ABHR Jan/Feb 2021

www.bulkhandlingreview.com

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 7 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

In this issue: Automating bulk handling BULK 2021 update Designining better pneumatic conveyors

IMPROVING SAFETY WITH COMPACT SYSTEMS

Australasia’s largest dedicated bulk handling conference & exhibition

IN CONJUNCTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH WITH

Exhibition space

NOW ON SALE

MELBOURNE

8-10 SEPTEMBER 2021 Scan the code to get more details about exhibiting opportunities.

Platinum Sponsor

Association Partner

Conference Sponsors

MHD AUSTRALIA

Media Partners

Supporting Sponsor

REVIEW

AUSTRALIA

Supply Chain Solutions REVIEW

& INFRASTRUCTURE

bulkhandlingexpo.com.au

CONTENTS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

18

26

30

50

6 Industry News

28 Taking the guessing out of pneumatic conveying design

Automation

30 Defeating dust with loading spouts

34 Automation the answer for labour shortages

42 The influence of bulk density measurements on stockpile capacity estimation

Conveyor components

14 Contactless material flow detection on conveyor belts 18 Kockums improves safety with compact system 20 Safe confined space entry for chutes, silos and hoppers

46 Rotating steel shafts

22 MCS grabs an opportunity with both jaws

50 Pneumatic conveying – a stepped approach

24 Stealing uses for steel

54 Availability, reliability, utilisation and throughput

27 Simplicity drives malt conveyor specification at Madrid Brewery

32 Breaking ground with automated technology

36 Putting a stop to unsafe equipment 38 Reggiana Riduttori set to grow in Australia 40 Minimising wear on high-capacity conveyors

58 ASBSH Member Profile: Andrew Grima

www.bulkhandlingreview.com

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 7 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

In this issue: Automating bulk handling BULK 2021 update Designining better pneumatic conveyors

KOCKUMS IMPROVES SAFETY WITH COMPACT SYSTEM

IMPROVING SAFETY WITH COMPACT SYSTEMS

For more than a decade, Kockums Bulk Systems has supplied the Australia food and drinks industry with tailored bulk materials handling equipment for complex challenges. One such case was when a long-term customer approached the company with a problem. ABHR speaks to Francois Steyn, Kockums Managing Director, to find out how the company came to the resuce.

For the full story, see page 10.

AUSTRALIA

EDITORIAL

AUSTRALIA

REVIEW

Published by:

11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au Publisher Christine Clancy E: christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au Editor William Arnott E: william.arnott@primecreative.com.au Business Development Manager Rob O’Bryan E: rob.obryan@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager Janine Clements E: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au Art Director Blake Storey

Bouncing back REVIEW

At this point last year, while I was writing a similar editor’s letter, smoke was billowing into the city from some of the harshest bushfires this country has seen in recent memory. While mostly safe, Melburnians began to don masks as they went about their daily business to avoid breathing in the toxic smog.

We would soon be swapping out those masks for another, as COVID-19 reached Australia’s shores. Millions of people around the country joined those around the world who had entered lockdown, avoiding contact with other people and working together to keep the most vulnerable in society safe.

As we move into the new year, it can be easy to fall into cynicism. The only thing separating 2020 to 2021 is a number on the calendar after all. However, we shouldn’t lose sight of the potential this year brings.

Already there are vaccines being rolled out across the world to front line medical staff and high-risk individuals in the UK and the US. People are beginning to emerge from their isolation, filled with new ideas and a drive to make this year a better one.

2021 will come with its own unique challenges, especially as tensions with our largest trading partner escalate and the climate continues to warm.

The businesses that can best adapt to these changing circumstances will be resilient and agile – the ability to bounce back after challenging times and change directions when necessary.

Unlike other industries, such as hospitality and tourism, the bulk handling sector fared better. As an essential service, it kept on going throughout the year, providing the minerals for our homes, the food we depend on, and in many cases our medicines too. Many companies made the jump to working from home for the first time ever, changing how they do business.

Whatever 2021 throws at us, Australian Bulk Handling Review will continue to monitor for the best stories to support businesses in the industry.

Design Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty Subscriptions T: 03 9690 8766 E: subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

William Arnott Editor - ABHR

www.bulkhandlingreview.com The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 5

NEWS

Downer to trial blockchain for shutdowns and maintenance DOWNER’S ASSET SERVICES business is trialling new blockchain technology to manage complex shutdown and turnaround maintenance work.

The company performs more than 130 shutdowns, turnarounds and outages each year for customers across the power generation, oil and gas and industrial sectors.

Blockchain technology uses a smart database to store, share and secure information, and has the potential to increase efficiency, heighten security and create transparent contract management.

Downer’s Asset Services Executive General Manager Pat Burke says the trial is just one of the ways Downer is working to improve customer experience.

“A key factor in the successful management of large maintenance outages is having real time information regarding asset condition, time, cost and schedule that allows fully informed decision making during the actual

Blockchain technology uses a smart database to store, share and secure information.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

execution of major and minor works,” he says.

“I believe blockchain technology will be used in many business-tobusiness transactions in the coming years.

“We are developing this technology in Australia, for Australian businesses,

and by investigating the capability of this solution now, Downer is well placed to support our customers with innovative solutions into the future.”

Dower partnered with Brisbanebased blockchain developers Labrys to design and trial the bespoke blockchain solution for Asset Services customers.

Iron ore exports break records in October AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE EXPORTS have reached a record high of $10.9 billion, accounting for 36 per cent of Australia’s total exports, according to new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Total exports increased by $1.8 billion, or six per cent, to $30.5 billion in October 2020.

ABS Head of International Statistics Branko Vitas says the primary driver for the increase in exports was an $833

million (seven per cent) increase in exports of metalliferous ores, most of which was iron ore headed for our largest trading partner, China.

Increases were also found in gas, up $360 million (18 per cent) and meat, up $217 million (21 per cent). Coal also increased, driven by thermal coal, mostly used for electricity generation.

Imports increased by $2 billion, or eight per cent, to $25.7 billion in October. The increase in the value of

6 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

goods imported was driven by road vehicles, up $393 million (13 per cent), telecommunications and sound equipment, up $359 million (28 per cent) and miscellaneous manufactured articles, up $220 million (15 per cent).

“We continue to see a rise in road vehicle imports,” Vitas says. “And with the release of new mobile phone models, and games and gaming consoles, increases in these products have driven imports up in October.”

CY

CMY

K

Dust and buildup on the antenna? No problem!

The future is 80 GHz: a new generation of radar level sensors

VEGAPULS 69 is designed specifically for level measurement of bulk solids.

Even in dusty conditions, it always provides precise readings. Dust in the silo or buildup on the antenna have no effect.

This radar sensor also features unrivalled focusing at a frequency of 80 GHz. Simply world-class! www.vega.com/radar

Wireless adjustment via Bluetooth with smartphone, tablet or PC. Compatible retrofit to all plics® sensors manufactured since 2002.

NEWS

Construction begins on Narrabri and North Star Inland Rail section

(L to R) Narrabri Shire Mayor Ron Campbell, Minister Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government Mark Coulton, ARTC Inland Rail Chief Executive Officer Richard Wankmuller, Gwydir Shire Mayor John Coulton, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack, Trans4m Rail Project Director Jon Holmes, Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey.

CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN on the second section of the 1700-kilometre Inland Rail project, following the Trans4m joint venture groundbreaking ceremony.

The section of track between Narrabri and North Star (N2NS) is split into two packages of work. The first package involves the initial upgrade to 171 kilometres of existing tracks.

Stage two is still progressing in design but will involve the construction of a new rail track between Moree and Camurra.

The Trans4m joint venture, made up of John Holland and SEE Civil, turned the first sod of soil for the $693 million N2NS works.

The Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and local member Mark Coulton were on site to see works kick off.

“It seems like just yesterday I turned the first sod on Inland Rail in Parkes and today we celebrate another momentous occasion with the commencement of the second section

between Narrabri to North Star, an equally significant event,” McCormack says.

The first section of Inland Rail was completed earlier this year.

“This event in Moree marks real progress on the Inland Rail project which has been talked about since Federation,” he says.

“The $693.8 million construction effort on Narrabri and North Star brings immediate stimulus to the regional communities of Narrabri, Bellata, Moree, Croppa Creek and North Star and those townships in between.”

He says regional Australians are benefitting from the investment in Inland Rail, seeing more money spent locally, with local, regional and Australian businesses.

This stage of the Inland Rail project is expected to support 500 jobs through the joint venture with others to follow for subcontractors and businesses in the regions.

Local Member for Parkes and Regional Health, Regional

Communications and Local Government Minister Mark Coulton says today’s milestone in Moree at the heart of the Narrabri to North Star section showed Inland Rail was on track for all the right reasons.

“Inland Rail is necessary to meet Australia’s growing freight transport task for the next 50 years, and all levels of government are working together to leverage the long-term benefits of Inland Rail to attract new businesses to regional Australia,” Coulton says.

“From the special activation precinct in Moree to Narrabri’s Inland Port, private businesses and industry are setting up shop because they can see the long-term growth Inland Rail is bringing to these regional communities.”

Coulton says he was pleased the community could engage with the contractor for N2NS, Trans4m Rail, at upcoming information sessions at North Star, Moree and Narrabri to learn more about regional employment and supply opportunities.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 9

NEWS

The market programs aim to divert materials from landfill for re-use in industrial projects.

NSW EPA opens grants to recycle waste materials THE NSW ENVIRONMENT Protection Protection Authority (EPA) has opened grant applications for projects that reuse waste materials, such as glass or plastic, to help create a circular economy.

The Circulate and Civil Construction Market Programs aim to divert valuable materials from landfill for re-use, recycling and industrial ecology projects.

Grant funding helps organisations including businesses, councils, notfor-profits, waste service providers and industry bodies, among others, design projects that promote the circular economy, instead of a disposable culture.

EPA Director Circular Economy Programs Kathy Giunta says these programs will provide grant funding

to support industry to respond to the decision by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) this year to ban the export of certain wastes that have not been processed into value-added material.

“One of the ways to mitigate the effects of China’s National Sword policy and to prepare NSW for the waste export ban is to invest in projects that demonstrate innovative uses of recyclables,” Giunta says.

“The Circulate Program provides grants of up to $150,000 for innovative, commercially-oriented industrial ecology projects. Circulate supports projects that will recover materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill, and to instead use them as feedstock

10 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

for other commercial, industrial or construction processes.

“The Civil Construction Market Program provides grants of up to $250,000 for civil construction projects that re-use construction and demolition waste or recyclables from households and businesses such as glass, plastic and paper.”

Previous projects in the Circulate Program include Cross Connections’ Plastic Police, which supplied soft plastics to the Downer Group’s Reconophalt project, the first road surfacing material in Australia to contain high recycled content from waste streams, also including glass and toner, which would otherwise be bound for landfill or stockpiled.

NSW invests record funding into safe workplaces RECORD AMOUNTS OF FUNDING will be invested into improving safety and well-being in New South Wales workplaces, enhancing the physical and mental health of all workers in the state as part of the 2020-21 NSW Budget.

Better Regulation and Innovation Minister Kevin Anderson says SafeWork NSW’s annual budget of about $162 million includes funds for a record more than 330 inspectors who will work with businesses to reduce serious injuries and deaths in NSW workplaces.

“SafeWork has been proactive in supporting worker safety reducing

serious injuries rates by more than 30 per cent and workplaces deaths by 25 per cent since 2012,” Anderson says.

“We’ve already come a long way in reducing workplace risks in high-risk industries and the recent recruitment of 37 new inspectors will continue boost safety in businesses.”

Funding will continue for the Centre for Work Health and Safety (WHS), which researches new methods to improve awareness and mitigation of workplace health and safety risks.

“The Centre for WHS enables us to use cutting edge data and research, turning knowledge into action by

implementing smarter approaches to make our workplaces safer,” Anderson says.

“Our focus is to work with businesses proactively to identify workplace risks early and stamp out unsafe practices before an accident happens. Every time an improvement notice is issued, and an unsafe practice is rectified, our workplaces and our workers become safer,” he says.

SafeWork’s inspectors have concluded more than 21,000 workplace field interactions, issued 7,084 improvements notices, 1,816 prohibition notices and 386 penalties.

We’re reaching new heights in engineering.

The sky’s the limit.

With decades of experience in the field, Kinder Australia supply superior products designed in-house and manufactured from high quality materials to improve your conveyor efficiency.

https://kinder.com.au

MOBILE CONVEYING ERVICES OLUTIONS YSTEMS

Why overthink a bulk handling problem when

mobile conveyors can provide a solution that is

    

Simple Robust Productive Cost-effective Energy-efficient

From being a small contractor with a single mobile conveyor in 2007, Mobile Conveying Services has grown to offer a complete range of mobile conveying options tailored to the individual needs of its customers: Flexible options

Broad range

• Sales (off the shelf, modified or purpose-built) • Dry hire • Wet hire • Contract • Repair, maintenance, painting, etc • Dust extraction • Options to improve highway travel

• Unloading (truck, train, grab hopper for ships) • Transfer conveyors (mobile, portable, fixed) • Loading / stockpile building conveyors (telescoping, folding & fixed booms, radial travel options) • Stockpile reclaimers & dozer traps • Pan feeders & sizers for large material size • Tug tractors for long-term site work

SHIPPING

CONSTRUCTION • backfill tailings dams, pits & voids • train loading / unloading • load minerals at general purpose wharves • cover breakdown/maintenance of fixed conveyors

• place concrete (dams, bridge footings, large slabs, wind tower bases, roundabouts, etc.)

• place filter materials (bio basins, landfill cells, etc.)

• backfill tanks, culverts, etc.

• many other applications

• ship & barge loading/unloading • truck/train unloading • transfer to/from storage • replace fixed infrastructure undergoing maintenance/repair

Mobile Conveying Services Pty Ltd PO Box 608, Narangba Qld 4504 1300 665 409 631 Uhlmann Road, Burpengary QLD 4505 enquiries@mobileconveyors.com.au www.mobileconveyors.com.au

NEWS

Trials underway on real-time silica dust detector TRIALS HAVE BEGUN IN NEW South Wales for technology that can accurately monitor silica dust levels in the air.

The technology has the potential to protect workers from contracting the deadly lung disease silicosis.

NSW’s Centre for Work Health and Safety has engaged Trolex Nome Australia to help develop the respirable crystalline silica sensor.

NSW Better Regulation and Innovation Minister Kevin Anderson says the innovative detector could be used by workers cutting or working with manufactured or other silica containing stone, protecting them from unknowingly inhaling dangerous levels of silica dust.

