Bulk Handling Review Mar- Apr 2018

www.bulkhandlingreview.com

25

VOLUME 23, ISSUE 2 | MARCH/APRIL 2018

page

CONVEYOR

FEATURE Design, control, technology, contracts

CST’S

INTELLIROLL

The weigher in a roller, p22

Climbing robot transforming silo inspections, p10

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New Zealand connector goes global, p50

Container rotator for Canadian stevedore, p14

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS March/April 2018 16

38

44

Published by:

Level 14, 309 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Tel: (02) 9994 8a086 www.mohimedia.com

Publisher Michael Mohi Tel: +61 (2) 9994 8086 Email: Michael.Mohi@mohimedia.com Editor Charles Macdonald Tel: +61 (2) 9994 8086 Email: charles.macdonald@mohimedia.com Online Reporter Oliver Probert Tel: +61 (0) 406 111 902 Email: Oliver.Probert@mohimedia.com Art Director Meng Koach Tel: +61 (2) 9994 8086 Email: meng.koach@mohimedia.com National Advertising Manager Peter Delbridge Tel: +61 (0) 400 700 765 Email: peter.delbridge@mohimedia.com Production Manager Ronda McCallum Tel: +61 (0) 411 045 046 Email: ronda.mccallum@mohimedia.com Subscription Enquiries Email: subscriptions@mohimedia.com

Conveyor feature 16 Brad Lawson on multidrive control of overland conveyors 20 Chute Technology’s DEM-designed chutes use ceramics, carbide overlays 21 Kinder belt cleaner solves saw mill’s problem 22 Control Systems Technology’s (CST) research pays dividends with ‘weigher in a roller’ 24 Technical paper: Craig Wheeler and colleagues on rail conveyor technology 6 Researcher Phung Tu on solving silo quaking: it is (partly) rocket science 8 HammerTek deflection elbows launched in Australia via Flexicon 10 Invert Robotics’ suction-based climbing robot transforming silo inspections 13 Binmaster update tackles volumes in pie-shaped silos

Printed by:

14 Container Rotation Systems supplies new model to Canadian stevedore

24 Lilian Fowler Place Marrickville NSW 2204, AUSTRALIA Tel: (02) 9549 1111

34 Brisk business for Tricon 37 Lincom says sites embracing mobile conveyors’ off-theshelf convenience 38 Superior claims longest road-portable telescoping conveyor at 64 metres 40 Astec offers direct channel in Australia 42 Kilic notches up first international sale, to Vietnam

54 Coffee roaster upgrades Flexicon flexible screw conveyor 59 Kalmar launches reachstackers, handlers 60 Ask an engineer: Jenike & Johanson explains what operators need to consider when selecting portable hoppers 62 Tyre recycler Pearl Global’s carbon char can be upgraded to activated carbon 64 Aussie grain sector losing market share in Asia Pacific as Black Sea growers undercut it

44 Rema Tip Top opens Asia Pacific headquarters in Newcastle 45 Nepean distributing One Industries’ belt cleaners 48 Conveyor systems for Mongolian mine from thyssenkrupp 49 Fenner Dunlop’s wheeled working platform safer, faster for longwall bolting 56 BULKtalk: Steve Davis of Rio Tinto provides some notes for design engineers on conveyors 67 Vale Beau McFee: ABHR salutes the man behind McFee Engineering and Inflo Belt Weighers 68 Martin Engineering’s Cougar vibrators for specialised vehicles 69 Schaeffler combines three split technologies in a bid to reduce maintenance costs 71 Concetti’s new big bag system 72 E nerpac’s Low-Height skidding System positions heavy loads in tight spaces 74 Aussie Pumps’ tank-like pump; Etnyre live bottom trailer

46 Changing of the guard at Pneuvay as Robert Tang takes over 47 CST supplies belt weighers for UK wood pellet plant

66 Aecom says innovative engineering can reduce freight rail capex by 15%

50 New Zealander Blair Forres McPheat’s BFM snap-in, flexible connector goes global

67 Haver & Boecker appoints Clélio Tonelli Filho as general manager of Australian business

On the cover

ISSN 1444-6308 Circulaton: 5,263 (audit period ending September 2015) Member Circulation Audit Bureau (Australia) Copyright © 2017 Mohi Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the editorial or pictorial content by any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. While contributed articles to ABHR are welcome, return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings and photographs if they are to be returned and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights in letters submitted will be treated as unconditionally assigned for the publication. All products listed in this magazine are subject to manufacturer’s change without notice and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. The publisher’s advertising terms and conditions are set out in the current Advertising Rate Card, which is available to read before placing any advertisements.

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018 3

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EDITORIAL

New Zealand showing the way on innovation What’s going on in New Zealand?

Is there something new in the water?

The questions have to be asked as the country has recently produced two

technique to cling to the underside of stainless, glass and aluminium silos. Armed

dirtying plants.

Later, as sales and marketing manager

with cameras and various other sensing

at the filter business, Blair turned his

devices, it allows its operator to spot the

problem-solving brain to devising a fix. In

defects in a silo that could prompt

a 2am Eureka moment in 2006, Blair had

a collapse, crack or disease outbreak.

his solution, a clampless, snap-in, flexible

innovations in the bulk handling space that

It’s quicker, cheaper and more reliable

are going global, and are likely to make

than alternatives ranging from men-on-a-

their backers pots of money.

scaffold, to dyes, to drones, to lasers.

One innovation is a suction-based

Robertson has now assumed a tech role

connector with metal spigots at each end.

He quickly devised a rough-and-ready mock-up, which prompted his colleagues to question his sanity. Undaunted,

climbing robot that was hatched at

while managing director Neil Fletcher rolls

Blair thought he would “throw a patent

Canterbury University and nurtured by

the technology out to companies worldwide.

together….just in case.”

venture capital. It allows companies in

Four of the world’s top five dairy companies

sectors like dairy to inspect their silos –

are customers, and, in a recent funding

quickly, with global packager Tetra Pak

non-magnetic ones – remotely. The other

round, ex-Macquarie Bank CEO Allan Moss

buying fittings for its plants, along with

innovation, a snap-in, flexible connector,

invested, presumably attracted by revenues

New Zealand’s dairy giants.

replaces traditional hose clamps in powder

quadrupling on an annual basis. For the full

handling plants. It’s being manufactured by

story, see page 10.

the thousand in Auckland and exported to some of the biggest companies in the world.

Today, the spun-off BFM company has distributors in 44 countries and sales

The BFM fitting is named after its inventor, Blair Forres McPheat, who

The Invert Robotics climbing robot

was involved in a family filter business

story started in 2010. The product of a PhD

in his formative teenage years. Visiting

study its potential was first spotted by

milk powder factories back then with his

mechatronics engineer James Robertson.

father, Blair noted a persistent problem:

The device uses a special suction

Refinements followed and success came

dust escaping from hose clamps and

around the world. See page 50 for ABHR’s interview with Blair McPheat.

Charles Macdonald Editor - ABHR

Designing, manufacturing and installing bulk solids storage and handling solutions world wide.

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NEWS

Solving silo quaking: it is (partly) rocket science Engineer Phung Tu drew on the science behind NASA’s rockets in devising an equation that will help designers avoid silo quaking.

S

ilo quaking is a common problem in the

bulk handling and mining industries.

Ranging from intermittent thumps to truck horn-like blasts, the phenomenon can be irritating for employees and nearby residents, and damaging to structures and instrumentation.

Back in 2007, as a design engineer in Western Australia for one of the world’s largest iron ore producers, Phung Tu was charged with designing a large train load-out silo.

With an existing, similar silo suffering from quaking, Phung Tu started to investigate the problem with a view to learning from the current design’s inadequacies.

“I did research on the existing silo,” he explained. “I studied the motion of that train load-out and I modified my design to give it more stiffness and mass and damping. I moved on from the company, but when they commissioned it in 2010 my supervisor confirmed that it did not suffer the quaking and that’s when I realised I had nailed it.”

His interest piqued, Phung Tu later embarked on a PhD at Curtin University with the focus on silo quaking.

“I looked into the structural dynamic side of silos during discharge,” he said. “It turns out that it’s a time varying mass dynamic system and that’s similar to NASA rockets.

“After a lot of work and research, I combined the two equations together – the equation of motion and

the rocket equation. Only then could I reproduce the accelograms – they were almost identical. I realised that the solution is a combined solution.”

The result of Phung Tu’s research is a numerical model that borrows from aeronautical engineering, earthquake engineering and materials handling.

“The formula looks simple but solving it is a difficult task as everything is moving,” he said.

“You don’t have a stationery point of reference.”

While still finishing his PhD, Phung Tu has formed a company called Flow Without Quake which advises companies on silo design and maintenance.

While the design solutions to silo quaking seem simple – “extra stiffness, damping and mass will calm the pulsating load” – the precise applications of these measures, and the mathematics behind them, are complex.

As to his next step, Phung Tu is looking at extending his work to the prevention of silo honking – the foghorn type blasts from some silos.

“I would like to combine my equation with a vibr0-acoustics formulation to solve silo honking.

In my thesis I did a chapter on it but it’s all theoretical at the moment,” he explained.

“If you open up a loudspeaker, you see the diaphragm. If you crank up the volume and put your hand near the diaphragm you can feel the compression waves.

“If the silo’s wall is not stiff enough it acts like a diaphragm and if the vibration is within the audible range – 20 hz to 20, 000 hz – and the amplitude is large enough, people will hear the sound, which can be quite unpleasant.

“If I can combine that with a vibr0-acoustics formulation, I’m confident silo honking will be solved as well. That’s the next step.”

ABOVE Phung Tu. “The formula looks simple but solving it is a difficult task as everything is moving,” Phung Tu. BELOW Quaking and honking affect thousands of silos around the world.

“ It turns out that it’s a time varying mass dynamic system and that’s similar to NASA rockets.”

PHOTO: Jim Photography

Contact: www.flowwithoutquake.com

6 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

402 Phung Tu.indd 6

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NEW PRODUCT

HammerTek’s ‘Smart Elbow’

lands Down Under HammerTek has launched its line of pneumatic conveying system deflection elbows in Australia, via its parent company Flexicon, which is based in Queensland.

T

he company’s ‘Smart Elbow’ is designed

to prevent elbow wear, material degradation, melting/streamers and build-up associated with material impacting the wall of conventional sweep elbows and plugged tees.

The elbow is designed with a spherical chamber that protrudes partially beyond the desired 90˚ or 45˚ pathway, which causes a ball of material suspended in air to rotate, gently deflecting incoming material around the bend without impacting the elbow wall or generating heat.

Tim Greene, director of operations for both Hammertek and Flexicon in Wacol, Queensland, says the design prevents abrasive mining, concrete and reinforced plastic materials from wearing through the elbow wall.

“It also prevents friable products from degrading and generating dust, while preventing the frictional heat that causes plastic streamers and build-up of heat-sensitive materials on conventional elbow walls,” Greene added.

“Our HammerTek staff has direct access to details on thousands of Smart Elbow installations worldwide across all industries that convey pneumatically, providing Australian customers with proven solutions,” Greene continued.

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“We offer free trials to all new customers throughout Australia to get acquainted with this technology risk-free.”

HammerTek says the elbows are engineered for dilute-phase and dense-phase pneumatic conveying. They are offered in cast iron, carbon steel, aluminium, stainless steel and special alloys in 90 and 45 degrees, with flanged and socket weld ends in tube, schedule 10 pipe and schedule 80 pipe diameters from 32 mm (1.25 inches) to 457 mm (18 inches).

ABOVE: The elbow features a spherical chamber that protrudes partially beyond the desired 90º or 45º pathway, which causes a ball of material suspended in air to rotate, gently deflecting incoming material around the bend without impacting the elbow wall or generating heat.

LEFT: A selection of Smart Elbows.

Preventing impact with the elbow wall precludes problems of elbow wear, material degradation, melting/ streamers and product build-up.

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SILO INSPECTION

Suction-based climbing robot transforming silo inspections New Zealand company Invert Robotics has patented a climbing robot which it says is disrupting the non-destructive inspection of non-magnetic silos and tanks. ABHR editor Charles Macdonald spoke to Invert’s managing director, Neil Fletcher.

F

or milk powder giants like Fonterra,

Synlait and Murray Goulburn, inspection of silos and tanks is an expensive but vital part of their businesses.

Silos can suffer structural problems causing them to leak and even collapse. Super fine cracks can harbour bacteria, prompting outbreaks of salmonella among consumers.

Traditionally, silo-owners have relied on manual methods of inspection – scaffolding, ropes and men with torches. The problems around worker safety are obvious. But the human factor, and its scope for error, means that silo defects can be missed.

While new inspection methods, using drones, dyes, lasers or magnetic crawlers, are arriving, most have inherent problems. How do existing magnetic robots deal with stainless steel silos?

It is against this backdrop that Invert Robotics enters the fray. The product of a PhD study at Canterbury University in New Zealand in 2010, the climbing robot was first developed by mechatronic engineer and entrepreneur James Robertson and venture capital firm Powerhouse Ventures.

“It took three to four years to take the concept from a very, very early bench prototype to what we use today,” said Neil Fletcher from head office in Christchurch. “For the last two years we have been building up a business around the technology.”

Now, as it opens offices across Europe, signs up big-name customers, and secures high-profile investors, Invert is led by experienced executive, Neil Fletcher, with Robertson acting as chief technology officer.

In terms of its operation, Invert’s climbing robots allow accurate inspection of nonferromagnetic surfaces such as stainless steel, carbon fibre, aluminium and glass. Thus, besides the dairy industry, the company’s robots can be

used in other sectors that make extensive use of non-magnetic assets, such as airlines, oil & gas, chemicals, mining and façade cleaning.

Unlike existing crawlers with magnetic drive wheels, Invert’s robot relies on suction to traverse silo surfaces. However, the precise details are a secret and part of its patents.

“I can’t disclose exactly how it works as that’s something we try and keep secret as we don’t want anyone to copy us,” said Neil. “It uses a method of suction that keeps it adhered to the side, but how we do that we want to keep secret for the time being.”

The robots are installed with high definition cameras and sensor technology to allow silos to be assessed for maintenance and preventative analysis on a remote basis. Inspectors are fed realtime video during the inspection that allows for immediate and highly accurate analysis.

In terms of inspection methods, the robot’s camera allows visual inspection using different types of light. The intensity and frequency of white light is very specific and bounces off defects quite dramatically. The camera can use ultra-violet light, allowing detection of biofilm contamination and bacteria.

Ultrasonic probes show depths of cracks and weld integrity. Eddy current – an electrically

ABOVE : Neil Fletcher has an extensive corporate background in technology, software and R&D. He was previously CEO of Assura Software and has held senior executive roles at Arc Innovations, Tait Electronics and Alcatel-Lucent. He has an MBA from Imperial Collage London. A Brit, he has lived in New Zealand for 16 years. “I’ve been in technology all my life, managing and running businesses, in research & development and technology roll-outs,” he told ABHR.

10 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

403 Silo Inspection.indd 10

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CONTAINERISED BULK SILO INSPECTION

According to Pellizzari, dust emissions are not a concern when using Flinders’ containerised system to load concentrate.

“Copper concentrate is completely sealed in the container until it is in “the hold of the able vesseltowhere the lid is lifted on and We’ve been demonstrate off during discharge. a point of difference over our “We have a misting system to keep down the dust. It is such competitors in terms of time, a fine mist that basically, unless it collects dust, the water just quality and cost.” evaporates. We use it around the hatch [of the ship’s hold] and the water is metered to determine what moisture could potentially be added.” induced current at the surface – is another technique.

The Oz Minerals system

In“We its issues from 2012, ABHR detailed elements of the Oz Mincan detect all sorts of things using different probes,” erals There follows asector, recap we of some of the more saidsystem.

Neil. “In the aviation are starting to usepertinent elements. cameras because that produces a different thermographic Flinders developed a transport storagematerials.” solution, using sort of image on carbon fibre andand composite containers, called the Enclosed Bulk System.

Under the system, The device is already being used by five of the world’s copper concentrates are loaded into OZ Minerals’ containers at top six dairy companies. Fonterra, Synlait and Murray Prominent Hill. These containers, featuring secure, locking top Goulburn are customers, with global players like Nestle, lids, are then moved by road to a rail head and transported by and Parmalat also signing up. train toFrieslandCampina the Berth 29 facility.

In terms of business development, Fletcher has The basis of the Enclosed Bulk System is that containers two business models, depending on the industry are used to store and transport the copper concentrates, cutbeing ting down onserviced. handling of the product along the supply chain.

The method cuts the and number of transfer points where copFor thealso food, dairy beverage sectors, Invert is selling per couldfrom be disturbed andoffices escapewhere into the enviitsconcentrates services directly its European it has ronment.

OZservices Minerals’ containers alsoInvert’s feature team gravity locks to sales and teams.

Typically, will spend ensure locking mechanism and robust on security, safethree aorfail-safe four days at a site, providing a report the state of guarding against accidental spills of copper concentrates on land its assets to the asset owner. transport and during storage.

