Bulk Handling Today September 2012

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

1

Global Leaders in Bulk Materials Handling

Tenova TAKRAF is a key supplier of bulk handling solutions, having provided hundreds of complete systems and equipment to clients all over the world.

Our services range from feasibility studies to turnkey and project-managed materials handling contracts, backed by an efficient after-sales service.

From an African perspective, our extensive bulk materials handling track record includes, inter alia, supplying the Mozambique coal sector. We have also supplied one of the longest single flight belt conveyors in the Southern Region of Africa, including the largest number of Rapid Train Loading Systems and dome covered circular stockpiles in Southern Africa.

MINING & MINERALS

Total technology solutions for mining, bulk materials handling and minerals beneficiation.

1 Kramer Road, Bedfordview, Johannesburg, South Africa Phone +27 11 201 2300 – Fax +27 11 455 4547 – enquiries@bateman.com www.tenovagroup.com

2

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2012 TENOVA is a worldwide supplier of advanced technologies, products and engineering services for the iron and steel and mining industries

Tenova TAKRAF A4 ad new indd 1

9/4/12 11:34 AM

September 2012

Contents

Featured on the cover: Sandvik Mining Systems Tel: (011) 929-5400 www.sandvik.com

CMA

Earthmoving & Plant Hire

Cover Story

37

4

7

From the Chairman’s Desk

33 Survival of the Fittest

Inroads into Sub-Saharan Africa

Endorsing Bodies

Harbours, Ports & Railways 9

Market Forum

New Life for Old Machines

Power Transmission

11 A Man’s World?

15 World’s First Emergency Brake

CMA (Conveyor Manufacturers Association) LEEASA (Lifting Equipment Engineering Association of South Africa)

SAIMechE (SA Institute of Mechanical Engineering)

19 Next Generation Low Loss Conveyor Belts

SAIMH (SA Institute of Materials Handling)

Trucking

also mailed to members of the RFA (Road Freight Association)

Beltcon

30 Overhaul on the Cards for SA Road Network

Copyright

The monthly circulation is 4 016

All rights reserved. No editorial matter published in “Bulk Handling Today” may be reproduced in any form or language without written permission of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure accurate reproduction, the editor, authors, publishers and their employees or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the publication, whether arising from negligence or otherwise or for any consequences arising therefrom. The inclusion or exclusion of any product does not mean that the publisher or editorial board advocates or rejects its use either generally or in any particular field or fields.

Our e-mail address is bulkhandling@promech.co.za

Proprietor and Publisher: PROMECH PUBLISHING Tel: (011) 781-1401, Fax: (011) 781-1403 E-mail: bulkhandling@promech.co.za www.promech.co.za Managing Editor: Susan Custers Editor: Kowie Hamman Advertising Sales: Surita Marx DTP: Zinobia Docrat and Donovan Vadivalu Subscriptions: Please email us at accounts@promech.co.za if you wish to subscribe to “Bulk Handling Today” at R405,00 (excl postage and VAT) per year; R1 020,00 per year for Africa/Overseas.

Printed by: Typo Colour Printing, Tel: (011) 402-3468 FSC (Forestry Stewardship Accreditation)

Visit our website on www.promech.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY

AM

September 2012

3

CONVEYOR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

From the Chairman’s Desk Well this month’s article is all about our fantastic AGM and Industry Interact Weekend that was held in the Drakensberg from 24 – 26 August.

A

s always, the CMA members supported the event with great energy and enthusiasm, with all the activities well supported by members and their families.

Simon Curry

The weekend consisted of a quiz night, golf or bowls, a fancy dress dinner and disco, the CMA AGM and then prize giving and a fines session (fines were issued for late coming, stupidity, mind-changing, getting lost or mixed up etc – and all the proceeds go to registered charities – this year over R6600 was collected!).

Fines weree iss sued fo o r l at e c o m i ng , stu up id itty, m in ndchanging, ge t tin n g los t o r mixxe d up ettc I’ll let the photos speak for themselves – a superb effort was made by everyone, dressed up in the theme of the letter “B” – we had Babies, Belly dancers, Bikers, Bin Laden, Beetlejuice, Bad Fairy Tales, Bollywood, Blackberry, Batman, Beauty & the Beast, Bling, Braveheart, Bikers, Boxers, Burglars, Bank Robbers and many more - all superbly

dressed up in stunning costumes – thank you one and all for the superb effort made!

