Bulk Handling Review May 2019

www.bulkhandlingreview.com VOLUME 24, ISSUE 3 | MAY/JUNE 2019

In this issue: Hidden dangers in bulk Rise of bulk handling robots Silos and storage

GEAR FROM SEW CHINA

TICKS ALL THE BOXES

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CONTENTS MAY/JUNE 2019

AUSTRALIA

REVIEW

Published by:

REVIEW

18

31

34

9 M etso to supply Albemarle’s lithium plant 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 Assistant Editor William Arnott E: william.arnott@primecreative.com.au

18 M anufacturing success: Fenner Dunlop supplies South Flank Overland Conveyor

10 C ontracts awarded to upgrade WA grain infrastructure 13 F ortescue approves Iron Bridge project 14 R io Tinto’s $2.6 billion Amrun bauxite mine opens

20 H ow bots can benefit bulk handling 24 W omen in Industry celebrates excellence 26 W hat the drought means for bulk handling

15 SunRice lists on ASX

42

34 B ulk 2020 Spotlight: VEGA Australia 36 T esting the limits of cement chute design 58 B ULKtalk: The hidden dangers in bulk materials handling 62 A SBSH Member Profile: Bradd Allsopp

31 C hinese infrastructure boom benefits Australian bulk

16 G ear from Sew China ticks all the boxes

Business Development Manager Luke Ronca E: luke.ronca@primecreative.com.au

MOTORS, GEARS AND DRIVES

Client Success Manager Janine Clements E: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au

38 Service drives Nord’s Australian growth

40 Harvesting the benefits of linear actuators

Design Production Manager Michelle Weston E: michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

SILOS AND STORAGE

Art Director Blake Storey

42 AGI silos master the elements 44 Saving time supplying silos

Design Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

46 Storage solutions to simplify the supply chain

Subscriptions T: 03 9690 8766 E: subscriptions@primecreative.com.au

48 Analysis of silo asymmetry normal pressures due to eccentric discharge using DEM simulation 54 A sk an Engineer: How do I protect my storage silo and feed hopper from baked-in design flaws?

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.

COVER STORY Gear from SEW China ticks all the boxes

www.bulkhandlingreview.com VOLUME 24, ISSUE 3 | MAY/JUNE 2019

In this issue: Hidden dangers in bulk Rise of bulk handling robots Silos and storage

GEAR FROM SEW CHINA

TICKS ALL THE BOXES

4 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

Selecting a new piece of mission-critical equipment is almost always a major undertaking, especially when multiple considerations need to be taken into account. ABHR spoke to the team at mining company Tronox, which needed to upgrade a 29-year-old dredge at a mineral sand mine in Western Australia. The solution came in the form of three SEW-Eurodrive slewing-winch gearboxes, combining German engineering, Chinese manufacturing and Australian support.

For the full story, see page 16.

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EDITORIAL

Robot revolution At the beginning of the 20th Century, the bulk handling industry was revolutionised by a single invention – the conveyor belt.

Now, just over 100 years later, automated technologies have the potential to be just as disruptive.

Billions of dollars are being poured into new, sophisticated automated machines that might be able to remove humans from potentially hazardous, boring or labour-intensive jobs.

The benefits of enhanced productivity and safety are attractive, so much so that many of Australia’s mining giants have implemented goals to increase the uptake of automated systems. The International Federation of Robotics estimates there are at least 1.64 million industrial robots in operation worldwide.

As with any disruptive technology, it also presents challenges. Many workers may lose their jobs, however, with the right support, there is the potential for employees to be reskilled and move into higher paying positions.

You can read more about how robots will impact the bulk handling sector on page 20.

This issue of Australian Bulk Handling Review (ABHR) also features a range of stories exploring silos and storage, starting on page 42. Corin Holmes from engineering firm Jenike & Johanson answers reader questions about how to properly protect storage silos from design flaws on page 54, and experts from Tunra Bulk Solids share a technical paper investigating silo wall loads during eccentric discharge on page 48.

Rio Tinto’s Steve Davis also highlights some of the hidden dangers in bulk handling environments and how to avoid them at the design stage on page 58.

ABHR is also pleased to announce the return of the Australian Bulk Handling Awards in 2019. Nominations for the ‘Bulkies’ are open until Friday 5 July across 10 different categories. Companies and individuals working in the bulk sector across Australia are encouraged to apply.

We look forward to seeing you at the awards night on 22 August 2019 at the Showtime Events Centre, Melbourne.

Christine Clancy Publisher - ABHR

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NEWS

Metso to supply Albemarle’s lithium plant Albemarle has selected Metso to provide processing equipment for its billion-dollar lithium project in Western Australia.

METSO WILL SUPPLY PYRO-PROCESSING and communication equipment for the lithium hydroxide processing plant at Albemarle’s Kemerton site, near Bunbury.

It will also provide calciner and acid roaster systems, ball mills, off-gas handling systems and other auxiliaries.

Equipment deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2019.

The plant will consist of three production trains, each producing 20,000 tonnes per year of lithium hydroxide, with a potential to expand to five trains by 2025.

It will be supplied with lithium concentrate produced at the nearby Greenbushes mine.

Metso’s Senior Vice President, Australian market area, Ross Wotherspoon says he is delighted by Albemarle’s decision to work with Metso.

“We are very pleased to be playing such an important role in Albemarle’s plans as it races to supply booming world demand for battery-quality lithium chemicals,” he says.

“Critical to the success of this project is the combined knowledge and experience of our people and Australian-based suppliers and subcontractors who are engaged to deliver major components of this important contract.”

Metso’s President for Mining Equipment business, Victor Tapia, says Metso has diversified its solutions to meet the growing demand for lithium projects.

“We are the technology leader in minerals processing with a strong and capable support organisation close to our customers,” Mr Tapia says.

Construction of the project has begun, with production scheduled to commence in 2021.

BELOW: Located around 100 kilometres southeast of Kemerton, the Greenbushes mine will supply lithium concentrate to Albemarle’s new processing plant.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 9

NEWS

Contracts awarded to upgrade WA grain infrastructure Western Australian grain handler Co-operative Bulk Handling Group (CBH Group) has awarded three contracts to upgrade major grain receival sites.

LEFT: CBH Group receives and exports around 90 per cent of the WA grain harvest.

CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO Georgiou Group, Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon Infrastructure and West Coast Profilers Civil for the delivery of a combined total of more than 700,000 tonnes of new permanent storage across six receival sites, along with improvements to key infrastructure to enhance site efficiencies.

The scope of works at the respective sites include civil and structural (including earthworks and roadworks), mechanical and electrical works.

The contractors’ respective receival sites are: •W CP Civil – Broomehill (77,400 tonnes), Lake Grace (84,000 tonnes) and Gairdner (46,800) • Georgiou Group – Cranbrook (152,000 tonnes) •W BHO Infrastructure – McLevie (236,000 tonnes) and Dowerin West (122,000 tonnes) CBH has budgeted more than $150 million this year for network capital projects that will add over

10 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

800,000 tonnes of new storage, and associated inloading and outloading equipment.

CBH General Manager Project Delivery Andrew Porter says the team remains on schedule to deliver a significant amount of new storage before the harvest this year.

“The awarding of these contracts continues to maintain the pace that CBH established in 2018 to continually enhance the network,” he says.

“The Project Delivery team has worked closely with contractors of Western Australia to ensure the builds are delivered safely, on time and to the highest quality and value to ensure we play our role keeping our growers competitive.

“We have now finalised contracts for over twothirds of our approved expansion projects pipeline for this year, and in coming weeks we expect to award contracts for the remainder of the projects.”

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NEWS

Fortescue approves Iron Bridge project Fortescue Metals Group and its joint venture partner Formosa have approved Stage two of the Iron Bridge Magnetite Project. kilometres south of Port Hedland, will produce the equivalent of 20 million dry metric tonnes of magnetite ore per year at full operational capacity.

Stage two will include the development of a 22 million wet metric tonnes-per-year ore processing facility (OPF), an airstrip and expanded village, a 195-kilometre Canning Basin water pipeline and a 135-kilometre concentrate pipeline to Fortescue’s Herb Elliot port facility in Port Hedland.

Fortescue has committed to using local suppliers and contractors for products and services and has put in place agreements with the Njamal and Kariyarra people to provide opportunities for local Aboriginal people.

The development follows the US$500 million ($703 million) investment into Stage 1 of the project, which involved construction of large-scale pilot and demonstration plants, which validated key equipment and magnetite production processes for the full-scale OPF. WA Premier Mark McGowan welcomed the announcement from Fortescue, congratulating the company on its milestone.

“It’s another encouraging sign that confidence is returning to Western Australia’s economy, and with thousands of jobs expected to flow from the Iron Bridge project, this will deliver a huge boost to our state,” Mr McGowan says.

“This is great news for the Pilbara and great news for Western Australia. I look forward to working with Fortescue to ensure Western Australians, particularly in the Pilbara, will reap the benefits of this project in the years to come.”

“The Iron Bridge project holds Australia’s largest JORC-compliant magnetite resource supporting a long mine life,” Fortescue Chief Executive Elizabeth Gaines says.

“The project is well progressed and ready for detailed design and execution with the majority of key approvals already in place. The innovative design, including the use of a dry crushing and grinding circuit, will deliver an industry-leading energy efficient operation with globally competitive capital intensity and operating costs.

“Our focus has been to create the most energy and cost-efficient ore processing facility, tailored to the specific ore we will mine.”

This project will also deliver a premium product

Copyright © Fortescue Metals Group Ltd

THE $3.7 BILLION PROJECT, LOCATED 145

with iron content of 67 per cent, further enhancing the range of products available to Fortescue’s customers, according to Gaines.

When combined with the Eliwana development, the Iron Bridge expansion will increase Fortescue’s average product grade and provide the ability to deliver the majority of the company’s products at greater than 60 per cent iron, consistent with Fortescue’s long-term goal.

Coincidental to news of the approval, Fortescue has also updated the Iron Bridge’s magnetite mineral resource estimate, with ore reserves climbing up to 716 million tonnes on June 2018’s 705 million tonnes.

“This update supports the development of stage two of our Iron Bridge magnetite project announced today which holds Australia’s largest JORC compliant magnetite resource,” Ms Gaines says.

“We are confident in the long-term demand for this premium product, supported by market fundamentals, including global supply conditions, investment in higher efficiency steel-making capacity, as well as the competitive advantage of proximity of the Pilbara to key markets in China and the region.

“We are ready to build this plant and develop this mine and are confident that our early work will support rapid progress to full production.”

WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston says the project will unlock resources that were not previously able to get to market.

“Iron ore remains one of our State’s most important commodities, so this is great news for local workers and the WA economy,” he says.

Construction is expected to begin this year, with delivery of first ore expected in the first half of 2022.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 13

NEWS

Rio Tinto’s $2.6 billion Amrun bauxite mine opens The bauxite mine is set to support hundreds of jobs and inject millions into the local economy.

LOCATED IN WEIPA ON THE CAPE YORK Peninsula, Queensland, Rio Tinto’s Amrun bauxite mine will provide high-quality material for alumina refineries in Queensland and overseas.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan says Australia is already the world’s biggest producer and exporter of alumina, with the product from the site expected to boost the country’s bauxite export by 10 million tonnes per year.

“The higher-grade bauxite being mined at Amrun is becoming scarcer around the world, and at the same time, world consumption of alumina is forecast to escalate in coming years,” Mr Canavan says.

“These factors will underpin the future success of the operation, which is expected to have a 50year life span.

“I’m particularly pleased to see a strong Indigenous presence in the workforce with close to 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed on the project since its inception,” he says.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the mine had secured around 2000 ongoing jobs for the Cape since the project started in late 2015.

“This is a great day for the entire region, and my Government will continue to support the resources sector.”

Queensland Mines Minister Anthony Lynham says the resources industry directly employs more than 66,000 Queenslanders with thousands more employed in support industries.

“We know our massive resources is supporting our flourishing Queensland economy and helping to drive our great State towards a brighter future, which is why we’re proud to work with Rio Tinto,” Dr Lynham says.

Australia’s bauxite exports are forecast to increase from $32 million tonnes in 2018-19 to 36 million tonnes in 2019-20.

The company expects to reach a full production rate of 22.8 million tonnes a year, with options to expand, during 2019.

Rio Tinto Chief Executive Officer Jean-Sébastien Jacques says Amrun was completed early and under budget, demonstrating the company’s productivity and innovation capabilities.

“Amrun will provide jobs, support businesses and

14 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

contribute to growth in the region for the next 50 years, building on $2.2 billion of contracts with local, state and national businesses [during construction],” Mr Jacques says.

ABOVE: Copyright © 2018 Rio Tinto.

SunRice lists on ASX Australian food company SunRice has been listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), which will enable it to have better access to funding.

