovery in prices.

According to RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness general manager Tim Hunt excellent seasonal conditions drove yields to more than offset world acreage cuts in 2016, with stocks building in every major region, bar the EU. Australia was no exception, and with a wheat crop in excess of 30m tonnes just harvested there is “an abundance of surplus wheat available.”

The company’s commentary said that: “Rabobank forecasts CBOT wheat prices to gradually improve through 2017 to reach an average of USc460/bu in late 2017, at an exchange rate of 75c to the dollar AUD225/t.

With the US recording its lowest winter wheat seeding in over 100 years, a US deficit is expected in 2017/18, helping to support the forecast modest price improvement through 2H 2017.

“Higher quality types experienced opportunities within the market in 2016. Restricted supply out of the EU and Canada helped spreads such as the Minneapolis/CBOT to multi-year highs. These are expected to narrow as the new Northern Hemisphere grain harvest improves grain quality.

“Pressure on very competitive export markets may be relieved modestly through the coming year by a forecast 8% or 4m tonne reduction in Black Sea region production in 2017/18.

“Indian wheat imports remain important for Australia with the potential to soak up some of the record 2016 harvest. Traditionally, Australia has had a strong market share when India takes in wheat and with 4m tonnes-5m tonnes expected to be imported in 2016/17 with the import duty reduced it could be a crucial market.”

RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness general manager Tim Hunt.

Bumper winter crop A new report from the Department of Agriculture suggests mainland states have achieved record highs in this season’s winter crop harvest.

G

enerally favourable seasonal conditions have pushed production to unprecedented levels this winter season, according to the latest figures from the Department’s statistics division, ABARES. ABARES’s latest crop report estimates the winter production has increased 49% in the 2016/17 season to 58.9 million tonnes.

“The revised winter crop estimate was the result of yields being higher than anticipated and reaching previously unseen levels in most regions,” ABARES acting executive director Peter Gooday said.

The latest numbers are up 12% on the December 2016 forecast.

“On the flip side, drier and warmer than average seasonal conditions in the cropping regions of Queensland and northern New South Wales over the past three months have reduced prospects for summer crop production in 2016/17,” he noted.

“The timing and quantity of rainfall over the remainder of the season will be critical to the ongoing development of dry land summer crops.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Despite this, Gooday said summer planting was now largely complete with an area 15% larger than a year ago, with around 1.4 million hectares expected to yield 4.2 million tonnes of summer crops, up 12%.

He also estimates the area planted to cotton to have more than doubled to 557,400 hectares.

This reflects favourable supplies of irrigation water, high levels of soil moisture early in the planting window and expected favourable returns from growing cotton, Gooday said.

“Area planted to irrigated cotton is estimated to have increased by 66% to 348,000 hectares and area planted to dryland cotton is estimated to have increased by 248% to 209,400 hectares.

“Rice production is forecast to be around 870,000 tonnes from 250,000 tonnes in 2015/16, with the area planted estimated to be about four times higher in 2016/17 than the previous year,” he added.

GRAIN HANDLING

Photo shows the Pedhoulas Rose, which is both the first panamax and the first vessel loaded with canola at Quattro.

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Dene Ladmore, terminal manager of Quattro Ports at Port Kembla updated ABHR on progress at the site since it was completed in March 2016.

“S

ince March 2016, we have loaded in excess of 400,000 tonnes in both handy size and panamax vessels,” Dene explained. “The Pedhoulas Rose (see photo) is both the first panamax and the first vessel loaded with canola.

The terminal handles predominately wheat, with some barley and canola.

The catchment area for the grain is the central and south western regions of NSW. “The 2017 harvest continues to look very promising for export port terminals and Quattro Ports is well positioned to support our clients’ delivery of large volumes of grain and oilseed to their export customers. Our staff are well trained, our terminal is well maintained and our management team are driven to provide the best possible service.”

Quattro is an incorporated joint venture between COFCO Agri, Qube, Emerald Grain and Cargill Australia.

The Port Kembla operation is an open-access terminal which provides grain export opportunities to all grain traders and exporters in the New South Wales grain market.

The Quattro facility is specifically designed to receive grain by rail and

utilises the existing Inner Harbour rail sidings. It has the capacity to handle in excess of 1.3 million tonnes of export grain per annum plus the ability to also handle import cargo.

The project includes an upgrade to berth 103, construction of new grain bulk storage and rail discharge facilities, conveyors and a mobile ship loader. The facility was completed in March 2016.

Quattro’s design allows for other agri-products to be both imported and exported through the facility. The terminal was constructed by Kerman Contracting and included significant input from local Illawarra and NSW sub-contractors.

Quattro has ten x 10,000 tonne and nine x 2,000+ tonne capacity vertical silos. Construction involved: dredging of approximately 120,000 cubic metres to increase berth depth to 14.5m; extension of berth 103 to handle vessels up to 225 metres in length; installation of rail receival hoppers and an overhead covered conveyor to link the existing rail siding to the new silos; and installation of a 1,500 tonne per hour capacity out loading conveyor to connect to a mobile ship loader.