My sincere congratulations to all the winners and runners up at the various events.

Successful year

On a more serious note, we held our 2012 AGM on the Sunday morning and reviewed the achievements and challenges our industry has faced over the last year and our Financial Director Graeme Skeen reported back on a very successful year and excellent financial standing. Minutes of the meeting will soon be circulated to all.

Regarding training, our six-day Diploma in the Design and Operation of Belt Conveyors course runs from 01 – 08 October. Please support your Association where appropriate, by sending delegates to the course.

I hope to see as many of you as possible next month, at the Members’ Meeting on 16 October and the Safety Symposium on 24 October.

Enjoy the photos!

Simon Curry, Chairman

At the CMA annual dinner, Adi Frittella was the recipient of the CMA award in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the promotion of excellence in belt conveying technology. Adi was travelling on business out of the country at the time but sent the following through to us on his return – “To Directors and fellow members of CMA: I am honoured to have received the CMA award and saddened by not having been able to attend (the first I’ve missed since inception I believe).

It has been and continues being a pleasure giving something back to an industry that has given me so much education, friendship, sleepless nights and much, much more.

I thank you all for your support and assistance over many years and particularly the Cohen brothers for having introduced me to the industry and for sharing and assisting in my passion for furthering the aims of the CMA and other institutions.

I guess though that the biggest thanks go to Ivana and my children, for their patience, understanding and support.

Thank you everyone, Adi.

4

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

Adriano Frittella and his award

CONVEYOR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

Winner of the best group at the Fancy Dress (Company Brelko as “Bad fairy tales”)

Bling

Winner of most original man: Beetlejuice (Willem du Toit of Sandvik)

Bin Laden, Baby, Beggar, Biker and Belly Dancer

On the bowling green

Winner of the best couple: Bob the Builder (Malcolm and Cathy Elston of Melco)

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

5

The South African Institute Of Materials Handling

SAIMH

5IF 4PVUI "GSJDBO *OTUJUVUF PG .BUFSJBMT )BOEMJOH 4"*.)

JT B /PO 1SPmU PSHBOJTBUJPO TFU VQ XJUI BO PCKFDUJWF UP FODPVSBHF UIF USBOTGFS PG LOPXMFEHF BTTPDJBUFE XJUIJO UIF mFMET PG #VML .BUFSJBMT )BOEMJOH DPOWFZPST TUBDLFS SFDMBJNFST UJQQMFST USBJO MPBEJOH TZTUFNT FUD UISPVHI B DPNCJOBUJPO PG seminars and networking sessions. The SAIMH is made up of professional FOHJOFFST FBDI QSBDUJTJOH UIFJS USBEF JO B WBSJFUZ PG PSHBOJTBUJPOT XIP WPMVOUFFS UIFJS UJNF UP FYFDVUF UIF 4"*.) T PCKFDUJWF 5IF NBJO BJN JT UIVT UP QSPNPUF UIF BEWBODFNFOU PG UIF BSU TDJFODF UIFPSZ BOE QSBDUJDF of the Bulk Materials Handling principles and techniques.

For the SAIMH and the industry as a whole to prosper requires the support of companies such as yours and key individuals from within your organisation who share the same passion and vision within the Bulk Materials Handling industry. The advantages of being a corporate member of the Institute are as follows: t 5P NBLF UIF JOEVTUSZ BXBSF PG UIF QSPGFTTJPOBM TUBOEBSET UIBU PVS NFNCFST QSPWJEF t 5P FODPVSBHF UIF JOUFSDIBOHF BNPOHTU NFNCFST PG UIF JOTUJUVUF PG LOPXMFEHF FYQFSJFODF SFMBUJOH UP BMM BTQFDUT PG UIF CVML NBUFSJBMT IBOEMJOH t 5P QSPNPUF FEVDBUJPO USBJOJOH UP BMM MFWFMT PG FNQMPZFFT XJUIJO UIF JOEVTUSZ 5P JOUSPEVDF BOE FODPVSBHF UIF VUJMJTBUJPO PG MFBEJOH XPSME DMBTT NBUFSJBM IBOEMJOH NFUIPET BOE UFDIOJRVFT t 5P CF BCMF UP USBOTGFS BOE PCUBJO BEEJUJPOBM LOPXMFEHF BU UIF CJ NPOUIMZ KPJOU 'PSVN MFDUVSFT t 5P CF BCMF UP DPNNVOJDBUF UISPVHI UIF NPOUIMZ PGmDJBM KPVSOBM XIJDI JT TFOU UP NFNCFS GSFF PG DIBSHF