THE MOVE IS PART OF THE COMPANY’S 2022 Growth Strategy, a five-year roadmap that aims to capitalise on global food trends and increase paddy prices for rice growers.

SunRice Chairman Laurie Arthur says the evolution of SunRice continues with its listing on the ASX and the company looks forward to securing a stronger future for its stakeholders and the Australian rice industry.

“From our foundations as a rice processor and marketer, today SunRice is a $1 billion Australian icon and one of the largest branded rice companies in the world,” Mr Arthur says.

“We have a diverse portfolio of businesses and strong track record in innovation and commercialising value-added rice products in highgrowth global markets.”

SunRice CEO Rob Gordon says the company’s growth strategy now in its third year and has been designed to accelerate the SunRice Group’s growth into a strong global business.

“Our Growth Strategy is focused on reducing business risk and building resilience, which is especially important for agricultural companies like SunRice that are exposed to cyclical conditions, such as those currently being experienced in the Riverina by our growers and employees,” Mr Gordon says.

The news follows the announcement SunRice

would pay an additional $25 per tonne for all varieties delivered into the 2018 crop year, which would provide a $12 million injection for rice growers in Riverina, New South Wales.

Mr Arthur says the business was acutely aware of the tough ongoing drought conditions across the region and hoped the additional payment would assist this year’s growers.

“We have been closely monitoring the drought situation throughout the Riverina and the implications this is having on water allocations and prices. SunRice is sharing in this experience with our growers and has had to make tough decisions regarding the reconfiguration of operations and staffing levels in the Riverina in anticipation of the greatly reduced size of the 2019 rice crop,” he says.

“It is an extremely challenging time to be a rice grower and I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank those growers who have persevered and committed to planting a crop this year despite the tough seasonal conditions.

“We are hopeful that with a continuation of the positive movements in global markets that this trend may continue. However, any softening in markets and a further strengthening of the Australia dollar will naturally influence the final pool result,” Mr Arthur says.

LEFT: SunRice Chairman Laurie Arthur and CEO Rob Gordon.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 15

COVER STORY

Gear from SEW China ticks all the boxes By combining German design, Chinese manufacturing and local support, SEW-Eurodrive upgraded an Australian mine operator’s critical slewing-winch gearboxes.

AFTER 29 YEARS OF OPERATION, MINING company Tronox needed to upgrade a major dredge at its mineral sand mine in Cataby, Western Australia.

The site’s dredge is core to Tronox’s entire process, dredging ore deposits, which are then run through a concentrator to produce a heavy mineral concentrate. The concentrate is processed at Tronox’s Kwinana pigment plant, altogether forming one of the world’s largest integrated titanium dioxide projects. If the dredge is taken offline for too long, all aspects of the operation would be unacceptably interrupted.

The existing gearboxes were inadequate for the new duty, with all gearing and some bearings requiring upgrades. As part of the upgrade, the dredge’s slewing winch gearboxes needed to deliver 30 per cent more slewing power. Three gearboxes would be required for the upgrade, with two to be put into operation and the third kept as a spare unit.

Demanding constraints As part of the search, Tronox engaged a consultant in China to investigate its market and

source at least one of the gearboxes required. While there was a variety to choose from, few were able to meet the demanding constraints of high-end quality, appropriate cost, improved performance and mechanical fit. Ultimately, it was a trusted supplier, Inline Engineering Services, who proposed the solution.

Based on previous successful projects, Inline suggested SEW-Eurodrive, which was provided with the criteria of the project. Knowing the capabilities of its colleagues’ manufacturing site in China, SEWEurodrive’s Perth team devised a plan. Tronox also inspected the SEW-Eurodrive manufacturing plant in Tianjin, in addition to other Chinese gearbox suppliers, before making the decision to progress with SEW-Eurodrive’s offer.

Wayne Martin, WA State Manager, SEWEurodrive, explains his colleagues in China had the capability of designing and manufacturing gearboxes which met the demanding criteria.

The new gearboxes were supplied to Tronox by Inline Engineering Services, which also assisted with installation and commissioning. During this phase, and following the project’s completion, SEWLEFT: There was no compromise when it came to the quality of product coming from China.

16 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

Eurodrive’s Perth office provided ongoing support.

All parties needed to work together to achieve the desired outcome for the mine with minimal disruption during the upgrade.

To avoid time-consuming modifications to the dredge, the design team opted for a ‘drop-in’ solution. The replacement gearboxes replicated the external footprint of the original by matching all the critical dimensions, including bolt-hole patterns. Changes to mounting platforms, terminal connections, couplings and motors can often become expensive with refurbishments of this kind but weren’t required with this method.

While the external dimensions of the gearboxes were specifically designed to match the dredge, the internal design was a different matter. SEWEurodrive used its standard gears within the gearboxes, allowing the designers to achieve the desired 30 per cent increase in slewing power.

“This combination makes it so much easier for the client,” Mr Martin says, “Basically, you just take it to site, get a crane and drop it in.”

Quality assured With the technical specifications and gearbox performance taken care of, attention turned to assuring Tronox of the high quality of materials and processes in the manufacturing facility. Due to its importance, the project team allocated a full month to this verification and qualification phase.

Bryan Brookes, SEW-Eurodrive’s Industrial Gears Product Manager, says that in addition to the standard material data reports that would normally accompany its gearboxes, SEW-Eurodrive provided additional details.

“These source documents were quite specific in nature, covering both material verification and manufacturing processes, including for the heat treatment stage,” he says.

“This was in addition to documents verifying dimensions and traditional parameters such as material load testing. There was no compromise when it came to the quality of the product coming from SEW China.”

Non-standard designs of this kind generally take a longer time to manufacture. However, Mr Brookes says in this case the process was fasttracked and completed within standard timeframes.

This was done to suit maintenance schedules at the mine, as the new gearboxes could only be installed during a major shutdown.

With the new gearboxes safely delivered to Australia, Tronox and Inline Engineering Services worked closely together, fitting new drums to the gearboxes and then mounting them onto the dredge.

The dredge-upgrade project took 12 months to

complete, including the planning and design phases.

Matthew Rein, Senior Mechanical Project Engineer at Tronox Northern Operations, says the project was successful.

“Tronox has rarely sourced equipment of this kind from China,” he says. “The reassurance of local support and representation from Inline Engineering Services and SEW-Eurodrive was an important factor in making the decision.”

“It all went well and according to plan,” he says. “We would do it again. We made cost savings, but without compromising quality.”

ABOVE: The gearboxes were designed for a drop-in solution, replicating the external footprint of the existing gearbox.

BELOW: The gearbox allowed the designers to achieve the desired 30 per cent increase in slewing power.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 17

CONVEYORS

Manufacturing success: Fenner Dunlop supplies South Flank Overland Conveyor Fenner Dunlop speaks to ABHR about how its local manufacturing centre was critical to winning a multi-million-dollar supply contract.

IN 2018, BHP APPROVED ONE OF THE largest iron ore operations in the world. The $4.7 billion South Flank project is expected to produce 80 million tonnes of iron ore per year and create more than 3000 jobs.

It also aims to enhance the average quality of the company’s Western Australian iron ore production from 61 per cent to 62 per cent, and the overall proportion of lump from 25 per cent to around 35 per cent.

The project will involve building a new crushing and screening plant, stockyard and train loading facility, procuring a new mining fleet, a substantial mine development and an overland conveyor belt.

BHP estimated around 85 per cent of the project’s spend will be awarded to companies based in Australia, with around 90 per cent of the contracts going to companies in Western Australia.

Fenner Dunlop Australia was one such business, as it was recently awarded a $16 million contract to manufacture and deliver around 50 kilometres of low rolling-resistance conveyor belt for the project’s

18 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

overland conveyor belt package.

One of the key reasons Fenner Dunlop was selected was due to its Kwinana manufacturing plant in Perth.

This year will mark the 10th anniversary of Fenner Dunlop’s Kwinana plant, which was specifically built for the production of steel cord belting. The $70 million state-of-theart manufacturing facility is one of the largest investments in conveyor belt manufacturing ever made in Australia.

“The ability to manufacture in Western Australia and be so close to mine sites offers speed to market and supply chain security for Fenner Dunlop’s customer base,” Trevor Svenson, Fenner Dunlop’s General Manager, Sales and Marketing, says.

The company is one of the only companies to manufacture a complete range of conveyor belts for all mining applications locally.

Its Kwinana plant houses one of the world’s largest steel cord presses, calender and related equipment. It has the capability to produce steel cord and rubber ply belting up to 3200 millimetres wide and up to 50 millimetres thick, which gives the facility an annual production capacity of 330,000 square metres, approximately 130 kilometres of 3200-millimetre belt.

Scott Ryan, Fenner Dunlop’s Project Manager, says the company is proud to be an Australian manufacturer supporting the major project.

“Fenner Dunlop has manufacturing centres located around Australia, with the oldest located in the Melbourne suburb of West Footscray, which has been making conveyor belts for more than 100 years.”

“Our Kwinana plant was strategically located, as iron ore projects are the biggest customers of steel cord belt. It just makes sense to also have the manufacturing facilities located close to this core market.

“Delivery times and freight costs are often much

LEFT: This year marks the 10th anniversary of Fenner Dunlop’s Kwinana plant’s opening.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Fenner Dunlop’s Kwinana facility can produce around 130 kilometres of 3200-millimetre belt annually.

lower when sourcing from a local business and you also have the assurance of after sales support that operates in the same time zone as you.”

The manufacturing plant also includes a testing and research and development laboratory to ensure product compliance with strict local, international and customer nominated standards. It is also home to the mechanical practice training facility, designed for new mechanical technicians to undertake on-the-job conveyor belt maintenance training.

“We’re looking forward to working with BHP on this new project, improving their conveyor performance and supporting them in the expansion of their operations,” Mr Ryan said.

“2019 is shaping up to be a big year for Fenner Dunlop as the company continues to increase sales.

Kwinana is currently working 24/7 to keep up with the order books, which is thanks to our dedicated team that always try to provide quality products and the best possible service.”

South Flank’s Overland Conveyor Belt project is expected to be completed in December this year.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 19

ROBOTICS

How bots can benefit bulk handling There are plenty of jobs in the bulk handling industry that are dull, dirty or dangerous, but soon humans may not need to do them. William Arnott reports.

LEFT: Australian Centre for Robotic Vision Chief Investigator Michael Milford.

OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES, THOUSANDS OF jobs have been replaced by robots.

In the research paper Mechanical Boon: will automation Advance Australia, The Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science estimates that 44 per cent of Australian jobs are highly susceptible to automation.

Robots excel in jobs that are usually dull, dirty or dangerous, and can improve safety by removing humans from the equation.

The researchers also found new opportunities and jobs begin to flourish as industries moved to automate processes, freeing up resources to employ workers in high value, high skilled and high paid roles.

However, the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision (ACRV) says to harness the benefits of automation, concentrated programs that reskill and support workers that lose their jobs will require development.

Michael Milford, ACRV Chief Investigator, says there are plenty of opportunities across the entire bulk handling sector for automation.

“Australia has been a traditionally resourcedependent economy, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon. Whether it is mining or agriculture, finding ways to optimise and automate sections of the supply chain will improve efficiencies and our competitiveness in global markets,” he explains.

20 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

“In fact, Australia has been a pioneer for automation in the mining industry. Mining is an inherently dangerous profession, and even before robots were being implemented, companies were using technology like remote control vehicles to get people out of mine sites.”

ACRV has been working with the Queensland Government and multiple industries to help develop systems that can be deployed commercially.

Dr Milford says that there are a lot of challenges that need to be overcome in order to move the technology from an idea to the workforce.

“For example, there are environmental factors that could limit a robot in an underground mine.

It’s often dark and there will be oncoming vehicles shining lights onto the cameras, which could confuse them,” he says.

“Because of this, you have to make sure the lowlevel artificial intelligence built into the system is smart enough to deal with these scenarios.

“There’s also a lot invested into safety procedures for the robots to ensure they aren’t a risk to people or property around them, with features such as proximity detection or simply ensuring they are separated from human workplaces,” Dr Milford says.

Already mining giants such as Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue have embraced automation. More than one

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LEFT: There are a number of environmental factors that can impact robots in mines.

billion tonnes of ore has been hauled by Rio Tinto’s fleet of autonomous trucks as part of its mine of the future vision.

The company has also launched the AutoHaul system, which it claims is the world’s largest robot. The AutoHaul is an autonomous train, Bulk Handling Ad - 1-2 Page May 2019.pdf 1 made up of Capability three locomotives and-carrying around

28,000 tonnes of iron ore from the company’s mining operations in Tom Price to the port or Cape Lambert, a 280-kilometre journey.

An operator in Perth sets the route for the machine, but once it begins its journey, the on-board computers and computers at the operations centre take over. They 9/4/19 9:46 ensure theamtrain keeps to the speed limit, doesn’t collide

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with other trains and that nothing is obstructing the level crossing.