For the safety critical aviation and chemicals sectors, At the port, Flinders Logistics uses a crane with a rotating conwith onerous certification rules around maintenance, Invert tainer tippler to unload bulk from containers inside a ship’s hold. isTo leasing thefugitive robot to aviation customers. combat dust the company developed its DF Mist“In all cases we are dealing the system customer,” ing dust suppression system. Underdirectly the DFwith Misting used said Neil.

“That may change in the future; as the lease at the copper concentrate tippler operation, bars are lowered business grows possible we will use but The into the ship’s holdit’s and positioned there atdistributors different levels. bars generate layers fine mistaofvery differing at the moment weofmaintain direct depths. contact with the Combining the bars with various sizes of nozzles, Flinders Locustomer. gistics“That can generate to match the particle sizeusing of concenenablesdroplets us to understand how they are the trates and prevailing weather conditions. robot andtake howaccount we can of add further value to the customer This results in an extremely fine mist dispersing across the ship’s hold through development of our robot whether it’s adding to form a natural barrier which contains the dust particles inside capabilities in terms of test probes or tools or adding further the vessel. capability to the robot itself so that it makes a certain job a DF Misting deploys high-pressure, purified water, which will bitcalcify easier.and It’sclog a critical part of nozzles our lifecycle be close to the not the delicate in thetosprayer system. customers.”

The water droplets in the hold eventually evaporate returning to The cycle.

US market is in Invert’s sites. “We are in discussions the water with some very large parties over there about using the robot in their businesses.”

In terms of competition, Neil said “There is only one other robot that we know of that can climb on non-magnetic material but it’s nowhere near as capable and its application is in civil applications like bridges, concrete and brickwork – quite different to what we do.”

SMART MONEY MOVES IN Following an almost million dollar crowdfunding campaign through the Sydney-based platform Equitise, a further NZ$6.4 million was recently raised from a limited sophisticated private investor round. Shareholders now include the former CEO of Macquarie Group, Allan Moss.

Moss is presumably attracted by Invert’s rapid growth.

Company commentary suggests revenues are quadrupling on to anright) annual (Left Andrew basis.

Pellizzari, Flinders Logistics; Peta Connelly, TBSH; Dewayne Cannon, TBSH; and Vincent Tremaine, Flinders Port Holdings.

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403 Silo Inspection.indd 11

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SILO INSPECTION

“Unlike other inspection methods using dyes, drones and optical or laser devices, Invert Robotics’ technology provides 360-degree diagnostics and does so in up to half the time of traditional inspections”, said Neil.

“The accuracy, efficiency and the valueadding environmental and safety benefits of robotic technology makes it an obvious choice as global consumer demand for product safety, brand integrity and transparency grows,” he said.

Neil attributed the company’s success to date to a combination of internal expertise and market conditions in Europe.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate a point of difference over our competitors in terms of time, quality and cost,” he explained. “This has been supported by our technology roadmap for the short and long term and our ability to deliver against that roadmap plus careful examination of the markets we’re addressing, including how to enter them and execute entry in the best possible way.

“Demand for our robot in Europe has been particularly strong due to a) stricter adherence to health and safety regulations, b) our ability to have the mission-critical assets back on line sooner, and c) the fact that product represents a significant innovation in a market where consumers are always looking for new technology and look for future benefits.

“We also have phenomenal staff who not only align with our vision but really advance the company by identifying and winning strategic

customers. This has been invaluable because a challenge for us in the past has been getting nonbelievers to even take a look at our robot – many didn’t believe it could stick to (let alone move smoothly along) surfaces as there is no other robot capable of doing so. We have found that once people see our robot in operation, they are quickly converted. Operating a business from New Zealand, when most of its growth and activity in in Europe is also a challenge, which we’ve worked to address with the strong staff base we employ.”

ABOVE : Climbing robot in action in a stainless steel, i.e., nonmagnetic silo.

How often are silos inspected and how long does it take?

Dairy companies will inspect their silos at least annually. A service team from Invert Robotics will typically spend three or four days on site (depending upon the size of the site) and provide a report on the state of assets to the site owner.

Time spent inspecting individual silos obviously depends on silo size. “We did an ethanol storage silo in two days,” said Neil.

“It was big – 40 metres in diameter and 20 metres high. A small dairy silo might take two hours.”

12 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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NEWS BIN LEVELS

Scanner update tackles volumes in pie-shaped silos

The patented design features a roll mounted eccentrically between the crushing and the screening chamber

Thomas Jabs, head of mining systems in the industrial solutions business area commented: “With its efficient continuous operation the Barracuda will help significantly reduce both operating costs and CO2 emissions at the Yiminhe mine. This is a good example of our innovative mining solutions that create value for our customers and at the same time protect resources.”

The second stream with coarse material is transported to the Thanks to its compact design and special bucket wheel concrushing chamber and reduced between the eccentrically mountfiguration the Barracuda is also able to remove hard material layed roll and the chamberwalls. ers. “Combined mining and loading within a single machine also In addition to higher production, this design also requires less US-headquartered bin level specialist Binmaster has introduced an update to its eliminates the need for dangerous and environmentally harmful maintenance. Keeping the fine material out of the crushing cham3DLevelScanner that measures volume in a wedge or pie-shaped blasting andsilo. separate loading operations,” explained Jabs. “The ber reduces the power consumption of the electric motor and signew system will therefore ensure continuing safe and efficient nificantly reduces the load on the machine. An integrated automatic open pit operation in Yiminhe.” gap adjustment system with overload safety device also offers good The new bucket and wheel excavator system comprotection in the eventto of Binmaster, non-crushable foreign“By material. ccording comparison, the powders bulk solids. overburden BELOW: bucket wheel withAnaupdate capacity “The symmetric arrangement permits the eccennow of operations burdened of the roll 3DLevelScanner maps the bines a Barracuda-C The company has a excavator range allowsaBinmaster’s 6,700 looseof cubic metres per with a belt wagon, conveyor tric roll crusher to be balanced with greatmaterial precision,” said Thyswith managing inventory surface accounting distributors in hour Australia 3DLevelScanner to system and a spreader. The scope of thyssenkruppmeasure Industrial Sosenkrupp’s publicity. “With additional balancing weights it can volumes in in pie-shaped segments of for variations then factors in including HMA Group, Dynapak pie-shaped segments lutions includes engineering, delivery, erection supervision and be balanced almost completely. This lowers machine vibrations silos now have a solution that the radius and height of the Air systems and Pacific Sensor of silos. commissioning of the complete system. when idling and significantly reduces the loads on surrounding provides accurate volume measured, Technologies.

The Barracuda will be used in Yiminhe to strip overburden structures compared with other primary segment crushers.being That makes to new firmware makingsystems.” the volume accuracy and mine coal. After being extracted by the Barracuda the material the data—thanks new crusher ideal for use in mobile crushing for the 3DLevelScanner acoustic very precise. will be taken by the belt wagon to the conveyor system, which will sensor. bucket wheel excavator “Having accurate data transfer about the overburden to the dumping site. Dumping of the mateCompact The 3DLevelScanner the amount and comdollar value rial will be carried out by the spreader system with a throughput Thyssenkrupp has won its first order for its new Barracuda rate of up to 10,000 tons per hour. pactmeasures bucket wheel China Huaneng Group has and excavator. models the of material onordered hand can help the topography bucket wheel overburden system the increasethyssenkrupp has a long and successful partnership with of excavator-based material reduce safetyfrom stocks, China Huaneng Group: Among other things, in 2006 it supplied mining unit of in thethese company’s industrial solutions business contained unusuallyinventory turns, area. and pay for a fully mobile crushing plant and conveyor line to the Chinese Theshaped order iswedges. worth more than 40 million.itself The Barracuda due The newest by freeingisup cash that mine which is still in operation today. to go into operation at the Yiminhe open-pit mine in Inner Monfirmware then applies the could be tied up in inventory. golia in 2018.

A

measured distances to a 3D model of vessel dimensions and converts it to an accurate volume measurement.

“Other measurement sensors, such as non-contact radar, guided wave radar or weight and cable style sensors measure only a single distance in these formidablyshaped segments,” explained Binmaster. “The location of the filling or emptying points or lack of material flow may cause uneven piling of material, Operation of the eccentric roll crusher. which could cause inventory estimates based upon a single measurement to be inaccurate.

Additionally, build-up on the outer perimeter of the silo or along on the walls can be detected, accounted for in inventory, and addressed by maintenance if needed. The same 3DLevel Scanner can be used for either segmented or round silos, making it a versatile choice over its long sensor life.”

Established in 1953, Binmaster designs and manufactures solid-state point and continuous bin level Model of the Barracuda compact bucket wheel excavator. The first model will go into operation at a indicator and control systems Chinese mine in 2018.

CONTACT: www.binmaster.com/contact and sensoring devices used while storing or processing

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

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

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

Further information on the Society’s activities, its Constitution and registration procedures are available from the: Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling The University of Newcastle University Dr, Callaghan, NSW 2308 Phone: (02) 4033 9039 | Fax: (02) 4033 9044 Email: Danielle.Harris@newcastle.edu.au

Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling

MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL PRACTITIONERS IN BULK SOLIDS HANDLING AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES. 427_BinMaster.indd 13 ASBSH QP2016-ReDesign.indd 1

Australian Bulk Handling Review: November/December 2017

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www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Australian-Society-Bulk-Solids-Handling 22/03/2018 9:09:52 AM 24/05/2017 10:00 AM

CONTAINER TIPPLING

CRS delivers new model Rotainer

to Canadian stevedore Container Rotation Systems (CRS), based in Sydney, delivered the first of a new design of rotator, called the Eurospec, to Canadian stevedore and terminal manager, QSL, in 2018.

T

he new machine will handle alumina at

a QSL facility in Quebec, a location prone to freezing winter conditions. As a result, CRS’ managing director, Murray Bridle, told ABHR that the Eurospec is a fully sealed unit.

“It’s a single beam machine,” he explained.

“Everything is inside and fully sealed. The machine was designed for the North American and European markets where they have snow and ice. The machine was tested in minus 16-degree conditions. Its design parameter is from minus 20 to plus 60.”

The Eurospec’s design followed CRS’ close study of the European container rotating market for mineral concentrates. “Europe is a 32-tonne market with half height containers, so I had to design a completely new

machine for that region,” explained Murray.

Eurospec, thus, has a working load limit of 32 tonnes compared to the 38 tonnes of CRS’ heavy duty Rotainer RS machine. It can be optioned up to 50t WLL. In addition to being about 30% lighter than the Rotainer, the Eurospec is, in some ways, simpler.

“We’ve reduced our moving components by 80%,” said Murray. The new machine is also efficient. “We had to go to Tier 4 engines because the Canadians are the first in the world to adopt updated emission specifications for small diesels. It makes everything else on the market obsolete.”

CRS’ Canadian delivery follows its supply of rotators and tipplers to, at various times, Australia, Eritrea, Chile, Taiwan and Russia.

ABOVE: CRS’ Eurospec container rotator being readied for dispatch to QSL in Canada.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The Eurospec in situ in Canada where it will face temperatures of up to -20C.

NEPEA the en

ONE In and ex produc

The di NEPEA for all

14 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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Call 22/03/2018 9:15:31 AM

CONTAINER TIPPLING

In the local market, the company will in coming months announce details of supply of a system to the civil construction sector, where it will handle contaminated waste in an underground environment.

Murray expects to see more of this sort of thing.

“I see great potential in small spot markets where people want to rent a whole system for three or six months, especially in the construction sector,” he said.

In addition to the Eurospec, CRS is pushing its Tiltainer, a container tilting system for end-door discharge. “The patent applications have been lodged,” said Murray. “We can tip and discharge with normal containers over the hold of a ship. Because we are not rotating we can just use generic containers, we don’t need side wall strength.”

CONTACT: www.containerrotationsystems.com

NEPEAN Conveyors Belt Cleaners NEPEAN Conveyors are pursuing its mission to provide materials handling solutions and products across the entire product lifecycle through entering into a distribution agreement with One Industries Pty Ltd. ONE Industries range of belt cleaners and consumable wear products are cost effective, longer lasting and exceed Australian Standards. ONE Industries belt cleaning solutions are compatible with alternative products on the market and are manufactured to the highest quality.

Follow us:

The distribution of ONE Industries belt cleaner products and components is just another way NEPEAN Conveyors continues to increase our product, service and support offering to cater for all your conveying and materials handling needs.

Call 1800 NEPEAN or visit www.nepeanconveyors.com 401 Murray Bridle.indd 15

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CONVEYORS

Fundamental aspects and key principles of

multi-drive control of overland conveyors

By Bradley Lawson*

ABOVE: *Brad Lawson, MIEAust CPEng, is a senior mechanical engineer for Conveyor Dynamics Inc. in Washington State, USA. Brad has over 18 years’ experience in the design and construction of major bulk materials handling projects and overland conveyor systems from the engineering study phases through to detailed design, installation, commissioning and auditing. Brad is an Australian, a mechanical engineering graduate of University of Queensland and, previously principal mechanical engineer for Laing O’Rourke Australia (formerly Barclay Mowlem).

T

he Mining industry requires conveyors

to efficiently and reliably transport bulk material long distances across difficult terrain at high throughputs. These conveyors are technically complex requiring multiple drive units and a robust control philosophy to control motor torque and tension distribution throughout the conveyor such as Impumelelo (Thompson, 2016), Curragh (Steven, 2008) and Zisco (Nordell, 1997).

The successful implementation of the conveyor

depends upon the seamless integration of the mechanical design and the control system to ensure safe and reliable performance under all potential operating conditions.

This paper describes the fundamental aspects and key principles of overland conveyor multidrive control which must be understood by the conveyor designer and incorporated into the conveyor control philosophy.

MAIN IMAGE: Overland Conveyor (Ethiopia)

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CONVEYORS INTRODUCTION Most conventional conveyors have all drive power installed at one location. A horizontal or inclined conveyor typically has all drive power installed at the head end and a decline conveyor has all power installed at the tail end.

However, overland conveyors are required to follow the natural terrain profile for the majority of their length over long distances. As a result, these conveyors require multiple drives installed at the head, tail or even mid-length in order to efficiently manage the belt tensions and tension distribution under all potential operating conditions. The most widely used modern drive type for overland conveyors is the inverter drive (variable voltage variable frequency) which provides accurate and predictable torque and speed reference control of the motor (Cornet, 2002).

The mechanical design of the conveyor prescribes the drive locations and a drive torque control strategy to maintain an acceptable belt tension distribution. How the drives are controlled has a significant effect on the control system complexity. A less than optimal mechanical design may require a conveyor drive control philosophy which is significantly more complex than would otherwise be necessary.

FUNDAMENTAL CONTROL ASPECTS OF OVERLAND CONVEYORS The fundamental aspect of overland conveyors which must be recognized by the conveyor designer is that the belt is relatively elastic, even for high strength steel cord belts. This has two key implications: Firstly, the conveyor belt speed at all points along the belt is a function of belt tension i.e. a section belt passing through a high tension area has a slightly higher belt surface speed than the same belt passing through a low tension area of the conveyor.

Whilst this difference is relatively small, the integral term of the speed control loop internal to the inverter drives will increase to eliminate the speed error. The resultant effect is that only one drive will eventually take the vast majority of the conveyor load whilst the others unload and just turn at speed.

Secondly, any speed or tension influence on the belt e.g. by an individual drive, will propagate relatively slowly through the system due to the belts elasticity and the considerable belt loop lengths involved. This delayed response is the cause of dynamic instabilities within the conveyor control system and must be mitigated through the application of the correct drive control philosophies.

KEY PRINCIPLES OF MULTI-DRIVE CONTROL To address these fundamental issues there are two key principles which must be followed.

Only one drive on the conveyor can operate in speed reference mode when the conveyor is running at a constant speed. This is termed the Master drive. All other drives on the conveyor must operate in a torque reference mode as Torque Slaves (Cornet, 2002).

The type of Torque Slave depends upon the physical location and configuration.

TYPE A The most common arrangement is drives with motors mounted on the same pulley shaft. The drives are directly interconnected using the inverter drives high speed communication link with the slave drive configured to follow the torque output of the other drive in Master-Slave torque control.

Type B Motors mounted on separate pulley shafts but locally within the same drive station area are also directly interconnected using the drives high speed communication link. However, if the length of belt between the drives is significant then the Torque Slave must also be configured with a slower torque change rate. This prevents the drives from developing torque oscillations due to the belt elasticity and system response delays. (Jennings et al., 2013) Type C Motors mounted in separate drive stations cannot be physically interconnected using the drives high speed communication link. In addition, the long length of belt between drive stations prevents a conventional drive P&ID control loop from functioning correctly.

In this situation the drives in the remote drive stations need to operate as Torque Slaves using a PLC based torque load sharing algorithm, constant torque or load cell based constant belt tension scheme depending upon the specific conveyor design.

Recursion applies when multiple drive stations utilize multiple drives. For example, consider a conveyor with both head and tail drive stations each with two drives located on the same pulley shaft. The head drive is configured as the conveyor Master Drive with the second head drive as a Type A torque slave. The second tail drive is configured as a Type A torque slave to the tail primary drive

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CONVEYORS FIG 1

which is configured as a Type C torque slave to the Master Drive at the head station.