5IFTF BSF KVTU B GFX PG UIF BEWBOUBHFT UIBU ZPV XJMM CFOFmU GSPN CZ CFJOH B DPSQPSBUF NFNCFS +VTU HJWF VT B GFX NJOVUFT PG ZPVS WBMVBCMF UJNF BOE WJFX PVS XFCTJUF XXX TBJNI DP [B PS FNBJM VT PO TBJNI!HMPCBM DP [B BOE XF will assist with your enquiry.

MEMBER COMPANIES "GSJQQ 1SPKFDUT DD Bateman Engineered Technologies #FBSJOHT *OUFSOBUJPOBM 1UZ -UE #SFMLP $POWFZPS 1SPEVDUT 1UZ -UE Bulkcon CPM Engineering CT Systems cc $POWFZPS 8BUDI 1UZ -UE %BWJE #SPXO (FBS *OEVTUSJFT 1UZ -UE Deebar Mining & Industrial Supplies East Rand Engineering Services &-# &OHJOFFSJOH 4FSWJDFT 1UZ -UE &OHJDPO 4ZTUFNT 1UZ -UE Facet Engineering cc GMR Hydraulics Goba Consulting Engineers (SPVQ -JOF 1SPKFDUT 1UZ -UE )BHHMVOET %SJWFT 4" 1UZ -UE )BOTFO 5SBOTNJTTJPOT 4" 1UZ -UE )BUDI "GSJDB 1UZ -UE Illustech

,JNSBF &OHJOFFSJOH 1SPKFDUT .BDTUFFM 73/ Martin Engineering Melco Conveyor Equipment .PSSJT .BUFSJBMT )BOEMJOH 4" 1UZ -UE 0TCPSO &OHJOFFSFE 1SPEVDUT 1UZ -UE PD Engineering Services cc 1%/" . * 1UZ -UE 1) 1SPKFDUT )PMEJOHT 1UZ -UE Quadrant PHS 3FOPME $SPGUT 1UZ -UE 3JP $BSC 1UZ -UE Sandvik Materials Hanlding Africa Screw Conveyors & Material Handling Senet SEW Eurodrive 4IBUUFSQSVGF B %JW PG 1( (SPVQ 1UZ -UE Spar Western Cape Super Dock Systems Unitek Engineering ;FTU &MFDUSJD .PUPST 1UZ -UE

10 #PY 4PVUIEBMF

BULK HANDLING TODAY

SAIMH Golf Day 11 October 2012 ERPM Golf Club

5FM

'BY

TBJNI!HMPCBM DP [B t XXX TBJNI DP [B

6

UPCOMING MEETINGS

September 2012

COVER STORY

into SubInroads Into Saharan Africa

Sandvik engineers pointing out the Secunda factories in the distance

High technology engineering company Sandvik Mining Systems is making massive inroads into the mining industry in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in the iron ore and coal sectors, where it has been awarded a number of contracts for the supply of equipment such as ship loaders, stackers, reclaimers and conveyors which form part of specific integrated port and mining systems and processes, notably for projects in Angola and Mozambique.

An illustration of a Sandvik IPCC System.

S

andvik Mining Systems, one of Sandvik’s five business areas, was created in the wake of the recent restructuring of Sandvik Group’s global operations, from a merger of the company’s Underground Mining and Surface Mining divisions. The new division became fully operational in early 2012 and specialises in providing turnkey solutions predominantly involving materials handling equipment such as plant conveyors, overland conveyors, spreaders, stackers, reclaimers and ship loaders, as well as crushing and screening plants, ROM crushing stations, complete stockyards and in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) systems as well as full design and project management of the above.

The newly developed fully-mobile crushing plant makes the IPCC method a better alternative to traditional truck haulage Since Sandvik Mining Systems introduced its PF300 fully-mobile In-Pit Crushing and Conveying

(IPCC) system, there has been renewed interest in mobile crushing concepts in the major mining markets. The newly developed fully-mobile crushing plant makes the IPCC method a better alternative to traditional truck haulage, owing to lower operating and maintenance costs, higher energy efficiency, significant reduction of carbon footprint and radical decline in dust emission.