Rio Tinto aims to create a safer and more productive process by removing the need to change out drivers at the end of shifts. Changing drivers has the potential to add more than an hour to each journey and requires drivers to be transported 1.5 million kilometres each year.

Much of the work performed by robots focuses on moving materials from one place to another, which has a number of benefits. A robot doesn’t get tired, bored or distracted, potentially leading to high levels of safety and operational uptime.

Additionally, the processes a machine undertakes are inherently trackable, allowing managers to get a better overview of the complex processes occurring on site and find further optimisations.

Dr Milford says that a major reason mining companies are investing into automation is because even small improvements to productivity can lead to much higher dividends.

“That’s very important within an industry as competitive as mining, as it can help set you apart from the competition and save a lot of money in the long term,” he says.

“The mining industry realises innovation is critical and has been funding research and development across multiple different projects.”

While mining has been at the forefront, other industries have begun to see the flow on effects of the technological development.

Robot revolution Robotics are beginning to make their way into industries across Australia, such as agriculture, construction and logistics.

Dr Milford says there has been rapid progress over the past five years in the robotics space, thanks to cross pollination between industries.

“Ports in particular were a big reason for this development, which was just another logical step forward technologically. Australian ports have been taking up technology to automate the movement and

22 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

loading of shipping containers.

“We’re also seeing a big push for consumer autonomous cars which in turn could potentially inspire new procedures that could be used for fertilising crops.”

Agriculture is a key market for automation, with ACRV finding an ageing population, weak soils and long distances from farm to urban centres requires innovative technology.

Dr Milford says agriculture is one of the holy grails when it comes to robotics, as the benefits could be enormous, but there are still a lot of roadblocks facing the technology’s development.

“It’s such a good idea to have some level of automation involved with agriculture, and we’ve already seen robots that can pick capsicums or spray weeds,” he says.

“The challenge is building a machine that is able to not only recognise what a capsicum is, but how to correctly cut, grab and transport it reliably. Once you get that level of versatility, it could be applied to any number of similar roles, such as logistics in a warehouse.”

One factor that has been slowing development of the technology within Australia is its relatively small talent pool.

ACRV released its Robotics Roadmap in 2018, which found Australia’s small population and market limited the scale to perform research. It also says there is a lack of national focus on robotic technologies in areas where Australia can excel.

Dr Milford says it is important to ensure Australia has the expertise to help transition to higher levels of automation.

“Making sure the education system is able to train people for the careers that are becoming available is critical to new job creation,” he says.

“Another priority is to ensure there are enough large-scale research initiatives where people can make a difference. It’s more than just funding for research – a major draw is the feeling of being on the cutting edge.

“We’re already seeing amazing leaps in what technology can do for the industry, and I’m excited to see what comes next. Hopefully, that will be technology that makes it easier to make work everywhere more engaging.”

LEFT: Automation presents key safety and productivity benefits.

BELOW: Dr Milford (centre) worked with the mining industry to help develop potential commercial robot systems.

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EVENTS

Celebrating excellence This year’s Women in Industry awards offers an opportunity for industry leaders to exchange ideas.

THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF STORIES OF inspiring women who have achieved success through invaluable leadership, innovation and commitment to their sectors.

While their stories cannot be summed up in one night, this year’s Women in Industry awards aims to showcase the best and brightest across a range of industry segments.

The Women in Industry awards recognise and reward the achievements of women working across the mining, engineering, manufacturing, road transport, logistics, infrastructure, rail, bulk handling and waste industries and aims to raise the profile of women within industry, as well as promote and encourage excellence.

This year’s award offers an invaluable networking opportunity for industry leaders to exchange ideas and share their unique approaches to leadership.

Women in Industry Events Manager Lauren Winterbottom said the gala event has over the years inspired attendees to forge new relationships with colleagues.

She said there were also many unique lessons that can be shared by breaking down barriers between competing industries.

“Women in Industry not only shares the stories of exceptional women but is a great opportunity to identify some of the unique synergies across sectors such as manufacturing and waste management or logistics and road transport,” Ms Winterbottom said.

“As a gala event, it’s also an evening of fun and entertainment and an enjoyable dinner.”

Ms Winterbottom said she was impressed with the calibre of the women put forward for awards this year.

She added that the categories recognise achievements in a diverse range of areas, including in regional community development and those reaching new heights in their careers.

“From highlighting individuals working actively to improve safety for their industry to demonstrating a commitment to develop female talent, the awards demonstrate the hard work and success that is often quietly happening in the background.”

The 2018 edition of the awards saw more than 200 participants come together in Sydney to

24 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

celebrate the success of female leaders within the industry.

Women in Industry will take place on Thursday, 6 June 2019 at The Park, Albert Park, Melbourne.

The awards ceremony will celebrate outstanding individuals in 10 categories: • Social Leader of the Year • Rising Star of the Year • Business Development Manager of the Year • Industry Advocacy Award • Safety Advocacy Award • Mentor of the Year • Excellence in Manufacturing • Excellence in Mining • Excellence in Engineering • Excellence in Road Transport Tickets are on sale now for $185 + GST or $1,600 + GST for a table of 10. To secure your ticket, head to womeninindustry.com.au

BELOW: Women in Industry will celebrate outstanding individuals across 10 categories.

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GRAIN HANDLING

What the drought means for bulk handling With drought impacting farmers in Eastern Australia, ABHR speaks to Grains Analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon about the potential flow-on effects for the bulk handling industry.

SINCE FEDERATION, AUSTRALIA HAS ENDURED through three major, prolonged, widespread droughts: the Federation Drought, the drought during WWII and the Millennium Drought.

Smaller, more localised droughts are much more common, but can still seriously impact the national agricultural industry.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reports severe rainfall deficiencies in south-east Queensland and New South Wales throughout 2019 and has seen water storage levels continue to fall in March. Total water storage in the Northern Murray Darling Basin is almost down to eight per cent, lower than during the Millennium Drought.

BoM adds that some towns have had to switch to emergency water supplies and many farmers are going another season without crops.

Cheryl Kalisch Gordon, Senior Analyst – Grains and Oilseeds at Rabobank, explains this drought is hitting farmers hard.

“On the east coast, many farmers are heading into a possible third year of below average, or no crop being produced, leading to significantly lower supply across NSW and Queensland,” she says.

“NSW’s winter crop production was down 60 per

26 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

cent year-on-year, which is on top of the previous year being down 50 per cent as well. This is starkly different when looking at the winter crop production of Western Australia for 2018-19, which saw a 20 per cent year-on-year increase.

“There’s a tale of two extremes at the moment.

Our national outlook would be worse if it wasn’t for WA as it hides the gravity of the drought across the east coast,” Dr Kalisch Gordon says.

Low rainfall has also reduced pasture production meaning farmers have needed to provide animals with supplementary feed grain to ensure their livestock remain healthy.

This elevated demand for grain, along with tighter supplies, has caused the prices of feed grain to rise significantly. Farmers have been incentivised by the higher livestock prices to continue feeding their animals compared with other drought periods where they may have offloaded them. Rabobank anticipates prices for grains to stay elevated and at a higher-thanaverage basis over global prices for the remainder of 2019. Higher costs of grain and the drought has led to higher prices for lamb and beef at the supermarket.

Dr Kalisch Gordon says while the west coast typically exports around 90 per cent of its wheat to

BELOW: Some towns have had to switch to emergency water supplies due to the drought.

September this year,” she says.

“However, as bulk shipments of grain head east, it has put pressure on Australia’s competitive position in global markets. For example, Argentina, which has a greater exportable agricultural surplus than we do this year, delivered a million tonnes of wheat to Indonesia in Q1 2019, a market that Australia typically dominates.”

LEFT: Rabobank Senior Analyst – Grains and Oilseeds Cheryl Kalisch Gordon.

International impacts

global markets, the elevated demand from the east coast has made the most recent harvest the most valuable on record.

“This has been an ongoing occurrence for the past 10 months, and we expect it to continue to at least

South East Asia is one of Australia’s largest wheat markets, and Indonesia is Australia’s 13th largest trading partner according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In 2017, DFAT found Australia’s northern neighbour was the country’s largest market for wheat, buying $1.4 billion worth.

The two countries entered into the IndonesiaAustralia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in March to build new trade opportunities and allow Australian grain growers to export feed grains into Indonesia without tariffs.

Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, said with a population of 270 million and high levels of economic growth, Indonesia is on track to become

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one of the world’s largest economies.

However, Oscar Tjakra, South-East Asian grains analyst at Rabobank, says the region is firmly in the sights of Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakhstani wheat exporters who have ramped up exports.

“The Black Sea region poses the biggest threat to Australia’s market share in South-East Asia, with Australia’s share of South-East Asian wheat imports falling from 50 per cent in 2011 to around 40 per cent in recent years,” he says, “and this year it could drop to 30 to 35 per cent, with droughtreduced volumes.

“The drought in eastern Australia is driving a big price gap between Australian wheat and its competitors,” Mr Tjakra explains.

He adds the Australian industry is at a crossroads as to whether it increases its quality by increasing yield or maintains its value proposition as a high-quality producer.

Managing the supply chain One potential way to reduce the cost of production is increase efficiencies for moving, storing and handling grain in bulk.

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources says investment into new and innovative technology is critical for ongoing growth and improvement in the productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of Australia’s agricultural industry.

Dr Kalisch Gordon says the bulk handling and agriculture industries are embracing new ways of approaching global markets, with new investments

28 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

into export pathways in the last 10 years since deregulation.

“There has been an increase in the usage of containers and direct delivery from truck to ship, along with new investment in port infrastructure outside of the traditional bulk handling networks,” she explains.

“This is in addition to increasing investment for on-farm storage infrastructure. We estimate that by 2025, there will be at least 20 million tonnes of permanent storage for grain in Australia, which would be 40 to 45 per cent of winter and summer grain production.

“Farmers are looking to have risk management in place, usually in the form of additional storage.

A severe drought like the one being experienced further encourages this kind of investment,” Dr Kalisch Gordon explains.

BoM does not expect the drought to break soon, reporting in its 2018 State of the Climate decreases in rainfall across southern Australia, projecting more time in drought.

However, this drought has shown there is the capacity to turn around supply chains between Australia’s geographically distant growing regions, Dr Kalisch Gordon says.

“This is an important development, as it means similar movements can be made, probably more efficiently in the case of similar future droughts,” she says.

“It shows we have a robust infrastructure network that is able to support bulk handling from west to east as well as offshore to international markets.”

ABOVE: The drought is driving a price gap between Australian wheat and its competitors.

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INTERNATIONAL

Chinese infrastructure boom benefits Australian bulk Australian trade with China is vital for the local bulk handling sector, but have recent events begun to put strains on the relationship?

CHINA IS AUSTRALIA’S TOP TRADE PARTNER, buying $123.2 billion worth of Australian exports in 2017-18.

According to Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), an entire third of Australia’s exports head towards China. In 201718, China imported more than $50 billion worth of Australian iron ores and more than $13 billion worth of coal in 2017-18.

This massive demand for Australian resources can be partially explained by China’s transitioning economy. Alice de Jonge, a Senior Lecturer in International Law and Asian Business Law at Monash University, says China is shifting away from an exportled economy to focus on domestic consumption and developing infrastructure.

“After the global financial crisis in 2008, China began to pump massive amounts of investment into construction, meaning it needs a similarly large amount of steel to build its ambitious infrastructure projects and cities,” she says.

Manufacturing is no longer the centre of China’s economy, partly because workers are no longer willing to accept extremely low subsistence wages as the cost of living grows, Dr de Jonge explains. Instead, the country has become a source of overseas investment.

Infrastructure has been a focus across China and abroad since 2013, when President Xi Jinping announced the One Belt, One Road initiative. The initiative aims to connect Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania through overland and maritime routes such as railways, roads, ports, energy systems and telecommunications networks.

But to build these infrastructure networks, China depends on a constant supply of raw materials.

James Laurenceson, Deputy Director of the Australia China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, says it’s difficult to find two national economies that are more complementary than Australia and China.

“Australia is one of the world’s lowest cost producer of high-quality bulk commodities. While China has domestic sources of iron and coal, it often costs more and the materials are usually of lesser quality than what we produce,” he says.

LEFT: Deputy Director of the Australia China Relations Institute James Laurenceson.

China is in the midst of a long industrialisation process. While it is currently the world’s largest producer of steel, most of it is used domestically to build cities, bridges, roads and other vital infrastructure.

Dr Laurenceson says that this is likely to continue for a long time and Australia is very well placed to supply China with the raw materials it needs.

“Australia’s relatively low population means its mining industry relies on being able to access and sell to larger economies as there isn’t enough demand for it at home,” he says.

However, while exports to China accounts for around seven per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product, the relationship between the two countries has begun to strain.

In 2017, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said during a speech delivered at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Singapore that China would not achieve its full economic potential unless it embraced democratic principles.