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GRAIN HANDLING

GrainCorp breaks harvest records GrainCorp announced in January that its harvest receivals reached 12 million tonnes, with record or near-record receivals at 26 of its country silos across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

N

igel Lotz, general manager of operations for storage and logistics at GrainCorp, speaking in mid-January, said it had been a massive operation, “This is the biggest winter harvest since 2010/2011, where our network received 12.3 million tonnes by the same time.”

“While harvest is almost complete in Queensland and New South Wales, we expect the harvest in Victoria will continue up to Australia Day. “It’s really exciting to see some areas achieve high yields after extended drought, particularly north western New South Wales and western Victoria. Grain quality has also been good, especially across canola and wheat.

“It’s really exciting to see some areas achieve high yields after extended drought” “Coonamble was our largest silo with nearly 400,000 tonnes of grain received. Walgett and Thallon received nearly 300,000 tonnes. Other silos such as Barellan, Warracknabeal and Quambatook are on the way to receiving close to 200,000 tonnes.

“The planning and resources needed to scale up by over 60 per cent compared to last year posed some challenges, however we were able to take full advantage of our network.

“In recent years, our focus has been on developing larger and more efficient country silos that provide better turnaround times and more segregations for growers.

“Prior to harvest we spent $21 million on improvements, including new stackers and upgrading existing bunkers and equipment. We also boosted employment of harvest casuals by 60 per cent to 3,000 roles compared to last year.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

“I want to thank grain growers for working so closely with us, letting us know what they needed from us and how they were going. This helped us in setting opening times, segregations and resources. I also want to thank our local teams who worked tirelessly over a long harvest.

“Our attention is now turning to the export program. We have already moved over one million tonnes of grain from our silos to sub-terminals and ports. We have secured additional rail and road capacity to ship this grain, with the shipping stem heavily booked for the next six months,” Mr Lotz said.

Private equity firm buys Allied Mills GrainCorp and Cargill Australia have sold their Allied Mills joint venture to private equity firm Pacific Equity Partners.

GrainCorp, which owned 60% of the flour and bakery premix supplier, announced the deal on January 31, and said 40% owner Cargill Australia had also agreed to sell its stake. PEP will pay GrainCorp $190 million for its share of the business.

“This transaction is consistent with our strategy to proactively manage our portfolio to improve returns,” GrainCorp managing director and chief executive Mark Palmquist said. “The interest shown by PEP to acquire full control of Allied Mills provided us with an excellent opportunity to realise the value in Allied and create balance sheet flexibility for the future.”

GrainCorp and Cargill have been joint investors in Allied for more than 15 years. “We would like to thank the management and employees of Allied Mills for our successful relationship over such a long period,” Palmquist said.

GrainCorp chief financial officer Alistair Bell said the $190 million injection would provide the company with flexibility as it approaches “peak gearing,” and would remain available for “other redeployment opportunities”.

GRAIN HANDLING

“Over a number of years GrainCorp has been investing in a series of capital projects and as these projects are completing, our focus has been on maintaining a disciplined approach to capital management and portfolio optimisation,” Bell said. “This sale of an equity investment in Allied Mills creates an opportunity to realise value, reduce gearing and improve our returns.”

PEP said it would add Allied to its Pinnacle business, a bakery products and ingredients supplier it acquired in 2015. “Since acquiring Pinnacle, PEP has substantially increased investment in both R&D and manufacturing capability and demonstrated an unwavering focus on delivering great results for our customers,” Pinnacle boss James Ajaka said.

“The combination of Pinnacle and Allied Mills offers a unique opportunity to generate value through category-leading innovation and technology solutions while embedding a world-class supply chain which can service more customers, more often.”

PEP managing director Tony Duthie added: “This is a rare combination of complementary business operating in truly adjacent categories. PEP has a proven track record of investing in consumer product businesses and we intend to invest significantly to grow and support the integrated business.

Cunningar upgrade on track GrainCorp has secured development approvals for its $8.1m upgrade of the grain receival and train loading facility at Cunningar in southern New South Wales.

The upgrade will see an 80% improvement in train loading times and the removal of 4,000 truck movements per year from local roads.

The multi-million-dollar upgrade was previously announced in December 2015 as part of the Australian Government’s National

Overview of GrainCorp’s Walgett facility which has just received nearly 300,000t in a bumper winter harvest.

Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF) and commenced in February 2017.

GrainCorp’s general manager of storage & logistics Nigel Lotz welcomed the news: “This is a major milestone in this project that will allow work to commence on time to ensure we deliver the benefits to the growers and wider region in time for next harvest.

“Over the past 12 months we have been carefully planning the project to maximise the efficiency of these upgrades while minimising disruption to the local community. I am delighted our plans have been fully approved.

“This is a community-led project with support from local grain growers and Hilltops Council that will deliver widespread benefits,” Mr Lotz said.

General manager of Hilltops Council, Anthony McMahon said: “Now that the Joint Regional Planning Panel has made its determination council will continue to work closely with GrainCorp to ensure the works can commence on schedule.

“We, like GrainCorp and our growers across the region, are keen to see this important project deliver the freight efficiencies identified as quickly as possible”, Mr McMahon said.