These systems are geared around a complete range of crushers which can handle a variety of ores and throughput rates.

Many years of expertise

The PF300 uses Sandvik’s proven crushing technology to offer a full range of roll crushers flexible enough to suit even the most challenging mining applications. Taking advantage of the many years of expertise in designing steel structures, crawler travel systems and apron feeders, as well as all types of conveyors and conveyor components, the entire system is custom-engineered and equipped with genuine parts.

“The range of equipment currently being supplied to surface sub-Saharan mining operations, including ship loaders, stackers, reclaimers and conveyors, is a combination of standard machinery together with equipment which has been modified to clients’ specifications in addition to equipment which has been generally designed to suit our customers’ specific requirements,”

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

7

COVER STORY

Mine incline conveyor feeding 15 000 t coal bunker

The range of equipment currently being supplied to surface subSaharan mining operations, including ship loaders, stackers, reclaimers and conveyors, is a combination of standard machinery together with equipment which has been modified to clients’ specifications.

An iron ore stacker reclaimer at Khumani in the Northern Cape

agement, technical support, construction management, spare parts supply, and all the less spoken of yet important components of a turnkey project which include items such as safety programmes and industrial relation studies, as well as social and environmental impact studies.

An overland conveyor crossing a railway line

Sandvik Mining Systems’ Dave Winterburn says.

“Since Sandvik's global strategic shift earlier this year, the company has found a new energy. We’ve achieved substantial improvements in time-tomarket, managed to differentiate on customer services and we continue to build on our strong portfolio of mining equipment and services. We are delivering on our promises and forging a clear path to future success.

8

Extensive capability

“An excellent example of this extensive capability is our recent involvement in the Sasol Thubelisha export coal mine project in Mpumalanga.

The objective of this project was to supplement the dwindling Twistdraai coal mine production with coal from the new Thubelisha mine in order to provide uninterrupted raw coal feed to the Synfuels factories at Secunda, Winterburn confirms. This would be at a rate of 10.6MTPA when in full production.

“Being part of a major global group, of which a sizeable portion is mining based, is also giving us tremendous currency in the African mining market,” he continues. “With this kind of backing and access to technical know-how, we’re able to offer a materials handling system from pit to port.

The scope of Sandvik Mining Systems contract covered the supply of two incline conveyors, two tripper conveyors, a reclaim conveyor and three overland conveyors, one of which runs for 12 km.

Included in the work was a 15 000 ton live storage concrete bunker. The system was powered along its 16 km route by five sub stations.

“We position ourselves as a full solutions provider to the industry because our offering includes an array of elements such as design and project man-

Alice Ward, Sandvik Mining Systems, Tel: (011) 929-5400, Email: alice.ward@sandvik.com, www.sandvik.com

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

HARBOURS, PORTS & RAILWAYS

New Life for Old Machines Many of the rail car tipplers in South Africa were built over two decades ago. Even so, they’re not necessarily doomed for the scrap metal pile. Many can be upgraded or refurbished at a fraction of the cost of building a new tippler.

T

hanks to a combination of software and engineering ingenuity, reliable tests on rail car tipplers and other heavy materials handling equipment, make it possible to upgrade old machines to extend life for yet another long term.

This is the essence of a message given to members of the Joint Forum of the SA Institute of Materials Handling and the Conveyor Manufacturers Association at a presentation

by Pieter van Zyl, the managing director of Nine Dot Solutions, a company specialising in Pieter van Zyl of Nine Dot Solutions analysis and design solutions in the mechanical and electronic engineering fields.

We also do FEA (finite element analysis) on current structures for modification and upgrade purposes. And our stress analysis with wireless strain gauge equipment has been designed specifically for this purpose

Specialists

“We focus on structural and design audits to ISO or similar specifications, undertake structural integrity and response analysis and also carry out strain, temperature and other measurements,” he explains. “In terms of design projects we cover all mechanical, electrical and electronic aspects and also do the manufacturing data pack compilation for these projects including component and system sourcing, research and development projects including prototype manufacturing.

“Over the past two years our specialisation has increasingly become bulk materials handling equipment. Apart from undertaking the detailed design of new equipment such as sizing stations, tipplers and stacker/reclaimers, we also do FEA (finite element analysis) on current structures for modification and upgrade purposes. And our stress analysis with wireless strain gauge equipment has been designed specifically for this purpose. The material flow analysis technology we use for all applications has been refined and is very useful in the design of tipplers,” Pieter explains.