In her speech, she made reference to the growing competition China presented to the United States, politically and economically.

“This brings with it its own challenges, not least because China is disputing maritime boundaries in the East and South China Seas, as do a number of

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 31

INTERNATIONAL

South-East Asian countries with respect to the South China Sea,” Ms Bishop says.

Politically, Australia is a major security ally of the United States. However, US President Donald Trump’s America-first policies and trade tariffs with China have placed Australia in an awkward situation.

“The trade war is being waged outside World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, which should be a worry for us as we are a lot smaller than both of those economies,” Dr Laurenceson says.

“WTO trade rules protect our interests, so we depend on them significantly,” he says.

In addition, Dr Laurenceson says there is a chance that the US could pressure Australia to take a certain stance on particular issues relating to China.

In 2018, Australia announced Chinese company Huawei would be banned in the Australian rollout of the 5G network. Additionally, China was also singled

32 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

out by then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when introducing new foreign interference laws.

The announcement was followed by news of the northern Chinese port of Dalian banning imports of Australian coal, with a cap on overall imports at 12 million tonnes a year in February. The news of the ban saw the Australian dollar fall by one per cent.

Dr Laurenceson says claims of economic levers being used for political means in Chinese ports against Australian exporters struggles under closer inspection.

“For one, there is no evidence the Federal Government would modify its stance. If they had rolled over and capitulated, it would just invite China to take similar actions more frequently,” he says.

“China doesn’t buy Australian bulk exports because it loves us. We simply have the best priced resources, meaning they would be shooting

ABOVE: Australia is well positioned to provide China with the raw materials it needs.

BELOW: The One Belt, One Road initiative aims to connect Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania through overland and maritime routes.

themselves in the foot if they didn’t.

“It’s also easy to forget that from China’s perspective, it is acutely vulnerable to supply stops given its dependence on world market for resources, from oil to liquefied natural gas to iron ore. This would make it think twice before lashing

out to punish Australia, a large and reliable bulk commodities producer.”

Dr Laurenceson explains the key for Australia’s bulk commodity producers is to continue to foster this reputation for quality, price and reliability. This could provide stability to trade ties, even when political disagreements arise, and mean minor irritants like temporary delays at Chinese ports don’t become something larger.

Bulk commodities producers can also benefit from the experience of Australian exporters of wine and beef. Last year there were reports of these goods being struck by delays at particular Chinese ports, possibly stemming from political tensions. Yet Dr Laurenceson notes that the end result was that wine and beef exports still recorded rapid growth overall.

The overall general outlook for trade remains positive. Mining exports to China are up six per cent compared with a year ago and Dr Laurenceson says Chinese steel production, and therefore demand for iron ore, won’t peak until around 2025.

“There is a positive future, but our politicians will need the fortitude and diplomatic skill to navigate this vital economic and political relationship.”

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BULK2020

BULK2020 Spotlight: VEGA Australia With BULK 2020 less than a year away, ABHR sat down with VEGA Australia Managing Director John Leadbetter to ask why the company was supporting the show.

THE BULK HANDLING SECTOR IS A MAJOR

BELOW: VEGA’s radar technology has been implemented across a number of different industries.

OPPOSITE PAGE: VEGA provides solutions for measuring challenges.

supporter of industries that contribute billions to Australia’s economy each year.

However, it has been many years since there has been a dedicated exhibition for the bulk handling sector in Australia.

BULK2020 seeks to change this. The event is set to bring members from the bulk handling industry under one roof to showcase the latest technology, insights and services the sector has to offer.

One company supporting this endeavour is level management company VEGA Australia.

VEGA is active in more than 80 countries and

34 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

has a worldwide network of subsidiaries and distributors that provide solutions for measuring challenges. The company’s technology has been implemented across a vast array of different industries, from mining to food to chemical and pharmaceutical plants.

John Leadbetter, VEGA Australia Managing Director, says the bulk handling sector is huge, filled with large amounts of high value markets.

“BULK2020 is more than just a mining show, or a food show. It offers the chance to connect with a wide breadth of different industries that can all benefit from new bulk handling technology,” he says.

The trade show has been designed for bulk commodity producers that use equipment to move bulk goods, either domestically or internationally.

It will feature exhibitors that provide solutions and technologies such as conveyors, chutes, rollers, rail, robotics, pulleys, excavators, silos, hoppers, compactors and dozens more.

With such a broad mix of businesses attending, Mr Leadbetter aims to bring VEGA Australia’s experience to potential customers in different fields.

“Not everyone will have 30 tanks or silos they need to monitor; some companies may only use one or two in their factory. They might not know of the technology that is out there which could be used to improve productivity,” he says.

“We design products around applications, so if a certain product has been designed for dusty environments, it can translate across sectors. For example, a radar level sensor could be used to measure both cement powders or flour.

“It also plays a part in our ongoing technological development, which is based around customer feedback. If we are able to better understand what customers want out of the technology, we’re more able to design faster, smaller or more precise solutions,” Mr Leadbetter adds.

VEGA Australia has been closely collaborating with its team in Germany to get involved in BULK2020. The company is a trade show veteran

and is sharing its experience with its Australian team, which is using its understanding of the culture to reach potential customers.

With the April 2020 event creeping closer, the VEGA team are excitedly planning and designing their stall, brainstorming different ways to physically demonstrate their products.

Mr Leadbetter says the company is proud to support BULK2020, as the event supports the broader Australian industry.

“With the reduction of our local manufacturing industry, there is a need to get behind the industries that are still supporting Australia,” he says.

“BULK2020 is going to be a huge show and we’re all excited to boost our company’s profile through it.

There’s a real opportunity here to develop a deeper understanding of the market while helping to grow the bulk handling sector through our latest innovations which are geared towards this industry.”

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CHUTE DESIGN

Testing the limits of cement chute design When a cement manufacturer wanted to upgrade its loading station, others balked at the challenge.

Vortex Global was willing to rise to the occasion.

A TEAM OF ENGINEERS AT A LARGE CEMENT manufacturer were looking for ways to improve their truck loading station which had been slowing down the facility’s productivity.

The dust collector was in need of an upgrade to limit the amount of fine cement particles that could escape into the atmosphere. Because of cement’s siliceous properties, workers were potentially at risk of serious medical conditions if dust emissions were not properly managed.

Additionally, the company was looking to include a loading chute which could be repositioned to reduce the amount of time wasted by drivers trying to line up trucks. Loading operators would also benefit from the change, as they would no longer need to manually push the loading chute into truck hatches.

Ideally, the upgrade would allow the chute to be positioned above the truck hatch to create a straight through channel for material flow. This would reduce wear to the stacking cones and result in savings on spare parts and maintenance.

With these considerations in mind, the team determined the ideal loading solution would require a dustless loading chute, equipped with a positioning system designed for 0.6 metres of side-to-side travel and 1.2 metres of front-to-back travel.

When the team went to the market to find a manufacturer, they were initially told such a design was not possible due to height limitations. The team then reached out to bulk handling manufacturer Vortex Global which began to design a low-profile unit to match the plant’s specifications.

LEFT: Drivers save time using the chute as it no longer needs to be manually pushed into truck hatches.

36 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

“I was aware of Vortex slide gates; we have them in this facility. But at the time, I did not know they offered loading systems,” the facility’s plant engineer explains.

“Vortex claimed to reduce cable wear and offered a 10-year warranty on the lifting cables themselves to prove it. Our maintenance team liked the sound of that.”

The loading system included a four-cable hoist drive system for added stability and improved cable service, and three-piece computer numerical controlmachined pulleys with rounded edges and precision cable grooves to reduce cable wear and backlashing.

Over several months, Vortex and the facility’s team collaborated on the project’s layout and design, including three-dimensional computer aided design drawings and several conversations before and during installation.

“The horizontal dimensions of the unit created some adventures during installation; equipment, power and communication cables had to be moved,” the plant engineer says.

“A Vortex field service technician came on site to our facility following installation to ensure smooth

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operation which was much appreciated.”

After installation, the cement manufacturer began to see a significant drop in the amount of labour hours required, leading to a much more efficient operation as a whole.

Since then, additional vibrators and an automated dust collector damper have been added to the Vortex unit to make the loadout area even cleaner.

ABOVE: The chute needed to be equipped with a positioning system designed for side to side and front to back travel.

MOTORS, GEARS AND DRIVES

Service drives Nord’s Australian growth ABHR visited Nord Drivesystems’ Melbourne-based headquarters, which recently celebrated a decade of service, and spoke with Managing Director Martin Broglia about the company’s growth.

INSIDE NORD DRIVESYSTEMS FIRST Australian office is an assembly line capable of manufacturing a range of helical geared motors, electric motors and variable speed drives. It’s abuzz with activity, with products stacked high and employees operating with a level of German precision, using modern tooling and presses.

In the beginning, Nord Australia only had a handful of dedicated staff at its Derrimut office in Melbourne’s western suburbs, building drives and gearmotors. Now, it has outgrown all of Nord Drivesystems’ other subsidiaries in the Asia Pacific region.

Martin Broglia, Managing Director of Nord Drivesystems Australia, says the growth is due to the company’s unique product offering coupled with outstanding customer service.

“We were able to show our customers how we could make a difference to their operations – these customers would then go on to tell others about how successful they were,” he says.

“Nord Australia began relatively small, which was one of our major strengths. It gave us the flexibility we needed to provide a competitive advantage in the market.

“Every customer is different and has a different way of doing things to stand out from their competitors. We are able to be agile, quick and provide unique solutions that lets them get the most from our products.”

After several years, Nord Drivesystems Melbourne facility was upgraded and received a new electric motor assembly and variable speed drives line.

This growth continued into early 2016, with further investment into new assembly lines and sizes to improve delivery speed.

As its number of customers grew, so too did the company, hiring more staff who were skilled to help handle the demand. Soon, Nord Australia opened a dedicated sales office in Sydney to help manage interstate and international customers in the region.

Supporting this growth every step of the way was the company’s German team.

Headquarted in Germany, Nord Drivesystems has assembly and sales facilities in 35 other countries,

38 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

each following the same assembly procedures as those performed in Europe. The company values its workforce and invests in training employees at the Australian office.

Mr Broglia says a growing population and an infrastructure boom has led to a large demand for drive solutions.

“Australia is a big country, and there are multiple industries that benefit from our motors and drives,” he says.

“Mining, food and beverage, water and intralogistics are key growth areas which use our drive systems in their conveyors and production processes.”

One of the most recent additions to Nord Australia’s offering is the ability to service and repair its products locally to ensure a longer life with lower investment.

This service capability is part of the company’s goal to provide its customers with confidence in its products. If a unit breaks down and requires immediate repair, Nord Australia is able to build and send a replacement to the customer within hours.

“Our customers need to keep their operation running, so we’re there to make sure our products can deliver that,” Mr Broglia says. “That’s why we keep enough spare parts on hand and can deliver emergency

ABOVE: Nord Australia Managing Director Martin Broglia outside the Melbourne facility.

repairs for urgent breakdowns.”

Not every product in Nord Drivesystem’s range can be held at its Melbourne facility, so the team has had to ensure that they have the right range for the local market. The company’s latest additions are three new sizes of its single stage helical gear drives, Nordbloc.1.

The new units are able to provide high output torques and maximum radial and axle load capacity.

Each has a modular design to provide flexibility across a wide range of applications and can be mounted with a flange or foot/flange version.

“We have filled a small gap we had with our products offering, the three new products (SK 871.1, SK 971.1 and SK 1071.1) offer enhanced powers from 0.12 to 45 kilowatts and cover the torque range up to 1000 newton metres,” Mr Broglia says.

Looking forward, Nord Australia aims to continue this trend of growth. With a larger order intake, the company aims to continue developing and investing within the Australian market and hopes to see more offices around Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Broglia keeps the link between Germany and Australia strong, using the company’s international

resources to ensure its local capabilities continue to flourish.

“Customer satisfaction is improving, delivery times are being reduced and there is a lot of focus on new units which offer significant energy savings,” he says. “We’re looking forward to what the future will bring.”

BELOW: Nord Australia follows the same assembly procedures as those performed in Germany.

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MOTORS, GEARS AND DRIVES

Harvesting the benefits of linear actuators As part of a trial, CBH Group has installed linear actuators across five key sites in its network, resulting in a significant boost to its efficiency and reduced labour costs.

EVERY YEAR, MILLIONS OF TONNES OF GRAIN are grown and harvested across the wheatbelt region of Western Australia. In order to export them, a vast network of railways and storage facilities are required.

Established in 1933, the CBH Group is Australia’s largest co-operative and biggest grain exporter. It currently receives and exports more than 90 per cent of the state’s grain harvest across more than 120 sites dedicated to storing, handling and transporting it.

CBH operates a rail fleet dedicated to the most efficient methods of moving grain from its receival sites to export at its four port terminals.