“We’re on a mission to stamp out silicosis in this state. This groundbreaking device allows us, for the first time, to monitor exposure levels in real-time ensuring workers can remove themselves from harmful exposure before it’s too late,” Anderson says.

“This Government puts the safety of its citizens first, and the NSW Government’s investment into developing this device will help give peace of mind for anyone working with manufactured stone.”

The detector is part of the State Government’s two-year plan to reduce cases of dust diseases such as silicosis and asbestosis.

So far, the NSW Government has also reduced the legal exposure standard

for silica exposure, banned dry cutting of manufactured stone, made silicosis a notifiable disease and established a dust disease register to track, respond to, and prevent deadly dust diseases.

The NSW Dust Strategy 2020-22 aims to coordinate SafeWork NSW’s exposure prevention activities to ensure consistent application of the controls and best practice principles across NSW’s worksites.

“We’ve consulted widely with unions, employers’ associations and the building and construction sector to develop a robust and practical strategy and look forward to working with industry to implement these principles and end dust diseases for good,” Anderson says.

The technology has the potential to protect workers from contracting the deadly lung disease, silicosis.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 13

NEWS

Contactless material flow detection on conveyor belts SMALL IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS plant equipment often lead to greater industrial efficiency across the board.

This is why an agricultural company began searching for an easy to install and maintain solution for monitoring material flows on top of its conveyor belt.

The company transported corn cobs and needed to detect material movement to provide more control and automation, as well as improve the upstream and downstream process where possible.

It decided to install a number of FlowJam sensors, which use microwave technology to provide contactless material flow detection. Because the sensor does

not touch the material, it suffers less from wear and breakage.

FlowJam has been designed to be simple to install, adjust and maintain, and can be used to monitor any pipe section within a conveying system.

An automated system uses the material flow information to associate with related processes, making the batch work smoother and more integrated.

Information can be exchanged with the truck unloading and the sieve.

In addition, the system is energy efficient, as subsequent units only need to be switched on when the sensor detects material on the belt.

Phosphate project wins Major Project Status A $1.5 BILLION PROJECT TO MINE phosphate in the Northern Territory, which is expected to create more than a thousand jobs, has been awarded Major Project Status.

The Ammaroo Phosphate Project is based in a remote part of the NT about 200 kilometres south-east of Tennant Creek.

Major Project Status means the project has strategic significance to Australia. It provides companies with extra support from the Major Projects Facilitation Agency, including a single entry point for Federal Government approvals, project support, and coordination with state and territory approvals.

Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews says the project is expected to create about 900 jobs during construction and about 250 ongoing jobs when in full production.

“The Ammaroo Phosphate Project has the potential to supply global markets

with much-needed fertiliser, while supporting economic development in a remote part of the Northern Territory,” Andrews says.

“The project will be a major jobs creator, providing new opportunities in the Territory, particularly for nearby Indigenous communities.

“The potential for a local processing facility as part of the project will also ensure Australia has access to critical phosphate for fertiliser – which is essential for our agriculture sector and food security.”

Resources, Water and Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt says the project would access the Adelaide to Darwin rail line to target supply lines through South Australia and export markets in India and Asia through Darwin.

“Ammaroo is one of Australia’s largest phosphate deposits, and the project is expected to produce around two million tonnes of phosphate rock concentrate each

14 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

year for 25 years,” Pitt says.

“The concentrate will be locally converted to around 500,000 tonnes a year of phosphoric acid, a high value intermediate product which is a key component of fertiliser.

“The project will include a 90-kilometre rail line, as well as upgrades to local roads and water infrastructure.”

Verdant Minerals Managing Director Chris Tziolis welcomed the Major Project Status.

“The project will provide significant economic and employment opportunities for Northern Australia, the southern Barkly region and its local communities,” Tziolis says.

“The Ammaroo Phosphate Project could be a key plank in enabling the creation of a globally significant fertiliser manufacturing industry in the Northern Territory, servicing the increasing needs of both Asia and Australia’s agricultural industries and food security needs.”

Demystifying pneumatic conveying PneuCalc avoids design pitfalls in pneumatic conveying systems through its efficient workflow and robust features.

Save time and download a free demo today at pneucalc.com

NEWS

Royalty rebates for WA lithium miners THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN Government will provide temporary assistance to three lithium mineral producers following the fall of spodumene prices.

Galaxy Resources’ Mt Cattlin operations, Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora operations and Altura Mining’s Pilgangoora operations will receive a 50 per cent royalty rebate on spodumene concentrate for up to 12 months.

The rebate is only available where the companies have an operating spodumene concentrate project and the employee count does not drop significantly from current numbers.

It will not be provided, and royalties will be required to be paid in full, if the average price of spodumene concentrate is equal to or greater than US$550 per tonne for a given quarter.

At the conclusion of the assistance period, the rebates will be fully repaid over a period of two years, meaning there will be no cost to the State Government.

Spodumene concentrate is the mineral source from which lithium is derived.

WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston says the support is consistent with the Future Battery Industry Strategy and the government’s goal to increase battery minerals production and reduce

project costs across WA. “Over the past two years the fall in the price of spodumene concentrate has put these companies’ operations at risk and their finances under pressure, this is why the McGowan Government is offering assistance,” he says.

“Supporting these producers could prevent the loss of more than 600 jobs and save more than $20 million in annual royalty revenue over the coming years.

“Experts predict prices for spodumene concentrate will rise due to the growing demand for lithium used to manufacture electric vehicles and energy storage systems.”

BULK2021 moves to September, listed as an Approved Event THE AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING Expo (BULK2021) has been listed as an approved event under the Australian Government’s Business Events Grants Program.

This means that exhibitors, sponsors and even attendees are eligible to apply for a grant to cover up to 50 per cent of their participation costs. Sponsorships are capped at a maximum of $10,000, covered by Austrade.

The initiative aims to empower the business events sector’s recovery following a number of cancellations and postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It aims to instil confidence into the sector and support the broader business community by stimulating high value, multi-day business to business events across multiple sectors of the economy.

BULK2021 Show Director Simon

Coburn says being listed as an approved event will help support bulk handling businesses.

“With the ability to offset costs through the grant, BULK2021 will be the essential trade expos for the bulk solids handling sector in 2021,” he says.

BULK2021 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

16 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

In addition, BULK2021 has been moved to 8 to 10 September 2021 to provide attendees a safer experience.

BULK2021 will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information, visit bulkhandlingexpo.com.au

ARTC enhances Inland Rail design to boost jobs MAJOR ENHANCEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE planning, design and delivery of Inland Rail to improve safety, efficiency and support thousands of additional jobs.

The improved design now includes more than 4500 additional culverts, nine additional viaducts, an additional 6.8 kilometres of bridges, 10 extra grade separations, approximately 450 kilometres of additional fencing, as well as removing 139 level crossings.

The enhancements are the result of work done by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to progress designs, to engage with communities and undertake the detailed analysis required to build the 1700-kilometre rail line, including approximately 600 kilometres of greenfield track.

Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Minister Michael McCormack says the enhancements would lead to a safer and more efficient Inland Rail as well as deliver significant benefits for regional communities, businesses and jobs.

“Inland Rail is a jobs bonanza. It’s already supporting thousands of jobs, has already started to generate billions in economic activity and will eventually lead to a boost of more than $18 billion Gross Domestic Product during construction and in the first 50 years of operation,” he says.

“These enhancements will provide for greater local investment, mean Inland Rail will now support more than 21,500 jobs at the peak of construction and deliver an extra economic boost of $2 billion.

“Australian communities and industries have asked for more from this national infrastructure project and we have listened.”

McCormack says the enhancements to the Inland Rail network will deliver more contracts for local businesses and more work for Australians at a time when we need them most.

“Inland Rail isn’t just being built by the big companies and Tier 1 contractors – across Australia businesses of all sizes are tendering for work and benefiting from the construction of Inland Rail,” he says.

“This world-class freight rail line from Melbourne to Brisbane will be the ‘spine’ of the national freight network, enabling travel between Melbourne and Brisbane in less than 24 hours, while connecting major ports and all mainland state capitals.”

Enhancements will be made possible through an additional injection of up to $5.5 billion of equity into ARTC.

COVER STORY

Kockums improves safety with compact system ABHR speaks to Francois Steyn, Kockums Bulk Systems Managing Director, about how it came to the rescue with a combined bulk bag unloader and sack tip station.

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, Kockums has supplied the Australian food and drinks industry with tailored bulk materials handling equipment for complex challenges.

The system transfers a pre-selected batch via a vacuum conveyor located above the destination tanks.

18 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

One such case was when a long-term customer approached the company with a problem. Its operators were manually emptying powdered products directly into tanks at a high level via a small entry hatch. It was a risky, slow, and cumbersome task, creating clouds of dust in the process.

Francois Steyn, Kockums Managing Director, says the customer had severe space constraints and effectively needed two pieces of equipment to empty and convey the contents of bulk bags and sacks.

“There simply wasn’t enough space to fit in two separate machines and a combination unit wasn’t commercially available,” he says.

“The design brief was to provide a bulk handling system that accepts various combustible powders in sacks and bulk bags while minimising dust, preparing the batch to a target weight, and feeding the powder into either of two mixing tanks.

“Ensuring the safety of their operators by keeping them at ground level was the first and highest consideration in the design.”

The primary material for the customer is a sugar substitute powder (used in sweetener) in bulk bags and several minor ingredients in sacks. The sacks are emptied first, with ingredients from the bulk bag used to flush the complete recipe through the system.

Based in Heidelberg West, Melbourne the engineering team designed and built a

custom system to fit the customer’s needs.

The end result was a combination bulk bag unloader and sack tip station.

Steyn says Kockums engineers got to work to integrate a sack tip station with a bulk bag unloader which could fit neatly in the space available and is serviced by a single vacuum transfer system to feed two existing mixers.

Designed to load bags by forklift, the system uses a telescopic spout connection with a dust-tight clamp seal to drastically reduce dust emissions. A flow-stop is included to allow a partially emptied bag to be removed from the system, which can be connected to the machine’s programmable logic controller and human machine interface.

A batch weigh system was included, along with clean design metering valves that can handle 100 to 750 kilograms. To ensure it meets hygiene standards, the system is built entirely from stainless steel and is fully sealed and closed when not in use.

Steyn says the engineering team was fortunate to have transported and installed the equipment on-site in Sydney, just before the COVID-19 travel restrictions kicked in.

It was then up to a Sydney-based KBS service engineer, supported by the Victorian team to commission the system. After a bit of familiarisation, the systems clicked into action and production commenced.

Subcontractors helped install the machine, using a full set of drawings that were provided to make the process as simple as possible. The commissioning processes took slightly longer due to the COVID-19 safety measures, however, Steyn says the customer was happy with the end result.

The system transfers a pre-selected batch via a one-tonne-per-hour vacuum conveyor located above the destination tanks. The vacuum conveyor is mounted on a swing arm for easy manoeuvring between the two tanks and interlocked to confirm its location before transfer.

Because safety was one of the customer’s primary concerns, Kockums designed the system to meet AS/NZS4024 safety standards. This included an access platform to connect bulk bags and an interlock on sack tip door.

The system uses a telescopic spout connection with a dusttight clamp seal to drastically reduce dust emissions.

In addition, the material being handled is combustible, presenting a potential explosion risk. In response, Kockums design the machine to minimise the risk of dust release in accordance with local IECEx hazardous area regulations.

Steyn says the company has a full team of service technicians based at three locations on the east coast, with support available around the clock.

“Our support team gets involved during commissioning and then provides support in line with customer needs,” he says.

“This particular customer had substantial experience with similar equipment and required a lighter level of support. If the customer was new to automation, we would introduce them to a higher level of care, especially for the first 12 months as they come to know the new equipment.”

Kockums plans to continue offering its packaging, bulk handling and manual handling products next year under its new name Premier Tech Systems and Automation. This will align it with the global branding of its parent group while helping it expand its market reach and product offering.

“Since Premier Tech came on board, the increased product line vastly widened our scope of offering. We’ve been able to get into other industries where we haven’t been able to before,” Steyn says.

“We’re excited for the change and want everyone to know we’re the same Kockums wearing a new Premier Tech jacket.

“In the future, we hope to see more of the Kockums bulk handling projects integrated with Premier Tech packaging lines worldwide. There’s still a lot to do, but we’re all excited to keep growing.”

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 19

SAFETY

Safe confined space entry for chutes, silos and hoppers ABHR explores some of the ways conveyor operators and designers can prevent serious injuries and save lives when working in confined spaces on site.

THERE ARE MANY FACTORS THAT cause bulk materials to adhere to the sides of chutes, silos and hoppers – including humidity, moisture content, size/texture of the raw material or increased production volume – resulting in lost capacity or clogging.

If this material builds up for too long, it can reduce flow and eventually means production must stop in order to address the issue. This can cause expensive downtime and require labour to clear the obstruction.

This is a dangerous task. According to the Mine Safety and Health Administration, around seven per cent of fatalities in the United States, recorded between 1995 and 2011, occurred in a confined space.

Daniel Marshall, Product Engineer for Martin Engineering, says clearing extensive build-up often involves confined space entry, but the consequences of untrained staff entering a chute, silo or hopper can be disastrous, including physical injury, burial and asphyxiation.

“Without proper testing, ventilation

and safety measures, entering vessels containing combustible dust could even result in a deadly explosion,” he says.

What is confined space entry?

Safe Work Australia defines “confined space” as an enclosed or partially enclosed space that is not designed or intended to be occupied by a person, is a risk to health and safety from an atmosphere that doesn’t have safe oxygen levels or contaminants like airborne gasses and dusts, and presents risks of engulfment.

Confined spaces are commonly found in vats, tanks, pits, pipes, ducts, flues, chimneys, silos, containers, pressure vessels, underground sewers, wet or dry wells, shafts, trenches, tunnels or other similar enclosed or partially enclosed structures.

Safe Work Australia also warns that these spaces are not usually designed for people to work in and the hazards are not always obvious, potentially changing from one entry point to the next.

The organisation advises to eliminate the need for people to enter a confined

space if at all possible.

When not, working in a confined space typically requires special personnel training, safety harnesses and rigging, extensive preparation and added personnel as part of a buddy system.

“Systems designed to minimise permit-required confined spaces can provide a significant return on investment, and the best time to reduce the amount of confined-space entry for component maintenance and replacement is during the specification and design stages of a project,” Marshall says.