Tipplers

Rail car tipplers are machines which operate

We use the DEM analysis to calculate the CG (centre of gravity) as the tippler goes through the various stages of the tipping cycle

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

9

HARBOURS, PORTS & RAILWAYS

in their own unique way which is not even remotely similar to other materials handling machinery like ship loaders or stacker/ reclaimers. “Because of the different operational methodologies and load cases, tipplers need to be understood very specifically before you’re able to find, analyse and understand the problems associated with tipplers,” Pieter adds. “Most of today’s tipplers, and the structures around them, were built over twenty years ago when they did not have the technologies we have today to identify and avoid potential problems.

Our FEA models are therefore reliable in coming up with very accurate stress results in order to improve on designing an upgrade or fixing problems in an existing tippler installation “Today we can not only pinpoint the problems unique to tipplers, but also modify or upgrade them reliably,” adds Pieter. “Although there are

three main different types of tipplers used in South Africa, we’ve determined that there are certain problems common to all types”.

DEM analysis

One of the first steps when commencing an analysis on a tippler is to determine the mass in the rail wagon as it goes through the tipping cycle and here Nine Dot uses DEM technology.

“We use the DEM analysis to calculate the CG (centre of gravity) as the tippler goes through the various stages of the tipping cycle,” explains Pieter.

“This also helps us to determine where the material falls and assists us in determining the optimum size bin required for the tipping system before building a model complete with all the various moving components.

“We then apply the load and systematically take the meshed software model through the tipping process,” adds Pieter. “However, rather than go through a dynamic process we make use of a linear static analysis at ten degree intervals as the cage turns through the cycle. The stresses are then calculated at each point, 40, 50, 60 degrees etc.

The result provides us with a simulation of the various stresses and how they change as the tippler goes through the cycle. Thus we’re achieving a simulated dynamic response from a static model.”

Verification

This analysis procedure can be applied to different types of tipplers. “There is no design code for tipplers so in order to verify our FEA results, we’ve developed a system whereby we apply strain gauges at predetermined positions to measure the stresses at various points in the tip cycle.

“These results are then compared with the FEA results. As the trends coincide, our FEA models are therefore reliable in coming up with very accurate stress results in order to improve on designing an upgrade or fixing problems in an existing tippler installation, regardless of the type,” Pieter says in conclusion. “Apart from the fact that our new methodology has uncovered previously-undiscovered problems, it has also helped to us to make new designs far better than we’ve been able to do in the past.”

Pieter van Zyl, Nine Dot Solutions, Tel: 086 100-9386, Email: pieter.vz@ninedot.co.za

10

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

POWER TRANSMISSION

A Man’s World?

She’s slight of build, petite and appears to be timid and demure at first, but as soon as you sit down and start talking about her work, Lorinda Lakay blossoms to reveal her total dedication to the engineering job she holds with heavy gearbox OEM, David Brown Gear Industries.

Lorinda Lakay of David Brown Gear Industries

A

rriving at the company headquarters in Benoni we expect to find her tucked into a back-office behind a computer doing menial general engineering work, but to our surprise we instead find her on the workshop floor inspecting a set of gears larger in diameter than she is tall. Her official title is senior applications engineer of the mining business unit at David Brown where she’s been working for the past three years since graduating as an aeronautical engineer from Wits University.

Understanding gearboxes

Inevitably our first question is; what is a young girl like you doing in this predominantly male world of heavy engineering? “Although I studied aeronautical engineering, specialising in structural design and the stress environment, it was a great opportunity to join David Brown and get involved in mechanical

Lorinda spent time on the production line to learn about gears

systems like gearboxes because stress is stress, whether it’s in an aircraft frame or in a gearbox,” she says with a hearty chuckle. “It quickly dawned on me that I have a knack for gear technology, especially understanding the relationship between bearings and the gears.”

One of the guys

Initially Lorinda had to fend off puzzled queries from the guys, both in-house and from outside the company. “At first the men simply don’t accept you,” she says, now smiling about it. “You’ve got to work twice as hard to prove yourself, but once they realise that you know what you’re talking about, it gets much better and today I can happily say that I’m pretty much ‘one of the boys’.