In addition, when changing the speed of the conveyor i.e. during starting and stopping, all conveyor drives must switch to operate in a speed reference mode except Type A which remain in direct drive Master/Slave torque control. Load sharing between drives during starting and stopping is not recommended as the dynamic response of a long conveyor is relatively slow and can result in control system instability. Torque limits and slew rate limits can be used during starting and stopping to manage torque application to address any potential belt slip or dynamic response issues that are identified during the dynamic design analysis.

OVERLAND CONVEYOR MECHANICAL DESIGN The overland conveyor designer must be knowledgeable of these key control principles to produce an efficient design which will achieve safe and reliable conveyor performance under all potential operating conditions. The required conveyor control philosophy and functionality must be dynamically simulated to verify the functional intent is achieved.

As a general guide, the following drive configurations are recommended:

• Conveyors which are primarily inclined, the drives are typically located at the head station.

• Conveyors which are primarily declined, the drives are typically located at the tail station.

• Conveyors with both significant inclined and declined sections typically have drives located at both the head and tail stations. The Head drives are configured to provide the majority of the inclines loaded demand power with no regenerative capacity.

The Tail drives are configured to provide the majority of the declines loaded regenerative power with no positive torque capacity. This results in natural load sharing between the head and tail drives.

FIG 2

• Long conveyors typically use tail drives to remove the return strand tension accumulation resulting in lower peak belt tensions. These drives can be fixed torque or torque controlled based upon downstream belt tension as required.

• Long conveyors also typically use booster drives located along the conveyor to remove accumulated belt tension. This results in a reduction of peak belt tensions and can also be used to reduce tension and tension range in horizontal curves. These drives must be torque controlled based upon downstream belt tension. This enables the drive to moderate torque based upon conveyor upstream load conditions.

Each conveyor is unique and presents its own set of challenges. The drive configurations and control methods outlined only provide a general guidance and starting point for the designer.

EXAMPLES OF COMMON PROBLEMS Control instabilities due to incorrect configuration of the drives is a common issue on overland conveyors. Often these are caused by the key principles not being understood and implemented correctly by the conveyor designer.

One common instability occurs with Type B slave drives where motors are mounted on separate pulley shafts but locally within the same drive station area. Torque oscillations between these two drives is usually very fast and out-of-phase. This type of instability can be very damaging to the drive train components (gear reducer, couplings and pulley) and to the belt and belt splices. As the separation between the two drive pulleys increases the probability and severity of the problem increases.

“The overland conveyor designer must be knowledgeable of these key control principles to produce an efficient design.”

Figure 1 - Typical Master/Slave torque instabilities with Type B slave drive configurations.

The solution in this situation is to tune the drive parameters by adjusting the torque slew rate of the torque slave drive.

Figure 2 – Master/Slave torques after proper tuning of Type B slave drive configurations.

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CONVEYORS FIG 3

delays encountered when the distance between the head and tail drive stations is large. Another cause is also improper tuning of the Master drive which is operating under speed reference mode.

CONCLUSION

Another common instability occurs with Type C slave drives where motors are mounted at the head and tail drive stations. Torque oscillations between the head and tail drives are always slower. This type of instability is not usually damaging but interferes with the correct load sharing between the drives Figure 3 - Typical Head/Tail torque instabilities with Type C slave drive configurations.

In most cases the problem is caused by improper tuning of the PLC based load sharing algorithm which must mitigate the system response

CONTACT: lawson@conveyor-dynamics.com

Jennings, A, Perrone P, Cornet, J, 2013, “Case Study: Correcting control problems on Essroc’s multidrive station, horizontally curved conveyor”, 2013 Transactions of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Vol. 334, pp 472.

Nordell, L.K., 1997 “Zisco installs world’s longest troughed belt – 15.6 km horizontally curved overland conveyor”, Proceedings of Beltcon 9, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Steven, R.B., 2008 “Belting the world’s longest single flight conventional overland belt conveyor”, Bulk Solids Handling, Vol 28, No. 3, pp 172-181.

Thompson, M. and Jennings A., 2016 “Impumelelo coal mine is home to the world’s longest belt conveyor”, Mining Engineering, Oct 2016, pp 14-35

info@bbcp.com.au (02) 9618 9400 www.bbcp.com.au

Vee Ploughs

The successful implementation of a project requires the mechanical designer to understand the fundamental control aspects and key principles of overland conveyor multidrive control.

In the absence of such knowledge, the conveyor design whilst mechanically satisfactory, will require a significantly more complex control philosophy to operate safely and reliably under all operating conditions.

When the correct control philosophy and drive control for the given mechanical design is not implemented then instabilities can result in damage to equipment and unreliable conveyor operation.

REFERENCES Cornet, J., 2002, “Head and tail controls in long overland conveyors”, Bulk Materials Handling by Conveyor Belt, Vol. IV, pp. 55-67.

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411 Brad Lawson.indd 19

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CONVEYORS

DEM-designed chutes

use ceramics, carbide overlays According to Chute Technology, its new long-life coal chutes and bins eliminate clogging, excessive wear and costly breakdowns in corrosive mining environments.

T

he new minerals processing technology,

designed using Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) techniques, uses ceramic tile abrasion linings and replaceable high impact wear elements made from chromium carbide overlays, to reduce maintenance and increase wear life.

Chute Technology partner Tom Woods says the first examples of the new materials handling technology are already being manufactured for use in a major Hunter Valley mine. Other mines’ problems mirror this site’s issues.

“The client there sought a long-term solution to clogging, high wear and production interruptions occurring as old chutes were removed, and new ones installed under its rotary breaker and main scalping screens,” explained Woods.

“Some of the old materials handling technology used at different mines has been wearing out in months instead of years as they mine through wet and rocky material. The chutes’ constant failure and replacement is disrupting production continually in a number of locations, which require a long-term solution to the problems resulting from high material impacts and high abrasion factors within their production chain.”

Using DEM, Chute Technology says it was able to model and translate into reality a configuration that minimises impact and abrasion zones and smooths FIG 2

the flow of material. The new design eliminates some common impact and abrasion zones, while placing additional impact and wear protection in other zones most subjected to maintenance issues.

“The end result of the new smooth flowing designs and the strategically placed impact and wear materials is a product that is engineered for virtually no blockages and no maintenance for extended periods of years, in many cases in excess of the life of the mines in which they are located,” says Woods. “The additional cost of the long-life technology is more than offset by the gains in production and improvements in safety resulting from the curtailment of labour-intensive blockages and infrastructure replacement.”

TW Woods invests in Tomago site

FIG 1

ABOVE LEFT: Chute Technology partner Tom Woods with the first of the new coal chute designs.

The white ceramic tiles line the chute, while high-strength steels are incorporated into replacement parts. The chutes are constructed upon a body of 3CR12 corrosion-resistant material.

FIGURE 1: White ceramic tiles feature in areas most exposed to abrasion.

FIGURE 2: The new design is incorporated into breaker discharge units.

FIGURE 3: Tom Woods with the new plasma cutting technology at the Tomago site.

FIG 3

As part of a “multi-million dollar expansion” TW Woods has added new capabilities at its two-hectare site which already has 4,000m2 of workshop space and abuts the Hunter River.

The company has acquired a Lincoln Spirit 400 machine to provide high-definition plasma cutting with the new equipment operating in the company’s 400 sq m plate processing facility.

It has also installed a new 6 x 15m, 5m high Truflow spray booth and bake oven to apply protective coatings to mining, energy and bulk handling equipment.

“The optimised work flow and range of production facilities available on the one site means even the most complex jobs can be handled efficiently and expeditiously, without elements of the work having to be sent off-site with the attendant delays and potential lack of uniformity of quality standards,” said Tom Woods.

CONTACT: www.chutetechnology.com.au

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CONVEYORS

Belt cleaner solves saw mill’s conveyor problem Installation of a Super-G Secondary Belt Cleaner from Kinder Australia helped a Queensland saw mill solve a productivity-sapping problem around its conveyor in March 2017.

T

he 500mm wide,

1m/s conveyor is used to carry timber planks.

A laser scanning station, used to assess the quality of planks, was malfunctioning due to a dirty conveyor belt.

This meant that planks were rejected unnecessarily. In an effort to cope, operators were trying to clean the belt three times per day, increasing processing time per log.

In response, plant management installed Kinder’s Super-G cleaner.

“It was easily installed on the site’s laser scanning station due to its ability to utilise a ‘pass-through’ mainframe design allowing timber planks to freely fall through it, keeping operations running with little to no maintenance resources,” explained Neil Kinder. “The conveyor belt is now only cleaned once per day. Scanner accuracy is up, reducing wastage.”

CONTACT: sales@kinder.com.au

Super-G Secondary Belt Cleaner in operation at saw mill.

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CONVEYORS

CST’s research

pays dividends with

‘weigher in a roller’ After some intensive R&D, Control Systems Technology (CST) recently introduced an innovative beltweigher/belt scale product called the IntelliRoll. ABHR talked about the new product with CST chief executive, Ian Burrell, on the eve of despatching three units to a Queensland coal mine.

I

n terms of operation of IntelliRoll, the wireless

‘weigher in a roller’ can be placed directly into a conveyor belt idler frame in place of a normal roll.

“It looks like a normal roll, but is a ‘microbot’, containing all the usual belt weigher electronics, load cells, highly efficient energy harvesting generator and a battery so it can still work when the belt is not running; all of this inside the actual roller,” explained Ian. As well as measuring weight, the IntelliRoll can also measure temperature, angle of inclination, and conveyor belt speed. It can be placed anywhere on the conveyor structure, and is supplied precalibrated for speed and weight One interesting outcome from this development is that the installation of the IntelliRoll belt scale does not require the services of an electrician. The system is wireless.

The seed idea came from Paul Chase, an engineer with more than 50 years’ experience in conveyor belt weighing, who previously worked with Ramsey, USA. The concept was developed by CST CEO Ian Burrell, and his experienced R&D team, including Dr Vladimir Sin, Dr Yuantu Huang, Ms Amanda Wynne, and Paul Lillington.

CST’s research team brought together four different expertise types, around the product’s generator, circuit board, programming/App, and weighing/load cells.

“We’ve got all the relevant skills,” explained Ian. “It’s a unique combination and anyone else trying to do it would struggle because we’ve got the best of those skills. The generator and load cell

researchers would be very hard to duplicate.

“This new product represents a big leap forward for the in-motion weighing of bulk materials, particularly in its ease of installation and changeout. Downtime will be minimal, and replacement will normally not require specialist knowledge.”

R&D team member, Dr Yuantu Huang developed the smart phone app which provides a simple operator interface connected by Wifi to the IntelliRoll. The IntelliRoll electronics not only calculates flow rate and total tonnes, it stores weighing data for many years, all accessible via Wifi.

The challenge, and critical goal for all weighing is, of course, accuracy. Tests at The University of Newcastle Research Associates (TUNRA) by Dr Vladimir Sin, a key member of CST’s R&D team, have produced encouraging results. According to

“ As well as measuring weight, the IntelliRoll can also measure temperature, angle of inclination, and conveyor belt speed.”

BELOW: First production unit of IntelliRoll.

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CONVEYORS

Installation of the IntelliRoll belt scale does not require the services of an electrician.

The system is wireless.

Ian Burrell, these give the company confidence in offering IntelliRoll as a viable replacement for traditional one- two idler belt weighers with weigh frames and achievable accuracy of 2% to 5%.

“However, the IntelliRoll cannot flout the normal rules of good belt weighing,” said Ian. “Each application can still benefit from application engineering. Good alignment also remains necessary for a good result.”

The IntelliRoll can be applied as a single unit or in one or more sets of three units depending upon accuracy requirements. Multiple IntelliRolls can be linked together as one weighing system, and can communicate with each other through Zigbee protocol, which is a low-cost, low-power, wireless star/mesh network standard designed for applications like this.

The whole IntelliRoll array communicates with the user as a single Wifi server. The array can be permanently connected into a site’s SCADA system via Wifi; alternatively, sites can operate the system from a smart phone.

In terms of customers, Ian sees IntelliRoll as “a market extension to belt weighers.” He explained that with the new product “people will put in belt weighers where they hadn’t bothered before.

Previously, while they were interested in getting some results or understanding their process a bit better they couldn’t justify the expense or the downtime or the trouble.

“So we are extending the areas that customers can get numbers out of in terms of flow rates and totals – beyond where they would otherwise have imagined they could put a belt weigher.

“IntelliRoll will initially find application in process control and in ‘process investigations’ where a metallurgist might like a temporary belt scale where there is not one installed. As we gain experience with this product, we expect to apply it into applications which require higher accuracy and eventually into trade certified projects. We are already experiencing strong market interest.”

ABOVE: (L to R) Alastair Boyd, business development manager, Control Systems Technology (CST) and Brian Kefford, operations manager, CST with the first production unit of the IntelliRoll.

“The whole IntelliRoll array communicates with the user as a single Wifi server. .”

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CONVEYORS

Rail conveyor technology

ABOVE: Craig Wheeler is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Australia and Associate Director of TUNRA Bulk Solids. He worked as a mechanical engineer for BHP Billiton for eleven years and then as a research fellow at the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies for four years. He was appointed as an academic in the Discipline of Mechanical Engineering in 2000. *Michael Carr is at the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies;

By Craig Wheeler, Michael Carr* and Bin Chen*

T

his paper describes a

new conveying technology for the continuous transportation of bulk materials.

The new technology, aptly named the Rail Conveyor, merges the benefits of both belt conveyor technology and railway to produce a continuous low rolling resistance bulk material transportation system.

This step change technology provides a more energy efficient and cost effective method for transporting bulk commodities over long distances and has many advantages over conventional overland belt conveyors. Some of the advantages include; capital and operating cost savings, reduced energy consumption and the ability to transport over longer distances due to reduced cumulative belt tension within the system. This paper will discuss the working principle of the Rail Conveyor system, the development of the technology, in addition to laboratory and site testing of the system.

INTRODUCTION Current trends within the mining industry have called for much more efficient systems for the transportation of bulk materials.

These systems are typically required to transport many millions of tonnes of bulk materials over many kilometres every year with the transportation method used being dependent on the terrain to be conveyed over, the required throughput of the bulk material and transportation distance. The demand for increased efficiency and throughput, coupled with more stringent environmental legislation has driven the need for more energy efficient systems to transport bulk materials from the mine site to processing plants, power stations and export terminals.

Transportation distances and terrain vary considerably depending on the operational requirements, where the choice of material handling system in almost all cases will rely on belt conveyors, in combination with haul trucks and/or railway systems. The combination and use of each type of transportation system will depend on the transportation distance,

*Bin Chen is at TUNRA Bulk Solids

throughput and terrain.

The transportation of bulk materials overland is typically accomplished using trains, trucks or conveyors, with each of these applications having both their advantages and disadvantages.

Trucks are typically used for shorter transportation distances requiring smaller throughputs where the transportation path may vary, or where the terrain prohibits the use of conveyors or rail. Additionally, trucks are often used for short-term haulage operations, where the capital cost of fixed plant is not warranted.

Conversely, rail is the preferred option for long-term operations requiring relatively long transportation distances, where the number of trucks to transport the same amount of material over the same length would be impractical in terms of cost and labour.

Belt conveyors being continuous, rather than a batch transportation system, have considerable economic, operational and maintenance advantages over both truck and rail.

Significant developments in low rolling resistance conveyor belting has

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CONVEYORS FIG 1

OPPOSITE: Prototype system operating in China.

FIGURE 1 World’s longest single flight belt conveyors.

FIGURE 2 Loss Factor of Transportation for bulk material handling systems (Jonkers [4]).

FIG 2

seen reduced energy consumption of belt conveyors, meaning installations have become progressively longer and more economically competitive with railway. Figure 1 shows the progressive increase in single flight belt conveyor lengths from 1980, with belt conveyors in excess of 30 km long already being planned. The longest single flight overland belt conveyor in the world is currently the Impumelelo Overland Conveyor in South Africa.

This particular system was commissioned in 2015, is 26.7 km long, and transports coal to Sasol’s Synfuel Plant in Secunda at a design capacity of 2,400 t/hr (Frittella and de Necker [1]).

With the demand for automated mining operations, belt conveyors have clear operational advantages.

However, due to the inherent motion losses of transportation, the rolling resistance of a belt conveyor is greater than both trucks and rail. This is despite recent advances in the energy efficiency of belt conveyors resulting from low rolling resistance bottom cover compounds, and variable speed control and equipment level intervention (Zhang and Xia [2,3]). The motion losses of belt conveyors effectively limit the operational length and cost effectiveness of conventional overland conveyors.

The relative efficiencies of each of the major bulk material transportation systems, identified above, are reflected in the Loss Factor of Transportation, calculated by Jonkers [4] and shown in Figure 2. Jonkers divides the major bulk material transportation systems into continuous and discontinuous systems and clearly shows the benefits of railway over trucks and trucks over belt conveyors. This comparison is largely influenced

by the rolling resistance factor of each system, with long overland belt conveyors ranging from 0.009 to 0.017, trucks around 0.006 (Lodewijks and Welink [5]) and rail approximately 0.001 to 0.002 (Avallone et al. [6]). This can be best explained by comparing the rolling resistances for each system, excluding the efficiencies of the drive systems. The rolling resistance of belt conveyors is known as the main resistance and includes the belt and bulk solid flexure resistance, the rotating resistance of the idler rolls and the indentation rolling resistance of the conveyor belt. Research by Hager and Hintz [7], and more recently Wheeler [8,9,10], has shown the indentation rolling resistance and belt and bulk material flexure resistance typically accounts for more than 80% of the total power consumption of long horizontal conveyors.