Some manufacturers offer products and systems to reduce the need for confined space entry. Some examples include: • Modular chute designs with abrasionresistant liners • • • • •

Chutes that hinge open and lay down for liner replacement Skirtboards with external liners Belt cleaners that can be serviced without confined space entry Flow aids such as air cannons and vibrators to reduce buildup Modular air cleaners for specific locations rather than centralised dust collection

Best practices Rules regarding confined space entry vary greatly depending on the country, however, general rules can be drawn from regulations established in major industrial markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. Commonalities between governmental regulations provide employers with a measured approach to safety. These procedures include: Never do this: confined space entry by untrained personnel is a formula for serious injury.

20 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

Prior to starting the job •

Review the permit and the job-specific

• •

•

•

•

•

• •

•

work procedures Gather and inspect all necessary personal protective equipment Test and/or calibrate any safety gear, test instrumentation or communication tools.

If a current Job Safety Analysis or safety check list does not exist, perform a risk assessment Hold a pre-job meeting making sure all workers are aware of the hazards and safe work practices Conduct proper tests for toxins, vapour, dust levels, oxygen levels and material-specific hazards Perform as much cleaning and maintenance as possible outside of the vessel.

Post completed confined space entry permit outside of the vessel Isolate contaminants and moving parts to prevent the accidental introduction of materials Proper lock-out/tag-out/block-out/ test-out procedures must be completed and documented prior to entry.

During procedure •

• •

•

•

Perform maintenance/cleaning using non-toxic substances such as water and avoid using heat/fire in the confined space. Never use oxygen to purge a confined space, as this can create a fire and explosion hazard Provide ventilation if possible Select personal protective/safety equipment such as safety helmet, gloves, hearing protectors, safety harness and lifeline and breathing apparatus Assign a trained observer to monitor the procedure and internal conditions, and provide escape assistance if needed Practice fast evacuation of the confined space

Covering your access “Over time, well-designed access improves safety and saves money,” Marshall says.

“Safe access that is carefully located and adequately sized will increase

Proper air cannon placement in chutes and silos can reduce ongoing buildup.

dependability and also reduce the downtime and associated labor required for maintenance.”

Marshall says companies should consider equipment designs that minimise the need for confined space entry, including improved access doors, vibrators, air cannons or silo cleaning services.

“Conveyor systems that are properly outfitted with appropriate cleaning and material discharge equipment create a safer workplace, while experiencing longer life and less downtime,” he says.

CONVEYORS

MCS grabs an opportunity with both jaws Mobile Conveying Services has designed a trailer-mounted grab hopper, working closely with logistics specialists such as LINX Cargo Care Group for ship loading and unloading work.

MOBILE GRAB HOPPERS ARE USED in some ports to receive bulk material from ship-mounted grab cranes and transfer it into waiting trucks.

The hopper is generally elevated so that the truck can drive under the hopper to receive material. The size and height of these machines means that they require partial disassembly, often taking a week or more. Multiple loads are required if the hopper needs to be transferred by road to another port. An alternative it to take them as deck cargo on a ship, but both of these options are expensive.

Given the obstacles, Mobile Conveying Services (MCS) started to develop a concept for a radically different type of mobile grab hopper. There was no order from LINX Cargo Care Group LINX – MCS generally works on a contract tonnage rate – but the company had sufficient confidence in its approach that it

commenced design and engineering on its concept and patented it.

Graeme Cooney, Director and Founder of MCS, says that the introduction of conveyor discharge (1800 millimetres wide, rated at 2500 tonnes per hour) allowed the conventional grab hopper design to be transformed.

“Conveyors are energy efficient and productive, even in confined spaces. It just requires a little imagination to get the most out of these attributes,” he says.

A grab hopper, but not as you know it The grab hopper designed by MCS is trailer-mounted and can be towed on the road as a single load. It has air suspension to provide a smooth ride on the highway but, in operation, the suspension is lowered so the hopper rests on the ground on a skid frame that distributes the load.

The hopper discharges onto a belt that is angled to elevate the material

sufficiently to allow it to feed trucks passing beneath it. The belt is fitted with a weighing system that assists in providing full legal loading of the trucks.

A further benefit of this design is its safety. Trucks do not pass under the path of the loaded ship grab. A grid is fitted at the top of the hopper, designed to support the weight of a grab and its load.

The strength of the grid was tested when the rope supporting a loaded grab broke and the loaded grab – weighing around 20 tonnes – dropped on the grid.

No damage was sustained by the grab unloader and it resumed operation once the rope was replaced on the grab.

The grab hopper has an 1800-milimetre wide belt and is rated at 2500 tonnes per hour.

First steps

Grab hoppers working at Port Kembla.

22 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

LINX had an application for two mobile grab hoppers at Port Kembla in New South Wales, to handle dolomite, shredded steel and other bulk commodities. MCS spent the first half of 2019 building the machines in its factory at Burpengary in Queensland. While not the largest build in the factory, the grab hopper was arguably the most complex and the staff took great pride in its construction.

Both machines were completed and tested in the MCS yard – one grab feeding the other. For site movement, a tracked tow unit designed and built by MCS for use

Working demonstration of the first grab hoppers in the MCS yard – one grab hopper feeding into the second unit.

strong interest in the grab hoppers and demand for a variant with a dust control system for commodities and has seen two units fitted with a negative pressure dust control system completed in November 2020.

“MCS has been fitting negative pressure systems to conveyor equipment for some time, so fitting one to its grab hoppers was not a significant stretch,” he says.

machines and sell them in volume, with the potential for export sales once the designs are reviewed following more time in the field.

For Cooney, this investment will not be a one-off.

“We are extending our factory and investing in larger and more advanced equipment for it,” he says.

“By operating and servicing equipment as well as building it, we are in a good position to know what is required to produce a machine that is practical, productive and reliable. Many of our people interchange between work in the factory and work in the field, so they see both sides of the picture.

“We encourage them to provide input on how we can make a machine better from both a performance and a maintenance point of view, and their input is greatly valued. We like to think that this sets us apart from other suppliers and have plans to extend our range of manufactured conveyor equipment and conveyor systems.”

The start of a production range While MCS has been modifying equipment for many years and building feeders, hoppers and other equipment to complement its conveyors, these have generally been to serve one-off or low volume requirements.

on long-term projects is a better option to tying up a less manoeuvrable and more expensive highway prime mover.

Cooney says there has been

The grab hoppers are a significant step up in that they are a new design rather than a modification of an existing machine, and sufficiently innovative to have been granted a patent.

MCS expects to brand these

Need a Hand With Your Bulk Solids?

u nd

5y

lk solids han dl

aro

55 YEARS

rld!

Celebra ti

o the w

ng 5

o

u fb

g in

ea rs

+61 8 9277 3303 \ info-australia@jenike.com \ jenike.com

Innovating, modelling, and designing.

We have been your bulk material solution provider from concept to commercialisation for 55 years.

Solids \ Powders \ Conveying \ Processing \ Storage

CONVEYOR GUARDS Conveyor componentry made from HDPE is on the increase.

Stealing uses for steel DYNA Engineering’s HDPE (plastic) conveyor guards are providing Australian miners with a sustainable solution for site safety.

IN 2017-18, AROUND 3.4 MILLION tonnes of plastics were used, with only 9.4 per cent recycled, according to the World Wildlife Foundation Of that 320,000 tonnes, around 46 per cent was reprocessed in Australia with more than half exported for reprocessing.

One of the reasons that a significant amount of plastic waste is sent overseas is because Australia does not currently have a large, sustainable market for recycled waste products.

Thomas Greaves, General Manager of DYNA Engineering, says sustainability and recycling within the mining and manufacturing industry is the direction these industries are moving, which is why the company has developed its own high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufacturing line that takes advantage of recycled materials.

“Our customers care about sustainability and using new plastic hurts the environment,” Greaves says.

“We’ve also seen the popularity of HDPE start to dramatically increase since we released our new conveyor guards.”

HDPE is a thermoplastic polymer produced from monomer ethylene.

With a high strength-to-density ratio, it is commonly used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, plastic flooring and componentry.

“Using recycled plastic for smaller projects is helpful, but there’s an opportunity to really build an end market for recycled products.”

When it comes to the mining and bulk handling industry, it has a number of significant benefits when compared with steel guards. One of the main differences is weight. Steel guards are often heavier than 15 kilograms, which can present heavy lifting risks.

HDPE can be up to 40 per cent lighter

24 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

and DYNA’s guards can be removed in a matter of minutes. Steel guards require costly on-site welding, grinding, cutting and a hot works permit to make simple modifications. To modify a HDPE conveyor guard, it’s easy to just shave a few millimetres off where needed.

Installation is easy, with the guard simply sliding into place and fastened with two bolts so it can’t be removed. No complicated instructions or special skills are required, reducing the likelihood and risk of accidents.

“Steel guards can also rust and corrode where HDPE does not,” Greaves says. “Additional advantages are they will never need repainting as the colour is inherent in the material used and they are metal detector friendly.”

Due to the size of the mesh, painting steel guards is a costly and wasteful process. A lot of paint is used, and a significant amount is lost in the process. Often, operators resort to hand painting, which is very time consuming

and expensive.

DYNA Engineering recently manufactured around 660 square metres of HDPE conveyor guards for three conveyors, using about 12 tonnes of recycled plastics. They were produced for an iron ore operation in WA’s Pilbara, which requested them to be made in the colour pink, to support breast cancer awareness.

The decision to use pink came up in early talks and was easy to implement as part of the manufacturing process, because the recycled plastic is supplied by colour.

“The site also required the guards to allow employees to work alongside it while running. The weight of steel guards would have made this impossible as the structure could only carry so much,” he says.

The guards have a life span of about 10 to 15 years and are themselves fully recyclable, meaning they can be melted down and recycled over and over.

Thomas Greaves, General Manager of Dyna Engineering.

Greaves says the mining industry is the perfect sector for recycled material uptake, as the projects require vast amounts of construction materials.

“Using recycled plastic for smaller projects is helpful, but there’s an

opportunity to really build an end market for recycled products. In addition, the Federal Government has announced a $500 million package to help build an end market for the recycled material,” he says.

BRAKES, THRUSTERS, COUPLINGS, SHEAVES, OPERATOR CHAIRS & CONSOLES

POWER YOUR PRODUCTIVITY With many years of design evolution and experience in the world’s largest grizzly and gyratory crusher applications, Transmin has enhanced its range of rockbreaking solutions to give customers a rockbreaker which is stronger, faster and has increased durability than previous models that can be safely operated remotely via the RockLogic automation package.

E: info@transmin.com.au | T: 1300 127 091 | www.transmin.com.au

OUR BRANDS

AGENCY BRANDS

AUTHORIZED DEALER

SCREW CONVEYORS

Simplicity drives malt conveyor specification at Madrid Brewery Brewers from Madrid, Spain, have installed a flexible screw conveyor to drastically improve their production process.

OPERATED BY A FATHER AND SON team, the Cervecera Peninsula craft brewery offers hoppy, American-style beers to the heartlands of Spain.

Established in 2017, the duo originally moved the grain by hand and needed a more efficient way of moving grain from the milling room to the brew tank.

“In the beginning, we had to do everything ourselves,” says Roman Jove, Cervecera Peninsula Founder and Head Brewer.

“We needed certain processes to be very simple. I had looked at many options but Flexicon was recommended by brewer friends in the US” The brewers decided to use a flexible screw conveyor from Flexicon Europe, using Flexicon’s Quick Ship program to quickly deliver the frequently purchased items.

Moving milled grain to the mash house The brewing process begins in the milling room, where milled, malted grain is conveyed from a 225-litre capacity floor hopper to a brew tank by a 6.5-metre-long flexible screw conveyor.

As it rotates, the screw self-centres within the 67-millimetre diameter polymer tube, providing ample space between the tube and screw wall to avoid grinding of the milled grain.

The mill produces two 400-kilogram batches per day of either malted wheat or a malted wheat-oat blend, all of which is transported directly to the brew tank by the conveyor.

The design of the conveyor screw was specifically selected to efficiently transport the various free-flowing materials. With the drive motor located beyond the discharge point, the material

does not contact seals or bearings.

Jove says the installation of the conveyor was “very simple”. It is cleaned after every five batches, a procedure that consists of reversing the screw to evacuate residual material, and in-place flushing of the interior. Alternatively, the screw can be removed through a lower end cap for sanitising.

The conveyor meets Cervecera Peninsula’s requirements for gentle handling of the malted grain with no separation of wheat-oat blends.

“It moves all the material together at the same speed,” Jove says. The enclosed tube also eliminates dust and spillage, as well as contamination of the product or plant environment.

“It takes a lot of the work out of brewing and that’s something we appreciate.”

The conveyor’s flexible screw moves the wheat-oat blend from the hopper into the conveyor’s tube.

The spiral has ample room between the tube walls to avoid grinding of the material.

The drive motor of the flexible conveyor is located beyond the discharge point, preventing material contact with seals or bearings.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 27

PNEUMATIC CONVEYING

Taking the guessing out of pneumatic conveying design Hatch has launched a software called PneuCalc 7.0.0 that enables engineers to design and troubleshoot both pressure and vacuum systems in the most efficient way.

INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS THAT RELY on bulk materials handling equipment face ever increasing demands to improve reliability, performance, productivity and safety, often with shrinking maintenance budgets.

Customers and regulators are also becoming more ecologically minded, which means reducing power consumption and dust emissions have become even more important.

Colin Barbeau, Eastern North America Bulk Materials Handling lead at engineering firm Hatch, says these new targets require precise tools and efficient designs to meet tighter schedules.

However, when it comes to designing pneumatic conveying systems, there are still a number of pitfalls.

“Pneumatic conveying doesn’t have a set of industry approved standards like screw or belt conveyors,” he says.

“In addition, most engineers don’t have access to databases of previous findings.

There’s no clear set of guidelines to help optimise the process.

“The material properties of the product being conveyed also need to be fully considered as part of the design process, as even small differences in these properties can have a drastic effect on the material flow and system productivity.

“In the worst-case scenario, your line will plug, stopping any material from being handled at all.”

To address these challenges, Hatch has developed PneuCalc 7.0.0 software, specifically built to help engineers design and optimise pneumatic conveying systems. Based on an existing software, PneuCalc is backed by more than 20 years of successful calculations and installations.

It can be used to design and

PneuCalc 7.0.0 software is built to help engineers design and optimise pneumatic conveying systems.

28 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

troubleshoot pressure and vacuum systems and comes with features that facilitate optimal design choices such as calculating and displaying dilute, dense, and mixed modes of conveying, material saltation velocity calculator tools, automatic Geldart display material group classification, and detailed pipe segment display.

One of the key challenges it aims to address is allowing the user to incorporate material properties in the design workflow. Barbeau says the way different materials interact with airflow changes a conveyors design significantly.

“Fine powders have a tendency to compact, while larger particle sizes will allow air to move through it easier. This has a drastic effect on the behaviour of the pipeline and the pressure required to get things moving.”