Hands on learning

“By the same token, just because you’re a woman your colleagues are not going to cut you slack in the work environment, you consistently have to bring your full potential to the table as they would expect from their male colleagues,” she adds. “Many women make the mistake of thinking they’ll get away with things just because they’re female, but my experience is rather that brain power prevails to earn you the respect you deserve as a professional specialist in your field. This is particularly true with mining engineers when I first went on site to investigate a problem. They simply did not want to listen to me, but quickly realised that I know what I’m talking about, so all is well now.”

Still, coming from an aeronautical engineering background it took a special effort for Lorinda to get into the mechanical side of gearbox manufacturing. “In the

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

11

POWER TRANSMISSION

A typical drive train designed and built by David Brown

Gear units can be designed for specific applications

beginning I spent a lot of time on the production line carefully learning each and every step of the manufacturing process,” she says. “Today my main function is on the enquiry side of the business where we do a lot of concept design and preliminary redesigns of the gear units including product improvements in general.

New gearbox

“Typically, we’ll get an enquiry from one of the

12

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

project houses on their specific requirements for a gearbox for a conveyor drive, for example,” she explains. “From these requirements we design a gearbox for that specific application or select one from our standard range of gearboxes and modify it to fit the particular application. This is great because no two enquiries are the same. Coming up with a unique solution for each problem is very interesting. It’s a matter of finding a balance

POWER TRANSMISSION

between the physical, technical and cost requirements as one complete solution.”

In just three years, her perseverance in mastering mechanical engineering in practice soon paid off when Lorinda was instrumental in bringing a new gearbox design to the international market, so far the proudest moment of her short career. “In my studies we dealt with stress and fatigue extensively as it is an integral part of aeronautical design.

However, it’s only lately that these principles are being scrutinised more intensely in other mechanical systems,” she explains. “This background paved the way for me to come up with a whole new design of a specialist conveyor gearbox for an American mining company. This design is such a success that we now manufacture it as a standard product.

Specialising

“In essence the gearbox is much smaller than the equivalent traditionally used for this application,” she elaborates. “The main challenge, however, was to find a balance so that the gearbox could run at temperatures ranging from minus 28 degrees in winter to 38ºC in summer without the need for an additional cooling system. We designed an internal

cooling system for the synthetic oil which only requires a lubricant heater purely to make start-up easier. To date the first installation of this gearbox has now been running for a full year without any of the problems previously experienced with other gearboxes. We were able to simulate the extreme real life conditions right here in our workshop in Benoni, making it a bit easier to reiterate until we found the solution.”

Future plans for this dynamic young engineer incorporate specialising in bulk handling systems with the emphasis on conveyor system design.

“I’ve become completely hooked on the challenges and opportunities there are for engineering in bulk handling systems and intend to pursue this avenue,” Lorinda says in conclusion. “In the end I’d like to design the ultimate gearbox in terms of bearings and operational life. Generally improvements and changes in gear technology are gradual and extend over a long period of time, but I think there is plenty of scope for change in the future.”

Lorinda Lakay, David Brown, Tel: (011) 748-0021 Email: llakay@davidbrown.com

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

13

14

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

POWER TRANSMISSION

World’s First Emergency Brake André du Preez, group managing director, Horne

The world’s only emergency mine-cage braking system to comply with the Ontario safety standard on both wooden and steel shaft guides, has been successfully tested by Precision engineering group Horne.

A

ll other Ontario-compliant emergency braking systems are designed to work on wooden shaft guides only.

Formally launched in 2010 after development in South Africa lasting more than two decades, Horne last year installed two Levelok E-Brake systems at Peñoles’ Fresnillo mine in Mexico, a third this year at Ivanhoe Mines’ Oyu Tolgoi Shaft Number One in Mongolia, and a fourth in 2009 (pre-launch) at the underground vaults of the Hutchinson facility in Canada.

Sales of this Ontario-compliant system are ironically not expected into South Africa herself A safe stop E-Brake in de-activated position on steel guide within the test rig

Despite the product’s South African origins, sales of this Ontario-compliant system are ironically not expected into South Africa herself, where SABS standards applied to the mine rope are sufficiently strict to preclude any possibility of failure.

For the South African market, Horne’s standard Levelok system delivers chairing only, whereby clamps hold the cage steady during load transfer, then gradually release their grip at a controlled rate to allow smooth take-up of rope stretch.