By comparison the rolling resistance of trucks is due to the interaction between the rubber tyres and the road, while rail has the lowest rolling resistance due to steel wheels running on steel tracks.

Despite the inefficiencies of belt conveyors, research by Saxby and Elkink [11] has shown belt conveyors are more cost-effective on a life-cycle cost basis than both truck and rail transport for throughputs up to 5 million tons per annum over horizontal conveying distances up to 40 km. This research is further confirmed by Galligan [12], with Figure 3 (a) showing the capital versus operating cost comparison for rail, overland belt conveyor and trucks. While the capital cost for rail per kilometre is greater than belt conveyors and trucks, the operating cost for rail is less, meaning that as the transportation distance increases the higher initial capital investment is offset against lower

“Belt conveyors are more cost-effective on a lifecycle cost basis than both truck and rail transport”

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CONVEYORS FIG 3

FIGURE 3 Cost analysis for truck, rail and overland belt conveyors (Galligan, 2011).

FIGURE 4 Rail Conveyor concept.

(a) Capital vs Operating Cost

(b) Operating Cost vs Transport Distance

FIG 4

operating cost. This is highlighted in Figure 3 (b), where the economic benefit of rail for long distance transportation is demonstrated. Clearly, the relative operating cost comparisons are heavily dependent on their Loss Factor of Transportation (Jonkers [4]), with infrastructure costs gradually being outweighed by reduced energy costs as a result of lower rolling friction.

As new mineral and ore deposits are mined further from existing processing plants, power stations and ports, the transportation of bulk materials over longer distances is becoming essential to many of our most critical industries.

Future long distance bulk material transport systems must not only be cost effective, but highly energy efficient, as reducing the energy intensity of operations is a key objective for all global resource companies. The limitations for conventional belt conveyors is the interaction between the rubber covered belt and idler rolls, meaning the efficiency of railway transportation with rolling

efficiencies of 0.001 to 0.002 (Avallone et al. [6]), will never be matched by systems supported by conventional idler rolls. With these objectives and limitations in mind, a new rail based continuous bulk material transportation system has been developed. The new technology is aptly named the Rail Conveyor due to its combination of two well-established transportation technologies. This paper will introduce the Rail Conveyor system, the development and verification process, and present some of the laboratory and site testing that has been undertaken on the system.

RAIL CONVEYOR SYSTEM The Rail Conveyor is a novel invention that combines the primary advantages of both belt conveying and railway systems (Wheeler [13,14]).

The Rail Conveyor, shown diagrammatically in Figure 4, is a continuous bulk material transportation system that shares a rolling resistance similar in magnitude to railway systems

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CONVEYORS

FIG 5

due to track wheels running on rails.

The Rail Conveyor system transports bulk material, and is driven, like a conventional belt conveyor. The bulk material is supported by a conveyor belt that is driven by one or more localised drive pulleys, however, rather than being supported by idler rolls the belt is supported by a series of linked carriages. The carriages utilise steel or nylon track wheels that run along light gauge steel railway tracks. The belt is not physically fixed to the support carriages, but drives each carriage by friction developed between the belt and the carriage yoke. The support carriages are clamped to an endless wire rope, typically via a spring, and equally spaced along the length of the system. The support carriages follow a continuous path around the conveying system, supporting the bulk material and belt along the carry side, and the belt on the return side. The system can be configured in a side-by-side configuration (as shown in Figure 5), or alternatively, with the return side positioned directly above the carry side (as shown in Figure 6) to reduce the footprint of the system. In the latter case, the more heavily loaded carry side can be supported by ground based sleepers, while the return side is positioned above due to the need for less structural support.

FIG 6

Figure 7 shows a typical configuration of the Rail Conveyor system. The belt is loaded in a conventional manner as shown in Figure 8, with the belt supported by sets of conventional idler rolls prior to being delivered to the support carriages of the Rail Conveyor system. The belt is driven using conventional belt conveyor technology, incorporating one or more drive pulleys and a takeup system, as detailed in Figure 9. The carriages support the belt until just prior to the discharge point, where the belt then lifts off the carriages and is once again supported by conventional troughed idler rolls. The bulk material is discharged in the same manner as a conventional belt conveying system, with the belt traveling around a head pulley and belt take-up (tensioning) system before being either turned over via a conventional belt turnover, or simply guided directly back on to the support carriages for the return side run.

FIGURE 5 Side-byside configuration.

FIGURE 6 Carry side beneath return side.

FIGURE 7 Horizontal carriage turnaround configuration

FIG 7

“The Rail Conveyor is a novel invention that combines the primary advantages of both belt conveying and railway systems�

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CONVEYORS

FIG 8

FIG 9

“The primary advantage of the Rail Conveyor system is that the major resistance components of a conventional belt conveyor are eliminated. �

FIG 10

The carriages are turned around at each end using a horizontal turnaround loop as shown in Figure 7 to Figure 9, or alternatively, a vertical turnaround wheel as shown in Figure 10. The vertical turnover option reduces the footprint of the system at the head and tail end. The turnaround methods of the Rail Conveyor system not only redirect the carriages from the carry side to the return side, and vice versa, but also act as takeup systems for the carriages to allow for the differential stretch between the conveyor belt and the cable between the carriages. In the case of the horizontal turnaround this is achieved by a leaf spring attached to each carriage that tensions the interconnecting cable. The spring acts to shorten or extend the relative distance between each carriage

28

to allow for changes in belt length. The distance that the carriages travel around the turnaround loop is primarily determined from the carriage design that establishes the minimum turnaround radius.

Additionally, the cable tension and the distance required for the carriages to compensate for the change in belt length during starting, running and stopping conditions that will be experienced are also considered for the turnaround loop of the system. Similarly, the vertical system relies on the carriage turnaround wheel acting as a horizontal take-up that facilitates horizontal movement while maintaining a suitable pre-tension in the cable.

The primary advantage of the Rail Conveyor system is that the major resistance components of a conventional belt conveyor are eliminated.

FIGURE 8 Loading point and carriage turnaround.

FIGURE 9 Discharge point and drive layout.

FIGURE 10 Vertical carriage turnaround configuration.

FIGURE 11 1:10 Scale model system..

FIGURE 12 Two-way transportation.

FIGURE 13 Figure 13 - Vertical turnover scale model system (shown in foreground).

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CONVEYORS

Since the belt rests on the support carriages during transportation there is no relative movement between the carriages and the belt, and therefore no belt or bulk material flexure resistance or indentation rolling resistance. The main resistances to motion of the new technology is the rotating resistance of the bearings within the track wheels and the rolling friction of the track wheels on the light gauge rail, leading to a highly efficient transportation system akin to railway.

The lack of relative movement between the belt and the support carriages results in significantly less movement of the bulk material and therefore has many other advantages over conventional belt conveyors. These include; increased belt speeds, better bulk material stability through horizontal curves, less degradation of the bulk material resulting in less dust generation, and less belt cover wear and lower flexure induced stress.

FIG 11

PROOF OF CONCEPT An integral part of the successful development of the Rail Conveyor system was the construction of a number of 1:10 scale models. The scale models are shown in Figure 11 to Figure 13 in the TUNRA Bulk Solids Laboratory at the University of Newcastle.

The models were manufactured using 3D printed and scale model railway parts and designed to transport minus 8 mm gravel. The working models allowed the Rail Conveyor concept to be proven at a laboratory scale and greatly assisted in the design of the prototype system. Figure 11 and Figure 12 show

FIG 12

FIG 13

the horizontal turnaround system. This particular system was designed to convey in both directions in a side-by-side recirculating configuration for ease of use. Despite a relatively short conveying length, sufficient friction was mobilised between the carriages and the belt to pull the carriages around the two horizontal end loops, thus proving the principle of operation.

Figure 13 shows the scale model vertical carriage turnaround system. In this case the carry side is above the return side as per a conventional

conveyor, but can be reversed (as per Figure 6) depending on the length of the installation. The vertical carriage turnaround system formed the basis of the prototype system that was successfully commissioned in China in July 2015. The prototype system, pictured in Figure 14, is 150 m long, has a belt width of 1.2 m and operates at belt speeds up to 4 m/s. The system was built by LIBO Heavy Machine Technology Corporation Ltd. The successful commissioning and operation of the prototype system proved the Rail Conveyor concept and has

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CONVEYORS FIG 14

“Since commissioning the prototype system, the facility has been used to better understand the operational characteristics of the Rail Conveyor system.� provided an invaluable means to evaluate and test a wide range of system variables.

Since commissioning the prototype system, the facility has been used to better understand the operational characteristics of the Rail Conveyor system via experimental measurement.

Experiments have focused on measuring the dynamic response of the system during starting, steady state operation and stopping, belt and carriage interaction, cable tension, noise generation, and track wheel and rail interaction.

Figure 15 shows a typical conveying section of the Rail Conveyor where the prototype system has the carry side above the return side similar to the scale model. The configuration shown in Figure 15 has the carriages at a pitch of 3 m, however due to the lack of relative movement between the belt and the carriage, scope exists to increase sag ratios in comparison to conventional belt conveyors.

Figure 16 shows a carriage on the prototype system just before the belt is redelivered after the turnaround loop has been negotiated. The symmetrical form of the carriages enables the vertical turnaround to be utilised without the need for the carriages to be inverted for the return side.

FIG 15

FIG 16

RAIL CONVEYOR TESTING To fully understand how the Rail Conveyor system will operate on an industrial basis, it is necessary to test certain variables to assist in the design and feasibility of future systems. By understanding the operational requirements of the system, the accuracy of feasibility studies in relation to both the capital and operational cost requirements will give greater confidence in the technology. The following section will outline some of the testing that has been completed on the Rail Conveyor system.

FRICTION FACTOR MEASUREMENTS Laboratory experiments were undertaken to quantify the energy reduction likely from the Rail Conveyor technology. The investigation involved simple drag tests, in addition to more complex combined radial and axial load tests involving a number of different potential track wheel materials.

While there is much published literature on the

rolling resistance of conventional railway systems, the influence of smaller diameter track wheels and significantly lower radial loads are not readily available in published literature. Figure 17 shows initial drag measurements undertaken using steel wheels attached to trailer axle hubs containing back-to-back tapered roller bearings. Experimental results showed friction factors of 0.004 to 0.005 despite the use of tapered roller bearings, which typically exhibit significantly greater rotational resistance than deep groove ball bearings. More

FIGURE 14 Prototype system operating in China.

FIGURE 15 Conveying section of prototype system with carry side above.

FIGURE 16 Carriage of prototype system before belt feeding section.

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CONVEYORS FIG 17

FIG 18

FIGURE 17 Laboratory test equipment to measure rolling resistance.

FIGURE 18 Laboratory test equipment to measure track wheel wear and friction.

FIGURE 19 Rim drag testing apparatus for track wheels.

REFERENCES

FIG 19

[1] Frittella, A. and de Necker, D., 2016. Sasol Mining – Impumelelo Project 26.7 km Long Overland Conveyor, in Proc. 12th International Conference on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Transportation, Darwin, Australia.

“The Rail Conveyor represents a significant and novel deviation from traditional bulk material transportation systems.” recently, track wheel wear is also being investigated to select the most cost effective material from which to manufacture the track wheels. Figure 18 shows a laboratory test facility designed to measure track wheel wear and rotational resistance under combined radial and axial loading.

To gain a better understanding of the friction factor of the Rail Conveyor system a series of tests were completed on different track wheel materials.

The materials that were tested included plastic, several grades of nylon and cast iron. To determine the difference between the contact friction between the track wheels and the light gauge rail and the rotational resistance of the wheels, two sets of tests were completed. The first test that was completed was rim drag testing, shown in Figure 19, which gives a quantifiable measure for the rotational resistance of the bearings, sealing arrangement and grease. The second test utilised the laboratory test equipment shown in Figure 18 that measures the rim drag, in addition to the contact friction between the track wheels and the light gauge rail. This was achieved by recording the total resistance of the track wheel under load and subtracting the rim drag value to give an overall contact friction factor for each of the materials that were tested.

Rim drag tests were conducted using the testing

[2] Zhang, S. and Xia, X., 2010. Optimal Control of Operation Efficiency of Belt Conveyor Systems, Applied Energy, Vol. 87, No.6. pp.1929-1937.

[3] Zhang, S. and Xia, X., 2011. Modelling and Energy Efficiency Optimization of Belt Conveyors, Applied Energy, Vol.88, No.9. pp.3061-3071.

apparatus shown in Figure 19. Tests were performed at 20oC, at a constant velocity of 4 m/s and a radial load of 250 N. The track wheel assembly comprised of a neoprene lip seal and two deep groove ball bearings. The average rim drag value measured was 4.0 N per wheel.

Once the above testing was complete the contact friction values for each track wheel was determined.

These tests were undertaken at the same temperature and velocity conditions as the rim drag testing. Figure 20 shows the friction factor versus radial load for wheels manufactured from two grades of nylon (shown as A and B) and cast iron.

Data with, and without the rim drag are presented to show the influence of the rim drag, particularly at lower radial loads.

Results show similarity between nylon B and the cast iron, while nylon A is significantly higher, most likely since it is a softer grade of nylon than B. For the radial loading condition, it was found that at higher loads (representative of a fully loaded system) the friction factor (including rim drag) was in the range of 0.004 to 0.005. While at lower loads the inclusion of the load independent rim drag value sees an increase of the friction factor for all materials, althought, still remaining lower than conventional belt conveyors.

[4] Jonkers, C., 1981.

Loss Factor in Transport, Fordern und Heben, Vol. 31. No.2.

[5] Lodewijks, G. and Welink, J., 2009.

The Environmental Impact of Transport Systems, in Proc. 10th International Conference on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Transportation + CHoPS-06, Brisbane, Australia.

[6] Avallone, E., Baumeister, T. and Sadegh, A., 2006. Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, 11th Ed. McGraw-Hill.

[7] Hager, M. and Hintz, A., 1993. The Energy Saving-Design of Belts for Long Conveyor Systems, Bulk Solids Handling, Vol.13 No.4. pp.749-758.

[8] Wheeler, C., 2003.

Analysis of the Main Resistances of Belt Conveyors, PhD Thesis, The University of Newcastle, Australia.

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CONVEYORS REFERENCES

[9] Wheeler, C., 2006 Indentation Rolling Resistance of Belt Conveyors - A Finite Element Solution, Bulk Solids Handling, Vol.26 No.1. pp.40-44.

FIG 20

[10] Wheeler, C. and Ausling, D., 2008.

Numerical Optimisation Procedures Applied to Belt Conveyor Design, Bulk Solids and Powder: Science and Technology, Vol.3. pp.15-22.

[11] Saxby, P. and Elkink, J., 2010. Material Transportation in Mining - Trends in Equipment Development and Selection, Australian Bulk Handling Review, Vol. 15. No.2. pp.10-14.w [12] Galligan, S., 2011.

Pit to Port Solutions - Determining the Best Transportation Option, in Proc. OzMine, Indonesia.

FIG 21

FIGURE 20 Track wheel friction versus radial load (Ellis [15]).

[13] Wheeler, C., 2012. Rail Conveyor System, International Patent Number: WO2012/009765 A1, Filed 26 Jan 2012.

[14] Wheeler, C., Chen, B. and Carr, M.J., 2016. Rail Conveyor Development and Testing, in Proc. 12th International Conference on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Transportation, Darwin, Australia.

FIGURE 21 Track wheel wear measurement.

TRACK WHEEL WEAR MEASUREMENTS

[15] Ellis, D., 2016. Rail Conveyor Carriage Optimisation, MECH4841 Mechanical Engineering Project B, The University of Newcastle, Australia.

To determine the suitability of materials to be used for track wheels for the Rail Conveyor system, wear testing has been undertaken on the test rig shown in Figure 18 and Figure 21. The purpose of this testing is to find the wear rate, wear pattern and distribution of the wear. The experimental work is currently being coupled with advanced finite element models to predict the wear life for a range of different materials, diameters and loading conditions. Simulation and experimental work has indicated wheel life of approximately 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS This paper presented a new technology for the continuous transportation of bulk materials.

The Rail Conveyor represents a significant and novel deviation from traditional bulk material transportation systems. Initial tests have demonstrated significant energy savings due to the elimination of traditional running resistances of belt conveyors. These energy savings are coupled with the ability to transport over significantly longer distances due to a reduction in cumulative belt tension. Laboratory and site testing has also been undertaken on the Rail Conveyor technology where a significant reduction in the friction factor

has been obtained when compared to traditional belt conveyors, particularly with increasing load from the bulk material.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to acknowledge the International Materials Handling Conference – Beltcon for allowing this paper to be published in its current form.

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CONVEYING

Thorstack stockpiling in a quarry environment, and at a processing facility on a mine site.

Sites embracing off-the-shelf convenience According to Stephen Watterson, chief executive of Lincom Group, mining and industrial sites are increasingly seeing the advantages of off-she-shelf mobile conveying, and related, gear.