Users can determine how different feed points, changes in direction, vertical pipes, system pressures and pipe geometry will affect the efficiency of conveying certain materials in the system. This allows them to build precise equipment that fits the application, which has the potential to save time and money.

For example, a site could potentially reduce its energy consumption by determining the exact amount of horsepower it would need to convey the material. Without this, often bulk material handling sites will use more than necessary and require more energy to operate.

Barbeau says the system provides a

The software can be used to design and troubleshoot pressure and vacuum systems.

workflow with technological guidance to make the process of designing a system faster and easier.

“With PneuCalc, systems are designed following a clear workflow, reducing the chances of making mistakes and alerting the user to red flags when a design goes out of bounds,” he says.

“We wanted everything to be included in the software itself, so there are no side calculations required. Different tabs in the software guides the user through all the necessary steps to building the conveyor, offering comprehensive information at every step.”

If a plant needs new equipment, PneuCalc can also be used to find out where the current equipment is optimal and where it needs improvement. For example, if a site is experiencing a high wear rate, engineers can collect that data and simulate it to understand what the best possible solution would be. Each material can be set to use site measured data, allowing for accurate design verification.

Barbeau says this allows operators to investigate the best ways to optimise a system for their specific circumstances.

“They can learn how to best increase system capacity but could also find new ways to improve the entire operation.

Engineers can use PneuCalc to see if the pneumatic conveyor could handle a different type of material, or how the system would fare if another remote discharge point was added,” he says.

Hatch has beta tested PneuCalc 7.0.0 with clients that had used previous versions of the software, along with new customers. Barbeau says they have received extremely positive feedback across the board.

“One of the big features is the fact that everything can be exported into an Excel spreadsheet, which opens up what you can do with your generated data,” he says.

“The calculations included have also been benchmarked against actual applications by users too.”

Hatch offers basic and advanced training in the software to help organisations get started with the software. It also offers third party verification support and assistance.

Barbeau believes the technology will be appeal to many of Australia’s industry sectors, from mining, to food, to pharmaceuticals, to plastics.

“Pneumatic conveying is a key part of bulk materials handling, used in countless applications around the globe.

Engineers, plant users, equipment suppliers and more will be able to benefit from increased productivity and reduced maintenance as a result.”

MAXXFLOW HTC

FLOW MEASUREMENT FOR DRY BULK SOLIDS • Powder • Dust • Granules

• High Temperature • High Pressure

M-SENSE 3 ONLINE MOISTURE & PROCESS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT WITH FLOW DETECTION • • • • • • •

Powder Dust Granules Bins Feeders Conveyers Mixers

NEW

AIRSAFE

CONTINUOUS AMBIENT AIR DUST MONITORING • • • • • •

Powder Dust Granules High Temperature High Pressure Non Contact

DETECTION OF SILICA DUST

NEW

SWR ENGINEERING

BINTECH SYSTEMS DRY SOLID FLOW SOLUTIONS

1300 363 163 sales@bintech.com.au www.bintech.com.au

DUST CONTROL

Defeating dust with loading spouts ABHR speaks to Laurence Millington, Vortex Global’s Managing Director to learn how loading spouts can reduce health risks and improve operations.

WHEN MOVING DRY BULK MATERIALS such as grain, coal, cement or rock, clouds of debris and dust form, which can pose risks to employee health.

Airborne dust not only causes chronic lung issues, eyesight problems and skin allergies, but can accumulate on top of elevated walkways, floors and ladder runs, making it easier to slip and fall. Additional labour is often required to clean up, further increasing costs.

Escaped dust also means material will be lost, which can lead to reduced profits over a long period of time.

Loading spouts are one way of mitigating this side effect of moving bulk materials from a silo or hopper into trucks, stockpiles, ships, barges or railcars. Spouts contain the flow of material into a confined area, reducing the radius of debris and dust.

The spouts are made up of three distinct layers. The first is a series of internal stacking cones that can be constructed from materials like steel or polymer. On top of this is a fabric sleeve that encloses the cones to keep the dust inside of the system. An optional layer is a neoprene rubber skirt located at the bottom of the spout, which is typically used in open loading applications and rests on top of the stockpile where the material flows.

To fully control dust emissions during the loadout process, a fourth layer can be added. Loading spouts can be equipped with an in-line filtration system or integrated into an already existing dust filtration system. Using all four of these layers can drastically reduce dust emissions in comparison to using a sock.

Automation can also be included in a loading spout and can be outfitted with an aeration system to handle specific materials or desired flow rates.

Laurence Millington, Managing

Loading spouts contain the flow of material into a confined area, reducing the radius of debris and dust.

Director from loading spout manufacturer Vortex Global, says having a loading spout with a blower and integral filter can send the fugitive dust to draft back through the sleeve of the loading spout, trapping material dust temporarily in the filter cartridges.

“An automatic onboard pulse system dislodges the dust and fine particles, reintroducing them back into the product feed. It continuously purges the filters to keep the equipment working optimally and free of dust build-up. This prolongs the life of the filter cartridges significantly,” Millington says.

“Sensors attached to the inside of loading spouts can also automatically measure product levels, providing a signal that stops the flow of materials to prevent overfilling or plugging with the spout.”

30 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

Vortex loading spouts have a fourcable lifting design to provide as much stability as possible when compared with two or three cable systems. An in-line drive system also incorporates pulleys that feature chamfered edges and precision cable grooves to significantly reduce cable wear and back lashing as the loading spout extends and retracts, especially during the misalignment of the hatch opening. Because the cables do not fray, cable failure is nearly eliminated and so is costly downtime for repairs.

Spouts can also be fitted with single and dual-axis positioners. This becomes useful when trucks, railcars, and vessels don’t always line up in the exact same place. When loading enclosed trucks or railcars, this process can be automated utilising the hatch opening. The automated positioner can find the hatch

and line up the spout accordingly.

Millington says the spouts can be used on a range of materials and applications, and can be customised to fit a plant’s exact requirements.

“In 2016, a systems group approached Vortex at the IAOM Conference & Expo,” Millington.

“A flour mill in Texas, United States, has contacted the group to consider adding Vortex Loading Spouts to a loadout station. Engineers from Vortex and the systems group discussed the project throughout the week, continuing to collaborate when they returned to the office and found a solution.”

Two Vortex Loading Spouts were installed in the mill to receive material via air slide conveyors, with the remaining six spouts mounted below two bulk bins with fluidised bin dischargers.

This allowed the plant to capture any dusts generated during the loading process at a central aspiration system, significantly reducing emissions and material wastage.

The spouts have also been used in applications with highly abrasive materials. A water heater manufacturer, based in the US, needed to reduce the amount of dust being emitted to meet new health and safety standards for crystalline silica exposure.

The manufacturing process involved discharging glass frit blends directly from bulk bag unloaders into ball mills. As freefalling materials entered the ball mills, impact forces created a lot of uncontrolled dusts. The ball mills are used to grind the glass frit before mixing it with water to create a paste-like substance. The mixture is applied to the interior of water heaters before they are dried and furnace-fired, to create a corrosion-resistant lining.

Two Vortex Loading Spouts were installed to interface the discharge of each bulk bag unloader with the loading port of each ball mill. Above, bulk bags of glass frit blend are placed in the bulk bag unloaders before the spouts are extended into the loading port of each ball mill.

Once the ball mills are filled, the

World Leaders in Bulk Materials Handling with over 45 years of experience in Research and Consulting We are experienced and offer assistance in everything that is BULK SOLIDS, including: • Testing of Bulk Materials and Bulk Materials Handling Equipment • Consulting Services for Storage, Flow and Handling • Conceptual Design of storage and Handling Systems

Professional Development Courses 2021 Storage, Flow, Transfer and Belt Conveying • 18-20 May - Newcastle • 3-5 November - Perth Transfer Chute Design • August - Perth

For more information, visit www.bulksolids.com.au or call +61 2 4033 9055

spouts are retracted, and each ball mill’s loading port is closed.

Often, loading spout systems will also be used in conjunction with slide gates, diverter valves and spin loaders that control the material flow during the loadout process. Used at the bottom of a silo or hopper to shut off material flow, slide gates are placed right above dust collecting filter systems, loading spouts and positioners.

Millington says Vortex offers a range of loading spout systems, gates and diverters for any number of loading processes.

“We can also custom engineer any telescopic loading spout system to meet your most demanding loadout application requirements, including corrosive or hazardous materials, long distances, low and high temperatures,” Millington says.

“Vortex fully assembles, factory tests and packages every loading spout system before shipping it to your facility to provide ease of installation and to ensure optimal performance once in use.”

AUTOMATION

Breaking ground with automated technology Perth-based equipment manufacturer Transmin has developed a new series of rockbreakers that use automation to improve safety and productivity.

IN THE MINING INDUSTRY, WHEN IT comes to purchasing new equipment, it’s common to hear ‘production is king’. Businesses that can produce more material without interruption will generally make more money than those fighting constant breakdowns and bottlenecks.

This maxim is the core design philosophy behind Transmin’s latest series of Rockbreakers, which are built to handle some of the toughest conditions for large scale mining and mineral processing.

Evan Douglas, Transmin’s Rockbreaker Product Manager, says the new series are an improvement on existing designs, using feedback from real world applications in combination with new technology.

“It all started back around the turn of the century, when CSIRO gave it a shot trying to automate some machinery. At the time, the computing power just simply wasn’t at the level to handle it,” he says.

“Thanks to Moore’s Law (an observation that saw the number of transistors on microchips doubling about every two years), by 2008 the ability to use algorithms became commercially viable.

“The company saw automation as the best adaption of this technology, and began to work on implementing it into its Rockbreakers.”

The BoomerHD series implements a number of Industry 4.0 technologies in the rockbreakers to help improve productivity, including automated operation. In essence, the RockLogic system supervises the movement of the machine itself using sensors to create a 3D map of the space it works in. After mapping the scene, it will then move within it to begin hammering, while safety sensors double check the machine is in the correct position.

Collision avoidance software and sensors are also included to prevent unnecessary downtime and eliminate damage done to the rockbreaker or surrounding plant equipment. The system can detect if there is a potential hazard, such as other machinery entering the mapped zone, and will stop automatically to avoid a collision.

Douglas says removing the operator from a dangerous worksite has a number of clear safety benefits.

“When an operator is in the vicinity of a moving rockbreaker, apart from the rockbreaker, there’s the potential of fly rock causing harm, along with other

Operators can also control the rockbreakers remotely, either from on site or at an office.

32 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

hazards that are present in a busy mine environment,” he says.

“Not only that, but you’re removing the time it takes for an operator to get started. If it’s in an underground mine, operators will need to actually get to the rockbreakers, which can take a while simply due to the scale of these facilities.”

Operators can also control the rockbreakers remotely, either from on site or at an office hundreds of kilometres away from the mine itself. This takes the operator out of a noisy, dusty and potentially hazardous environment and places them in a more comfortable room where multiple machines can be controlled by the same operator.

Douglas says an added benefit of this is the improved work/family balance, as city based operators can head home after finishing a shift instead of flying in and out. Transmin has even demonstrated the technology internationally, by using the remote control technology at an event in Canada to operate a rockbreaker at its Malaga office in Perth.

As part of its Industry 4.0-ready offering, Transmin also offers a condition and performance monitoring system, which captures data from the machine and uses it for predictive maintenance.

“This is an absolute game changer in ensuring the rockbreaker is optimised for production,” Douglas says.

“Not only does it reduce maintenance costs, but it can also detect when a machine is likely to need repair, helping to reduce unscheduled shutdowns and frees up inventory space for spare parts.”

He adds that the technological aspect of the machines is only one part of the overall design implementation. Transmin used finite element analysis to optimise the construction of the machinery, using data it had gathered from years of realworld use.

Transmin’s latest series of Rockbreakers are built to handle some of the toughest conditions for large scale mining and mineral processing.

The rockbreakers are manufactured in Australia from high-grade steel to reduce overall weight and increase durability.

As a result, the machines are suitable for all climatic conditions, from open pit operations to underground or in high elevations.

This durability was, in fact critical for an iron ore mine in the mid-west of Western Australia. The company needed a boom system that could handle a high

vibration and dust laden environment with temperatures ranging from -5°C to 48°C, and with a long reach for rock strengths in excess of 360 megapascals.

Transmin supplied a BoomerHD 160 Series hydraulic boom system fitted with a four-tonne hydraulic hammer. The horizontal reach required was 17 metres, with a vertical depth of 10 metres, with an operating angle of 280 degrees.

Transmin used custom designed

boom and jib locking valves specifically to suit its in-house designed cylinders. These bolted directly onto a machined port to allow the best possible safety. Hydraulic test points with quick connect couplings were fitted throughout the system at all critical areas, to make testing and trouble-shooting easy to perform without fluid spillage.

Douglas says that to date, the boom system is working better than expected, aiding plant productivity and reducing downtime.

Transmin is now looking to further increase its reach overseas. Originally based in Perth, Transmin has spread into the east coast market and has goals of continuing its expansion.

“Our ultimate goal is full automation – which will allow our machinery to intelligently identify rocks and break them with increasing efficiency. There’s still plenty of work and machine learning to be done to get to that stage, but the benefits are clear.”

YOU CAN DO BETTER Your industry is using automated systems to improve packing efficiency, reduce costs and build business resilience.

Are you?

• We offer design, build, install, service and support • Filling, closing, palletizing, wrapping and control • Integrated, end-to-end systems • Supported and maintained even in rural areas • 5 kg – 1 ton packages. Dry, powder, granular and fibrous products GRAIN

CALL US TO EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS – AUSTRALASIA WIDE 0800 55 77 33 | 1800 318 019 | aurora-process.com

AUTOMATION

Automation can help businesses reduce costs like recruitment, management, superannuation, leave and the cost of rework.

Automation the answer for labour shortages The demographics of the workforce are changing, making it harder for businesses to secure manual and seasonal labour. Braden Goddin, Sales and Marketing Manager at Aurora Process Solutions, says automation may be the answer.

MANY TRADITIONAL BLUE-COLLAR industries are shrinking in comparison to the services economy, according to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook, April 2018.

Braden Goddin, Sales and Marketing Manager at Aurora Process Solutions has seen the change firsthand, hearing from customers around Australia and New Zealand about the difficulty of securing manual and seasonal labour.

“This can significantly impact a business’s efficiency and growth through lost time and reduced process uptime,” he says.

“It’s especially frustrating when demand for your product is peaking. The current COVID situation with restrictions on travel and worker proximity is only exacerbating the problem.”

A key reason for the current era of labour shortages is due to the retirement of the baby boomer generation.