In February, the co-operative announced it would invest more than $150 million into its infrastructure and add more than 800,000 tonnes of storage and associated inloading and outloading equipment.

Jason Zuglian, CBH Project Engineer - Electrical, says finding ways to reduce maintenance and streamline operations is vital to remaining competitive in the global grain market.

Gate valves are predominantly used across CBH systems to regulate flow of grain through its receival systems. Gate valves across the network have been typically actuated with a motor, gearbox and chain drive arrangement that requires independent control devices such as limit switches. This increases the complexity of the design and the potential for increased failure points thought the system.

To simplify this arrangement, Danish equipment manufacturer LINAK (short for Lineær Aktuator) reached out to CBH and offered a potential solution using electric linear actuators. These have been used in other industries to control actuated systems for a wide variety of solutions.

The company, designs and manufactures full actuator systems for smooth and reliable movement in diverse environments.

LINAK’s LA36 actuators are able to convert rotational motion in low voltage DC motors into linear push/pull movements, providing safe and clean movement with accurate motion control. They were designed for applications involving tilting, lifting, pulling or pushing with thrusts of up to 10,000 newtons.

Mr Zuglian says CBH began trialling the technology on a handful of sites to see how it would integrate with

40 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

LEFT: The CBH Group owns a rail fleet dedicated to transferring grains from its receival sites to its four port terminals.

the current systems and infrastructure.

“The actuators incorporate integrated limit switches which give end of stroke positioning. There are also options to include multi-position sensing that can inform the exact position of the actuator allowing increased control,” he says.

“The control over the actuator position allows the plant to be operated more effectively.”

The actuators have been used on slide valves or knife gates, sampling systems and loading chutes. Each can also be incorporated into a programmable logic controller for additional connectivity in the network and enhanced precision.

LINAK’s design also reduces the amount of moving parts. There are no sprockets, chains or guards that can act as potential pinch points, which helps improve safety and make installation significantly easier.

Mr Zuglian has installed around 100 actuators across CBH’s project sites and says the installation process is much simpler. Installation only requires two mounting plates and two cables to be bolted into place, as opposed to a gearbox and motor with foot mounts and mounting plates.

“The ability to replace any faulty components is

relatively quick and easy and means we now have access to speed control and real time positioning,” he says.

“Some manual valves are located in confined spaces and explosive environments due to dust, but because the actuators are easy to retrofit and automate, they can remove the need for operators in potentially hazardous areas.”

The LA36 is one of LINAK’s most powerful actuators and has been designed to operate under extreme conditions. It offers almost no maintenance and can provide a long service life. Each actuator is IECEx and ATEX certified, allowing use for dusty, explosive environments.

Mr Zuglian says during the actuator trial, outloading turnaround times were faster, which had flow-on effects through the supply chain.

“Timeframes for loading and unloading were reduced,” he says.

“Improvement of our engineering design is a continuous process and this small element is a good example of how technology is being incorporated in our systems to increase efficiency.”

LEFT: LINAK’s actuators have been used on slide valves or knife gates, sampling systems and loading chutes.

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SILOS AND STORAGE

AGI silos master the elements By using its global resources, agricultural infrastructure company Ag Growth International has designed a new line of environmentally resistant silos.

WHEN AG GROWTH INTERNATIONAL (AGI) began designing its latest line of silos, it needed to take into account the different environments they would likely be used in – searing Australian summers, harsh Canadian tundra and the tropical humidity of Indonesia.

As an international company, AGI operates across six continents and was able to draw on the experience of its engineers to build a product that would serve its customers’ purposes, no matter where in the world that was.

“When selecting a silo for your next project, consider what goes into the design, the quality of the product, and the experience of the company,” says Peter Forster, Business Manager at AGI Australia and New Zealand.

“By taking into account all manner of conditions that could occur, it means the design of the silo is more considered and able to handle whatever the elements can throw at it.

“These three things will serve you well and will pave the way to a silo facility that is fit for purpose and will meet your requirements.”

At the heart of the design is the silo structure.

AGI’s engineers use the codes established for calculating grain loads, snow, wind, and seismic loads and pair them with the required steel strengths, calculated by corresponding steel codes.

Finite element analysis can help direct the design and how the silo sheets, stiffeners, wind rings, roof sheets and reinforcements will interact.

AGI analyses the horizontal pressures, vertical loads and the stability of the silo shell, as well as the effects of liner forces and natural frequency conditions. This is currently being used to review the seismic effects on grain bins.

To ensure the silos can stand up to seismic conditions AGI tests them at the Shakelab Eucentre.

The facility can recreate any seismic event that has been measured to date, such as earthquakes.

The silo models are then customised for each project, taking the environmental conditions such as wind, corrosion and seismic factors into account.

The modelling considers the materials being stored and the effects of filling and emptying on the silo structure. Armed with the information gathered from prior experience and the modelling process, the designers used corrugated wall sheets with

42 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

LEFT: AGI is able to draw from international experience when designing its silos.

RIGHT: To ensure the silos can stand up to seismic conditions runs tests at the Shakelab Eucentre.

  

larger steel gauges and external stiffeners, and durable high tensile bolts to improve the silo’s strength.

Steel quality is key to the construction of the silo. As such, AGI ensures all steel procured is tested to confirm the silo’s structure is long lasting and uncompromised. AGI galvanises its steels to ensure its silos can stand up to corrosive environments, such as near the ocean.

In the Australian context, AGI has taken heat into account, equipping the silo with appropriatelysized fans to keep the product in good condition.

Protection from insects was also a focus, making it harder for pests to get into the structure.

Mr Forster says AGI’s partnerships in Australia are key to understanding the agricultural industry’s needs globally.

“The Australian market continues to be a major growth opportunity for AGI and we are excited to deliver high-quality, well-designed infrastructure that will support it.”

SILOS AND STORAGE

Saving time supplying silos Allied Grain Systems installed an innovative conveying solution to slash Fellows Bulk Transport’s labour hours and costs.

FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, PAUL FELLOWS has operated the family-owned Fellows Bulk Transport, growing the business from a single vehicle to a fleet of 13 trucks.

The company transports more than 100,000 tonnes of bulk material each year, including grain, canola meal, rice and other agricultural products, and has three sites in the Murray and Riverina regions to offer flexible grain storage.

Its largest site, located in Hay, NSW, has 19 storage vessels to allow multiple grades of wheat, barley, faba beans and other commodities to be stored.

Mr Fellows says ensuring the company has the best equipment available is key to providing the best possible service and customer experience.

“Offering a quality service is the most important part of our business, and to do that, we needed to upgrade our storage infrastructure,” he says.

“At our Hay site, each silo had to be filled individually on both sides, which was very labour intensive. We wanted to improve our productivity and cut down on labour costs to get a more efficient tonnes-per-hour rate.”

To remedy this, Mr Fellows reached out to Allied Grain Systems which visited the site to find a solution.

Allied Grain Systems’ engineers concluded the best way forward for Fellows would be to install a Hutchinson double-run grain pump, one of the

first they had installed in Australia.

A pit hopper allows trucks to easily drive and unload their cargo which is then moved by ultrahigh molecular weight paddles designed to keep grain flowing gently and evenly from the inlet to the discharge source.

The paddles are placed around every 30 centimetres and are notched to go around corners, replacing traditional augur flighting to help reduce the amount of grain damage compared with conventional conveying systems. A closed-loop design provides recirculation capabilities and the ability to unload one or more bins at the same time into the loop.

Allied Grain Systems completed the installation in two stages. The first was a three-week job that involved the construction of the 25.4-centimetre double-run grain pump over four 1500 tonne and two 1200 silos, giving Fellows an intake capacity of 145 tonnes per hour.

The grain pump was fed with a 33 centimetre by 233.7-centimetre Hutchinson swing-a-way mobile auger, which can service all six silos from just one location, removing the costly set up times of using a swing-a-way auger for each individual silo.

Stage two involved the installation of a 25.4-centimetre vertical grain pump and driveover hopper to feed the existing horizontal pump.

Traditionally, there would have been an expensive LEFT: The double-run grain pump gave Fellows Bulk Transport a more efficient tonnes-per-hour rate.

44 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

four-legged tower with caged rung ladder access to support the grain pump. However, Ken Jenner, Allied Grain Systems’ Head of Engineering, designed a new structural system to cut down on construction costs.

Instead, the system only consists of two support channels, using the silo’s spiral stair for access to reduce costs and provide better access to all the conveyor drives for maintenance.

Mr Jenner says the new grain pump can ascend vertically, avoiding the need for a bucket elbow and providing a cost saving in comparison to a bucket elevator in a tower.

“Longevity is one of the main benefits of the double-run grain pump. Compared with conventional screw conveyors, they can be run over longer distances and span from silo to silo,” he explains. “They tend to be more efficient and can fit more grain into the horizontal pipe.”

The upgrade to Fellows Bulk Transport’s Hay site was finished on time and on budget. Close communication was key throughout the entire installation process, with Allied Grain Systems sharing preliminary drawings and plans.

year relationship.

“Allied Grain Systems are always willing to pick up the phone and discuss how to get the best value out of my infrastructure. That willingness to get in touch, no matter what, has helped us grow over the past six years.”

LEFT: Allied Grain Systems’ Head of Engineering, designed a new structural system to cut down on construction costs.

Mr Fellows says this communication has been consistent throughout the two companies’ seven-

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SILOS AND STORAGE

Storage solutions to simplify the supply chain Silo manufacturer Kotzur is helping farmers and bulk handlers optimise their supply chains through more efficient storage.

HARVESTS ARE OFTEN THE MOST HECTIC TIME of year for farmers, capping off months or hard work and money invested into each crop.

Managing harvested grain during this time can be critical. The longer it sits in the field, the higher the risk of deterioration. In addition, farmers are often attempting to improve production to get as much out of the harvest as possible, meaning even more grain needs to be handled.

This is why many farmers are opting to invest into their on-farm storage, according to Andrew Kotzur, Managing Director of silo manufacturer Kotzur.

“As harvesting equipment gets more efficient and faster, we’re seeing a greater need from farmers for a way to manage their grain post-harvest,” he says.

“Improving harvest efficiency requires both labour and capital to be properly utilised.

“Harvest transport costs are usually at a premium and waiting on trucks can cause interruption. Labour availability, receival depot opening hours, restrictions around grades and moisture are often key limiting factors.”

Kotzur has been involved in the silo sector for more than 60 years, starting as a small engineering firm for farms in Walla Walla, New South Wales. Back then, silos were often much smaller, made in a factory and transportable to the farms around Australia.

Technology developed over time and by the late 80s Kotzur’s focus had shifted to a new form of silo design. Instead of manufacturing silos entirely within a factory, Kotzur began designing silos that were assembled on site, avoiding transport size limitations.

Today, Kotzur continues to develop the technology and infrastructure used in shipping and storing grain, undertaking multiple projects to improve downstream logistics.

One solution Kotzur has implemented in Southern NSW is a highly efficient on-farm storage system.

It incorporates six silos with a total capacity of around 1500 tonnes. Grain is received via a road hopper and loaded direct to truck, with fixed handling equipment capable of conveying 150 tonnes of grain per hour. Because the silo is on the farm itself, grain can be managed in and out of

46 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

storage any time of the day.

The system has full blending and recirculation capabilities, allowing for fumigation to keep grain insect and residue free. Each storage silo comes equipped with cooling aeration, meaning higher mixture grain can be safely stored until it can be blended, dried or delivered to an end user that accepts higher moisture content.

Off grade grains with lower protein or higher screening can be stored prior to blending or delivery to an end user, which may not impose the same price penalty.

Mr Kotzur says logistics remain crucial for the grain handling process once the product leaves the farm.

“Reducing supply chain costs ultimately means money will return to growers,” he says. “This is why Kotzur has been focused on finding ways to improve rail loading efficiencies.”

ABOVE: On farm storage means grain can be managed at any time.

RIGHT: Many farmers are opting to improve their on-farm storage.

Loading logistics Improving rail loading efficiencies was one of the core streams that made up bulk grain handler GrainCorp’s Project Regeneration. The project in 2014 aimed to invest $200 million over three years into the company’s country grain network to provide an improved service to its customers.

Don Taylor, GrainCorp Executive Chairman at the time, explains the company was seeking to return up to one million tonnes of grain to rail through reduced train cycled times and streamlines.

“Rail freight performance has been in decline for some years.

Slow loading and short sidings mean grain trains are shunted across multiple sites and cycled slowly, creating both cost and complexity,” Mr Taylor says.

Kotzur was involved as part of Project Regeneration, building several facilities designed to improve the efficiency of the rail network. Grain is received from truck, either directly from grower or from bunkers at an accumulation site, which is then weighed and loaded directly into wagons at around 1000 tonnes per hour.