The project will deliver increased competitiveness for local grain, delivering a $10 per tonne freight benefit to growers.

AUSTRALIA’S HARDEST WORKING BUNKER EQUIPMENT

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GRAIN HANDLING

Newcastle Agri Terminal boss upbeat on progress

Newcastle Agri Terminal.

After its first full year of operation, Newcastle Agri Terminal executive director Jock Carter is upbeat, with healthy volumes, the advent of ‘mega-trains’, and various technical innovations. Carter updated ABHR on progress in February 2017.

“L

ast year was the first full season of operation since the terminal was commissioned and we are very happy with the result, shipping just under 600,000 tonnes for the 2015/16 grain season,” explained Carter, a co-founder and part owner of the terminal. “We have capacity booked through to September 2017 with a target of exporting 900,000 tonnes for the 2016/17 season.”

The Newcastle Agri Terminal (NAT) has chalked up a number of firsts. In December 2015, it organised a ‘mega train’ carrying 5,000t, compared to a historical train size of 2,000t (see later report).

A year later, in December 2016, in cooperation with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), NAT organised the first paddock-to-ship trains of chick peas from Moree to Newcastle, with two 3,000t trains.

In its first year of operation, NAT increased the industry standard train size by nearly 50% from 2,000t-2,200t per train to 2,800t-3,000t.

In terms of its technologies and infrastructure, Carter observed that “the Siwertell shiploader and cascade chute are achieving load rates of up to 2,000t per hour and the dust control system is working well.

“We were the first grain terminal in the world to install fumigant recapture utilising the Nordiko carbon recapture system. Our new road receival and container packing facilities are commissioned and operational.

“The rail receival facility designed by Lindsay Dynon with InterSystems handling equipment is working well, discharging full trains in less than two hours.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Going back in time, NAT made its first shipment – of 28,000 tonnes of durum wheat – in February 2014. The cargo was loaded onto the North Princess, destined for Algeria on behalf of the Australian Durum Company (ADC), part of the Graintrend Group.

At the time, ADC director Peter Howard said “Graintrend is excited about the prospect of exporting bulk vessels of chickpeas from NAT as this was not possible from Newcastle previously,” Construction at NAT was completed in August 2013. At that time, the facility comprised NSW’s second grain export facility and the first major grain port development in the state in more than 25 years.

“the Siwertell shiploader and cascade chute are achieving load rates of up to 2,000t per hour….”

The terminal is located on what was vacant port-zoned industrial land at Carrington. It uses existing rail infrastructure and shares access to the Dyke No.2 berth.

NAT features 60,000t of storage (comprising two 20,000t and three 6,780t silos) and has the capacity to unload trains and load large vessels at 2,000tph, thanks to its shiploader, which features a Cleveland cascade chute.

Cargotec supplied NAT with the 2,000tph Siwertell SBL 1600TTL loader, as well as the chute and a 182m long enclosed

GRAIN HANDLING

Silos at Newcastle Agri Terminal.

Loading at 1,800mtph.

jetty belt conveyor with tipper, designed to promote a dust-free grain transfer.

SSPBS, a joint venture between Silo Services and Protective Building Systems, handled NAT’s project management. USbased supplier InterSystems supplied the materials handling equipment and the silos were manufactured by Brock.

The goal for NAT then and now is to provide greater independent export access to grain growers in northern NSW. “We believe this project is a great example of the ‘working port’ concept where Australian growers achieve more efficient access to export markets with minimal impact on local portside communities,” Carter said.

NAT is operated by CTC Terminals, a business headed by Carter and Martin MacKay. Investment for the project, which cost roughly $28m, came from CTC and three grain exporters: Glencore Grain, Olam (now Agrex via its 2014 JV with Mitsubishi) and CBH Grain.

“We are fortunate to have a great team of investors,” MacKay said, “who have a real interest in introducing innovation and efficiency to the grain supply chain. However, it’s a testament to our position as an independent service provider that our first customer, ADC, was not one of our investors.”

Newcastle’s other grain export facility, operated by GrainCorp, is significantly larger than NAT – capable of storing as much as 188,240 tonnes of grain for export at any one time.

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GRAIN HANDLING

But the new terminal should promote competition, and MacKay believes NAT has the potential to reinstate Newcastle as the key export facility in eastern Australia.

“Competition and increased efficiency has a ripple effect right up the regional supply chain,” he said. Alluding to GrainCorp, he added “If you have one company that controls the ports, and because it is a cornerstone of the supply chain, it makes it very difficult for other people to invest in the rail resources or the up-country facilities. That is because you are always beholden to a monopoly competitor. We think the NAT will encourage innovation and investment.”

Carter said NAT can accommodate both large and small customers. “At the end of the day we are very happy to tailor different sized solutions for different sized markets. We are effectively open to anyone who wants to export grain out of the country. Bulk traders will have different requirements to somebody who wants to market a niche variety.”

Newcastle’s export capacity is limited by rail capacity, Carter said. Investing in larger locomotives and wagons, up to 7,000t, should deliver operators better economies of scale, he explained.