L

incom group is the Australian

driving uptake of equipment.

distributor for storied Canadian

“They are an off-the-shelf build, so

manufacturer Thor Global which

Sedgman and other engineering houses

tonnes per hour, although they can go higher.

Stephen is an advocate for Thor’s

claims that it “developed the first

know the product, they know how to

gear. “It’s absolutely reliable, and

telescopic conveyor ever to be used in bulk

integrate it into a system with minimal

Thor is a good family business,

material stockpile creation in 1992.”

build time,” explained Stephen. “That’s

supplying worldwide.” He said that

According to Stephen, business is

what’s appealing; it’s not a big fixed

Thor is well aware of Australia’s

picking up, especially in the Queensland

conveyor where it takes months and

rigorous standards around guarding

mining sector. Lincom supplied units

months to build the thing. This is an off-

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the way for a mine expansion. “We have

in, say, six containers, and they can have

machines sold into Queensland.

also put two units down in a concrete

it operational in two weeks.”

recycling facility in Sydney,” said Stephen.

Convenience, flexibility and speed are

In terms of capacities, Thor’s normal range is from 400 to 2,000

“They are very aware of legislation, and they work with us at Lincom to give customers what they need.”

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SHIP LOADING. RECLAIMING - RAIL, BARGE, TRUCKS. STATIC BULK RECEPTION FEEDERS. Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018 37 GRASSHOPPER CONVEYORS. STACKER CONVEYORS. TELEREMOTE BOOM SYSTEMS. APRON FEEDERS. 439_Conveyors.indd 37

22/03/2018 10:01:08 AM

MOBILE CONVEYING IN FOCUS

Superior claims longest road-portable telescoping conveyor US-based Superior Industries has manufactured what it claims to be the first ever 64 metre road-portable telescoping radial stacking conveyor.

“T

his Telestacker conveyor, designed

and built for a frac sand operation in Texas, is the longest one of its kind ever built,” Alan Schmidgall, vice president at Superior Industries, told ABHR. According to Superior, the machine has a stockpiling capacity of 363,000 tonnes, 30% more than other telescoping conveyor on the market. The company says it is half the cost of a fixed or stationary tripper conveyor with the same capacity.

The machine is targeted at sites that need to build inventory with large tonnage stockpiles and shipload applications. A 64m telescopic conveyor should fill a vessel hold more completely than shorter models.

In developing the 64m machine, Alan Schmidgall told ABHR about some of the challenges Superior faced.

“The largest challenge was to maintain portability,” he said. “The customer required movement within their quarry, but we also wanted to give them road portable capabilities. We designed and built a brand new, patent-pending tridom axle.”

In terms of possible Australian applications, Schmidgall pointed to any bulk handling application requiring large stockpiles, as well as quarries looking to overcome stockpile segregation. In data terms, maximum material capacity in a 270° stockpile is 358,783 tonnes @ 1.60 mt/m3.

Time taken to switch from transport to stacking mode varies with the three models of the new machine. The FD Axle hydraulically transfers from road to stockpile mode in seconds. The XTP axle uses a combination of hydraulics and manual labour to transfer for the stacker in minutes. A pit portable model requires some assembly at the time of delivery. Owners and operators can typically achieve this in a couple of hours.

Superior came out with its first Telestacker in 1997. It was 914mm wide by 46m long. It had maximum capacity of 725 tonnes per hour.

Schmidgall told ABHR about some milestones since then.

“Since then, owners and operators have requested wider belts, for higher production capacity, and longer units for more pile volume,” he explained. “In addition to the longest telescopic radial stacker in the world, we've also built the widest in the world. At 1,828mm wide, the unit is capable of moving 4,535 tonnes per hour. It's used to unload ships in Florida.”

An immediate question is how big mobile conveyors might eventually get and whether they can exceed 64 metres?

“Our engineering department is ready to build wider or longer when an application requires additional stockpile capacity or faster production rates,” said Schmidgall.

ABOVE: Alan Schmidgall, vice president at Superior Industries.

BELOW: Superior Industries’ 64 metre road-portable telescoping radial stacking conveyor in Texas.

“ According to Superior, the machine has a stockpiling capacity of 363,000 tonnes, 30% more than other telescoping conveyor on the market.”

38 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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MOBILE CONVEYING IN FOCUS

Kilic notches up first international sale, to Vietnam Adelaide-based firm Kilic Engineering, best known for its supply of materials handling systems to Australia’s grain sector, has recently had its first international sale – to Vietnam.

K

ilic supplied a drive-over-hopper to

Vietnam in January 2018. The machine is operating at a river port and is loading barges with soybean meal, wheat and corn at the facility just south of Ho Chi Min City.

Previously, Kilic’s drive-over-hoppers have mainly gone to customers in Australia’s grain sector.

“It’s further proof that it’s not isolated to just grain sites or bunker sites,” explained Jason Kilic, managing director of Kilic Engineering. “The driveover-hoppers can be used at ports and harbours.”

Back in Australia, Kilic has achieved much success with its BunkerStacker3000 drive-overhopper and stacker, which is designed to simplify the unloading of grain from truck trailers into bunkers.

In conversation with ABHR, Jason explained the advantages of the system, designed by Kilic Engineering.

“They are self-propelled, so the whole machine moves along the bunker,” he said. “They are designed for the driver to dump and go. The tonnage rate is way out there: it’s designed for 600 tonnes per hour which equates to, with all

your truck movements, about 450 tonnes per hour. That equates to unloading three B-doubles in 16 minutes.

“It’s easy to move. It doesn’t take long to engage the wheels to, in effect, lift the machine and drive off. With other machines, you have to disengage everything and fit a towbar, grab a frontend loader and drag the thing around the site. This thing is single person operation.”

The origins of the design of the original BunkerStacker3000 go back to the year 1999, when Kilic built the machines predominantly for the old South Australian CBH, now Viterra. However, in 2013 the company engaged in a major re-fresh of the design.

“We decided to go back to the drawing board with a clean canvas,” said Jason. “That was after listening to a lot of operators and truck drivers. We spoke to people on the ground about what they liked and didn’t like and would like to see. We challenged everything, we picked the best bits and put together a design that tried to tick all the boxes.”

BELOW: Kilic Engineering’s drive-over-hopper in operation in Vietnam.

“It’s further proof that it’s not isolated to just grain sites or bunker sites... the drive-overhoppers can be used at ports and harbours.”

42 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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CONVEYORS

Rema Tip Top opens Asia-Pacific headquarters Conveyor maintenance firm Rema Tip Top, almost two years into its consolidation of ConvaTech, opened a new administration centre at Warabrook in Newcastle in February 2018.

I

n May 2016, German OEM Rema Tip Top

bought Australian conveyor maintenance firm ConvaTech.

Rema Tip Top is a diversified industrial giant with over 6,000 employees worldwide and a significant conveyor business built around products such as belts, hoses and wear protection.

ConvaTech, established in 1985 in Newcastle, was a conveyor maintenance specialist providing the ‘arms and legs’ for sites across Australia.

The deal united Rema, product-focussed and strongest in the west, with the maintenance-focussed ConvaTech which had its heartland in the east.

Craig Philpotts, a former co-owner and 29-year veteran of ConvaTech, is the man charged with knitting together the staff, facilities and operations of the two entities.

He cut the ribbon in February at the brand, spanking new administrative headquarters at Warabrook which will provide shared services in areas like accounting and human resources for Australia, Asia Pacific, China and other countries in the region.

Warehouses and workshops are also being upgraded. For example, in May 2017, Rema

opened a 6,000m2 workshop at Welshpool in Perth which upgraded the company’s rubber and wear protection capabilities.

Speaking in Newcastle, Philpotts sounded upbeat about business conditions. He indicated that the 700-person Rema Australia business has plans to double its size in three to five years.

“We have seen an increase in demand for labour up and down the eastern seaboard, and in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,” Philpotts explained.

“In the Hunter, from the ports of Newcastle to coal operations as far as Singleton, Muswellbrook and Gunnedah, we are experiencing a surge in work, not seen since the boom ended. We are certainly very optimistic.”

Major mining companies’ obsession with cost cutting in recent years has rubbed off on Rema.

“For us that meant a greater focus on innovation and technologies in the mix for our business model.

We are demonstrating to the market that we can lower the price of their maintenance and improve the availability of their assets with an analytical approach that looks at entire conveyor systems.”

ABOVE LEFT: Rema Tip Top managing director Craig Philpotts (left) and local state member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp at the opening.

ABOVE: The new Welshpool workshop facility in Perth which improves Rema’s rubber and wear protection capabilities.

44 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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22/03/2018 10:06:53 AM

CONVEYORS

Conveyors silhouetted at the Narrabri colliery at dusk.

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Nepean Conveyors has bolstered its range of conveyor products with a new distribution arrangement adding belt cleaners to its idlers and pulleys.

“B

y becoming a distributor

for One Industries, we are expanding the range of quality products we’re able to offer the market,” explained Bill Munday, general manager, conveyors NSW, Nepean Conveyors. “This gives us a full complement of consumables and adds another facet to the areas where we can support our customers in optimising their conveyor performance.”

“A lot of the tenders for consumables for mine sites will have those three components – belt cleaners, idlers and pulleys – and often they are looking for one supplier,” said Mark Gilbert, director, One Industries.

Nepean Conveyors is a major international OEM headquartered in NSW. The company recently announced a transformational deal with the acquisition of Sandvik’s conveyor components and systems’ business and brands such as Prok, Gurtec and Roxon.

One Industries is based in Picton. It was co-founded in Queensland in 2013

by Mark Gilbert, quickly carving out a customer base in the Bowen Basin coal fields. It has since expanded to NSW. Prior to the formal distribution arrangement, Nepean had used One Industries’ products. “We are getting exceptional wear from the units that are in service; they are lasting considerably longer than opposition products,” said Munday.

Mark Gilbert explained why this might be so: “Our blend of urethane, anti-static and fire-resistant additives yield a FRAS type cleaner tip with

excellent abrasive wear resistance, while still maintaining a high level of rip and tear resistance. This blend of urethane promotes longer tip life and even tip wear, combatting the common problem of scalloping where conveyor troughing prompts excessive centre wear.”

One Industries is also one of the few suppliers to compliance stamp its underground belt cleaners. “This stamping provides full traceability through batch numbering so compliance certification can be matched to the supplied blades,” said Gilbert.

Mark Gilbert’s family has a long history in the coal industry and his father, Peter, was one of the founding managers of Nepean Conveyors. One Industries has its own polyurethane manufacturing plant in China, with all assembly and fabrication done in Australia.

Gilbert said that his business is continuously developing its urethanes, with a view to longer life and higher performance cleaners. In coming years, he expects to launch more patented products.

Nepean Conveyors specialises in the design, manufacture, installation and service of overland, surface and underground belt conveyor systems, projects and products. It is part of the broader Nepean group, a diversified industrial and heavy engineering company with over 1,100 employees.

Nepean was founded by David Fuller in Narellan in NSW in 1974 and is now run by his son, Miles.

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444 Nep.indd 45

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NEWS

Changing of the guard at Pneuvay Australian pneumatic conveying specialist, Pneuvay has been acquired by Robert Tang, the man behind the Asia-Pacific-focussed Pneu Powders Systems (PPS). Charles Macdonald reports.

P

neuvay has been a long-time fixture in the

Australian world of pneumatic conveying and powder handling. The business was started by Michael Francis and Gary Smith in the early 1980s.

Robert Tang is an experienced pneumatics specialist and entrepreneur. His business Pneu Powders Systems (PPS) operates in the Asia Pacific and has offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines.

Robert Tang was a 30-year veteran of Nu-Con in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia when he left to establish PPS in 2012 following Nu-Con’s acquisition

by German process technology firm, GEA. In December 2017, Tang appointed Michael Choo as the new general manager of Pneuvay, based at Coburg in Melbourne. Choo, with a background in finance and management, has been with PPS for five years, as a consultant.

After Tang was alerted to the possibility of taking a stake in Pneuvay, Choo says “we sat down with the previous owners and had a look at the business model. It’s 35 years’ old, hasn’t changed much, and that’s where we believe there is a complimentary synergy between Pneuvay and PPS. Pneuvay is primarily non-food and PPS is food sector-focussed.”

By way of background, PPS has completed a lot of pneumatic conveying and powder handling projects in the Asia Pacific. It counts Nestle, Mondelez, Gardenia Bakeries and Jollibee Corporation as customers.

In Australia, some of these companies have

been customers of Pneuvay, too, but for things like servicing of dust collection systems, rather than supply of whole systems.

“We believe that with this new relationship we can impart and bring forth for Pneuvay the expertise that PPS has with the food industry,” explained Choo.

“There will be a learning curve as the new business calls for a different skill set in terms of the type of equipment that’s being offered.”

Choo is building a new team “to take on the new initiative we are trying to bring to the company.” Gary Smith has exited the business while Michael Francis is acting in a transitional role until mid-2018.

The ‘new’ Pneuvay will be targeting more ambitious contracts in Australia, with the assistance of PPS. “We are adding on an extra layer of capabilities,” said Choo. “If Pneuvay, without PPS’ assistance, was to try to break into the food industry which has very high standards around hygiene and safety, it would mean a steeper learning curve. But PPS has executed many projects in Asia Pacific – systems for conveying sugar, flour, starch – they have got standard lists of equipment.

“The main priority for me is to make sure that the switch from the old ownership business to the new one happens smoothly. We will then be able to transition into the new market being able to collaborate with PPS on some of the projects they are executing in Asia Pacific.”

“ The ‘new’ Pneuvay will be targeting more ambitious contracts in Australia, with the assistance of PPS.”

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WEIGHING

CST supplies belt weighers for UK wood pellet plant In its last edition, ABHR looked at the challenges of wood pellet handling at the Lynemouth and Drax power stations in the UK. Control Systems Technology (CST) of Australia supplied four belt weighers for a fuel handling system at Lynemouth.

T

wo of the belt weighers are for flow

control while two are trade certified units which will be used to generate Renewables Obligations Certificates (ROC’s) as administered by the UK’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM).

The trade certified belt scales are CST’s PFS4-4, four load cell, four idler, Class 0.5 weighers. The two units for flow control purposes are PCS2-2 two load cell, two idler units. All four units are ATEX explosion protected.

The belt weighers had to be high accuracy

weighers to comply with Ofgem requirements.

They are located on a section of conventional trough belt conveyor between enclosed air supported belt conveyors.

The weighers handle white wood pellets with a maximum metal content of 0.1% by weight.

CST has had considerable international success.

It has supplied weighers to tunnelling machines on the Thames Tideway Tunnel and CrossRail. It has also supplied gear to Spain, South Korea, Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.

ABOVE: CST weighers on conveyor 1000mm wide, trough angle between 35-45° and travelling at between 1.5 and 2 m/s. The belt capacity is rated at 300tph at a bulk density of 0.65 te/m3.

The provisional angle of incline is 11°.

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Austr_Bulk Handling_210x151+5_March.indd 1 441 CST wood pellet weigher.indd 47

05.03.18 22/03/2018 10:12:27 10:37 AM

CONVEYORS

FIG 1

FIG 2

Conveyor systems for Mongolian mine One of the richest underground copper deposits in the world will soon be accessed with the help of high-capacity gearless driven conveyors from thyssenkrupp.

T

he firm has won a contract to supply

a material handling system for the new Oyu Tolgoi underground mine in Mongolia. The contract value is in the higher double-digit millioneuro range.

Supply includes a total of nine conveyors with a combined length of 9.5 km as well as seven transfer towers operating at a design tonnage of 7,100 tons per hour. First production from underground is expected in 2020.

The Oyu Tolgoi mine complex is a joint venture between the Government of Mongolia and Turquoise Hill Resources, which is majorityowned by Rio Tinto.

From a depth of nearly 1,400m beneath the Gobi Desert in the south of Mongolia, the new underground material handling system is planned to transport 95,000 tons per day of copper ore up to the surface. The main components are four high lift conveyors each equipped with 1.6m wide steel cord belts and dual 5,500 kW gearless drives from Siemens. Further conveyors will feed the main incline conveyors and tie the new underground

system into the existing process facility.

Torsten Gerlach, CEO of the mining technologies business unit of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions said: “This order again proves that we are a strong player in the mining and materials handling industry. We are proud to contribute to this project with our intelligent belt conveyor technology and our strong global project execution capabilities. The system will help the Oyu Tolgoi mine set standards in terms of productivity and safety.”

The Oyu Tolgoi mine began producing copper concentrate from an open pit operation in 2013.

The future underground construction activities will transform the operation into a globally significant copper mine.

The order includes the engineering, design, and supply of the new material handling system as well as required site support services during the construction and commissioning phases.

Design will emphasise ease of maintenance with quickly replaceable sections as well as idler rolls and belt cleaners.

ABOVE: Torsten Gerlach.

FIG1: An impression of part of the conveyor set-up to be supplied to Mongolian mine, Oyu Tolgoi’s, new underground operation.

FIG2: Some of the Mongolian systems will borrow from the Los Pelambres downhill conveying system (pictured) which transports copper ore over a total distance of 12.7 km through a tunnel system.