The facilities feature 1500 tonne capacity, hopper bottom main storage silos, dual 80 tonne batch weighing bins, 400 tonnes per hour intake from a 30 tonne in-ground pit, belt weighing for inbound grain, 1000 tonne per hour belt conveyors and bucket elevators, office and control room. The infrastructure is located next to the rail siding where the grain is loaded. The silo complex can also be used to pre-weigh and load onto trucks for when a road campaign is being undertaken.

Mr Kotzur says the supply chain upgrades has led to improved efficiency across Eastern Australia, meaning more money can stay in the pockets of farmers.

SILOS AND STORAGE

Analysis of silo asymmetry normal pressures due to eccentric discharge using DEM simulation Experts from Tunra Bulk Solids examine a range of discrete element modelling simulations to investigate wall loads during eccentric discharge for a coal silo with only one of two outlets in operations.

SILOS ARE WIDELY USED FOR STORAGE OF bulk solids in the mining, chemical and agricultural industries. The consideration of loads acting on a silo wall is a particularly important aspect of silo design and performance to ensure the integrity of the silo structure. The eccentric discharge of bulk solids from a silo can lead to asymmetry in the normal pressure distribution around the silo walls. The non-uniformity and eccentricities of the wall loads, causing bending stresses in the circumferential direction at various levels, can have serious structural consequences.

Understanding how the wall loads are affected by eccentric discharge is an aspect of silo design of major importance.

The solids-induced silo loads have been studied for over a century by using various approaches.

Australian Standard AS 3774 [1] and Eurocode EN 1991-4 [2] are the most modern and complete silo design codes in use today for calculation of the silo discharge loads. While experimental laboratory scale model studies, reported by several authors [3, 10], have been, in the past, instrumental for corroborating silo load theory, logistically such experimental work is not easy to perform. Over the past three decades, with the advancement of simulation techniques such as finite element analysis (FEA) and discrete element modelling (DEM) the need for experimental work has greatly reduced. FEA has been a powerful technique being used to estimate the eccentric pressures in silos. However, FEA method deals with the granular mass as a continuum so that it is unlikely to analyse dynamic behaviour of particulate materials during silo discharge from the point of view of individual particles. Apart from the advantages of DEM as a research tool, it has become increasingly beneficial in solving industrial problems [4, 5]. As is now well established, DEM is described as a numerical method that can be used to simulate the flow of granular bulk solids, with the basic principle being to model each individual particle as a separate entity that can undergo a range of forces as observed in reality.

Currently DEM method is still being developed as it is often computationally intensive.

48 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

Many silos in large tonnages are often accomplished using multi-outlet with either flat or hopper bottoms.

Such silos may be subjected to eccentric discharging inducing bending stresses in the walls in addition to hoop tension. The wall loads in symmetrical filling and discharge for a coal silo with two outlets were simulated in this study for DEM model validation purpose. Then, the normal pressure distributions are investigated by performing a range of DEM simulations for the same silo during eccentric discharge, where only one outlet is in operation. In addition, the effects of the particle-wall friction factor and the material build-up in a silo on the pressure distribution around silo wall during eccentric discharge are studied.

1. SILO CONFIGURATION AND DEM SIMULATION SETUP A 3D DEM model was developed to investigate the normal pressures on the silo walls. A hysteresis linear spring model is utilised for the normal force interactions and an elastic-frictional force model in the tangential direction. Rolling resistance is implemented according to the type C model described in Ai et al. [6]. Calibration of DEM parameters is a widely published area, with the work of Coetzee and Lombard [5] and Wensrich and Katterfeld [7] being recent examples.

Figure 1 shows the configuration of the simulated

FIGURE 1: Configuration of the simulated silo.

FIG 1.

(A) End View

(B) Side View

(C) Plan View

silo with two rectangular openings. If the discharge is via one outlet at a time, non-uniform draw-down in the silo will occur. The internal diameter of the cylindrical section of the silo is 20 m and 30 m height above the hopper and cylinder transition level. The hopper section of the silo is formed with an internal geometry that directs the flow of bulk material from the cylindrical section to the two rectangular openings. The hopper height is 12 m, and the inside dimensions of the outlets of the hopper section are 5 m and 12 m. The hopper half-angle for both the long side and the short side is 18.4º.

The correct calibration and selection of DEM parameters is one of the most important steps in this simulation procedure.

This has led to the development laboratory characterisation tests which build upon the wellestablished test procedures for bulk solids handling applications. The modelling parameters within the DEM in this study are chosen based on the interpretation of the measured flow properties of the bulk material, e.g. bulk density, wall friction, and internal friction. The material stored in the silo is coal.

Standard flow property testing was performed for this material using a direct shear tester. The internal strength of the coal sample indicated an effective angle of internal friction of approximately 45-50º, while the bulk density of the coal was approximately 1000 kg/m3. The wall friction angle was 25-30º, and angle of repose testing for this coal revealed an approximate angle of repose of 35-40º. The capacity of the simulated silo is in excess of 10,000 tonnes. To reduce the computational costs associated with the

FIG 2.

(A) Progressive

simulation of real cases the spherical particles with the size of 200 mm were chosen. The total number of particles was 1.4 million.

2. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The simulation commences with the particles filling into the empty silo with both outlets closed. The filling continues until the silo is filled and the particles are allowed to settle for 5 s (simulation time). At this point, one outlet or both outlets of the silo are opened instantaneously and the particles are discharged from the opened outlet(s). In this study, symmetrical filling and discharge with both outlets closed and open are modelled for the purposes of model validation. Finally, the eccentric discharge case, where only one outlet is opened, is simulated.

2.1 SYMMETRICAL FILLING AND DISCHARGE The DEM simulation snapshots of symmetric filling and emptying processes are shown in Figure 2. The particles were generated progressively on a circular surface in the upper section of the silo and then allowed to fall under gravity until the silo was filled. Both gates were fully opened to allow the material to be discharged from the outlets immediately once the silo was full and the particles had settled. The snapshot of the DEM results in Figure 2 (c) shows a mass flow pattern during discharge due to the relatively small hopper half angle (18.4º). The mass flow pattern is also predicted according to the design charts of Jenike [8]. The simulation was undertaken for symmetrical filling and discharge and the normal pressure results are plotted in Figure 3. During filling it can be seen that the normal

(B) Filling

FIGURE 2: Simulation of filling and empty.

(C) Discharge

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 49

SILOS AND STORAGE FIG 3.

FIGURE 3: Normal Loads during filling and discharge.

FIGURE 4: Snapshot of Material Eccentric Discharge (DEM).

pressure increased along the silo height, reaching the maximum value just above the cylinder-hopper transition level. Below this level the wall pressure was again generated in hopper section. Similarly, the wall load results during discharge show a gradual increase, but with a pressure surge appearing at the transition as expected by other researchers [9-12]. Below the silohopper transition, however, unlike the trend shown in Figure 3(a) (filling stage), there was an immediate sharp reduction in normal pressure, which was in good agreement with the previous studies [11, 13]. The reason for this is that the stress fields change from ‘active’ to ‘passive’ states when flow is initiated [14].

Figure 3 also included the normal pressure results obtained from AS3774-1996 [1]. The equation for the calculation of the modified pressure ratio Khf value [15] was also used, and the results are provided for the flow (discharge) condition. While particle size (200 mm) used in this DEM simulation is very large, within the scale of the silo it is found to provide an acceptable solution without compromising the results. It can be seen that both results obtained by DEM simulation and Australian Standard agree well with each other during filling and discharge.

in normal pressure around the silo walls (Figure 5).

This would deteriorate the structural integrity of the silo. The emphasis of this study is mainly placed on the wall loads in the cylindrical section of the silo above the cylinder-hopper transition as the silo failure often occurs in the cylindrical section. The normal

2.2 ECCENTRIC DISCHARGE The eccentric wall loads were studied by performing DEM simulations for the coal silo with only one outlet opened. The outlet eccentricity was 0.175 times silo diameter, being larger than the critical value of 0.1 as defined in AS3774 [1]. Figure 4 shows a snapshot of the discharge of material via an offset flow channel or rathole and the stationary material formed on the far side (opposite to the outlet in operation) of silo walls. The flow channel extended all the way to the top surface. Clearly, the eccentric discharge of bulk solids from a silo has led to asymmetry in material flow pattern, resulting in the eccentric distribution

50 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

FIG 4.

FIG 5.

fail under eccentric discharge. Roberts and Ooms [20] presented a case study analysis of two concrete silos of similar scale to those of this present study. The silos each had seven outlets symmetrically placed. The walls were constructed assuming hoop stress with the steel reinforcement located circumferentially in the centre of the walls. No allowance was made for bending. Not surprisingly, cracks appeared within a few months after commissioning. The silos had to be strengthened by steel cables wrapped circumferentially around the walls, an expensive operation. No doubt the silos were poorly designed as uniform, symmetrical loading was assumed. However, the measured hoop stresses varied by as much as 2.9:1 due to the variation in normal pressure from the active flow channel above each feeder outlet to the stationary, non-flowing region between adjacent feeder outlets. It therefore is necessary that the non-uniformity in wall stress caused by the eccentric discharge should be given special attention to when a silo being designed. pressure results at the cylinder section are presented in Figure 5 for the eccentric discharge where only the outlet at the near side (left) is open during discharge.

It is noticed that near the transition level the normal wall pressure is higher on the far side than that on the near side where the abrupt inward pressure was also observed, which has also been found in the early pioneering study by Jamieson [16]. This eccentric load distribution is incorporated in the Australian Standard AS3774 [1]. At the upper section of the silo, however, the normal pressure on the near side was higher, which agreed with the findings obtained using FEA [17]. The reason for this change is probably that the stress field on the near side shifts from “active” to “passive” states. Moreover, the pressure values for both sides are identical near the silo top. It seems logical that the normal pressure on the cylinder periphery further away from the cylinder/hopper transition would be less influenced by the eccentric discharge.

Of particular interest of this paper are the distributions of the normal pressures around the periphery of the silo wall at a height defined as the “critical transition” where the flow down the wall converges as a result of a “hopper type” flow channel forming above the cylinder/hopper transition. For this 30 m in height cylindrical section, this critical transition height can be given as 1 m. The results at this level plotted, in Figure 6, show the non-uniformity and eccentricities of the wall loads, which would cause bending stresses in the circumferential direction, may result in silo failure. In addition, the changes in stress fields from “active” to “passive” due to flow convergences giving rise to “switch stresses” would no doubt contribute to structure damage. Sadowski and Rotter [18] performed shell buckling calculations using Eurocode 1993-1-6 (2007) [19] and proved that a silo which was safe under symmetric loading could

FIGURE 5: Numerical results for normal pressure on cylinder section of silo during eccentric discharge.

FIGURE 6: Numerical results for pressure distribution around silo periphery at one metre above transition level.

FIG 6.

2.3 INFLUENCE OF PARTICLE-WALL FRICTION COEFFICIENT The particle-wall friction coefficient is one of the most influential factors in the determination of normal pressure on the wall. This coefficient can change throughout the wall life – usually it reduces in value due to abrasions or lubrication of the wall [17], or may possibly rise as a result of wall corrosions or chemical reactions with the contained material [21].

Both variation directions in the friction coefficient need to be fully considered in the design of a silo.

There has been some research studying its effects for symmetric cases [22-24] as well as eccentric discharge with single hopper [17]. A decreased normal pressure was found with an increase in friction coefficient for both situations. Silos with multi-outlets have been widely used in bulk material handling industries. It is worthwhile to understand how their wall pressure is being affected by the particle-wall friction coefficient during eccentric discharging operation as the structural integrity has to be guaranteed during operation.

The normal pressures on silo wall near side and far side were simulated using DEM at varying particle-wall

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 51

SILOS AND STORAGE

FIGURE 7: Effect of wall friction coefficient on normal pressure on cylindrical section eccentric discharge.

FIGURE 8: Wall friction factor vs. normal pressure distributions around silo periphery at 1 metre above transition level.

FIG 7.

friction factor and the results are plotted in Figure 7.

It can be seen that the wall loads on both the near side and the far side of the cylinder reduced with increasing particle-wall friction coefficient. This relationship has been well established in symmetric studies. DEM simulations also provided important information on the pressure distributions above the girth of the silo. The normal pressure distributions around the silo periphery at one metre above the level of the transition for different particle-wall friction factors are compared in Figure 8. From the DEM results, it can be seen that the wall pressure with particle-wall friction factor of 0.5 on the near side is marginally larger than that with the factor of 0.7, whilst a larger change can be seen on the far side. It is also noticed that the pressure difference between both sides is slightly increased at a decreased friction coefficient, being similarly found in the study

by Vidal et al. [17].

(A) NEAR SIDE

(B) FAR SIDE

FIG 8.

material. In this study, it is assumed the material build-up is on the right-hand side of the silo. More cohesive particles could be used to form the build-up in the silo, however, the use of two types of materials in the silo may affect the wall loads differently due to the different (frictional) properties. In this study, a simplified approach has been adopted by adding an artificial wall in the silo to simulate the material build-up. The particle-wall friction coefficient for this artificial wall can be set exactly the same as that for the particle-particle.