“The challenge for the grain industry is how do you get more grain per train?”

Locos for grain haulage are typically older, twenty years or more, while the newer locos usually used for coal haulage are more powerful. GrainCorp uses relatively small 2,200t rail wagons which are unloaded at a single receival point.

“The challenge for the grain industry is how do you get more grain per train? A train, no matter the size, takes up the same amount of network capacity regardless of its size.

“The current grain train into Newcastle hauls 2,200t wagons and the current average coal train is 6-7000t.” Carter explained that investing in larger wagons “ties up more capital, but will deliver a far more efficient operation too.”

Mega trains equate to grower savings In December 2015, a 73-wagon, five-locomotive train arrived at NAT loaded with more than 5,000 tonnes of grain.

A

lmost twice the length of a standard NSW grain train, and carrying nearly two-and-a-half times the tonnage, the 1,250-metre train was believed to be the longest export grain train in Australian history.

Jock Carter said the achievement was the result of six years of development at the terminal.

“Bigger trains means increased efficiency and lower costs, which equals better returns for growers,” he explained. “It also frees up capacity for other users of the rail network.”

The train was loaded with wheat from a collection of north west NSW growers at Louis Dreyfus facilities in Moree and Narrabri. It unloaded in one pass on a continuous balloon loop at the terminal. Its passage to Newcastle was made possible thanks to work by the ARTC and the port, Carter explained.

“ARTC worked with us to increase the axle load from 20 to 23 tonnes for this train,” he outlined. “This may sound small but this translates into a real saving of over $1.30 per tonne.

“The Inland Rail upgrade will further increase this to 25 tonnes. This then justifies investment in new, more productive grain wagons which leads to further cost savings.”

ARTC boss John Fullerton said the network from Newcastle to Moree provided growers with a key cost-effective solution for transporting their product.

“We have dedicated train paths ready and available to help growers get their product to market,” Fullerton said, “and through heavier, more productive trains and improved cycle times, we can help increase farm gate returns and make the entire supply chain more efficient.”

Carter praised Louis Dreyfus and Newcastle Agri Terminal shareholder Agrex – a division of Mitsubishi – for committing the exporter support to make the mega-shipment possible.

“These exporters have generally been posting higher prices at up-country sites which demonstrates how larger trains and lower costs translates into higher returns for the farmer,” he said.

He called on all levels of government to support innovation in road and rail freight to deliver productivity gains to growers across NSW.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

“As well as upgrades to strategic sections of regional track, road infrastructure and access improvements are needed to streamline the connectivity from farm gate to major rail interchanges.”

Then Federal minister for infrastructure and regional development Warren Truss said the mega-train demonstrated the massive opportunity for grain producers to save transport costs using rail.

“The size of this train more than doubles the payload capacity of the standard grain train that currently runs through the Hunter Valley network,” Truss said. “In simple terms, the increase in payload means at least a $5 to $10 a tonne reduction in hard costs for the grower – a massive saving.”

Port of Newcastle chief executive officer Geoff Crowe said facilities at the port could help the agricultural sector take advantage of larger trains.

“Port of Newcastle is the largest bulk shipping port on the east coast of Australia providing grain marketers and growers with modern storage and export facilities to take greater advantage of growth in Asia,” Crowe said.

“The Port of Newcastle is well positioned to support the growth of NSW’s grain trade, with plenty of capacity in the rail networks to the port, multiple grain terminals for ship loading and a shipping channel that can handle double the port’s current total trade.”

Australian Logistics Council boss Michael Kilgariff said longer, more efficient and more powerful trains travelling across the network had been made possible through investment in new rail infrastructure. “[Investment] has improved axle loads and increased the amount of freight that can be shifted by rail which can deliver significant advantages to businesses, particularly agriculture,” Kilgariff said.

“Added to this, the ARTC has also worked hard to improve rail reliability, which is a critical factor when businesses weighup the composition of their national supply chains.

“The record making trip is, I hope, the sign of things to come when it comes to the movement of agricultural products from rural and regional areas to ports.”

GRAIN HANDLING

Tubeveyor delivers mainline loading from Hunter farm The Australian Rail Track Corporation says it has executed its first ‘direct from farm’ mainline train loading event at Milguy in northern New South Wales’ grain belt, thanks to an innovative loading solution.

T

he ARTC says the innovative mainline loading solution is the first of its kind on the Hunter network.

Through the use of a customised Tubeveyor, the ARTC says a large local farmer has slashed freight costs, and demonstrated the kind of flexibility being explored by ARTC in the rail industry.

“This week we have had trains literally arrive at the farm gate loaded direct from the paddock to the wagon,” ARTC executive general manager for the Hunter Valley Jonathan Vandervoort said.

“This has all come about thanks to some local ingenuity and a close working relationship between farmer and the supply chain – and as result we will see tens of thousands of tonnes of farm produce loaded direct from the paddock into the wagon.”

The farm in question belongs to the Boolah Partnership, which predominantly grows broad acre crops producing barley, wheat, sorghum, legumes and cotton.

The ARTC said the Partnership has invested extensively in local farm storage and loading facilities enabling them to directly load into grain wagons at a rate of around 600 tonnes an hour with the Tubeveyor.