The Australian Parliamentary Budget Office’s 2019 report titled Australia’s

Ageing Population shows how this baby boomer generation, in conjunction with a substantial increase in female workforce participation, boosted economic growth in the early 1970s to the early 2000s.

Now, this trend has changed, and the proportion of the working-age population is beginning to shrink.

However, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2018 report, Labour Market Outcomes for Younger People Bulletin, the next generations have not stepped in to fill the void. It found the participation of people aged 15-24 saw a steep decline in recent years.

What was once 25 per cent of the workforce in the 1980s has shrunk to around 15 per cent.

“While largely this means these young men and women are taking up tertiary education in order to greatly benefit society, it also means there are far fewer workers stepping up to work on your packaging line,” Goddin says.

“Young people are gravitating toward

34 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

polytechnics and universities. They are far less likely now than they were 20 years ago to graduate high school and begin working in a factory or a warehouse. This is amplified in rural areas where the young move to cities earlier in their careers, reducing even part time participation in industry.

“Again, our team see process lines across urban and rural Australasia manned by aged workers and business managers at a loss to know how to replace them.”

Workplaces of the future One way Aurora aims to help smallto-medium enterprises navigate this challenge is through automation.

The company provides end-toend services for manufacturers of bulk products, including grain, seed, flour, cement, and stockfeed. Its products include semi- and fully-automated machinery to automate the packaging, conveying, conditioning and palletising of commodities.

Goddin says automation can help manufacturing and packaging SMEs, which often have limited options to combat the difficulty in sourcing reliable labour.

“They can increase pay in the hope of attracting and retaining labour.

However, as noted earlier there are strong social and behavioural influences on supply that are proving simply too strong to match,” he says.

“Now more than ever, business leaders need to seriously consider automation as a solution, from rural SME’s through to corporates.

“Where we are increasingly seeing success is when employees keep their loyal and valued workers and meet the shortfall of basic and seasonal labour by implementing automation in their process line.”

In many cases, the team at Aurora find the benefits of automating pallet stacking or bag filling and closing can exceed expectations.

In addition to helping solve

Automation can help manufacturing and packaging businesses source reliable labour.

potential labour unit issues, the company finds its customers need to invest less into associated costs like recruitment, management, superannuation, leave, and the cost of rework.

Goddin says there is also something to be said about freeing humans from mundane, repetitive and physically

LESS DOWNTIME IS MORE UPTIME with CleanScrape® Belt Cleaner LESS IS MORE WITH CLEANSCRAPE® BELT CLEANER. Less Blade Replacements / More Blade Life – lasts up to 4x as long as traditional cleaners Less Maintenance / More Performance – only one tensioner adjustment ever Less Concern / More Confidence – safe for vulcanized and mechanical splices visit martin-eng.com.au 7 5522 0841 mea@martin-eng.com ® Registered trademark of Martin Engineering Company in the US and other select locations. © 2020 Martin Engineering Company. Additional information can be obtained at www.martin-eng.com/trademarks and www.martin-eng.com/patents.

intense jobs and putting them into fulfilling positions that add more value to the process.

“Ultimately, we want to automate the inhuman, and provide businesses the means to both de-risk their operations, build resilience and increase their competitiveness in domestic and international markets,” he says.

CONVEYOR COMPONENTS

Putting a stop to unsafe equipment Brakes on heavy machinery are vital for safety, which is why SAM Technology Engineers focuses on providing tried and tested European products.

SAM Technology Engineers operates a factory with machine shop that features mechanical and electrical fitters.

CONVEYORS AND OTHER LARGE bulk handling equipment can be dangerous when up close, with multiple heavy moving parts capable of doing serious damage.

Maintenance of these machines must be done to keep everything running safely and efficiently. Holding brakes make sure that heavy machinery won’t budge when workers get up close and personal to inspect, repair or upgrade the equipment.

Rick Kelly, Sales Engineer at SAM Technology Engineers, says safety should be the number one concern, especially when it comes to brakes.

“I have seen brakes out there that were not right for the task, or that hadn’t been adjusted properly,” he says.

“Not all brakes are created equal, some might stop the conveyor but if there is weight on the belt with an incorrectly-sized or poorly-adjusted brake the load could run backwards until the brake takes hold.”

Kelly has more than 15 years of experience working at brakes for heavy industry, along with 20 years of experience aroundcommercial vehicle brakes. As part of his role, he helps supply aluminium smelters, shipyards, mining equipment manufacturers and ports with suitable brakes.

Brake technology has advanced during this time, with more drive train motors including integrated brakes controlled by a variable speed drives. To ensure the safety of nearby workers and equipment, a secondary braking system is often used.

According to Kelly, thruster brakes and hydraulic spring brakes are an effective way of stopping conveyors, other heavy equipment such as a rail mounted stacker/reclaimer may also use rail brakes in addition to the wheel drive brakes.

“The main thing about them is they’re not an active brake. Active brakes engage like a car brake system, stopping depending on how much pressure your foot places on the pedal,” he says.

“Passive fail safe brakes operate with power going to them, holding it in a released position. When the power is cut or a signal is sent, the brake automatically acts to stop the machine.

These are often also called holding brakes.”

Most of the company’s equipment comes from European suppliers and are modified to fit the Australian Standards. Because of this, there tends to be a high level of interchangeability allowed with the brakes, letting SAM Technology engineers find the right

36 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

product for the situation.

SAM Technology Engineers also supply the thrusters – the electrohydraulic equipment that releases the brake and holds it open. These can be fitted with a valve to bleed off pressure, allowing for a controlled application of the brake.

Kelly says often a controlled descent is more important for braking, which is why the thrusters have become so popular.

“With a bleed off valve included in a thruster, the brakes can be applied in a controlled manner, stopping any possibility of causing a shock load through the system.”

The brakes themselves have been designed for easy maintenance, as long as they have been sized and installed properly. To support its customers, SAM Technology Engineers operates a factory with machine shop that features mechanical and electrical fitters.

It also has an in-house engineering team with mechanical and electrical engineers on hand to offer custom designs for specific problems. As part of its offering, the company provides installation and after sales services, including a comprehensive program of design, manufacture, supply and installation.

CONVEYOR COMPONENTS

Reggiana Riduttori set to grow in Australia ABHR speaks to Michael Mullen, Managing Director of RR Pacific, to learn how a global acquisition has expanded the Australian business.

IN OCTOBER 2019, INTERPUMP – one of the largest companies on the hydraulic components market – acquired Reggiana Riduttori, a designer and manufacturer of power transmission systems.

Interpump Chair, Fulvio Montipò, says Reggiana Riduttori is yet another pearl of excellence to enrich the company.

“Not only will it significantly increase and diversify our activity in power transmissions, it operates in industries and markets where we are already present with other products, with extraordinary potential for technical and sales synergies,” Montipò said in a release.

The move has helped Interpump develop its own power transmission offering for the market, expanding its range significantly with a number of planetary gears, reduction gears and

RR Pacific distributes, installs and supports Reggiana Riduttori products across Australia.

wheel gears.

Michael Mullen, Managing Director of RR Pacific, says the new ownership has provided the Australian branch with a stronger foundation.

“We have more availability and options than ever before, able to call upon our parent and sister companies to create synergy and networking,” he says.

“If a customer of ours needs a certain product, we can source it through the group and take advantage of further

Michael Mullen, Managing Director of RR Pacific.

38 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

engineering support from Italy.”

RR Pacific is the Australian branch of the business, which distributes, installs and supports Reggiana Riduttori products across the country. Initially, the company’s products most appealed to the mining industry, but has since diversified to reach new markets, such as the sugar, waste and agricultural industries.

The company has also broadened the range of its applications to include conveyor belt pullers, belt winders, magnetic separators, bitumen spreaders, apron feeders and take-up winches.

In particular, the company has been courting the sugar industry. RR pacific has a dedicated industry expert on its team and can provide large planetary drives that offer high torque at low speeds, which is suited for the material.

Mullen says that through Interpump and Reggiana’s global support, the Australian branch has access to data to find the right tool and product for the application at hand.

“We are targeting new growth industries through original equipment manufacturing channels and our

The Reggiana range consists of: • The 2000 series inline and bevel gear boxes with a peak torque range from 1200 Newton metres to 26500 Newton metres • The RR Plus series inline and bevel gear boxes with a peak torque range from 37,000 Newton metres to 950,000 Newton metres • The RR track drive and RR wheel drive series with peak torque ratings from 1000 Newton metres to 50,000 Newton metres • Dedicated Slewing Gears with peak torque ratings from 1200 Newton metres to 210,000 Newton metres • Negative Modular Brakes suitable for orbital motors or backstops as an option • W (winch) series. Easily equipped with brakes and custom-made accessories with peak torques from 72,000 Newton metres to 300,000 Newton metres

knowledge of the market and our customers,” he says.

“Reggiana Riduttori has decades of experience in this field and has become a trusted name in the industry due to its high-quality products.”

RR Pacific’s equipment is all made in Italy to meet European standards of quality. The company’s manufacturing facility is equipped with a number of Industry 4.0 technologies to help optimise processes.

Product is then shipped to Australia where it is stocked locally. At the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, RR Pacific made the conscious choice to invest in stock that could have been affected by potential lockdowns.

According to Mullen, in 2020, the company saw one of its biggest years in terms of growth.

“COVID-19 didn’t impact us greatly as we are an essential service,” he says.

“Our customers also work in essential industries, and our move to

diversify protected us from risks.”

In 2021, the company plans to find larger premises in Victoria and invest further into growing its staff. Part of this will be to grow the company’s sales and distribution team.

As part of its offering, RR Pacific technically evaluates a customer’s application before delivering a solution in the form of a new product, servicing or upgrade.

Mullen says the team makes sure that each solution is timely and cost effective.

“We take pride in delivering quality products and engineered solutions to customers that need a high level of reliability and support,” he says.

“Following the Interpump acquisition of Transtecno, we now have an even more diverse range of products from the Interpump group, which include bevel helical, helical and worm gears, all stocked locally in Australia with the engineering capacity to deliver them.”

Air-cushion BELT CONVEYOR Both belt and product are carried on a cushion of air

MONEY SAVING FEATURES: • • • • • • •

Low power consumption • Reliability Low wear and tear • Low maintenance High capacity • Light weight belt Steep angles of inclination • High belt speeds Dust tight • True belt tracking Complete settling of materials on belt Simple conversion from open to closed conveyor

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Aerobelt Australia Pty Ltd Ph: 02 4631 2919 | Mob: 0419 279 566 | Fax: 02 4631 2915 info@aerobelt.com.au | aerobelt.com.au

CONVEYOR COMPONENTS

Minimising wear on high-capacity conveyors Downtime on any system has an opportunity cost, but on highcapacity systems this effect is even more pronounced. Engineers from Kinder Australia explain how businesses can tackle this major conveyor problem.

PREMATURE CONVEYOR BELT wear, specifically grooving in the top cover at the skirt line, is one of the biggest issues for high speed conveyors .

Conveyor belts, are the most expensive for many sites, are often frequently replaced – especially in high-capacity applications.

Cameron Portelli, Senior Mechanical Engineer and head of Kinder Australia’s engineering team, says when highercapacity belts require downtime, the costs increase due to the lost opportunity.

“This is particularly true at the ports where a ship needs to be filled in the shortest period to minimise stationary time,” he says.

“The high-speed volume stream creates an enormous amount of friction on hard-skirts, liners, external skirts, the impact support zone and belt cleaners. Our international partners in South America are constantly having conventional products that last a matter of days on high-capacity systems replaced with their line of products in order to extend the clients shut cycle.

K-Speedskirt Hardskirt Plates - Photo Courtesy of Tecnipak

Proper alignment of impact idlers in conveyor transfer points is extremely important.

High volume streams of bulk materials, not the skirting products, are often the culprit for this high rate of wear in most cases. When fines leak under the hard skirts, they enter the cavity, bulge the soft skirts creating sticky abrasive clumps that remain static and rub against the top cover of the conveyor belt. The belt is then continually subjected to this abrasive build up, which subsequently creates the unwanted grooves. As the grooves become deeper, the issue compounds as more material is allowed to escape under the hard skirts.

Some operations have trialled the removal of soft skirts, some have lifted the hard skirts, others have made repairs on the fly at slow speed.

Yet, according to Charles Pratt, Operations Manager at Kinder Australia none using these methods have eliminated the costly belt damage that ultimately leads to replacement of the conveyor belt.

“The problem unfortunately doesn’t stop there, as the grooves in the conveyor belt cause enormous amounts of carry back (material that fails to be cleaned off at the discharge end of a conveyor by the belt cleaners),” Pratt says.

“Conventional belt cleaner blades are not flexible enough to allow the appropriate penetration of these grooves, whereby the material left in these grooves,

40 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

then leads to premature idler wear, spillage under return rollers and poor belt tracking. So, the cost of the new conveyor belt is just one negative downside to what is a major problem that causes so much damage and unnecessary waste of resources.

“There is light at the end of the skirted tunnel though, as what has been proven to reduce or eliminate the costly wear on conveyor belt, is simply keeping the transfer point clean and free of material build up.”

Doing so is easier said than done, often due to the guarding in place, reduced number of maintenance opportunities and lack of automated cleaning products available for conveyor transfer points.

However, the combination of a highpressure water spray combined with the low friction, engineered self-adjusting polyurethane soft skirting, allows for programmed automated cleaning which cleans away the sticky abrasive clumps previously causing the conveyor belt top cover damage.

Idler / roller profile alignment Proper alignment of impact idlers in conveyor transfer points is extremely important.

Due to the initial tolerance of supplied idler frames, coupled with the harsh wear

and tear of components installed in these areas, an uneven belt profile is often present, which makes it difficult for the skirts to do their job and prevent spillage, let alone prevent conveyor skirt grooving.

Pratt says to reduce the concentrated grooving caused by turbulent material and or dust sandwiched between the skirting material and your conveyor belt, the orientation of chute and skirting parts should ideally not be parallel to the conveyor belts running direction.

“This offset or bias orientation will help significantly to aid material flow when exiting the chute, and importantly spread the unwanted damage to your conveyor belt over a larger crosssectional area, thus extending the life of your belt,” he says.

“The time it takes for the grooves

“This offset or bias orientation will help significantly to aid material flow when exiting the chute, and importantly spread the unwanted damage to your conveyor belt over a larger cross-sectional area, thus extending the life of your belt.” to appear in your conveyor belt is exponentially proportionate to the offset bias in your chute or skirting alignment.

For example, if your skirting material is 12 millimetres thick, and the offset distance is just six millimetres from the beginning and end of the skirted section, you will find that any groove damage should decrease by more than just 50 per cent.