48 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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NEW PRODUCT

Wheeled working platform safer, faster for longwall bolting Conveyor suppler Fenner Dunlop has come up with a mobile bolting working platform that has reduced manual handling and boosted bolting rates at Peabody’s North Goonyella coking coal mine in Central Queensland.

A

s part of the longwall mining process,

a procedure known as secondary support must be completed before the longwall can advance along the coal face. It involves installation of a series of specialised rock bolts into the roof above the main gate conveyor which are specifically designed to withstand geological changes occuring as the longwall advances. The process is critical to ensuring a roof collapse does not occur.

Previously, North Goonyella installed a scaffolding system over the conveyor from which operators could install the roof bolts. This method was highly labour intensive and due to the difficult method of advancing the system, was slowing down the advancement of the longwall.

Fenner Dunlop and Peabody worked together to

come up with a solution that recently won the 2017 Peabody Global Safety and Health Innovation Awards.

The solution involved the development of a mobile bolting working platform positioned on wheels above the conveyor structure. The platform is operated by a dual directional air winch with remote control pendant, allowing the platform to be advanced along the conveyor chamber with little operator effort required. It also has a failsafe braking system.

According to Fenner Dunlop, the platform has reduced manual handling and boosted roof bolt installation rates.

Fenner says it is designing another unit for an underground coalmine in NSW.

BELOW: Fenner Dunlop’s wheeled mobile bolting platform for North Goonyella.

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429 Fenner Dunlop.indd 49

22/03/2018 10:28:32 AM

NEWS

NZ’s snap-in, flexible connector goes global

ABOVE: Blair Forres McPheat with a BFM fitting.

From humble beginnings in Auckland, BFM Global’s eponymous fitting is now being sold around the world via 44 distributors. ABHR’s editor Charles Macdonald spoke to BFM inventor and chief executive, Blair McPheat.

F

rom the age of 10, Blair

McPheat began to get involved in his family’s business, Filtercorp, a provider of filters and fans in New Zealand. He’d accompany his father, Forres, on deliveries and visit customers.

As the years advanced, Blair became very familiar with industrial plants and their peculiarities. This was particularly true of dairy plants, mainstay of Filtercorp’s business and New Zealand’s economy.

As sales and marketing manager at Filtercorp, Blair became aware of a recurring problem at milk powder plants: dust leaking from hose clamps.

“We had a very large client database which was predominantly the dairy industry and they had massive issues with traditional hose clamps,” explained Blair. “If you went to a plant anywhere back in those days, the likes of Anchor Products and Kiwi – they were very proud of their plants and they were probably the best in the world – and yet they were still dirty and dusty because the connectors used in these plants, 80% of all the dust you saw came from these hose clips.”

The clips were a minor part of Filtercorp’s product range, but they caused a disproportionate headache.

“We were ISO 9002 at the time

and although hose clips were a very small percentage of our turnover, it was by far the largest amount of time we spent in our non-conformance meetings,” said Blair.

With this issue much on his mind, Blair retired to bed one night in 2006 only to wake at 2am with a vivid idea for a clampless flexible connector involving metal spigots at each end. The first prototype was rough and ready but the game was afoot.

“I tack welded a piece of wire ring on to the end of a piece of pipe, then I mocked up a piece of woven polyester,” recollected Blair. “It wasn’t a very pretty looking thing. I showed it to

50 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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22/03/2018 10:32:19 AM

Applications Applications for BFM fittings include: vibrating sleeves; weighing sleeves; dust caps; manways; tapered chutes; tapered hoppers; sifter overs containers; vent socks; explosion flexibles; chutes through

metal detectors; live bottom bin dischargers.

Sizes ABFM fittings come in increments of 50mm all the way from 100mm up to 1.65 metres in diameter.

people the next morning and they looked at me like I was a crazy man.”

Blair spent the next year tinkering with his design. But early in the piece he decided to patent aspects of his snapfit, flexible connector.

“It’s not expensive to throw a patent together,” he said. “I thought ‘why don’t we chuck our flag in the ground, just in case?’”

Initial success came quickly. “As soon as I went to industry it was amazing just how quickly we started selling them in New Zealand,” said Blair. “We started expanding very quickly and we knew we were on to something from then on.”

Filtercorp’s group of international suppliers formed the basis of international distribution.

“With Filtercorp, around the world we had a handful of companies that we procured off, and they were very quickly interested in becoming distributors,” Blair explained. “Within a year we broke BFM off Filtercorp into a totally separate company.”

Mounting export demand presented challenges to Blair, with Filtercorp, as a business, more focussed on imports than exports.

“We hadn’t exported in bulk before,” he explained. “All

“ I think petrochemicals will be our biggest market in the world….” of a sudden we were manufacturing widgets and exporting them overseas in ever increasing quantities. That was new for us and a learning curve and we are still learning today.

We export 95% of what we manufacture.”

Marketing-wise, BFM global has split the world into three major target markets – Asia, Europe and the US. BFM has business development managers in place for Europe and Asia with recruitment of a US executive now underway. Beyond these executives, Blair sticks rigidly to his distributors’ channels.

“We put all our time and effort into our distributors,” he said. “Our business development managers spend time in multi-nationals’ head offices, which is helping a lot, but all our orders go through our distributors and we support them 100%.

“We have 44 distributors and they specialise in different areas. They are widget supply and engineering-based companies and they get us into many different markets. We can supply all food companies, dairy, petrochemicals,

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430 BFM.indd 51

22/03/2018 10:32:19 AM

NEWS

pharma, minerals – it’s everything. It’s hard to be into all those markets all at once.”

New Zealand manufacturing is important to Blair and the McPheat family. But as time goes on, and with overseas sales growing rapidly, more offshore infrastructure will be added.

“We will always manufacture in NZ; end of story for the Asia Pacific market. But for both Europe and the US, in future we will definitely need local warehousing and, later, manufacturing.”

In terms of the potential size of BFM’s market, Blair doesn’t have an exact figure. But based on work he did on the New Zealand market, based on population and food production, he agrees that the international opportunity is vast.

“To be honest, we are in a situation where we are at the top of the pyramid,” he said. “As production grows, prices will come down and our markets will open up. We are taking it one step at a time and working our way down that supply pyramid.”

Inevitably, counterfeiters and copiers have emerged. However, BFM Global recently stamped hard on two Chinese imitations which were brought to the company’s notice by its Chinese distributor.

“That’s why we have distributors,” he said. “We can’t be everywhere. Distributors will keep their ears to the ground. It’s in their interest to let me know what’s going on. We have a very good distributor

“ …in future we will definitely need local warehousing and later manufacturing.” in China. We got on to this one (counterfeiter) quite quickly and sorted it out. Now we have this precedent set, that’s great.”

However, Blair doesn’t want to overplay the threat from counterfeiters.

“It’s not a big deal,” he said. “Although it’s a simple looking product there is a lot of intellectual property (IP) in there. It’s not as easy to make as it looks.”

In terms of sales, dairy is no longer the main game for BFM. “When I went around the world to set up distributors, I focussed on dairy because I knew exactly what I was talking about from my Filtercorp days,” said Blair. “But I think petrochemicals will be our biggest market in the world, it’s growing rapidly. And food in general.

Grain, seeds – anything in a supermarket goes through a BFM. Not just milk powder.”

Besides investigating overseas warehouses and manufacturing, Blair is also concerned with matters digital: “We’re putting plans in place for online portals and online purchasing,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of things to do over the next few years.”

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22/03/2018 10:32:20 AM

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PROBLEM

1

Wear and failure when conveying abrasives

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CAUSE

Abrasives hit the outside radius of conventional impact elbows at high speed, continually wearing through the elbow wall.

2

3

4

when conveying pelletised resins and compounds causes downstream quality problems.

such as pet food, coffee beans or grains, decrease product quality, consistency and salability while increasing waste.

when conveying sugar, rubber pellets, hot melt adhesives, clay and other pressureand heat-sensitive materials prone to build-up.

Pellets skidding and/or bouncing against the outside radius of sweep elbows create friction and heat, melting pellet surfaces, forming streamers.

Friable materials hit the outside radius of conventional impact elbows at high speed, degrading the material and generating fines.

Materials skidding against the outside radius of conventional elbows create friction and heat, causing product build-up.

Formation of streamers, angel hair and snake skins

Breakage and dusting of fragile materials

Plugging and build-up

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CONVEYORS

Coffee roaster upgrades flexible screw conveyor A famed US coffee roaster operating with artisanal methods and machinery has recently upgraded its 27-year old Flexicon screw conveyor.

C

offee connoisseurs in the San Francisco

Bay area often source their favourite brews from a famed local roaster called Mr. Espresso. The company, which opened in 1978 selling Italian espresso machines to restaurants and cafes, has supplied gourmet coffee, including espresso blends, since 1982.

The family-run business, founded in Oakland

by Carlo Di Ruocco, promotes traditional Italian coffee making through the artisanal nature of its operations. One example is an innovative oak wood fire roasting technique that releases robust coffee flavour. Another is a company culture that values old, reliable machines.

One such item is a flexible screw conveyor from Flexicon Corporation that Mr. Espresso purchased in 1991. The conveyor and hopper transport ground coffee to a packaging machine from two grinders that also have at least a quarter century each of service, says John Di Ruocco, operations manager and son of the founder.

A rugged flexible spiral is the only moving part that contacts the ground coffee. As it rotates, the spiral self-centres within a flexible plastic tube, providing uniform wall clearance that eliminates or minimises grinding or clogging of the material.

“This is a problem-free way of transporting ground coffee,” Di Ruocco notes. “Any other conveying option would entail higher cost with no additional benefit. When a machine works as well as this one does, there is no need to replace it.”

However, the company recently required the addition of a stainless steel hopper cover, and initiated a request through Flexicon representatives at the Specialty Coffee Association of America Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.

The cover measures 91 by 91 cm, says Di Ruocco. Flexicon customised the cover with two inlets that mate with each grinder discharge chute.

For easy access to the interior of the hopper, a hinge runs the length of the lid creating a 91 cm long door that swings up.

ABOVE: Coffee is discharged from two grinders into the 226 l capacity hopper that charges the flexible screw conveyor.

54 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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22/03/2018 10:34:56 AM

CONVEYORS

FIG 1

FIG 2

ABOVE & FIGURE 1: A flexible spiral is the only moving part contacting the coffee, which is discharged below the point at which the spiral connects to the motor drive, preventing material contact with seals or bearings.

FIGURE 2: The 226 l capacity hopper and cover are fabricated of stainless steel with sanitary finish.

FIG 3

FILLING COFFEE PACKAGES FOR 25 YEARS

FIG 4

FIGURE 3&4: The packaging machine outputs 78 or 198 g packets of gourmet coffee for customers throughout the San Francisco Bay area.

FIGURE 5: Oak wood roasted coffee: Mr. Espresso boasts it is the first and only roaster in the United States to roast coffee beans over a fire fuelled exclusively by wood.

An operator manually loads roasted beans into the hoppers of the grinders, which are positioned on either side of the 226 l capacity hopper. Ground coffee flows from the grinders into the hopper, which charges the 76 mm diameter flexible screw conveyor. The coffee is then conveyed 3 m at a 45 degree incline to a filling machine for 78 to 198 g packages.

Despite its age and lack of modern controls, the flexible screw conveyor continues to reliably and automatically deliver ground coffee to the filling machine, for a quarter-century of productivity for Mr. Espresso. “With the new stainless steel cover in place, the conveying system has many years of service ahead,�

Di Ruocco says.

CONTACT: sales@flexicon.com.au

FIG 5

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018 55

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CONVEYORS

talk

Conveyors – some notes for design engineers

Although few new bulk materials handling projects are being announced, some are already underway and most involve conveyors. There are many upgrade projects, too. What can be done to improve conveyors and provide better safety and productivity?

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

In January/February 2018 he looked at belt conveyor drive considerations.

In coming issues, he will consider stockpiles, guards and standards, belt tracking, design processes, maintenance, and wet ore challenges. *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.

C

onveyors should never be a bottleneck to

a materials handling system. Well-designed ones should carry the design quantity of materials without spills, be safe and easy to maintain, not experience random and serious component failure, and be available for at least 95% of the time.

Some aspects of conveyor availability can be improved in design, without significant cost: • Provide good maintenance access and design for safer and faster repair • Minimise the number of components • Use designs and components that last longer, wear better and are easier to change • More use of new technology and methods • Better brake control and reduce the number of spurious trip outs Designing for safe and best practice construction is good, but this only occurs once. What is constructed leaves an operating and maintenance legacy over 20 or even 50 years.

MAINTENANCE ACCESS AND PROCEDURES Every mechanical and electrical component on a conveyor will wear out many times in its life. Many conveyors need repair at short intervals of weeks rather than years.

Idler rolls, pulleys, belt, wear liners, skirts, cleaners, ploughs, motors, gearboxes, switches and more will all need to be repaired or replaced safely several times, and in the minimum practical time.

Current designs can facilitate maintenance by considering how to access, remove and replace components: • Conveyor drives located at ground level.

• Lifting facilities and documented crane studies for elevated components. Check component weight if manual lift proposed.

• Design for ease of removing pullies. Cutting the belt is rarely acceptable practice. “C” hooks for lifting, and facilities to pull the belt away are good.

• Provide safe belt de-tensioning facilities.

• Design so that structure (hand rail and kick flats especially), electric cables and trays, and piping, do not limit access for component removal.

• Adjust platform and walkway levels and width to give clear access to cleaners, ploughs, chute doors, lubrication and for splicing and the like.

• Provide safe access at loading points for all components: return idlers, carry idlers, skirts, chutes, doors, instruments. One narrow walkway is often insufficient.

• Consider rotable chutes, and chutes made only from wear materials. Lifting methods and access for removal.

• Give space and structure for belt lifting equipment to access idler rolls, or provide retractable or drop-down frames. Access to return idlers must be considered.

• Provide suitable belt change and splice facilities with wider walkways, power and lighting at splice locations. Long conveyors benefit from more than one splice location. Provide reelers and rollers to guide the belt on and off.

• Pipe oil to and from ground level to elevated gearboxes and hydraulics to simplify oil change.

• Automated or semi-automated lubrication is more reliable than manual. Grease nipples or canisters inside guards are unacceptable.

• What condition monitoring facilities are required?

Are they installed well, accessible and away from damage and dirt build up?

• How will the inevitable spillage and carry back – minimised by good design practice – be cleared?

MINIMISE THE NUMBER OF COMPONENTS

• A single drive needs less maintenance, and is easier to control than two drives on a single pulley.

• Identical drive arrangements are better than mirrored drives.

• Standardise components across site: belting, pullies, drives, idlers, cleaners, ploughs.

• A larger gearbox with an integral oil pump has fewer maintenance actions than a small gearbox with external cooling, electric pump, radiator and fan.

• Can the drive be designed without a snub pulley

56 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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CONVEYORS

FIG 1

or launch pulley? Always design with the lowest practical number of pullies.

• Avoid tripper drives, use curved or other types of conveyors where possible to reduce drive and chute quantity (see Figure 2).

BETTER DESIGN AND COMPONENTS Good design and component selection based on realistic operating practices, with correct installation and good access, provide longer life and better maintenance: • Use good proprietary designs; chute access doors, belt ploughs, guards, skirts.

• Use belt friendly idler frames and idler rolls that fail without “cookie cutter” edges.

• Are light weight idlers a viable option? Plastic or aluminium.

• Use quality pulley bearing housings and seals, and manage shaft deflection limits.

• Match bearings and seals to lubricants.

• Select conveyor belt covers for the duties.

• Select conveyor parameters that manage and limit tension in belts during starting and stopping.

• Select appropriate chute wear materials and installation methods.

• Install according to supplier directions, especially cleaners, skirts and ploughs, also instruments and electrical components that need rigid and vibration free support.

• Guard systems must be designed for protection.

Guards must be easy to remove and replace within safety guidance rules. Guards must also last the life

of the system.

• How many bolts are needed in an access hatch or to connect chute flanges? Why supply 40 when two and locating pins will be sufficient?

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS Predicting failure, planning replacement, and avoiding damage and downtime offers increased safety, productivity and cost saving. Many recent technologies could be incorporated in conveyor designs: • Possibilities for remote monitoring of idler roll condition.

• Possibilities for on-line condition monitoring on the belt and splice condition.

• Developments that make idler roll changing safer and easier, and may eventually go as far as full automation • Chute forms that offer better wear life, and have rotable quick-change components.

• Safety guarding systems that provide compliance and simplicity.

• Innovative transport systems that could change the way we handle ore.

• Improved control, monitoring and isolation systems.

• Cleaners and skirts that make for easier and safer change, and better operation.

• Instruments and sensors that are appropriate for measuring bulk materials.

• Developments in rubber and wear materials that offer longer life.

FIG 1: Dual carry overland conveyor.

“ Designing for safe and best practice construction is good, but this only occurs once.

What is constructed leaves an operating and maintenance legacy over 20 or even 50 years.”

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018 57

409 Steve Davis.indd 57

22/03/2018 10:50:04 AM

CONVEYORS

FIG 2

BRAKE CONTROL AND SPURIOUS TRIPS When a conveyor trips, a materials handling system stops with it. When a system trips, there are delays as the cause is assessed, and in restarting. The most productive conveyors are those that are available and are running, and are stopped only when necessary.