“With one wagon loaded roughly every six minutes without additional loading or handling in between, and leveraging our own on-farm storage, our supply chain costs have been dramatically lowered for this delivery,” Boolah’s part-owner Stuart Tighe said.

“We are looking at a minimum of $5 per tonne being saved through this approach – this massively alters our logistics cost base and sets a template for how we do things in the future.”

Boolah’s southern operations manager Sam Conway said that with the scale and volume of the Boolah Partnership operation,

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and being close to both a rail siding and the main railway line, they have always been keen to see how they could leverage rail better.

“Rail is by far the most efficient and cost effective transport mode for farmers, if done right – and in recent times working closely with ARTC we have been able to realise the opportunity,” Conway said.

“We have a big focus on how we can work directly with producers and the supply chain on looking at ways we can help rail ‘work’ for our customers in different markets,” Vandervoort added.

“With farmers, this is about understanding their cost drivers, looking at the broader supply chain and infrastructure capability and seeing what we can do to improve productivity through rail for them.

“By collaborating with Stuart and [co-owner] Lyndall [Tighe] and tapping into their innovation and drive – you can realise a different way of doing things and demonstrate the kind of flexibility rail is able to offer.

“This is an important signal from us, asking farmers to see rail from a different perspective, and understand there are a variety of ways that rail can be utilised by the farming community.”

The first trains will contain chick peas heading for the international market (largely South Asia).

Later, Boolah-produced barley will be railed to Minto for processing at a malting plant prior to use by brewers.

“While this particular supply chain solution may not be the answer for every farmer – and is highly dependent on volume and the nature of the rail network – it demonstrates we are serious about making rail work for all of our customers,” Vandervoort said.

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57

GRAIN HANDLING

Containerised grain gathers momentum Companies involved in containerising and tippling grain believe that it offers many advantages over systems based around traditional sheds and shiploaders.

I

n the July/August 2015 edition, ABHR looked at the use of a containerised logistics solution for grain by Terminal Puerto Rosario (TPR), situated 300kms north west of Buenos Aires.

TPR uses a rented fleet of 20’ high cube containers, each with a payload capacity of 27 tones, which it loads with grain at inland depots or farms. The containers are sealed with lids to protect the contents from rain or contamination before being transported to TPR’s yard at port for storage.

The containers thus replace expensive storage sheds which in other applications are often only used for a fraction of the year.

At port, containers are delivered to quayside by truck before being loaded with ships’ on-board cranes or with mobile harbour cranes fitted with RAM Spreaders’ Revolver.

The latter tippling device locks on to the container, lowering it into the hatch of the vessel, automatically removing the lid, and emptying grain with a 360-degree rotation.

With grain sealed in the container from farm and only opened at bottom of the vessel’s hatch, material loss or contamination is avoided. Emptied gently at the bottom of the hatch, dust is minimised.

Clockwise from top left: The new containerised way of doing things, as practiced at Terminal Puerto Rosario, 300kms north west of Buenos Aires. Fill at farm or depot, transport to the terminal, store on site, and unload into ship’s hatch with tippler.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

GRAIN HANDLING

The old way of doing things: expensive silos, often only used for small parts of the year, and unwieldy bulk conveyors guaranteeing a long drop for grain into the ship’s hold and lots of dust.

products, going forward. He said that “No longer is the bulk terminal the only location for export. Containerised bulk handling gives others the opportunities to get into the game for much lower cost.”

Another expert, South Australia-based logistics consultant Daryl Gray observed that “a containerised bulk system for grain presents major opportunities for grain traders to bypass congested monopoly-owned bulk loading infrastructure.

“Containerising the grain in small 25 ton parcels reduces the risk of contamination and product rejection delaying the vessel loading. A single transport and storage vessel from the farm into the hatch of the ship reduces handling which reduces cost and potential of contamination….it has a lot of potential.”

Cameron Hay, chief sales officer at RAM Spreaders said “With the containerised process loading rates can be as high as 25 cycles per hour with 25 tons of grain in a box. With two cranes, up to 1,000 tons can be loaded per hour. Our development team is now working on a system to load at twice this rate.”

Juan Carlos Cruzat, head of container terminal at TPR said “We are very pleased with the containerised grain system as it allows a much cleaner operation. The flexibility of the system with no silos or conveyors on berth is a big plus for the port.”

Ray Lee, a vastly experienced port and logistics consultant, who has worked with DP World, Qube Logistics and Transport for NSW, sees broad scope for containerisation of bulk

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GRAIN HANDLING

New maintenance business provides fix for Victorian silo Bulk solids storage and handling specialist Kotzur established a maintenance division in 2016. ABHR spoke to the division’s manager, Ben King, about its activities and a specific repair job for a silo in the western district of Victoria.

“T

he aim is that Kotzur Maintenance Services will assist with completion of the ‘end-to-end’ client experience,” explained King, a mechanical engineer with 20 years’ maintenance experience.

“Kotzur has the capability to work with rural, commercial and industrial clients from concept, to construction and now through the operational phase.”