“Providing an even or flat surface for the conveyor belt to be supported in the loading or transfer point, is paramount in reducing the amount of fugitive material escaping under the hard and soft skirts.”

One of the products Kinder manufactures is the K-Shield Dynamax Impact idler, which is suited for heavy duty and high-capacity applications.

It consists of a dual trough roll configuration matching the existing trough profile, to provide a uniform cross-section while maximising the

overall loading capacity of the system.

K-Shield Dynamax Impact Idlers are suspended above anti vibration/ spring element mounts, providing maximum cushioning and absorption of the conveyed materials impact. For maintenance purposes, the idler frame system also features an additional jack down/lowering access facility. This allows rollers to be easily and efficiently replaced within the high-impact loading points.

Pratt says there is no quick fix to conveyor belt wear, calling it a massive issue that plagues the global mining, export and processing industries.

“Instead, there are many improvements required by sites to reduce or eliminate the grooving in conveyor belts caused by transfer points,” he says.

“The most important first step a site must take though, is to stop accepting the problem and thinking it can’t be solved.”

The K-Shield Dynamax Impact idler, which is suited for heavy duty and high-capacity applications.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 41

BULK DENSITY

The influence of bulk density measurements on stockpile capacity estimation Jens Plinke, Consulting Engineer, and Priscilla Freire, Business Development Engineer at TUNRA Bulk Solids explain important considerations when determining bulk density, the difference between bulk density and compressibility, the development of improved testing methods and application to stockpile mass estimation for inventory purposes.

STOCKPILES ARE SOME OF THE most common means of storing large quantities of bulk materials in industry sectors including mining and steelmaking plants, as well as in the fertiliser industry, ports and others.

They are normally used for surge capacity either to store material that will be processed later or to account for differences in throughputs along the handling chain.

Bulk density: definition, characterisation and applications Bulk density is the relationship between mass and the volume occupied by the mass of all constituents: bulk solid particles, moisture and air, as illustrated in Figure 1.

In simple terms, bulk density can be determined as:

p=

Mass Volume

=

(Ms + Mw + Ma) V total

Compressibility, on the other hand, concerns the consolidation states of the bulk material. Consolidating the material might affect the air voids and the volume occupied by the particles depending on how compressible the solid is. Therefore, a bulk material may exhibit different bulk

densities depending on the consolidation load. This idea is illustrated in Figure 2.

Compressibility characterises the change in bulk density with increasing consolidation stress. Measuring the bulk density at increasing consolidation allows for this relationship to be established (Figure 3). Some applications require explicit knowledge of the compressibility, others, including mass estimation, require knowledge of the relationship between bulk density and consolidation load.

The graph in Figure 3 highlights that moisture content might greatly influence compressibility depending on the material.

Characterising bulk density and compressibility: There are several methods for measuring bulk density and compressibility, and it is important to understand the differences to ensure that the most appropriate method will be used for each application.

One of the most common methods is described in detail in ASTM D668319 and typically uses a small cell of 21-millimetre height by 64-millimetre diameter (approximately a 1:3 aspect ratio). Due to its small size, this cell limits the maximum testable particle diameter, which may not exceed one fifth of the

Figure 1 – Representation of bulk density.

42 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

cell height. Bulk materials with particles exceeding this diameter are commonly scalped at 4 millimetres before testing.

This method is recommended for the design of storage and handling equipment such as bins and hoppers, where an overestimation of bulk density will result in a more conservative design. However, for applications like mass reconciliation of materials with a large top size this method may not yield satisfactory results.

A large compressibility test available at TUNRA Bulk Solids uses a cell with 100-millimetre height and 300-millimetre diameter (maintaining the 1:3 aspect ratio described in ASTM D6683-19). This cell permits testing of materials of up to 20-millimetre top size. With consolidation pressures reaching up to 200 kPa and larger particle sizes, this tester represents conditions more similar to those experienced in full size applications.

In terms of loose-poured bulk density, the blast furnace feedstock vessel described in ISO 3852 has been typically used in industry for stockpile mass reconciliation, and it uses a 400-millimetre height by 400-millimetre diameter cell (aspect ratio of 1:1).

According to the recommendations of D6683 these cell dimensions would permit

Figure 2 – Representation of compressibility.

a top size of up to 40 millimetres.

Figure 4 shows the bulk density measurements for six samples of iron ore, all materials with full size under 10 millimetres.

The bulk density was measured both with the -4-millimetre cell and with the large loosepoured cell, which are also shown in the picture. As it becomes clear from the test results, the same material may exhibit very different values when tested with different methods or under different consolidating pressures; this highlights the importance of choosing a suitable method based on the application of test results.

In order to indicate possible effects of scalping on compressibility, Figure 5 shows the results for a sample of bauxite tested both with the small cell in the -4mm size fraction and the large bulk density tester with the full-size material for two moisture contents. The finer fraction of this material is significantly more compressible than the material tested in its full size.

Towards the development of improved bulk density and compressibility characterisation: These analyses of bulk density and compressibility with different testers/vessels and the differences observed in measurements have led to the development of a concept for a new tester able to test materials with larger topsizes. The requirements for this new tester were: 1. It must be able to perform loose-poured bulk density tests in conformity with ISO 3852 and AS 1141, which are commonly used for mass reconciliation purposes 2. It must be able to also perform compressibility tests through the application of loads onto the bulk sample.

This new tester, with commissioning forecast for early 2021, will be able to test materials

of full size up to 40 millimetres and a maximum consolidation load of 300 kPa. It consists of a cylindrical cell of 400-millimetre height by 400-millimetre diameter, matching the dimensions specified in ISO 3852.

With such characteristics, this new tester will be able to generate test results closer to the conditions experienced on site for improving stockpile mass estimation procedures.

Figure 3 – Example of compressibility for a given ore at three moisture contents.

Mass reconciliation and stockpile modelling One of the main uses for the large bulk density tester is in mass reconciliation for inventory purposes. Determining the volume of a stockpile is a fairly straightforward task using methods such as laser scanning.

Nevertheless, determining the actual mass of material within the stockpile relies on an accurate determination of the bulk density – consolidation relationship and on an understanding of the consolidation states within the stockpile.

Common practice reconciliation models may fall short of the best possible accuracy by applying a constant bulk density to the measured volume.

Such models do not account for changes in consolidation throughout the height of a stockpile and also discount the variations of the material’s bulk density driven by the changing consolidation.

The stockpile mass estimation method proposed by TUNRA Bulk Solids accounts for both the stockpiled material’s compressibility as well as the consolidation states throughout the stockpile. As shown in Figure 6, a surface scan and a compressibility function similar to that shown in Figure 3 are used to compute the stockpile mass. It is important to consider that possible disturbances may arise from variations in moisture

Figure 4 – Bulk density test results for six iron ores tested with different methods.

Figure 5 – Bulk density test results for a sample of bauxite tested with different methods, both in the full-size fraction and in the -4-millimetre fraction.

Figure 6 – Stockpile mass estimation process used by TUNRA Bulk Solids.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 43

BULK DENSITY

Figure 7 – 3D stockpile model.

content or consolidation states caused by dozer operation on the surface for example.

The numeric model discretises the stockpile geometry into a number of vertical columns, which, in turn, consist of vertically stacked cubes, as shown in Figure 8. The mass within each column is computed individually, where the mass in the upper-most cube of any column may be computed from the cube’s volume and the material’s loose-poured bulk density.

The consolidation state of the next cube below is determined from the mass of the cube(s) above and the appropriate density

value can then be applied to determine the cube’s mass. Summing all cubes yields the mass within one column, and summing all columns yields the total mass of the stockpile. By way of example, Figure 8 shows the consolidation states of a 30-metre-tall vertical column comprised of 30 cube elements with a volume of 1m3 each. Also shown are the bulk density and corresponding mass associated with each volume element.

The graph shown in Figure 9 illustrates that consolidation is nonlinear with stockpile depth and that the less consolidated upper cube elements contain

Figure 8 – Schematic diagram of stockpile discretisation approach.

44 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

less material than the highly consolidated elements at the bottom of the column.

Accounting for all these effects yields a more robust method for stockpile mass estimation than applying a constant ‘blanket’ bulk density value to the whole volume.

This article is based on the presentation “Towards Higher Standard Bulk Density Testing” by Dr Jens Plinke, presented to the Australian Society of Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH) in 2020. The full presentation can be found on TUNRA Bulk Solids’ YouTube channel.

Figure 9 – Consolidation, Density and Mass states per 1m3 cube element in a 30-metre vertical column.

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES NOW OPEN

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY.COM.AU

S I M O N . C O B U R N @ P R I M E C R E AT I V E . C O M . A U

P R O U D LY P R E S E N T E D B Y

MHD Supply Chain Solutions

P L AT I N U M S P O N S O R

AWARDS SPONSORS

ENGINEERING

Rotating steel shafts

Shaft failure can be potentially disastrous.

Rotating steel shafts are one of the most critical components in a mechanical system on mobile equipment. Sara Vance, a Mechanical Engineer at Aspec Engineering explains some of the issues involved in the design of rotating steel shafts.

ROTATING STEEL SHAFTS ARE USED throughout the materials handling, mining and port industries wherever power transmission is required. Shaft failure can be potentially disastrous and lead to large repair costs and long down times. As a result, owners, operators and designers of such components need to be aware of the issues involved in the design of rotating steel shafts and some general principles of good shaft design.

Typically, the main considerations when designing shafts include: • That the shaft will not fail in fatigue over the design lifetime • That the shaft has sufficient static strength for maximum loadings • That it’s easily inspectable • Ensuring the deflection of the shaft is not excessive for any

•

mounted components The natural frequency, or ‘critical speed’, of a rotating shaft is well above any operating frequencies

Design for fatigue AS1403 is the current Australian standard used in the design of rotating steel shafts.

The rationale behind AS1403 is to design the shaft for an infinite fatigue life under the applied operating loads, utilising an appropriate safety factor.

The methodology described in AS1403 is to size the diameter of the shaft by ensuring that the stress calculated from the combined axial, bending and torsional loading is less than the fatigue limit of the steel used in the shaft. The stress at each axial location on the shaft is increased using design factors for stress raising features and a size factor

46 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

depending on the diameter. Stress raising factors account for features such as keyways, notches, and interference fits, which can significantly increase the local stresses in the shaft.

The number of stress raising features should be minimised wherever possible.

They should be located away from highly stressed regions of the shaft. The use of large, smooth radii at changes in section also minimises local stresses.

The size factor allows for the reduced strength of shafts that is observed as the diameter is increased.

Overall, the standard is quite useful and is similar to international methods in its approach. However, it does differ from international codes in some important areas, including: • AS1403 makes no differentiation between the stress concentration

factors associated with bending or torsional stress. Instead, it quotes a single concentration factor for the overall combined stress.

The stress concentration factor for bending or torsion can be significantly different depending on the feature. For example, for a press fitted component, the stress concentration factor in torsion has been shown to be around 65 per cent of that in bending.

• AS1403 makes no allowance for stress relieving features incorporated into the shaft. These have been shown experimentally to reduce fatigue stresses by up to 60 per cent.

• AS1403 does not include the effect

tends to asymptote at a constant value.

The likelihood and severity of fretting of the shaft surface, which can be another indicator of fatigue damage, will decrease.

Thus, great care should be taken when considering the effect of shrink fitted components. Wherever possible the manufacturer’s recommendations for stress concentration due to locking devices should be used. This is allowed for in AS1403.

These differences often tend to make the standard conservative for design.

However, it is important to keep these issues in mind especially when trying to get an optimal shaft design for a situation.

ensuring a shaft is as short as possible, or by increasing the size of the shaft.

Most steels have similar elastic moduli, thus changing the material will have very little effect on reducing deflections.

Designed for critical speed The natural frequency (critical speed) of a shaft should be much higher than the operational frequency of the shaft.

Stress raising factors account for features such as keyways, notches, and interference fits, which can significantly increase the local stresses in the shaft. of the surface finish on the fatigue strength of the shaft.

•

The single “size factor” quoted in AS1403 is made up of the “metallurgical factor” and “geometry factor” that is used in other methods.

The metallurgical factor accounts for the reduction in the strength of quenched and tempered steels as the diameter increases, mainly due to uneven cooling of the shaft during fabrication.

The geometry factor accounts for changes in the stress gradients that occur in the shaft as the diameter increases. The relative importance of these effects varies depending on the shaft diameter. As a result, these factors have been separated in a number of other standards.

• AS1403 may be misleading in its treatment of shrink fitted components.

In Figure 1, a stress concentration factor is quoted for three different nominal fits. However, the stress concentration due to a fitted component has more to do with the contact pressure between the shaft and fitted component, not the fit used. The standard would also seem to suggest that with increasingly tight fits and contact pressures, the stress concentration will increase.

Tests have shown that with increasing contact pressure, the stress concentration

Designed for strength Often there are very high rare or ‘once off’ loads that may be applied to the shaft during its lifetime that are not a major fatigue concern due to the low number of cycles associated with these loads.

Example loads include high start-up/ stall torques from a motor and extreme load cases such as collisions. For these cases the design should be governed by the allowable stress method presented in AS3990. The use of higher strength steels may be necessary if the design is driven by strength concerns.

Design for deflection Deflection can be the limiting factor of design, as it is important to ensure that shafts are designed such that their deflections are within acceptable limits.

Excessive deflections of shafts can affect gear performance, cause rapid wear/ damage to non-self-aligning bearings and result in excessive noise and vibration. Typically, the deflection of the shaft should not exceed the length at any gears or eight minutes of angular deflection at any bearings. Deflection of shafts is calculated using traditional beam deflection formulas, and as a result is dependent on the inertia, length and material used in the shaft. To minimise deflections, shafts must be as stiff as possible, which can be achieved by

Stress raising factor K for fitted component without key or spline.

This is to avoid resonance of the shaft which can result in excessive vibration causing rapid wear of any mounted components, excessive noise, deflection and fatigue of the shaft. The natural frequency of the shaft is given by the equation: Natural Frequency = √(Stiffness/Mass) The critical speed is dependent on the stiffness and mass of the shaft. Thus, the design considerations for critical speed are very similar to that for deflection in that the shaft should ideally have a high stiffness to mass ratio, resulting in a high natural frequency.

Design for inspection There are several material properties that are of importance when considering shaft specification. One of these is the toughness of the steel. If a fracture mechanics approach is used, the steel toughness determines the maximum tolerable crack size for different locations in the shaft and the rate of a fatigue crack growing in the shaft. Other fracture mechanic approaches provide information on the largest crack/flaw size that will not propagate a fatigue crack.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 47

ENGINEERING

This information is useful in determining the inspection interval of the shaft. It is an important that the regions of higher stress range, where fatigue cracks are most likely to initiate, are inspected for small flaws than can initiate a fatigue crack. The shaft design results in a tolerable flaw size that can be detected.