Refer to Table 1.

Often, conveyor systems have a single mode of stopping, where brakes engage and the conveyors are stopped in the shortest practical time for all alarms.

PLC/DCS control, with VFD drives, allows for selective control and should be used to this effect.

Consider a control system that has two or three stopping modes instead of one: 1. Emergency stop – brakes are spring applied, belt tension spikes, structural loads etc. For common “e-stop” requirements only: pull wires, blocked chute, belt rip, etc. where injury or damage must be limited. The conveyor stops full, with full load restart.

2. Controlled stop – VFD deceleration, controlled braking, material can be run off, lower tension and loads. Belt stops empty with light restart.

Use for shut-down and second stage alarms: oil temperature, pressure, belt wander, etc., where no immediate injury or damage results and a longer stopping time is acceptable.

3. C oast to a stop – de-energise the drives, brakes apply at zero speed. For many conveyors, the coasting time is not much longer than the braked or decelerated time. An option for conveyors with simpler control features and brakes.

Evaluate every trip and control setting. Conveyors are more productive operating than tripped.

1. Which monitored devices are safety or damage

TABLE: 1

indicators? Which are not?

2. Is an immediate stop required for elevated gearbox oil temperature, reduced oil pressure, elevated motor current or temperature, elevated bearing vibration level, belt drift indication, counterweight movement etc.?

Will these events cause immediate damage or can the warning be monitored, with second stage level alarms that shut down in a controlled manner before risk of damage?

3. Can the feed to the conveyor be reduced, to reduce elevated indicators in conditions such as high ambient temperatures? Conveyors often trip at full load in the hottest parts of the day.

4. Can flyrock activate pull wires? Is a shield possible to avoid spurious trips?

5. Will flyrock cause a blocked chute trip? Use two sensors with both to trip, or one sensor with a small time delay to avoid spurious trips? Are the sensors in the correct locations?

6. Start control ramp should provide sufficient torque for as long as required for the conveyor to start under worst case conditions. Aborted start trips for arbitrary time or current (monitor motor thermal capacity) limits should not be used, yet these are still common.

FIG 2: Comparison of components in three conveyors and a single conveyor .

TABLE 1: Comparison of the effect of stop strategy.

58 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

409 Steve Davis.indd 58

22/03/2018 10:50:06 AM

NEW PRODUCT

Kalmar launches reachstackers, handlers Kalmar has introduced a new range of mobile equipment and a TL2 terminal tractor. It calls the new range – Essential.

B

ased on Kalmar’s G-generation platform,

the Essential range includes reachstackers, empty container handlers and forklifts. The Essential range of reachstackers (DRU450-570) comprises four models, with lifting capacities ranging from 45 to 57 tonnes. These machines can be delivered with a spreader or hook, making them suitable for handling containers or for industrial applications such as handling steel coils. There is a choice of three driveline combinations and either EU3 / Tier 3 or Tier 4 / EU 4F emissions standards compliant engines.

The range of empty container handlers (DCU80-100) offers a choice of three different lifting capacities – 8, 9 and 10 tonnes – and four different mast heights each with different

stacking capabilities. Just as with Essential reachstackers, operators can select from three driveline combinations and emissions standards compliant engines.

The TL2 is the latest addition to Kalmar’s family of terminal tractors. It features a robust chassis, common electrical system and ground-accessible service points for easy maintenance and a common driver interface.

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22/03/2018 11:01:00 AM 13/3/18 3:27 pm

INTERMEDIATE BULK CONTAINERS

Ask an Engineer 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* considers:

QUESTION:

hat do I need to consider when selecting W portable hoppers for my process?

ANSWER:

Portable hoppers or intermediate bulk containers (IBC) come in various shapes and sizes and can be an integral part of a process.

Often an IBC is used to store or move a bulk solid, or a blend, from one process step to another.

They offer traceability in batch operations and are often used to protect valuable bulk materials, say a pharmaceutical powder, from contamination prior to being fed into a press or as a volumetric device to ensure correct mix ratios.

Because of the high value, multi-purpose duty usually associated with IBCs, it is important that their design is informed by the science of bulk solids flow so they are fit for the intended duty. So, if you don't want to live in the world of pain that is underperforming IBCs, you need to get the specifications right. But what’s really important?

The first thing to consider is how the material(s) to be handled will be fed into the IBC, and how it will discharge. Will the IBC be filled/discharged via pneumatic conveying, via bulka bags, or perhaps even manually? How will the IBC discharge to my process?

Will feed be controlled via feeder, screw, belt, etc., or perhaps it will just be opened via a slide gate that allows material to flow out?

The answers to these questions, which are often material specific, will aid in narrowing down IBC selection options. While this step can be quite involved, it is nevertheless essential, because it is the system’s interactions (ICB and its peripherals) that will dictate performance.

Another thing to consider is the transportation path of the IBC in the process. Typically, IBCs are used because the material to be handled is a high dollar item and needs to be protected from contamination or metered volumetrically into the process.

Fine powders however, are often adversely affected by overpressures – pressures greater than those

caused by gravity alone. If the fill point for the IBC is on the other side of the processing plant, and the journey to the discharge point is bumpy, the powder may be subjected to vibration – a source for increased powder strength and a commensurate decrease in the powder’s flowability. Alternatively, vibration may cause the powder to become aerated and to behave like a fluid and flow uncontrollably. Think of a bag of flour that you open and tip upside down – a little messy.

Additionally, the entrainment of the powder in air may have a side effect of dust creation; this may be a hazard and perhaps even an explosive one.

IBCs are often used as blending devices to ensure homogeneity of the material inside. Perhaps the final step in your process is to fill an IBC, in precisely the correct ratios, with both active ingredients and fillers just prior to placing it above a pill or pelleting press.

If the individual powders have different particle size distributions and the IBC is not designed correctly, segregation of the materials can occur because of the differing velocity gradients during discharge. There are many types of blending IBCs and the correct selection, based on the material flow properties and science of solids flow, can aid in this process.

*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.

“ Over time the powder built up in the valleys…..and not all of it discharged.”

Lastly you want the powder you place in the IBC to come out again. As such, a key step to selecting an IBC is to ensure that:

AU

Di

• Materials handling test work is conducted to characterise the powder to be handled

• The type of flow pattern required for the application, mass flow or funnel flow, is defined

13

60 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

410 Jenike & Johanson.indd 60

M in

co 22/03/2018 11:05:07 AM

TAG XXXXXXXXXXX FIG 1

FIG 2

FIG 3

FIG 1: Intermediate Bulk Containers in situ FIG 2: IBC Tumble Blender FIG 3: Dump Hopper and feed system FIG 4: V-Blender FIG4

• The correct hopper geometry is defined (planar or • •

circular) and hopper angles are steep enough to ensure flow The IBC is lined or fabricated with the appropriate liner type and surface finish to ensure that material slides on the wall eliminating stagnant zones The volume of the IBC is correct for the process – this along with other parameters will affect consolidation pressure in the IBC

Poor material flow is a costly problem for bulk materials processing operations that persist for the life of the operation, long after the “benefit” of the cheap solution has disappeared. Think of the costs involved because an active ingredient didn’t make it to the tablet press, or because material remained in the IBC and degraded over time.

A few years ago I was asked to inspect a candy manufacturing facility that produces mint-flavoured candies. The end product suffered from being either too minty or not minty enough. During the production process I noticed that IBCs were used to meter in the mint flavouring powder to the process.

In this case, the root cause was ultimately a

change in the mint flavour supplier. The new mint powder was more cohesive than the previous one.

Over time the powder built up in the valleys (where two adjacent sloping walls of the hopper meet) and not all of it discharged. During transport from the filling station to the discharge point, the powder was subjected to vibration and was consolidated in the IBC. When discharging, operators would have to shake the IBC to initiate flow. On occasion the material would trickle out and sometimes it would flood out. Thus, too minty or not minty enough! Although care was taken during the original purchase of the IBCs, no-one had considered the effects that the change in supplier would have to flow.

If you are involved in the design of a portable bulk solids handling system, you need to play the tape forward and consider the implications of incorrect design. If the consequences are significant you should seek advice from a bulk solids professional to help ensure you avoid these problems.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

If so, send it to Corin directly on tel - 1300 BULKSOLIDS, email - cholmes@jenike.com or to ABHR editor Charles Macdonald at email - charles.macdonald@mohimedia.com

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22/03/2018 11:05:21 AM

NEWS

Tyre recycling race heats up Tyre recycler Pearl Global has just listed on the Australian share market. Its recycled products include a fine powder, carbon char, which can be upgraded to activated carbon. ABHR editor Charles Macdonald spoke to the company’s managing director, Andrew Drennan.

G

lobally, the problem of what to do with

old tyres is a headache. A migraine in fact.

Each year between one and 1.5 billion tyres are discarded, with many dumped in landfill, burnt or inappropriately jettisoned. The figure for Australia is around 85 million tyres, per year.

Stacked tyres, forming tyre mountains, are a fire hazard and a health hazard. The tyres very effectively capture rainwater, forming perfect breeding ponds for mosquitoes.

Appropriately recycled and processed, though, old tyres can produce a range of valuable products, from powders and crumbs to liquid fuels and steel.

The latest entrant into the recycling race in Australia is Pearl Global which listed in February 2018. Unlike other companies in the tyre recycling space which collect tyres and turn them into crumbed rubber, Pear Global offers secondary treatment via its own specialist technology.

The process, known as thermal desorption (TD), uses heat to separate waste into its component parts without the use of chemicals or acids. This is done using a special enclosed oven, sealed from the atmosphere. The oven is referred to as a thermal desorption unit, or TDU. The TD technology has been developed over the last 10 years by Keshi Technologies, which licences the technology to Pearl. Both companies

share owners. The technology was invented by Phil Erasmus and the current commercial incarnation of the technology is the ninth version.

In the case of waste tyres, shredded rubber is passed through a number of variable zones in the oven that precisely manage the temperature, time and motion of the material based on its physical and chemical properties. This ensures that little or no unwanted or poisonous gases are generated.

The sealed oven has a discharge port with multiple air locks from which the carbon and steel products exit. Gases generated by the process are passed through a condenser, where useful hydrocarbons are captured, with the remaining gases passing through a thermal oxidiser to minimise emissions.

If any of the thermal desorption parameters are out even slightly, the process will lead to the creation of unwanted and potentially hazardous gasses and to the degradation of the products recovered in the process.

Pearl is commissioning its first production plant at Stapylton in Queensland. “This is the first plant of its type in Australia and we expect to be ramping up to full production over coming months,” said Pearl managing director Andrew Drennan.

At full production, each thermal desorption unit can process around 5,000 tonnes of shredded

S ABOVE LEFT: Pearl Global managing director, Andrew Drennan.

“This is the first plant of its type in Australia and we expect to be ramping up to full production over coming months.”

62 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

419 Tyre recyclers.indd 62

w

22/03/2018 11:12:25 AM

TAG XXXXXXXXXXX

Tough going for another tyre hopeful, Pyrolyx

ABOVE LEFT: Pearl Global’s first commercial plant at Stapylton in Queensland

rubber per annum.

Besides liquid fuels and steel, Pearl’s process can produce carbon char, a substance with similar properties to coal but lower sulphur and higher energy.

This fine powdered substance can be sold as an energy source for cement kilns or further upgraded into higher value products such as activated carbon, with an improved emissions profile.

“There is potentially high global demand for quality

activated carbon, which is used in plastics, paint, industrial manufacturing and water filtration,” said Drennan.

Pearl is also advancing plans to commercialise degreasers and solvents flowing from the liquid stream.

Andrew Drennan has an environmental science degree. He was previously an inspector for the WA Department of Industry and Resources. He was also an environmental team leader for BHP Iron Ore.

Pyrolyx AG specialises in extracting carbon black from end-of-life tyres and is building a plant in Indiana in the US which comes in addition to its existing German plant.

Unfortunately, the US facility will cost more than Pyrolyx expected and, partly as a result, the company’s share price is down by about a third on its $1.50 listing price from August 2017.

According to Nils Raeder, CEO “Following its completion, the plant in Indiana will be the most advanced of its kind and will produce about 12,900 tons of recovered carbon black every year as well as pyrolysis oil and steel.”

On Pyrolyx’s supervisory board are Michael Triguboff, son of apartment-builder Harry, and ex-Macquarie banker Michael Carapiet.

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419 Tyre recyclers.indd 63

22/03/2018 12:48:19 PM

GRAIN HANDLING

Black Sea region a slow motion tidal wave in wheat market The Black Sea Region will continue to transform the global wheat market. Its low-cost wheat industry is growing fast and swamping Australia’s market share in South-East Asia, warns a just-released industry report.

T

he report, The Brass Tacks of the Black

Sea Wheat Challenge, by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank, says the sustained presence of Black Sea Region (BSR) wheat in SouthEast Asia (SEA) – and indeed all markets – “is not a short-term phenomenon”, and urges Australian wheat suppliers to “rise to the challenge” by focusing on their value proposition.

Report author, Rabobank senior grains and oilseeds analyst Cheryl Kalisch Gordon says while wheat from the BSR (incorporating Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Danube River countries) has been increasing its presence in export markets for some time, it is timely to assess if this is “a blip or the basis for long-term battles”.

“Our research found that while some of the drivers behind the growing dominance of BSR wheat in markets will wax and wane, others are set to persist, especially in light of growing investment in the region,” she says. “And it is the volume and price of Black Sea-origin wheat in Australia’s traditional and major markets in SEA that is cause for concern.”

Dr Kalisch Gordon says Australia has already lost market share, from supplying almost 60 per cent of SEA’s wheat requirements in 2011/12 to less than 40 per cent in 2016/17. Canada, the US and Argentina are also not immune to market share losses.

“While Australia is well placed to share markets and maintain its growth path in global trade, much will hinge on how the industry responds by proactively assessing and improving its position in the new world wheat order,” she says.

What’s behind the challenge?

The report says over recent years, the BSR has been a significant contributor to the “world being awash with wheat”, with Black Sea-origin wheat having grown from comprising less than 10 per cent of global grains markets in the early 2000s to 25 per cent today.

“This growth in supply – together with the competitive price at which the BSR is able to reach world markets – has protracted the glut, as even at the current low prices, Black Sea Region wheat production is still profitable,” Dr Kalisch Gordon says.

The Rabobank report says that notwithstanding year-to-year seasonal variability, the BSR’s underlying capacity to maintain and increase supply is substantial, due to a number of factors.

“Firstly, Russia and Ukraine have achieved significant wheat yield gains in recent years, with compounded average growth rates of 3.2 per cent and 4.7 per cent respectively since the early 2000s,” Dr Kalisch Gordon says. “This compares with growth rates of 2.5 per cent in Australia and 1.4 per cent globally over the same time period.”

Dr Kalisch Gordon says the higher yield growth, together with lower labour costs, has helped deliver significantly lower on-farm costs of grain production, estimated by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre at around A$121/tonne in Russia and A$133/tonne in Ukraine – compared with A$216/tonne in Australia.

“While there is no substitute for a run of favourable seasons – and the BSR has enjoyed good conditions for five consecutive years – adoption of

ABOVE: Cheryl Kalisch Gordon.

“ …onfarm costs of around A$121/tonne in Russia and A$133/ tonne in Ukraine – compared with A$216/ tonne in Australia…”

I s

B u t

Im s E

C e O 64 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

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22/03/2018 12:50:07 PM

TAG XXXXXXXXXXX

improved agronomy, soil management and strategic chemical application have also provided significant upside to wheat production, especially in Ukraine, with average yields already over four tonnes per hectare,” she says.

“Other significant factors delivering a competitive advantage in the region are the depreciation of the Russian rouble and Ukrainian hryvnia, as well as low freight rates.”

While the relative currency differentials and freight rates are expected to move in favour of Australian wheat exports, Dr Kalisch Gordon says these projected shifts are not enough to significantly change the competitive positioning of BSR wheat.

“This is due to these forecast shifts in currency and freight being small relative to the price difference between BSR and Australian wheat,” she says, “underpinned by growing investment in the region, with the presence of international players in the region’s supply chain, including increasing cooperation with vertically integrated agro-holdings.”

Dr Kalisch Gordon says in light of these factors, Rabobank forecasts total Black Sea wheat exports to increase by a further 18 per cent to 45 per cent by 2030/31.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE The report says Australian suppliers need to recognise the BSR will present a “sustained test of their positioning over the mid to long-term”.

“This is despite the positive demand side of the equation, with SEA demand growth for wheat expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of six per cent out to 2025,” Dr Kalisch Gordon says.

“So while we are fortunate that the demand fundamentals are strong, and this should ensure there is a ‘position for us all’, Australia can’t win as a low-cost supplier to the SEA. “As such, there needs to be a focus on capturing the value of Australian grains, by delivering a product that is superior in terms of milling, baking, and manufacturing, but also customer service.”

Dr Kalisch Gordon says sensor technology, digital recording and blockchain technologies will also play a growing role, as consumers increasingly demand safety and sustainability.

“While consumers currently have low, to no visibility, in terms of the provenance of their wheat, over time they will be increasingly concerned by where their flour comes from, and Australian suppliers need to ensure their product is positioned as high quality, reliable and safe,” she says.