The new division offers preventative maintenance – inspection, equipment set-up checks, wear point monitoring and lubrication – complete with service reports and recommendations.

“The objective is to correct minor issues before they become major Before and after photos. Top row shows silo before repair, with cracking at base of silo compromising its structural integrity.

Bottom row showing remedial works to silo.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

expenses,” said King. “We can also assist with corrective maintenance repair or renew handling or storage equipment.”

Silo repaired in quick time After many years of use in a harsh environment under tough operating conditions, the sealing of the base of a silo was less than perfect. Upon inspection at the Victorian site, it became apparent the silo’s structural integrity was also compromised.

With harvest imminent, and the requirement to use the silo to maintain contractual obligations, the deadline was clear.

“Detailed structural assessment was made. In consultation with the client, a repair plan was developed,” King explained. “The size of the task and the short time frame presented a challenge.

“The solution involved drafting and manufacturing components for four build onsite silos and significant onsite work.

We assembled a crew of component technicians. With the deadline and Christmas looming, the task was completed safely, to the quality required and to the quoted value. And, most importantly, to the client’s satisfaction.”

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NEWS

FLSmidth awarded first phase of EPC contract for gold mine

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Belo Sun Mining Corp has awarded FLSmidth the first phase of an EPC contract for the Volta Grande gold mine processing plant in Brazil’s Amazon region.

T

he contract includes the completion of basic engineering, selection of construction contractors and the execution planning of the process facility construction.

Belo Sun is a Canada-based mineral exploration and development company with a portfolio of properties focused on gold in Brazil. Its prime focus is on advancing and expanding the Volta Grande project.

Peter Tagliamonte, president and CEO of Belo Sun, commented: “We are very pleased to partner with a leading international mining technology and equipment supply company with a successful and proven track-record in Brazil.

We believe that their extensive experience in the country, particularly in Para State, will complement our own project development and mining teams as we prepare to begin construction at Volta Grande.”

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Group executive vice president of the FLSmidth Minerals Division, Manfred Schaffer added: “FLSmidth is an industry leader in designing, equipping and constructing full flowsheets. With our unique process-knowledge and industry leadership in gold recovery, we challenge conventions and bring better solutions to light.”

Subsequently, as a part of a full contract, FLSmidth is expected to support the development of the Volta Grande Gold Project with technology, design; metallurgical test work validation; sourcing and delivery of proprietary process equipment including the crusher, mill, screens, thickeners, conveyors, pumps & cyclones, leach tanks, CIP carbon regeneration, elution circuit and the gold room; construction; training; commissioning and ramp-up support. Belo Sun’s estimated value of all phases of the contract is approximately US$100 million.

Belo Sun Mining Corp. estimates the Volta Grande gold project contains more than 4.8 million ounces of measured and indicated gold, and the mine would produce an average of 167,000 ounces over 21 years. It is expected to become Brazil’s largest gold mine.

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GRAIN HANDLING

Gangbuster harvest sees CBH smash records The 2016-17 harvest has come to an end with receival, shipping and freight records broken across the board by WA grain champion, CBH. Total grain delivered to CBH reached 16.62 million tonnes, beating the previous record of 15.86 million tonnes set during the 2013-14 harvest.

This image and the one above show first delivery of grain to CBH’s new Mirambeena site, as one of the company’s early shipments to its direct to vessel service.

C

BH also broke two grain transport records. The all-time monthly shipping record was broken in January 2017 with 1.88 million tonnes shipped during the month – that compared to the previous all-time monthly shipping record of 1.66 million tonnes set in February 2014.

Meanwhile, a new December record of 831,000 tonnes of grain moved to port via rail was also set.

General manager of operations David Capper said it had been a busy harvest with the volume of grain exceeding expectations.

“We were unsure of what to expect heading into harvest following widespread frosts in August and September,” Capper said.

“Some growers have suffered significant losses from the frosts while other areas of the state enjoyed incredible yields.

Overall, it resulted in a 22 per cent increase in the total tonnes received compared to last harvest.

“As a whole, 2016 has been a solid season for most of Western Australia’s grain growers and I’d like to personally thank them for their understanding of the pressures that some sites experienced as the crop was delivered.

“It’s been a tough job getting such a large harvest safely into storage, this was demonstrated by 23 sites breaking records for the most grain received in one day and 30 sites breaking total harvest receival records,” Capper said.

“The next challenge is moving the significant amount of grain received through the network into the global market. The Western Australian grain rail and road network will be at peak capacity for the first half of the year as we move grain to port.”

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

One of CBH’s first growers to start swathing canola.

May-June special features...

Food Product Handling, Powder Handling, Pneumatic Conveying, Dust & Dust Explosion Management, Conveyor Safety Food - Everything from handling and conveying, milling, measuring, sorting and the positive/negative impact of pneumatic conveying. Powder handling the surrounding challenges and the ever present dust and dust explosion management are front and centre in the May-June issue.

If you do it, we cover it.