•

the shaft – these can significantly affect the stresses in the shaft.

Keep necessary stress raising features away from highly stressed areas on the shaft. Also use large, smooth radii at all corners and changes in section. This will minimise the effect of local stress concentrations and keep the size of the

•

•

Keep necessary stress raising features away from highly stressed areas on the shaft. Also use large, smooth radii at all corners and changes in section. This will minimise the effect of local stress concentrations and keep the size of the shaft down.

General shaft design principles The following issues are useful to remember when designing or assessing the design of a rotating steel shaft: • The shaft diameter should be minimised. This will reduce fabrication costs and avoid reductions in the strength of the shaft due to metallurgical effects.

• Carefully consider the component mounting method used when designing

•

•

shaft down.

Be aware of the beneficial effect that stress relieving features, such as relief notches, can have on the stresses in a shaft.

Be aware that AS1403 may be misleading in the area of shrink fitted components. It is often a good idea to use the manufacturer’s recommendations for the stress concentration due to locking elements

Rotating steel shafts are used throughout the mining and port industries.

48 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

•

when designing a shaft.

Keep shafts as short as possible. This will increase the stiffness of the shaft, reducing the deflection of the shaft while increasing the natural frequency (critical speed) of the shaft, allowing higher operating frequencies.

The choice of steel used in the shaft is important for strength and fatigue, however when the design is driven by deflection or critical speed concerns, the type of steel used is less important as most steels have similar elastic moduli. The fracture toughness of the steel can also be important in specifying inspection intervals.

It is important to design the shaft, and location of shaft mounted components, such that the shaft is easily inspectable.

This article has been supplied by Aspec Engineering. It is an updated version of the original article, published in 2011, written

by Adam Mayers (Aspec Engineering), Gary James (Minerva Engineers) and Peter Ford (MCA Australia).

E X H I B I T I O N S PAC E NOW ON SALE

PROUD PARTNER

Department of Transport

S U P P O R T I N G S P ONS OR S

M E L B O U R N E C O N V E N T I O N & E H X H I

REIMAGINING THE

B

SUPPLY CHAIN

I T I O N

One of the first trade expos post-COVID, MEGATRANS is the critical event for the freight and logistics supply chain to get your brand in front of customers again.

N

M E G AT R A N S . C O M . A U

T

C E

R CO N F E RE N C E SP O N SO R S

ASSOCI ATI ON PARTNER S

ACCREDITATION PARTNER

E

PNUEMATIC CONVEYING

Pneumatic conveying – a stepped approach Pneumatic transport has become more popular due to its flexible line layout, product containment, and ease of automation. However, a lack of understanding about how solids can be transported leads to problems. Corin Holmes Operations Manager at Jenike & Johanson explains more.

WHILE PNEUMATIC CONVEYING equipment has advanced over the years, problems resulting from insufficient conveying capacity, line plugging, erosive wear, particle attrition, and build-up in the line are not uncommon. Whether operating in dilute or dense phase, a pneumatic conveying system consists of four basic components as shown in Figure 1.

The role of the gas mover is to provide the proper flow rate of gas required to transport material. Feeders introduce solids into the conveying system a controlled rate where they are mixed with the conveying gas to move them from one location to another.

Positive-pressure systems often require devices which are capable of feeding material from atmospheric conditions into pressurised ones while negativepressure systems may require feeders with good sealing capability to minimise gas leakage. In the separator solids are decelerated and then recovered in order to be fed to a storage bin and hopper or fed into a downstream processing unit.

Gas In

Gas Mover • Fan • Blower • Vacuum pump • Compressor

A positive pressure conveying system utilises gas above atmospheric pressure to entrain the bulk solids and transport the material to one or multiple destinations (often at atmospheric pressure). Positive-pressure systems can operate at high pressures and convey materials over long distances.

A vacuum conveying system picks up solids at atmospheric pressure (often from multiple locations) and discharges the material into a vessel that is at a pressure less than atmospheric. Vacuum systems are typically limited to less than 60 metres, although some systems have a longer range. Vacuum systems are well-suited for handling dusty or toxic materials, because any leakage in the pipeline will be inward. Specialized systems that incorporate features of both positive and negative pressure conditions, such as pull/push systems used in ship unloading equipment, are also available.

The unique challenge for designers of such systems is in matching the component parts of the system with the

Solids In

Solids Feeder • Rotary Valve • Screw feeder • Blow tank • Educator

Figure 1: Typical pneumatic conveying system

50 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

vast array of available equipment on the market in order to ensure efficient and reliable operation, as per its basis of design. Reliable flow from the feed bin through the feeder and into the pipeline and the downstream separator is an absolute necessity.

Possible bottlenecks associated with pneumatic conveying systems can include conveying capacity, plugging, product build up in pipelines, pipeline wear, and particle attrition. Due to a general lack of understanding of the causes of these problems, many facilities take trial-and-error approaches which often fail and usually cost more than a scientifically developed solution.

The first step in troubleshooting conveying problems is to gather as much information as possible. Data regarding pressure, temperature, feeder speed, gas flowrate, etc. should be collected under start-up and steady-state conveying conditions. Information about the conveying line (pipeline length, number of bends, diverters, feeders) should also be collected.

Gas Out

Pipe Line • Horizontal • Vertical • Bends • Couplings • Diverters

Separator • Cyclone • Bin vent • Bag filter • Reverse jet filter • Settling chamber

Solids Out

Figure 2: Positive pressure (blower type) system (left), Negative pressure (vacuum type) system (right)

•

Hopper flow obstructions: Conveying rate can be limited by solids flow problems occurring in the feed bin and hopper. Flow problems such as bridging and ratholing will lead to erratic solids discharge into the conveying line thus reducing the transfer rate.

•

Feeder restrictions: Improperly designed feeders are often a source of conveying line restrictions.

Undersized motors can restrict the rotational speed of screw feeders or rotary valves. Some feeders operate at critical rates beyond which any increase in speed does not equate to increased solids flowrate. As example, screw feeders or rotary valves may operate at speeds too high to allow complete filling of the screw flights or rotary valve pockets.

Too much air: Too much conveying air can occur during dilute-phase transfer in a conveying line resulting in capacity restrictions. Increasing the gas flowrate will not necessarily result in an increase in the capacity of a dilute-phase conveying line.

However, in this example, the total pressure in the line will increase and if the system is pressure-limited, the additional pressure needed to move the extra air through the line will take away the energy available to convey the solids.

Air leakage: If air leakage from a positive-pressure conveying system is significant, the airflow in the line may drop to a point where dilute-phase conveying will be compromised. In some severe cases, the solids may even plug the conveying line as a result.

•

•

•

Underrated prime mover (fan, blower, compressor): The prime mover, or air

•

source, is a major component of a pneumatic conveying system. The gas flowrate needed to efficiently transfer the material in dilute or dense phase must be understood. If improperly specified, it can be a cause of capacity reduction. Careful calculations or experiments Calculations/ experiments must be performed with the bulk solid and conveying line to be conveyed to ensure that total pressure drop through the line is correctly estimated.

Line length and bends: Many processes undergo modifications which might need to expand to support capacity increases. Often existing pneumatic lines are then modified to accommodate the transport to new equipment. Unfortunately, this is frequently a cause of capacity

reduction. Increased line length and bends results in increase of the total pressure drop in the system while simultaneously reducing the available pressure to convey the solids.

The pneumatic conveying line may only be a part of the problem however as often hoppers and feeders play as important a role in achieving reliable pneumatic transport. Feeding solids into a positive pressure system requires a means of sealing against the pressure in the pipeline. For low pressure conveying systems (less than 100 kilopascals), rotary valves, solids pump, and eductor are common choices. For high pressure systems (more than 100 kilopascals), a blow tank or Fuller-Kinyon pump, and high pressure sealing rotary valve can be used. Some of these devices control the rate of solids discharge into the line and as such are truly feeders while others only provide a pressure seal and do not meter solids.

Rotary valves which operate well as feeders can be used to provide a seal, a feature which makes them very useful when feeding into high pressure environments. Venting is critical however particularly when handling fine materials. Without venting, gas leakage up into the feed hopper can induce bridging problems at the hopper outlet.

Figure 3: Solids pump

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 І 51

PNUEMATIC CONVEYING

A solids pump consists of three primary components the inlet/conveying section, the sealing section, and the discharge section. The inlet section accepts material from an up-stream feeder or conveyor. The sealing section is designed so that the solids being conveyed through the screw form a plug of sufficient length and density to provide the necessary gas seal without high solids pressures. By keeping the solids pressures low, screw torque and wear are minimised. The sealing mechanism does not rely on mechanical tolerances or moving parts. The discharge section can be designed to break up a cohesive plug, if needed, and deliver a uniform stream of material to pneumatic conveying line.

Eductors are sometimes used to discharge solids from a hopper outlet into a positive pressure pneumatic conveying line. The motive air is expanded across the nozzle creating a vacuum in the suction chamber and draws the bulk solid in. The entrained solids are then carried through the expansion chamber and discharged into the line. Eductors have no moving parts or internal mechanical devices.

Fuller-Kinyon pumps are commonly used when feeding high pressure pneumatic conveying lines. It consists of a screw that has a decreasing pitch in the direction of material feed. Hence, material consolidates as it advances resulting in a commensurate increase in bulk density. As a result, material forms a tight seal against the downstream gas pressure.

In high pressure systems, blow tanks or transporters are often used to introduce the solids into the

Figure 4: Eductor

conveying line. The process involves first transferring solids into blow tank, which is then sealed and pressurized.

The entire contents of the blow tank are then fed into the line. The pressure in the blow tank is vented and another batch of solids is transferred in and the process is repeated.

Design steps to increase solids transfer rate Whether installing a new conveying system or fine tuning a poorly performing system following a scientific approach will help to ensure efficient, reliable, and safe operation of a positive pressure or vacuum conveying system. The following outlines an appropriate stepped approach to take.

• Define the material characteristics of the material to be conveyed.

• Define the conveying requirements for expected and “upset” operating conditions.

• Calculate gas mass flow rate • Calculate pipeline diameter with desired • Calculate the system pressure drop • Recalculate the gas velocity at the solid’s feed point • Select a suitable gas mover • Select an appropriate solids feeder • Select an appropriate gas/solids separator

Conclusion Pneumatic transport of bulk solids has become popular in recent years

52 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

NO

because of benefits like flexible line layout, product containment, and ease of automation. However, due to lack of understanding of how solids can efficiently and reliably be transported through conveying lines, problems such as insufficient conveying capacity, pipeline plugging, or wear can result.

When designing a pneumatic conveying system, always measure and understand the bulk solid properties.

Test work should be informed by considering feed now and in the future while also recognizing that the process itself may impart changes to the material.

Do you have a bulk solids handling question? Jenike & Johanson has developed the science of bulk solids flow and specialises in applying it to solving the most challenging bulk solids handling problems. So why not put them to the test with your question? The harder, the better Note: The advice here is of a general nature. Specific solutions are very sensitive to their circumstances; therefore, you should consult with a specialist in the area before proceeding.

9 SEPT 2021 MELBOURNE

AWARDS

OMINATION NOW OPEN NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN BULKHANDLINGAWARDS.COM.AU

I N CONJ U NCTION WITH

MHD Supply Chain Solutions

PROU DLY S PON SOR E D BY

ENGINEERING

talk

Availability, reliability, utilisation and throughput STEVE DAVIS In his regular BULKtalk column, Steve Davis considers the basics of bulk handling that sites often struggle with.

Steve has worked in bulk handling for 30 years, for both resource companies and professional engineering firms, in Australia, South Africa, the Middle East and Canada.

His experience encompasses such commodities as iron ore, coal, potash, phosphates, petcoke, sulphur, sands and grain.

Steve Davis, Senior Bulk Handling Expert at Advisian was recently the subject matter expert on a study for a terminal upgrade. He shares some of his findings on how to improve plant design to increase availability and throughput.

AS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT on a study for a terminal upgrade, one of the key requests we received was to confirm the overall plant availability and throughput. After a few years of operation, the owner was struggling to handle 20 per cent of the perceived nameplate throughput.

This leads to some interesting observations. The first, and perhaps most misunderstood aspect, is that the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors had agreed to the specified facility availability of 98 per cent. The owner assumed this meant that the plant has a capacity of 98 per cent of nameplate (operating hours multiplied by nameplate tonnes per hour).

This shows a lack of understanding of availability by both parties, as 98 per cent is unrealistic for a single stream operation with a railcar dumper, multiple conveyors, storage with stacker/reclaimers, more conveyors and ship loading all arranged in a series with no redundancy.

Other misunderstandings included definition of availability in the plant as utilised, what reliability impacts should be considered and mitigated, and understanding that attaining the required throughput is key to a successful operation.

equipment components and failures over time result in these availabilities, this can be calculated if accurate maintenance data is available). Redundant systems can also be approximated.

The formula is given by: Availability = (Total time available) – (total downtime)

(Total time available) Here we had 80 per cent availability given by 8760 hours per year – 1,750 hours total downtime 8760 hours per year For this plant, could we expect to operate for 80 per cent of the time and therefore get 80 per cent of the nameplate throughput? Here are some thoughts: • The plant is a batch operation, and as such only operates for approximately 50 per cent of the time when trains arrive to discharge, and when ships arrive to load. Some repairs and maintenance that would have added to the downtime are completed in

Availability and utilisation So, what is availability? It is the percentage of time that the plant remains operational under normal circumstances in order to serve its intended purpose.

For an approximation of availability of a linear system we can multiply the individual components’ availabilities. If there are 10 conveyors in a series and availability is assumed at 99.5 per cent, or 0.995, a car dumper at 0.95 and a stacker at 0.9, we get an overall availability of 0.99510 x 0.95 x 0.9 = 0.813, or 81.3 per cent availability for the system. To obtain the required 98 per cent system availability each component must be 99.85 per cent available, i.e. 13 hours per year unavailable on average. (We assume individual

54 | Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

Occupancy for batch systems such as train dumping and ship loading are aspects that must be considered.

•

•

•

•

the unutilised periods.

Utilisation is therefore 50 per cent, so is potential throughput now only 40 per cent of the nameplate – 80 per cent availability x 50 per cent utilisation?

Train unloading is a continuous operation and manages the design rate.