DEM simulation has been conducted to investigate the pressure distribution when the discharge is influenced by the build-up. Figure 9 shows a snapshot of the discharge of material influenced by the build-up. It can be seen that the stationary material formed adjacent to the build-up due to relative high friction coefficient.

Figure 10 presents the pressure distribution around the silo periphery at one metre above the level of the transition (material build-up in the silo).

Demonstrated is the presence of switch stresses from “active” to “passive” taking place caused by the build-up of coal adhering to the wall. The ratio of maximum pressures far side to near side is approximately 4, which is significantly greater than that obtained with no material build-up in the silo where it is about 2. This variation will cause much greater bending moments and stresses. Therefore, for a high cohesive strength material, the silo wall structure needs to be designed for the worst case including eccentric loading or discharging as well as potential material build-up. In addition, regular inspection and cleaning of the storage equipment is necessary to ensure that build-up of material does not occur.

CONCLUSIONS

2.4 MATERIAL BUILD-UP IN THE SILO Many cohesive bulk solids gain strength due to consolidation during prolonged storage time. The experimental results [15] showed for a coal sample at 10% moisture content, the strength gained is considerable after five days storage. This cohesive strength of the material is a contributing factor to the build-up in the silo. If the silo has been operating constantly under one outlet in operation, a buildup in the silo is expected to occur for cohesive bulk

52 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

The wall loads during filling and discharge operations were investigated in this study by performing DEM simulations for a large silo in excess of 10,000 tonnes with two outlets. The DEM simulation results were reasonably in agreement with those based on the Australian Standard in both symmetric filling and emptying processes. Asymmetry in the normal pressure distribution around the silo walls has been studied during the eccentric discharge where only one outlet is in operation. The DEM results illustrated that the wall loads on the side furthest from the eccentric discharge location were larger than those on the nearest side. The simulation snapshot revealed the discharge of material via an offset flow channel and the stationary material formed on the far side of silo walls.

The effects of the variation in particle-wall friction coefficient were also modelled using DEM, and the results show that the pressure difference

FIGURE 9: Snapshot of eccentric discharge in silo with material build-up (DEM).

FIGURE 10: Pressure distribution around silo periphery at one metre above transition level (material build-up in silo).

between the near and far sides only slightly increased with a decreasing friction factor for this eccentric discharge situation. Also, cohesive bulk solids under prolonged eccentric discharge operation is likely to lead to material build-up in a silo. The simulation results demonstrated that the presence of this material build-up would greatly enlarge the variation in the normal pressure around the wall at a given silo periphery level. This would no doubt induce significantly greater bending moments and stresses.

As such, it is most important that the non-uniformity in wall stresses caused by all possible eccentric loading and discharge conditions as well as potential material build-up be given special attention when a silo is designed.

Authors Bin Chen1, Alan W. Roberts1, 2, Tim J. Donohue1 and Jie Guo2 1 TUNRA Bulk Solids, The University of Newcastle 2C enter for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies, The University of Newcastle FIG 10.

FIG 9.

REFERENCES 1. AS3774-1996, Loads on Bulk Solids Containers, Standards Association of Australia, 1996.

2. EN1991-4, Eurocode 1 Actions on Structures, Part 4 Silos and Tanks, 2006.

3. J. Y. Ooi, L. Pham, and J. M. Rotter, Systematic and random features of measured pressures on full-scale silo walls. Engineering Structures, 1990, 12(2), pp.74-87 4. T. J. Donohue, B. Chen and A. W. Roberts. Reducing Wear of a Coal Reclaimer Belt Feeder through DEM Analysis, Australian Bulk Handling Review. 2013 (07/08).

5. C.J. Coetzee and S.G. Lombard, Discrete Element method modelling of a centrifugal fertiliser spreader, Biosystems Engineering, 2011, 109: pp.308-325.

6. J. Ai, J. Chen, M. Rotter and J. Y. Ooi, Assessment of rolling resistance models in discrete element simulations, Powder Technology, 2011, 206: pp.269-282.

7. C.M. Wensrich, A. Katterfeld, Rolling friction as a technique for modelling particle shape in DEM, Powder Technology, 2012, 217, pp 409-417.

8. A.W. Jenike, Storage and Flow of Solids. Bul. 123, The Univ. of Utah, Engng. Exp. Station, USA. 1964.

9. J. Härtl, J.Y. Ooi, J.M. Rotter, M. Wojcik, S. Ding and G. Enstad, The influence of a cone-in-cone insert on flow pattern and wall pressure in a full-scale silo. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 2008, 86(4), pp.370-378.

10. A. Ramírez, J. Nielsen and F. Ayuga, Pressure measurements in steel silos with eccentric hoppers. Powder Technology, 2010, 201(1), pp.7-20.

11. E. Gallego, G. A. Rombach, F. Neumann and F. Ayuga, Simulations of granular flow in silos with different finite element programs: Ansys vs. Silo. Transactions of the ASABE, 2010, 53(3), pp.819-829.

12. M. A. Martínez, I. Alfaro and Doblaré, M. (2002). Simulation of axisymmetric discharging in metallic silos. Analysis of the induced pressure distribution and comparison with different standards. Engineering Structures, 24(12), pp.1561-1574.

13. C. González-Montellano, E. Gallego, Á. Ramírez-Gómez, F. Ayuga. Three dimensional discrete element models for simulating the filling and emptying of silos: Analysis of numerical results. Computers & Chemical Engineering 40, 11 May 2012,pp. 22-32 14. A.W. Jenike and J. R. Johanson, Bins loads. Journal of Structure Division Proceeding of the ASCE, 1968, 94(ST4), pp.1011-1041.

15. A. W. Roberts. Basic Principles of Bulk Solids, Storage, Flow and Handling, A.W. Robert, 1998 16. H.A. Jamieson, Grain Pressures in Deep Bins. Trans. Canadian Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. XVII. 1903.

17. P. Vidal, E. Gallego, M. Guaita and F. Ayuga, Finite element analysis under different boundary conditions of the filling of cylindrical steel silos having an eccentric hopper.

Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 2008, 64(4), pp.480-492.

18. A. J. Sadowski and J. M. Rotter, Study of buckling in steel silos under eccentric discharge flows of stored solids. Journal of Engineering Mechanics, 2009, 136(6), pp.769-776 19. E N 1993-1-6 (2007) : Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures, 2007.

20. A.W. Roberts and M. Ooms, Wall Loads in Steel and Concrete Bins and Silos due to Eccentric Draw-down and Other Factors. 2nd International Conference on Design of Silos for Strength and Flow, Stratford-Upon-Avon, UK, 7-9 Nov, 1983.

21. J. M. Rotter, Guide for the economic design of circular metal silos, E&FN Spon, London. 2001.

22. J. Y. Ooi, and J. M. Rotter, Wall pressures in squat steel silos from simple finite element analysis, Comput. Struct. 1990, 37(4), pp.361-374.

23. Q. Meng, J. C. Jofriet, and S. C. Negi, Finite element analysis of bulk solids flow. I: Development of a model based on a secant constitutive relationship. J. Agric. Eng. Res., 1997, 67(2), pp.141-150.

24. Q. Meng, J. C. Jofriet, and S. C. Negi, Finite element analysis of bulk solids flow. II: Application to a parametric study. J. Agric. Eng. Res., 1997, 67(2), pp.151-159.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 І 53

ASK AN ENGINEER

SILOS AND STORAGE

Q. How do I protect my storage silo and feed hopper from baked-in design flaws?

In this regular column, experts from specialist bulk materials engineering firm Jenike & Johanson answer readers’ queries around problems at their sites. In this edition, Corin Holmes explains how good design can keep silos performing reliably.

A. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DETERMINE THE

ABOVE: Corin Holmes is the operations manager for Jenike & Johanson in Perth. He says he is passionate about applying the science of bulk solids handling to help people and organisations succeed.

FIGURE 1: Much of the bulk material in a storage container becomes stagnant along the bottom due to either shallow hopper angles or wall roughness.

storage capacity required and select a feeder that will achieve a certain discharge rate. So, how hard can it be?

All too often storage silos and feed hoppers are relegated to the back-burner of design, to the point where some are simply a copy of another application and process, both undervalued and unconsidered.

Look at the solids flow problems outlined below and ask yourself what they have in common.

• A lithium producer handles a spodumene concentrate having a variety of particle sizes and densities in a surge bin. The contents of this bin are then continuously discharged to the grinding circuit. However, every so often operators observe that the grinding circuit loses efficiency.

• A coal-fired power plant collects fly ash in a storage silo and meters it via a screw feeder to a conditioner (mixing auger and tank) prior to loading it to a truck for transport to the tailings pit. Periodically, the fly ash floods uncontrollably through the system, overloading the screw feeder, mixing unit and the receiving truck. The result, apart from serious health, safety and environmental issues from dust generation, is lost production and significant cleanup costs.

• A n iron ore producer ships to its port via train loaded by a train-load-out (TLO) bin. Operators sometimes experience a situation where either the material floods from the TLO and engulfs the rail car or where limited discharge rate occurs.

This causes significant delays in getting the material to port.

• A grain supply company has a series of storage silos, and although the design intent was to have fully active storage capacity where the entire contents of the silos would flow, the actual useable capacity of these silos is less than half.

54 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

In this case, there are large stagnant regions in the silos, which prevent them from being emptied completely and periodically operators have to dig out the contents.

All of these case histories involve a storage container (bin, silo, bunker), which exhibits a funnel flow pattern; where some of the material moves during discharge while the rest remains stationary (shown in Figure 1).

This first-in last-out flow sequence is acceptable if the material is relatively coarse, free-flowing, and nondegradable, and if segregation during discharge isn’t important. If the material meets all four of FIG 1.

these characteristics, a funnel-flow container can be the most economical storage choice.

With many materials, however, funnel flow can create serious problems with product quality or process reliability. Arches and ratholes may form, and flow may be erratic.

Fluidised powders often cannot fully deaerate in funnel flow, such that the material remains fluidised in the flow channel and floods while discharging. The first-in last-out flow sequence can even cause some materials to cake, segregate, or spoil. In extreme cases, unexpected structural loading, such as when ratholes collapse, results in downstream equipment failure.

Problems such as those described in the case histories can be prevented with storage containers specifically designed to move materials in a mass flow pattern, in which all the material moves whenever any is discharged (shown in Figure 2).

With mass flow, the material flow and bulk density are uniform and reliable. In addition, there are no stagnant regions so level indicators work

reliably and material doesn’t cake or spoil. The firstin first-out flow sequence minimises segregation and material residence time is uniform, so fine powders deaerate.

Mass flow containers are suitable for fine powders, cohesive (non-free flowing) bulk materials, materials that tend to degrade when stored for extended periods of time without movement, and when segregation is important.

To predict and therefore control how a material will flow in a given container, you must determine the material’s flow properties. Flow properties can be measured in a bulk solids testing lab under conditions that accurately simulate the handling process and environment.

Observe the images in Figure 3. We are often called to inspect storage containers at client sites, and one of the first things we look for is called “hammer rash”. This is always a result of operators “encouraging” or reinitiating flow with some sort of mechanical aid and is a direct result of a mismatch between hopper

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FIGURE 2: All of the bulk material is flowing at once, which can prevent operations and maintenance problems.

FIG 2.

FIGURE 3: Hammer rash observed on hoppers.

FIGURE 4: Properly designed mass flow belt feeder interface.

geometry and material flow properties.

The four problems described in the case histories above could have been avoided if the flow pattern selected was mass flow, but only if the minimum requirements for hopper geometry are met. So, how do we ensure that we achieve this goal?

The first thing to consider is the hopper slope (sometimes referred to as the hopper half-angle), whether the feature of a stand-alone feed hopper or the converging portion of a larger container.

The smoothness of the interior surface affects wall friction, and generally the smoother the surface (e.g., new, smooth vs. rusted carbon steel) the less frictional resistance there is for the bulk solid to slide during discharge. Lower friction allows a design of less steep hopper walls to achieve mass flow. The required steepness and smoothness of the hopper is determined by conducting tests to measure wall friction, and then use of a set of design charts to select the appropriate hopper slope, which differ for conical and slotted outlet hoppers.

The second thing to consider is outlet size.

There are two types of flow obstructions that can occur with bulk materials. The first is particle interlocking where particles lock together mechanically. The minimum outlet size required to prevent an interlocking arch is directly related to the size of the particles, provided that the particles are at least six millimetres or larger. As a rule of thumb, a circular outlet must be sized about six to eight times that of the largest particle size. Wedge

56 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

hoppers must have an opening width that is at least three to four times the largest particle size.