IMPORTANT 2017 EDITORIAL TOPICS May/Jun

Food Products, Powder Handling Pneumatic Conveying, Dust Control, Conveyor Safety Booking deadline 16th May

Sep/Oct

Engineering Services – Design and Consultancy Booking deadline 15th September

Special

2016/17 Bulk Handling Equipment & Services Guide Booking deadline 23rd May

Nov/Dec

Dust Control Booking deadline 7th November

Jul/Aug

Weighing and Level Measurement Technology, Grain Handling, Software Development & Application Booking deadline 18th July

Jan/Feb 18

Electrical Engineering, Instruments, Gears, Motors and Drives Booking deadline TBC

BE A PART OF IT! Send your news/stories/new product information to the editor Charles Macdonald E: Charles.Macdonald@mohimedia.com Advertising/advertorial opportunities contact Patrick Roberts P: 02 9080 4015 M: 0450 928 798 E: Patrick.Roberts@mohimedia.com

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

63

BAGGING & PACKAGING

Bagging line tackles lightweight silica powders Concetti has supplied an innovative Form Fill Seal (FFS) packaging machine to a US producer of synthetic amorphous silica (SAS). The new system limits the amount of air trapped in the fine powder silica.

The FFS packaging line replaces paper bags with more robust polyethylene bags (photo credit Huber).

B

ags containing less air are more compact and easier to stack, store and ship. It would be easy if there were no lightweight powders such us synthetic amorphous silica (SAS), an extremely lightweight white powder with absorptive characteristics ideal for uses in many industries from tyre production to food and pharmaceuticals. The material easily entrains air, which makes it a useful anti-caking, carrier and thickening agent.

For Huber Engineered Materials, an SAS producer in the USA, the very fine particle size was creating problems when packing the material to ship out to customers. The company’s SAS production facility struggled to remove as much entrained air from the material as required to adequately fill the bags for shipping.

The target was to densify the packed silica by 35% to increase filled bag and net pallet weight.

Concetti – an international manufacturer of weighing, filling, closing and palletising lines for a wide range of bulk products – says it has developed a highly efficient solution for packaging SAS. It recommends using polyethylene (PE) plastic bags with Form Fill and Seal (FFS) technology.

The Huber installation consists of two complete FFS machines each with a gross weigher and complex densification screw feeders, including a double air evacuation process to reduce the amount of air in each bag. Both packaging machines transport filled bags to a four-column robot palletising machine.

Each FFS machine is equipped with a receiving hopper and a double screw feeder system fitted with filters and a vacuum arrangement

Form, fill and seal machine with complex densification screw feeders.

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Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2017

Bags filled with less air are more compact.

combined with a sliding gate device to mechanically compact the product driven by the two densification screws.

This first phase of the process partially reduces the volume of powder by removing some of the excess air. The product is fed to the filling mouth where a precise weight is dosed into the preformed bag. The volume of the powder is further reduced with a second de-aeration system: sintered probes are inserted into the product in the bag and a vacuum applied, extracting more of the remaining excess air.

The combination of the two systems allows a significant reduction of the powder volume coming from the process.

The single layer polyethylene bag is transferred to the sealing station. The air still in the bag is allowed to escape slowly though micro perforations built into the inner ply produced during the tubular film’s manufacture and known also as a labyrinth ‘venting system’.

The fully automatic packaging line replaces paper bags with a conversion to more robust polyethylene bags. According to Concetti, the improved bags offer stronger tensile strength, minimisation of nuisance dust and greater control of moisture to maintain the integrity of the material inside. Elimination of trapped air within each bag yields good stacking for more stable pallets during shipment, unloading, and warehousing. The new packaging is also easily recyclable which is integral to Huber’s commitment to sustainability.

According to Concetti, the FFS system can package SAS at a density of 7.49 lb/ft³ and can fill 150 bags/hr.

“These improvements have lowered both production and transportation costs while reducing the amount of dust in the facility. Constant production rates are assured by using this fully automatic system, which can be controlled by a single operator during a working shift,” stated Concetti’s publicity.

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NEWS

Grylls burned by mining lobby in election defeat WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls lost his seat of Pilbara in the March WA state election, after the mining industry spent a reported $2 million campaigning against him, and voters shunned his proposed royalty hike.

G

rylls raised the ire of mining lobbyists with his proposed multi-billion-dollar royalty hike, which would have seen BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto paying almost $5 per tonne more in taxes for their iron ore.

The politician argued the tax would help WA get what it deserved out of the miners, saying too many of the dollars taxed ended up in federal coffers.

But the miners argued they paid enough tax, and said the proposed royalty increase would do more harm than good to the state’s economy.

The debate saw Grylls facing strident and well-funded opposition for his Pilbara seat, which has now been won by Labor candidate Kevin Michel.

Conceding defeat days after the election, Grylls said it was the end of his 15-year career in politics. His loss reflected a 13.5% swing in his seat since the 2013 election.

“I can’t come back from this,” he reportedly told AAP. “You can never be who you aren’t. I’ve always been a risk taker. I’ve lived by the sword, and now I’ve died by the sword.”

Grylls took over as WA Nationals leader at the end of 2016, and the royalty proposal was his major contribution to the party’s campaign ahead of the state election, which saw the Liberal National alliance defeated in resounding fashion on March 11.