The shipload average/aggregate loading rate is always less than the design ship loading rate, due to hatch changes and other delays, unless a surge bin system and surge rated ship loader are included. The plant does not have these surge systems and the shipload rate can only average approximately 75 per cent of nameplate, and therefore is utilised for 33 per cent more time than expected by the owner. This does not limit plant throughput as the ship loader in this study has spare capacity at the current throughput but does reduce the expected expansion capability.

The imbalance between train delivery rate and ship loading rate is handled by the stockpile.

Occupancy Occupancy for batch systems such as train dumping and ship loading are aspects that must be considered.

A car dumper or ship loader is occupied for the entire period when no other train or ship can use the facility: • Plant design considered four trains per day, with three trainsets. The design assumed train overall cycle time of 12 hours, which allows six hours per day per train for fuel, maintenance checks and driver changes. Owner imposed checks on loading and unloading extended the cycle to 18 hours, reducing the number of potential trips by almost one each day or reducing maintenance time. This was sufficient to unload the demand, but all spare capacity has been used.

A fourth train and second car dumper is being considered to provide catch up capacity and redundancy.

•

•

Ship loading in this project has many occupancy facets contributing to lower than design occupancy.

Shipping constraints require 15 hours

Availability is the percentage of time that the plant remains operational under normal circumstances to serve its intended purpose.

•

between a ship departing loaded and the next ship arriving to load. Design allowed for six hours.

Average ship sizes are 60 per cent of the design size, therefore there are 67 per cent more ships loaded each year than design. The design assumed 80 ships and the actual is 133. The berth is occupied for much longer than considered in design.

•

Many of the smaller ships cannot deballast at a rate matching design load rate, so the length of time loading is extended. On average by 50 per cent of design.

Ship loader occupancy was calculated on a corrected basis, 91 per cent. This results in 5.8-hour average between ships, and does not give time for cleaning, breakdowns, maintenance, upsets in the shipping schedule, and the like. One significant failure effectively brought the plant to a standstill as ships could not be loaded.

The owner is assessing the available fleet to reduce the number of ships and assessing options to reduce the 15 hour delay between ships and expects to reduce occupancy to 75 per cent or less.

Increasing the ship loader system design rate will be complex and expensive. An additional ship loader is being considered to provide additional capacity and redundancy.

The following issues are identified: • Little understanding of availability, utilisation, capacity, batch operation of a materials handling system by EPC or owner resulting in significant difference in capacity versus expectations.

•

Many operational impacts on the operational aspects by owner without

•

• •

considering these factors in the design.

A good materials handling design should have consulted with the owner to identify these aspects and the impacts during feasibility and provide a better solution.

The real capacity of rail unloading has no spare capacity.

Shiploading at 91 percent occupancy is untenable. The target was 50 percent.

Catch up capacity A further issue that should have been considered in detail in this system was the need for catch-up capacity. The rail system as designed effectively has a spare train at the design throughput.

This means that should there be an upset and it is not possible to transport to the terminal, product can be stored temporarily at the loading point. When the system is running again the trains run at full capacity and the load point storage is drawn down at a faster rate. In this case three trains could transport 133 per cent (33 percent catch up) of steady demand as designed, however the spare capacity has been taken by the longer cycle time.

Similar considerations are relevant with the ship loader. The original design considered under 50 per cent occupancy and significant catch-up capacity.

Operating at 91 per cent occupancy makes it difficult to meet the nameplate and there is no catch up capacity.

Downtime and outage records, availability and reliability The basis for building reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) models is the data that is recorded or developed as input. This plant had three years of data, which is insufficient as an indicator or to develop model input data.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021 55

ENGINEERING

The key requirement for a bulk handling system is to be able to meet the throughput under normal and upset conditions over a sensible time scale.

The data did indicate types and durations of the outages, but there are doubts on the accuracy and completeness of the data. Our model was therefore based on a combination of available data and previous models for similar equipment.

Recorded downtime was mostly short unplanned failures of idlers, bearings and other items, spurious trips and the like. Downtime was recorded when the plant was being utilised. The 1750 hours downtime each year consisted of just over 900 outages, average just under two hours each, and roughly 2.5 every day. Fewer than 10 outages were longer, reaching a maximum of four days. The downtime data does not consider the loss in throughput every time the system ramps down and back up, and the potential for the system to fail to restart after repair.

The downtime recording methodology was ineffective and made it impossible to extract other than average data. Poor data are the result and poor training and implementation. It seemed that every input was by a different person with a different perspective on the cause, description and the time to repair.

For example, idlers are a common point of failure. We extracted more than 700 idler failures in the three-year data pack. Idlers were only identified as to conveyor and not to type or location, so repeat failures could not be identified for improvement. In the 700 failures, we had more than 250 separate descriptions of the failure, none of which was useful in identifying any root cause, and which makes data interrogation difficult. Statements such as ‘idler failed’, ‘idler replaced’, ‘broken idler’,

‘defective idler’ with many variations are useless for assessment. The variation in description makes it difficult to extract similar failures, and instead of sorting spreadsheet data, manual categorisation is required. Time recorded varied between stop to restart and repair time only – many times appeared to be based on complete shifts rather than actual time.

From discussion there were many failures that had not been recorded.

The recording system had been set up with 28 items of data to be entered for each outage and little guidance on what to enter. I believe meaningful data can be collected in less than 10 items. Each cell for data should have a pull-down menu that limits what can be entered.

Reliability is often measured as mean time between failure (MTBF) and is the number of failures in the total time available. This is often recorded per equipment item, and not for the entire plant. In this case, each of the 31 machines (dumper, conveyors, stackers etc.) in sequence was relatively similar and accounted for about 30 outages a year in each machine. It is difficult to assess actual MTBF if the failures and times are not accurately recorded.

The MTBF was 8760÷30 = 290 hours per machine. Or should it be half this, as utilisation is 50 per cent? One hundred and forty-five hours indicates one failure in each machine every six days on average.

If we consider the whole plant system operating at 50 per cent to 75 per cent utilisation (when the failures occur), MTBF is between 8760 x 0.5÷900 = 5 hours and 8,760 x 0.75 ÷ 900 = 7.3 hours or one failure on average every five

56 | Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

to eight operating hours. This plant is not very reliable.

Low reliability in this case was the result of: • Higher than design occupancy of equipment leaving less time for maintenance • Selection of inappropriate equipment and components for environment and duty • No condition monitoring strategy • Lack of operator training in operation and maintenance • Owner and EPC unfamiliar with design of a batch bulk handling system

Logistics Availability and reliability are real indicators of plant health. However, the key requirement for a bulk handling system is to be able to meet the throughput under normal and upset conditions over a sensible time scale, without bringing any part of the system to a standstill.

We use discrete event simulation software to provide a simulated realtime analysis of the operation of the system. The model incorporates all key components of the system from start to finish. In this case from the manufacturing plant through storage, train loading, rail system, unloading, conveyors to storage, storage, conveyors to ship and the shipping stream.

The model is built with data on operation and maintenance according to design, and then various deviations and upsets are added to see the impact. The model runs a Monte-Carlo iteration over 30 years. In our system, the design met requirements and throughput provided everything was according to the design parameters and reliability was ‘normal’.

As soon as the differences to the design basis were introduced the throughput started to drop and various problems are apparent.

If a simulation model had been used before design was completed and a full evaluation of proposed operations had been introduced, many of the system design details would have been different.

The facility would have had a simpler arrangement with fewer and different pieces of equipment, and it would have easily handled the expected throughput.

proudly sponsored by

23 -25 February 2021

SUPPLY CHAIN VISION IN THE DECADE FOR ACTION

TO SECURE YOUR SEAT AT ASCI2021 TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO BOOK YOUR TICKET TO THE

MUST ATTEND SUPPLY CHAIN EDUCATION EVENT OF THE YEAR

www.asci-2021.com.au/tickets/

23-25 FEBRUARY

2021

William Inglis Hotel, Sydney Contact: Ben Griffiths ben.griffiths@primecreative.com.au

MEMBER PROFILE

MEMBER PROFILE:

Andrew Grima In each issue, ABHR profiles a member of the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH).

We speak to Andrew Grima, Chief Operating Officer at Bulk Materials Engineering Australia.

To join the ASBSH, visit bit.ly/3aibXNf

I have been a member of ASBSH since… the beginning of 2020.

and provides the opportunity to work with new clients and engineers to share different experiences and knowledge.

I am a member of ASBSH because…

In my role it’s important to...

I want to network with other bulk material handling members and specialists. The society is also working with members to deliver more events where members can present and share their knowledge and experience in various topics. These events provide a good opportunity to expand technical knowledge and assist with continuous professional development being a member of Engineers Australia.

stay up to date with the latest methodologies, technologies, simulation tools and equipment in bulk materials via. webinars, conferences, publications and networking.

I got into bulk handling because...

I enjoyed bulk materials handling subjects as part of my undergraduate degree at university and decided to continue research in the field as part of my PhD. I find that the storage and handling of bulk materials can be complex at times which makes it challenging to design and troubleshoot equipment to reliably handle bulk materials. Working on large scale bulk material equipment has been rewarding to me especially when design recommendations have been commissioned with great results.

I am currently researching … multi-physics modelling to couple numerous physical disciplines like CFD, DEM, MBD and structural analysis together. The integration of multi-physics brings large benefits by broadening the modelling options available in addition to increasing the possible analysis and results obtained from simulations.

I love my current work because... every project has different challenges

58 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: January/February 2021

The project I am most proud of is... the complete redesign of a brownfield bauxite shuttle chute that experienced regular blockages and reliability issues.

This project was a challenge as it involved the handling of sticky material where spatial geometry constraints were present. The schedule of the new transfer chute was relatively short that required a lot of effort and modelling to develop a reliable solution. I got to assist with the detailed design and commissioning of the chute that achieved great results and a significant reduction in blockages.

My career highlight is... being awarded the A.W. Roberts award in 2014 for young engineer of the year in the field of bulk materials. It was a great honour to receive an award named after Professor Alan Roberts who has contributed a significant amount of knowledge and work to the field.

The most valuable lesson I have learned is … to never underestimate a bulk material and make too many assumptions on material properties. The characteristics of bulk solids can vary a lot between mines and plants requiring due diligence to check material properties before proceeding with any troubleshooting and detailed design projects.

AD INDEX

SUBSCRIBE

To Australia’s only publication 100%-focused on bulk solids handling. It covers conveyors, silos, engineering, dust control, powder handling, weighing, pneumatics and much more, in industries such as mining and metals, ports and terminals, grain, fertiliser, sugar, salt, foods, milling, resins, cement and woodchips.

ADVERTISERS INDEX Advertiser

Page

Aerobelt Australia ..........................................................39

Aurora (Process Equipment) ..........................................33

Australian Supply Chain Institute ..................................57

Bintech Systems .............................................................29

Flexicon Corporation Australia ....................... Back Cover

Flow Force Technologies ................................................17 www.bulkhandlingreview.com

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 7 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

www.

In this issue: Automating bulk handling BULK 2021 update Designining better pneumatic conveyors

m 0 view.co ECEMBER 202 dlingre R/D

lkhan VEMBE www.bu25, ISSUE 6 | NO VOLUME

bu

lk ME 25 handlingr , ISSUE ev 5 | SE iew.com PTEM BER/OC TOBE R 2020

VOLU

HATCH ............................................................................15

Jenike & Johanson ........................................................23

ue: In this iss essing feature Food procish or replace? n To refurb bulk automatio The rise of

Kinder Australia .............................................................11

Kockums Bulk Systems ................................. Front Cover In this Engineerissue: 45 year ing services di The evols of TUNRA Bu rectory lk ution of conveyorSolids guarding

NLOP’S

FENNER DU

VISION OF

Deliv eri bigge ng some o st rail f the EYING IMPROVING -mSAFETY wCOMPACT o ounte WITH SYSTEMS d mac rld’s hines

Martin Engineering ........................................................35

Mobile Conveying Services ............................................12

T CONV INTELLIGEN

RR Pacific ........................................................................21

SAM Technology Engineers ...........................................25

ThyssenKrupp industrials Solutions (Australia) ..............7

1 year

$99.00 (inc GST) 6 issues of Australian Bulk Handling Review and 1 copy of the Equipment and Services Guide

2 years

Transmin .........................................................................26

TUNRA Bulk Solids Handling Research Associates ......31

$179.00 (inc GST) 12 issues of Australian Bulk Handling Review and 2 copies of the Equipment and Services Guide

Vega Australia ...................................................................8

Vortex Global ..................................................................37

Subscribe today: www.bulkhandlingreview.com/subscribe

Reduce and Distance Plant Personnel while Boosting Output and Preventing Contamination with automated, enclosed bulk equipment and systems from Flexicon

Automated, sealed BULK-OUT® Discharger-Conveyor Systems replace multiple workers dumping hand-held bags manually, while preventing contamination.

Enclosed Bulk Bag Weigh Batch Systems feed a central weigh hopper mechanically, and remove weighed batches pneumatically, requiring labour only to attach/detach bulk bags.

Bulk Bag Discharging Systems can loosen solidified material and meter it into liquid streams (shown), screeners, size reduction equipment and continuous blenders—automatically.

Dual SWING-DOWN® Bulk Bag Fillers fed by weigh hoppers fill up to 40 bags per hour with only one operator connecting empty bags and one forklift removing full bags.

Flexicon Bulk Bag Filling Lines automatically dispense pallets, fill bulk bags, and disconnect/accumulate filled bags, minimising operator involvement.

TIP-TITE® Drum/Box Tippers seal, tip and mate a discharge cone to a gasketted hopper lid, open a slide gate and feed downstream processes— automatically and dust-free.

Flexicon automated equipment and systems can move your bulk materials at higher capacities with fewer personnel, cutting costs while distancing operators from one another.

AUSTRALIA sales@flexicon.com.au 1 300 FLEXICON +61 (0)7 3879 4180

USA SINGAPORE INDONESIA SOUTH AFRICA UK SPAIN FRANCE GERMANY CHILE

+1 610 814 2400 +65 6778 9225 +62 81 1103 2400 +27 (0)41 453 1871 +44 (0)1227 374710 +34 930 020 509 +33 (0)7 61 36 56 12 +49 173 900 78 76 +51 2 2415 1286

©2020 Flexicon Corporation. Flexicon Corporation has registrations and pending applications for the trademark FLEXICON throughout the world.

II-0548

See the full range of fast-payback equipment at flexicon.com.au: Flexible Screw Conveyors, Tubular Cable Conveyors, Pneumatic Conveying Systems, Bulk Bag Unloaders, Bulk Bag Conditioners, Bulk Bag Fillers, Bag Dump Stations, Drum/Box/Container Tippers, Weigh Batching and Blending Systems, and Automated Plant-Wide Bulk Handling Systems