If most of the particles are less than around six millimetres in size, flow obstructions can occur by cohesive arching. Particles can bond together physically, chemically, or electrically. In order to characterise this bonding tendency (called cohesiveness of a bulk material), its flow function must be determined. This information can be generated in a testing laboratory by measuring the cohesive strength of the bulk material as a function of the consolidation pressure applied to it. The strength is directly related to the ability of the bulk material to form arches and ratholes in storage containers.

A third consideration when designing a mass flow container is the required discharge rate. All bulk materials have some maximum rate at which they will flow through a hopper opening of a given size.

Usually this rate is far in excess of the required rate, especially if the bulk material consists primarily of coarse particles.

Fine powders, on the other hand, have considerably lower maximum discharge rates when exiting from a container. This is due to the interaction between air (or gas) and solid particles as reflected in the permeability of the material. Solid/gas interactions are complex and, in many cases, counter-intuitive. While trialand-error methods can be used, the results are often disappointing.

Proprietary two-phase flow computer programs have been developed that can reliably predict FIG 3.

MAXXFLOW HTC

FLOW MEASUREMENT FOR DRY BULK SOLIDS FIG 4.

how solids and gases will interact. Problems such as settlement and limiting flow rate can be evaluated, as well as ways to overcome flow-rate restrictions by the introduction of small, controlled amounts of air.

The last consideration is the outlet area, which must be fully live. Even the most carefully designed storage container can discharge in funnel flow if the feeder does not provide uniform withdrawal of material from the entire hopper outlet (such as shown in Figure 4).

This is the case even if the outlet is large enough to prevent arching and the walls are steep enough and smooth enough to allow flow along them. This problem frequently occurs when a gate or valve is left partially closed in an attempt to regulate flow and is detrimental to reliable flow as it prevents discharge from a portion of the hopper outlet.

Conditions at and below the hopper outlet are just as important as the overall container geometry.

Understanding the flow properties for your bulk material and how equipment design affects flow patterns and possible development of flow obstructions in storage containers and feeders will ensure that you are protected against bakedin design flaws.

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SAFETY

talk The hidden dangers in bulk materials handling

STEVE DAVIS In his regular BULKtalk column, Steve Davis of Rio Tinto considers the basics of bulk handling that sites often struggle with.

In Jan/Feb 19 he shared his insights gained from more than 30 years in bulk materials handling.

Steve Davis is the principal advisor – bulk materials process at Rio Tinto, based in Perth.

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 explores some of the dangers hiding within the bulk materials handling industry and how they can be avoided at the design stage.

AUSTRALIA IS ONE OF THE SAFEST industrial regions on Earth. I believe that most of us in the bulk materials handling (BMH) industry genuinely believe in the safety message. We have an innovative BMH industry in Australia, but we still supply systems that are unsafe to operate and maintain. We can do better.

This article considers some of my observations from experience in Australia and elsewhere, across several industries and operators. We are getting better as an industry, but we are not there yet.

PEOPLE Australia is a diverse country and we promote equal opportunity. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2016 Census of Primary Australian Languages shows that 20 per cent of our population do not speak English as their primary language. Our resource industry now employs a diverse workforce, with male and female workers who may not have “standard” English as a first language. This is a good thing for our industry.

Has our industry kept up with these changes? Signage and documentation are the communication media used for safe operations and maintenance, yet for many the message may not be clear.

Do we need simpler graphic signage or even a multi-lingual approach? Misunderstanding leads to mistakes. I often see trilingual signage on my overseas travels, typically English, French and Spanish, but this is not common and is not certainly not universal for our community.

Graphic symbols may not be immediately obvious to all: should the industry find an appropriate system to improve safety for everyone?

Similarly, workers aren’t all shaped the same, which presents a challenge when designing the optimal location for instruments, controls,

58 | Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

handles and viewpoints. (Figure 1) I am 1.86 metres tall and I sometimes miss low things, but there many who are shorter or taller. What height is an unsafe stretch to controls? Similarly, minimum width walkways are a squeeze for me, especially when columns, hose reels, light fittings, pull wires and other intrusions reduce this significantly. Short door latches may make operation impossible. The list of potential design considerations is endless, and we may need to reconsider our approach.

The phrase “familiarity breeds contempt” often comes to mind. If you were to walk past a hazard four times a day for years, would you still recognise the hazard? Especially if it has not previously caused an issue, or if there was a distraction.

Barriers and guards protect from hazards in this situation but pull cords and personal protective equipment may not be sufficient, and procedures are easily forgotten.

DESIGN FOR SAFETY In Australia, we have good safety legislation and design standards, but this does not cover every eventuality. Do we just quote the Standard, follow the guidance to the letter, or interpret the situation accordingly?

We hold HAZOPs, HAZIDs, CHAIR reviews and similar to risk assess projects. From participation, I do not believe these always achieve the aim. Man hour cost results in rushed outcomes. The team often does not comprise people with actual construction, operations and maintenance experience, so we may ignore key issues. The risks raised are not always followed through.

Reducing the likelihood of an incident does not reduce consequence of the incident, as many seem to believe and use in matrix assessment.

FIG 1.

Design for safety should consider and include workers using the facility, especially construction, operation and maintenance. Many of our designs are for the convenience of one-off construction, with token consideration of how to operate and maintain the facility 24/7 for 20 plus years. We can do better by engaging a wider review team and changing focus.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE We might have the latest devices to identify failure early through on-line monitoring, we have better quality components, but when something does fail, we need to have a safe and sensible process for the people repairing it.

Cost of producing maintenance manuals for engineering, procurement and construction management projects is one reason we do not get them. However, this does not preclude designing materials handling equipment to be easily and safely maintainable. Should we develop an Australian Standard for minimum needs?

Almost every component can fail or wear out, so it is important to be able to safely access and repair them. Maintenance considerations include methodology, clearances, isolation of energy sources, lifting, alignment and tools.

It is ridiculous to expect dismantling of major

FIGURE 1: The height and angle makes this valve difficult to operate.

structure with a large crane to remove a pulley or drive. It is unnecessary to have to remove cable trays and pipework to remove a motor.

Reconsider manual lifting of anything heavier than 10 kilograms, or which has poor ergonomic approach.

Guard systems have improved, and many now meet legislation, but guard removal and storage for maintenance access is often not considered. This can lead to on-site modification and sometimes removal. It’s important to note that only one tool removable fixing per guard is sufficient, four bolts per panel takes much more time.

SPILLAGE AND DUST Managing spillage and dust begins in the design office.

If cleaners and skirts are not selected and installed with safe access, they will not be maintained and result in carry back and spillage.

If maintained, there is still a risk of injury through unsafe access.

Spillage costs our industry billions in clean up every year; it diverts qualified people from more valuable work, causes belt problems and damage, and is often a safety trip hazard. Structures have collapsed from overload because the design

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 | 59

SAFETY

FIG 2.

FIGURE 2: Alumina build up on all flat surfaces; corrosion from wet bauxite.

FIGURE 3: How Difficult is it to change these rolls?

does not shed spillage. Poor design allows accumulation in pockets where corrosion starts.

(Figure 2) Dust management in most plants is a token gesture, often with minimal design input. Spray bars that cannot be maintained on line, with nozzles generating the wrong size droplets in the wrong location. Arbitrarily sized dust collectors FIG 3.

60 | Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

with inaccessible extract ducting, designed like a water pipe. Dust is dumped straight back on the conveyor for release downstream. We know how to manage dust, so why is this a forgotten aspect in so many facilities?

IDLERS AND PULLEYS Idler replacement is rarely well considered in design. We anticipate replacement at random intervals of 10 per cent of the idler rolls over a five-to-ten-year period. Each replacement requires full isolation, belt lift and manual removal and replacement. In many conveyors, personnel access to replace idlers is unsafe.

Moving replacement rolls to the conveyor and removing the old ones should be a design consideration.

There are many developing technologies that can remotely identify a failed roll, but there is no consistent design that gives safe maintenance access for change out. (Figure 3) The location of cable trays, pipes and guard stanchions often place barriers to maintenance. Automated roll change devices have been available for many years but are expensive and so far unproven, prompting the need for a rethink on conveyor design.

Pulleys also fail, whether bearings, lagging or shells and it’s preferable to remove them without cutting the belt or dismantling the entire support structure. Pulley weight has increased with the size of the conveyors. Conveyor design should not only provide the minimum number of pulleys but also consider the location and access to remove and replace them. A “C� hook is often required to facilitate removal and should be part of the

design. If a pulley change out takes longer than a day, the design of the system has failed.

LINERS AND BARS Chutes are a part of every conveyor system and will have a wear material lining, which often need regular replacement. There is a trend towards rotable chutes or parts of chutes to allow for off-site liner replacement, which can be a faster and safer process without the need for confined space work. It’s important not to ignore the lifting process and lugs required to remove and replace chutes.

As an industry, there needs to be more alternate connection methods for chute flanges beyond “M20 bolts at 120 millimetre centres�.

Having to remove and replace many nuts and bolts is time consuming and therefore often rushed and unsafe. Some designers have begun using locating pins and fewer bolts to make maintenance safer and easier.

There are excellent Australian developments in wear liner materials that give longer life and easier repair. However, there are still chutes made that use fewer effective materials and FIGURE 4: Can these liners be safely replaced?

fixings, have heavy liner pieces and that need onsite repair and confined space entry (Figure 4).

Spile bars for isolating above feeders and other equipment are still features in some facility designs. These function well if they can be inserted and removed. Much effort is required to lift multiple bars, often well over 20 kilograms each, and push them into an empty hopper above shoulder height. The ergonomics are poor and manual handling injury follows. Expecting this when the hopper is full, and removing the bars from a full hopper, is asking too much unless mechanically assisted.

SUMMARY I have considered a few of the many aspects of our BMH systems but there are many others.

We need safe expeditious and cost-effective maintenance strategies, because people complete all maintenance on our sites. Good initial design of the BMH systems, good components installed well and with safe access and methodology for maintenance will reduce costs and improve health and safety. Complacency is perhaps the largest of the hidden dangers.

FIG 4.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019 | 61

MEMBER PROFILE I have been a member of Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling since…

material handling specialists to think critically and consider the impacts of design – both positive and negative.

2000, when I became a member of Engineers Australia and ASBSH simultaneously.

The project I am most proud of is…

I am a member of ASBSH because…

MEMBER PROFILE:

Brad Allsopp In each issue ABHR profiles a member of the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH).

We speak to Brad Allsopp, Materials Handling Executive at WSP.

It is a learned society. Being part of ASBSH allows me to help shape the debate in the value and future of lithium, rare earths and other unusual minerals. I like the fact that it brings together industry professionals, end users and academia, all of whom have a common interest to develop a deep understanding of the science of bulk solids handling. And, it allows me to have a voice in the future of the discipline.

I got into bulk handling...

In 1983 at BHP Engineering, where I started my career as a mechanical engineering cadet. I was paired up with older, experienced designers who worked on the materials handling tenders.

I am currently researching …

The science of feeder breakers. I’m currently working on a project for Boggabri Coal which requires an upgrade of a feeder breaker, so I’m looking at ways to extend its life and maximise overall performance.

I love my current work because...

It’s intense, extremely varied, and intellectually stimulating. It’s also rewarding to be working on solving complex challenges for our clients.

I like to ask myself, “How hard can that be?” at the start of every project.

By working closely with our team of experts and partnering with our clients, we have many opportunities to innovate – it’s the diversity of thought and backgrounds that make a difference. There is always something new to learn.

In my role it’s important to...

Question everything, and to provide rigorous peer review. Transferring knowledge and collaborating between teams and across industry is key to success. I spend a lot of time training clients and the next generation of

62 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2019

The 5.5 million tonnes per annum Yandi interim crushing plant project for BHP Iron Ore in Western Australia.

It was the best project I have worked on. It was built from scratch and delivered by a high performing design and construct team in a compressed six-month schedule and five per cent under budget. It remained in operation for 15 years (13 years beyond its intended life) and was only decommissioned recently. The project was a great financial success and very exciting to work on!

My career highlight is...

If I had to choose just one, it would be my annual role as a guest lecturer at the Australian Coal Preparation Society Advanced course in NSW and Qld, sharing my experiences with a fresh group of coal industry professionals.

I am inspired by ...

The bulk handling industry. Australia leads the world in this discipline, and I’m inspired by the tenacity of the mining and resources sector as well as the determination of my contemporaries to understand and characterise the flow behaviour of materials in bins, chutes, stockpiles and on conveyors. If there’s ever a problem anywhere in the world related to bulk materials handling, it is most likely to have been resolved in Australia.

The most valuable lesson I have learned is ...

Never take anything for granted.

Question everything and never assume.

When I am not working you will probably find me...

Travelling, preferably to exotic golf courses, spending quality time with my family or renovating houses (a new hobby).

My plans for the future are …

To keep working. I am a long way off retiring, and I enjoy my role as Technical Executive in Materials Handling at WSP.

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