Brendon Grylls.

Outgoing Liberal premier Colin Barnett made his concession speech less than three hours after polls closed.

“Politics is a brutal, harsh business,” Barnett said. “We ran, in my view, a great campaign, but time was probably against us.”

Victorious Labor leader Mark McGowan praised voters, saying they “voted for hope and opportunity over desperation and division”.

“Today we showed we are a state of decency and intelligence, not a state of stupidity and ignorance,” he said.

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65

MOBILE CONVEYING & TRANSHIPPING

Junior capitalising on Chinese bauxite demand A pocket bauxite export project in Queensland is using mobile conveyors and transhipment to capitalise on strong demand from China for high quality product.

Mobile conveyors on barge.

Project location.

Mobile conveyor location and export set-up.

P

rivate company Green Coast Resources has developed a small bauxite mine 10 kilometres south of Weipa, adjacent to the Embley River at Hey point. The area is world–renowned for its extensive deposits of high–quality, export grade pisolitic bauxite.

The Hey Point Bauxite project is intended to produce around four million tonnes of bauxite over a three-year period, exporting up to 1.6mtpa for refining overseas.

Minimal processing is performed at site and in most of the mining areas run-of-mine bauxite tonnes are equivalent to the product bauxite tonnes.

Open cut mining involves truck and shovel operations with a mobile screening unit being used to separate bauxite from dry screening material when necessary.

Telestack mobile conveyors, around 320 metres long, are used to move bauxite from the product stockpile to a barge

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MOBILE CONVEYING & TRANSHIPPING

Layout of conveyor and pontoon.

moored on the Embley River. The 2,000t barge is loaded by a radial stacker positioned at the end of a floating pontoon.

Product bauxite is then transported by barge to a bulk vessel moored around 3.5kms downstream in the Embley River

(within the Port of Weipa waters) ready for export. The barge requires three movements per day over a 10-day period to fill the bulk vessel.

Metro boosts resources following Gulf buy Metro Mining has announced bolstered Bauxite Hills Mine ore reserves integrating the resources acquired from Gulf Alumina. Metro completed its purchase of Gulf in late 2016.

T

he Bauxite Hills Mine is situated 95 km north of Weipa on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula and five kilometres southeast of the port at Skardon River.

Metro previously completed a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for a 4Mtpa operation in March 2016. This study identified a proved ore reserve of 41.8 million tonnes (50.7% total Al2O3, 10.9% total SiO2) direct shipping ore (DSO) and a probable ore reserve of 6.4 million tonnes (49.3% total Al2O3, 13.4% total SiO2) direct shipping ore (DSO) compliant with the JORC 2012 code.

Since the completion of the 4Mtpa PFS, Metro has completed the analysis of the BH1 boreholes drilled previously at 80m centres and has updated the geological model to include these results. The geological model has also been updated to include the Gulf Alumina resources acquired by Metro in January 2017.

The resource upgrade was announced to the ASX in March 2017. MEC Mining has completed a bankable feasibility study (BFS) confirming a total ore reserve of 92.2 million tonnes. This study identified a probable ore reserve of 43.9 million tonnes (49.0% total Al2O3, 14.6 % total SiO2) direct shipping ore (DSO) and a proved ore reserve of 48.3 million tonnes (49.8% total Al2O3, 12.0% total SiO2) direct shipping ore (DSO) compliant with the JORC 2012 code

Bauxite.

and based on the borehole analysis and geological modelling completed up to that date.

The mining method for the Bauxite Hills Mine involves the use of front end loaders that will load road trains to haul the ore to a barge loading facility on the Skardon River. The bauxite will be mined without blasting, however some ripping by dozers may be required in areas where cemented bauxite occurs.

Wheel loaders have been chosen by Metro due to their size match with the ore haulers, manoeuvrability and selectivity around the floor of the mining horizon. Overburden waste material will be stripped ahead of mining and spread onto the mined-out floor to establish the rehabilitated landform. The average stripping ratio is 1 m3 of overburden for 3.1 tonnes of bauxite ore.

The bauxite ore will be hauled to the barge loading facility (BLF) where it will be screened to remove organic and oversize material before being directly loaded onto barges for transhipment to ocean going vessels.

The mine is planning to operate only through the dry season from April to November each year. The selected mining equipment is Caterpillar 988 sized front end loaders and double trailer road specification road trains with 100 tonne payload capacity.

ARE YOU A DESIGNER / MANUFACTURER / RESEARCHER / OPERATOR OF BULK SOLIDS HANDLING SYSTEMS / EQUIPMENT / STORAGE?

... If so, you can now expand your capabilities by joining the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling.

The Society has a mission to enhance the discipline of bulk solids handling through research, education and sound engineering practice.

Further information on the Society’s activities, its Constitution and registration procedures are available from the: Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling P.O. Box U372, Wollongong NSW 2500 Phone: (02) 4033 9055 | Fax: (02) 4033 9044 Email: Danielle.Harris@newcastle.edu.au

Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling

MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL PRACTITIONERS IN BULK SOLIDS HANDLING AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES.

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