“While consumers currently have low, to no visibility, in terms of the provenance of their wheat, over time they will be increasingly concerned by where their flour comes from.”

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22/03/2018 11:15:18 AM

FREIGHT RAIL

Innovative engineering can reduce freight rail capex by 15% A traditional rail engineering design relies on industry ‘rules of thumb’, which causes highly uneven forces on freight rail coupling systems during train operation. This leads to overly conservative engineering design of allowable vertical grades on railway systems.

By Maneesh Gupta*, technical director and rail team leader, Aecom

I

n a world first, Aecom has successfully

developed an iterative analysis process that correlates these forces with the vertical grades. This enables a less-conservative rail design solution. We estimate that this can reduce the capital cost of freight rail networks by up to 15 percent.

Aecom looks forward to applying this new technique – outlined below – in Australia.

Many fields of engineering use empirical assumptions as a foundation of design. These ‘rules of thumb’ have been used for a long time and have been shown to work. However, rail vehicle dynamics are complex and often the design practitioners don’t necessarily know the science or maths that underpin them.

Engineers are often conservative and apply a large safety factor to cover risk. Whilst providing the outcome desired, following these rules of thumb can lead to greater capital and operations costs, as the infrastructure solution is ‘over-designed’. The end result is gold-plating and infrastructure that costs more than it needs to.

A key role of the engineering profession in the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’ is to harness big data, new computational powers, and increased knowledge to challenge these rules of thumb, and to create designs that are fit for purpose, effective and deliver the required outcome at the least cost.

Our work on modelling the forces that large freight rail systems are subjected to, and reducing the variability of these forces by using our iterative design process, is one of these advances.

Simple in concept, but effective in outcome, we estimate that it could reduce bulk earthwork costs by up to 30 percent in new freight rail systems. This in turn could reduce total capital costs by up to 15 percent. There are also other potential savings that apply. Put together, these savings could be very significant in the context of Australia’s Inland Rail project.

The forces that are experienced between the couplings of freight rail vehicles are a major consideration when designing a railway. The largest of these forces drives the physical limits engineers apply to vertical grades.

We have developed a computational modelling approach to quantify the forces that apply in freight

rail networks. Our modelling approach confirms that the operational functionality, safety and reliability risk profiles of the infrastructure are no worse than those obtainable by adopting conventional approaches.

Our detailed analysis and investigations have revealed that a large number of heavy haul freight rail networks allow highly variable train dynamic forces and, therefore, overly specific grade requirements. This imposes significant economic penalties without necessarily improving operations.

For example, specifying longer spacing between the changes of grade points than what is needed directly impacts the cost of: • Earthworks — by restricting the volume and earthwork balance optimisation opportunities

• Drainage structures — such as major bridges and culverts, as their locations are sub-optimal and typically these structures are set at higher elevations than necessary

ABOVE: *Maneesh Gupta is based in Perth, where he leads Aecom’s West Australian rail team.

A graduate in Civil Engineering, with an MBA from Manchester Business School (UK) Maneesh has over 25 years’ experience in the freight and passenger rail industries encompassing rail operations, maintenance, construction and design. He is currently the WA Chairperson of the Railway Technical Society of Australia within Engineers Australia and is a board member of the National Civil College Board of Engineers Australia.

• Grade separated crossings — by impacting their minimum elevation

• Passing loops and yards — by impacting their location • At grade road crossings — by necessitating more extensive modification of existing roads and road junctions.

The benefits include direct savings and numerous collateral benefits. The expected direct benefits are between 15-30 percent of earthwork volumes and associated capital expenditure costs.

In addition, an overall reduction in earthworks will also reduce the size and scope of the geotechnical field investigation campaigns and associate direct cost and schedule benefits. The length and height of bridges whose size was driven by topography will also be reduced. There will also be a likely improvement in clearances within thirdparty utility crossings and a reduction in earthworks at level and occupational crossings.

A 15-30 percent reduction in earthworks will also result in many indirect benefits. There will be less time required to deliver construction. This, in turn, will result in benefits, including: • Minimising safety risks due to reduced

“ The benefits include direct savings and numerous collateral benefits.”

construction hours.

• Environmental advantages, as the work footprint and the need for pits and spoil dump sites will be reduced.

66 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

404.indd 66

22/03/2018 11:17:13 AM

NEWS

General manager for Haver & Boecker Australia Packaging and processing technology developer and supplier Haver & Boecker has appointed Clélio Tonelli Filho (pictured below) as the new general manager of the company’s Australian business.

M

BINTECH SYSTEMS DRY SOLID FLOW SOLUTIONS SWR ENGINEERING

r Tonelli arrives from Haver

& Boecker’s Latin American operation. He replaces Gabriela Emanuele who is returning to company headquarters in Germany.

Mr Tonelli, a qualified mechanical engineer, has more than 27 years of experience in packaging technologies, sales and service across multiple sectors. His experience spans cement, building materials, chemicals, agriculture and food.

Haver & Boecker provides processing and packing technology to the minerals, chemicals and building materials industries. Its brands include: Haver & Tyler, Ibau Hamburg, Feige Filling, Sommer, Behn + Bates, Newtec Bag Palletizing and Haver & Boecker.

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A

n engineer with a big

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He was described by friends and family as an “industrial workaholic” and he visited his customers at sites – such as Gove, Dampier, Kununurra and Tennant Creek – which today form the exporting backbone of Australia. He made a big impression on and was a mentor to Ian Burrell, chief executive of Control Systems Technology.

“He had a big influence on my career,” said Ian. “He was responsible for starting Inflo Belt Weighers; the business only lasted three years but sold all round the world. His company worked on a lot of the early iron ore sites in WA. He sold 200 Inflo Belt Weighers in three years and made quite a splash.”

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22/03/2018 11:18:20 AM

VIBRATORS

Vibrator for specialised

bulk handling vehicles US bulk materials equipment supplier Martin Engineering has launched a 12 VDC electric vibrator aimed at material flow in specialised hauling and distribution vehicles.

A

ccording to Martin, the Cougar MDC12-

400/700 vibrators offer bulk material movement for concrete pump trucks, salt/sand/gravel/fertilizer spreader trucks and volumetric mixer trucks.

According to Martin’s publicity, the new design is able to be retrofitted to most standard brackets.

“Its high-efficiency design uses less current and runs at a lower temperature, while retaining the same power as comparable models. The result is longer equipment life with lower operating expense and maintenance costs by reducing material buildup, slow unloading, clogging and bridging.”

“Slow discharge or blockage occurs for several reasons – humidity, material consistency, etc., but out in the field, the most aggravating reason is when vibration equipment fails,” said Allen Twidell, mobile market manager for vibration at Martin Engineering. “When that happens, everything stops and operators need to take steps to manually dislodge material using shovels or rods to poke at the clog, or mallets to bang on the side of equipment. These actions can result in equipment damage or sudden discharge, which can be dangerous. The extra time and labor also raises operating costs and reduces productivity.”

Powered by a 12-volt DC motor with a maximum draw of 13 amps, the oversized permanent magnet design of the MDC12 Vibrators reduces

FIG 2

“ The new 12 VDC vibrator delivers superior performance with longlasting reliability.”

FIG 1

FIG 1: Cougar MDC12-400/700 vibrators improve material flow in pump trucks, spreaders and volumetric mixer trucks.

FIG 2: The MDC12 can be specified with a force output of 90 N or 160 N for larger applications.

demand on the vehicle’s electrical system. Dripimpregnated armature windings carry the current, and sealed, oversized bearings eliminate lubrication requirements, keep contaminants out and ensure ongoing performance with minimal maintenance.

A more sustainable operating temperature coupled with high-temperature Class F insulation puts less stress on internal components, leading to better efficiency and greater durability.

Delivering a centrifugal force output of 90 N for the pumper/spreader model or 160 N for larger spreader applications, the internal components are housed in a heavy-duty aluminium alloy case.

Weighing 8 kgs, Martin says the unit features a more compact design than comparable vibrators on the market. To eliminate moisture penetration, Martin Engineering designers placed the terminal box underneath the vibrator to better secure the electrical wiring, then filled the box with silicone rubber for added protection against moisture and other contaminants.

CONTACT: vibration@martin-eng.com

68 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

P00_MartinProduct_316.indd 68

22/03/2018 11:19:53 AM

GEARS, MOTORS & DRIVES

Schaeffler aims to improve maintenance with split technology combo

FIG 1

German industrial supplier, Schaeffler has combined three of its split technologies in a bid to reduce costs and downtime around maintenance activities.

I

ts Split SNS Housing, Split Spherical Roller

Bearing and NTSG Split Labyrinth Seal can be combined or used individually to allow repairs and maintenance to be carried out more easily.

Split technologies (as opposed to standard nonsplit bearings, seals and plummer blocks) mean machinery can be disassembled swiftly for parts maintenance or replacement.

The latest FAG split technologies also increase safety by reducing the amount of heavy disassembly and assembly tasks typical of maintenance on machinery such as conveying equipment, materials processing plant, ventilation plant, rolling and milling equipment, energy and water utility machinery and primary processing plant including timber, paper and agribusiness machinery.

“Complex additional tasks – such as removing gears and clutches, dismounting drives, and dismantling shaft lines – are no longer necessary with split components,” says Martin Grosvenor, manager – industrial projects and services, Schaeffler Australia. “This saves time and money, which both contribute to a significant TCO reduction.”

By removing many of the steps and complications involved with non-split solid bearing, seal or plummer block housing replacement, the easily

installed split technologies increase uptime and profitability. FAG split technologies – which are especially useful on shafts supported at several points and locations that are difficult to access – are typically applied to machinery such as bucket wheel excavators and reclaimers, winches and sheaves, worm conveyors, bucket conveyors, belt conveyors, mixing and stirring plant, mills and crushers, sintering plant, fans and ventilators, dust extraction plant and drive and transmission shafts.

FIG 2

FIG 1: German industrial supplier, Schaeffler, says its split housing, bearing and seal combination makes access to difficult areas simple, reducing downtime and costs.

FIG 2: Schaeffler says its split SNS plummer block housing increases bearing life by up to 50% with innovative features such as superior seals, high quality materials and optimised load distribution.

CONTACT: martin.grosvenor@schaeffler.com

Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018 69

P00-Schaeffler_317.indd 69

22/03/2018 11:20:40 AM

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22/03/2018 11:39:45 AM

NEW PRODUCT

Concetti’s new big bag system Italian supplier Concetti has launched an automatic big bag (Fibcs) weighing, filling and closing system operated by one employee.

T

he new net weighing and filling station

for single loop big bags can fill up to 150/ BB per hour. “This ensures high productivity along with flexibility,” explained Paolo Canestri, senior project engineer at Concetti. “The system allows the automation of a manual process that generally employs three members of staff, reducing costs and ensuring greater safety at work.”

The machine operator will only need to place a bag to the filling spout, while all subsequent steps such as big bag blowing, alignment of the open mouth of the big/bag after filling, automatic translation of the big/bag in the sealing station, heat sealing of the big/bag mouth, automatic lifting of the big/bag hook and automatic insertion of the mouth of the internal liner inside the big bag, are carried out automatically from the system. Another operator will take the full bags with the forklift truck at the end of filling operations According to Concetti, the machine is

innovative in that the adjustable bag-sack system allows use of bulk bags of different heights, depending on the needs and requirements of the machine, and the application. The electronic weighing system is precise.

“A very attractive application of the new filling station is bagging of aggressive and corrosive chemicals,” said Canestri. The big bag system has been entirely made of stainless steel and can be washed with water to prevent scaling. The 600, 750 and 1200 kg single-handle sacks used are polypropylene raffia with internal “PE” and are sealed with heat sealing.

Concetti designs, builds and installs customised systems for weighing, bagging and palletising granular bulk products and powders in bags and big bags.

ABOVE: Concetti’s new big bag weighing, filling and closing system.

World Leaders in Bulk Materials Handling with over 40 years of experience in Research and Consulting We are experienced and offer assistance in everything that is BULK SOLIDS, including: • Testing of Bulk Materials and Bulk Materials Handling Equipment • Consulting Services for Storage, Flow and Handling • Conceptual Design of storage and Handling Systems

3-Day Short Course Storage, Flow, Transfer and Belt Conveying Course

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

436 Concetti.indd 71

22/03/2018 11:25:22 AM

NEW PRODUCT

Skidding system moves heavy loads in tight spaces Global hydraulics and heavy lifting technology specialist Enerpac is introducing to Australasia a new Low-Height Skidding System – which stands at just 92mm with the track – for the accurate positioning of heavy loads in tight and awkward spaces.

T

he new Enerpac LH-Series Low-Height

Skidding System is a modular track system that can jack and slide heavy loads, such as transformers, generators, motors or drives, over a pre-constructed track.

“Skidding systems are ideally suited to tight spaces where cranes aren’t able to access the load effectively. The new low-height system takes this one step further by using a rigid, durable design that can access even tighter spaces, while still providing high lifting capacities,” said Warren Baltineshter, mining and heavy lifting technology manager, Enerpac Australia.

“Skidding systems are typically 200-600mm high, which is still an enormous advantage when cranes can’t access a lift site, but the Low-Height system, at just 92mm, opens up possibilities in even tighter, more compact applications.”

The Low-Height Skidding System is comprised of a series of skid beams moved by hydraulic pushpull units, travelling over a pre-constructed track. A series of special PTFE-coated pads are placed on the skid tracks to reduce friction. The push-pull units are powered by a standard Enerpac split flow pump to ensure each skid beam travels synchronously.

“When using two skidding units together, the maximum capacity is 3,560 kN of force, which can lift 400 tons, utilising 700 bar (10,000 PSI) hydraulic pressure,” said Mr Baltineshter.

The Low-Height Skidding System has a pushpull stroke of 600 mm and can change skidding direction, using hydraulic pumps and cylinders.

Customised solutions can be implemented for complex projects, such as utilising optional track support and connecting both power units together to provide synchronous travel of the load. Such a configuration would be used in applications like transformer outage maintenance.

In addition to its low height, the system offers a 2-in-1 design. It can be used either on a fully supported surface or combined with the optional track support for added rigidity when the support surface is not fully supported or when spanning a gap is necessary. The two-part design means operators do not need to own two sets of tracks for various ground support conditions.

ABOVE: Enerpac’s new Low-Height Skidding System is suitable for transformer maintenance, shown above.

BELOW: The Low-Height Skidding System.

72 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

434 Enerpac.indd 72

22/03/2018 11:22:13 AM

Special features for 2018 May/Jun Powder handling, Pneumatic conveying,

Food, Dust control, Conveyor safety

Deadlines editorial 23/4/18, advertising 10/5/18

July/Aug Weighing & level measurement,

Grain handling

Deadline 6/7/18

Sept/Oct Engineering services – design & consultancy

Deadline 14/9/18

Nov/Dec Dust control

Deadline 2/11/18

Special features for 2019 JAN/FEB Gears, motor & drives; Instruments; Electrical engineering Deadline 2/11/19

Be a part of these features!

Send news and stories to ABHR editor: Charles Macdonald at email: charles.macdonald@mohimedia.com Or call him to discuss on 02 9994 8086

To advertise!

For advertising opportunities, contact Peter Delbridge at 02 9994 8086 or email: peter.delbridge@mohimedia.com

400_House Ad.indd 73

22/03/2018 1:08:01 PM

NEWS

Live bottom trailer available in west Etnyre Falcon live bottom trailers are now available to WA, SA and NT bulk handling and agriculture industries

W

A-based road transport equipment

manufacturer Bruce Rock Engineering has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of US-manufactured Etnyre Falcon live bottom trailers for Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The Falcon trailers have a non-tipping design and unload via a horizontal conveyor. This allows the trailer to work in tunnels and under bridges, powerlines and other overhead infrastructure where access may be difficult.

The design is well suited to the bulk handling, road construction, earthmoving and agricultural industries for the transport of hot mix asphalt, sand, gravel, aggregates and other bulk products.

BRE managing director Damion Verhoogt said: “The Etnyre Falcon complements our own range of Bruce Rock side and end tippers by offering clients a solution to some specific bulk haulage challenges

such as unloading on difficult terrain or near overhead infrastructure.

“Rather than tipping, it uses a hydraulic-driven conveyor to unload the product so there is little to no risk of rollovers during unloading cycles,” said Mr Verhoogt.

High pressure, high flow pump

ABOVE: Etnyre Falcon live bottom trailer.

NEW PRODUCT

Australian Pump Industries has released a new diesel powered 4” pump that delivers both high pressure and high flow.

C

alled the QPT405SLTD, the pump uses twin

impeller technology to deliver pressures in excess of 125 psi and flows of up to 46,200 litres per hour.

“Apart from that astonishing performance capability, the pump offers user friendly features that include the ability to self-prime from depths of 7m,” explained Aussie Pumps chief engineer, John Hales. “That’s a huge advantage because the user doesn’t have to prime the entire suction line in order to get liquid into the pump.

“We’ve designed this machine like a tank.

We’ve worked with the Kohler team to apply their 425-2 engine and backed it up with a big 60L fuel tank mounted in the heavy-duty steel base.”

74 Australian Bulk Handling Review: March/April 2018

438_448.indd 74

22/03/2018 11:26:24 AM

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