For all other countries, though, E-brake is a dual-purpose product delivering a safe stop under emergency conditions as well as the standard chairing function needed at shaft stations.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

15

POWER TRANSMISSION

Under failed rope conditions, a valve on E-Brake’s hydraulic accumulator automatically opens to force hydraulic fluid under regulated pressure from the accumulator to the clamps, activating them and bringing the cage to a safe halt. The accumulator re-charges to full pressure each time the cage is stopped at a shaft station.

The consulting engineer was sceptical, and cleared the test site around the tower of all personnel Three-fold

Three features make E-Brake unique: First, careful regulation of emergency hydraulic fluid release allows the cage to decelerate without injury to a human load. The stop is controlled.

Horne’s 60-foot high test structure at Sudbury – Ontario, Canada

Second, the system works equally safely on both wooden and steel shaft guides. No other system in the world can effect a controlled cage deceleration on the steel guides currently replacing wooden equivalents in modern mines.

Third, E-Brake has been formally tested and proven in working mine environments.

Expensive option

Horne group managing director André du Preez explains that, prior to E-Brake’s development, mines with steel shaft guides had turned to du-

16

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

POWER TRANSMISSION

plicate drum winders and duplicate ropes to meet emergency regulations.

“The steady move away from wooden shaft guides caused problems meeting the safety requirements of an emergency stop, but many countries allow the omission of an emergency braking system if the mine installs multiple ropes. So, of course, that is what they do,” André explains.

“This is a very expensive option, and arguably not safe at all because there is no control over the rate of deceleration when the cage reaches the end of the second rope. It just stops, and this can kill people. It will definitely injure them.

International

“In China and Russia, the law requires an emergency braking system irrespective of the number of ropes installed,” André notes.

Internationally applicable standards for safely stopping a cage under emergency conditions (known as the Ontario standard) specify deceleration of between 0,8 and 2g at full-man capacity, ie, when the cage is fully loaded.

“The problem is that cage deceleration tends to increase with lighter loads,” André adds, “and therefore a braking system can meet the Ontario standard, which is a full-man standard, but cause

serious injury if the cage is carrying just one or two people, because the rate of deceleration is too high for the human body to withstand.

Out the way

“After fully developing our product, what Horne did was to carry out live testing of Levelok E-Brake at the Stainless Steel Technology in Sudbury, Canada, where a consulting engineer monitored the test cage under full-man load and also with a load of just a single person.

Deceleration using E-Brake fell within the Ontario limits with a test load equivalent to a single man standing in the cage. The test structure at Sudbury comprised a tower with a height of 60 feet, fitted with steel guides, and equipped with a cage 30 feet tall.

“The consulting engineer was sceptical, and cleared the test site around the tower of all personnel, expecting a failed stop with potentially life-threatening consequences,” André recalls.

“Instead, the test was successful. We are now negotiating purchase of land to put up our own testing tower and develop the product further,” he concludes.

André du Preez, Horne Group, Tel: (011) 974-1004 Email: andre@horne-group.com, www. horne-group.com

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

17

Geared Motors \ Drive Electronics \ Drive Automation \ Industrial Gears \ Services

1Thread_4142_BUL

We regard each individual component as part of the system

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This also applies to production, sales and logistics. As a leading drive technology specialist, we help you to keep your systems running - with drive solutions that guarantee the highest degree of system availability and ensure that your business is successful.

This is what we call Drive 360° - Seeing the big picture: from system availability to problem solving competence, from low operating costs and energy efďŹ ciency to the complete system that handles all your tasks.

SEW-EURODRIVE - Driving the world.

Tel: +27 11 248-7000 Web: www.sew.co.za

18

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

BELTCON

Next Generation Low Loss Conveyor Belts Low loss rubber compounds were introduced over fifteen years ago. Since then the rubber compounds evolved further and what used to be a low loss compound fifteen years ago is basically standard quality today. To achieve a significant reduction of the power consumption in the current low loss belt conveyor, the weight of the belt needs to be significantly decreased and the properties of the rubber compound need to be changed drastically. This article also discusses the effects of applying next generation low loss conveyor belts in an existing South African project.

Introduction

Depending on the geometry of a belt conveyor, it can be said that for a long overland belt conveyor with a relatively flat profile, about 60% to 70% of the required drive power is consumed by the indentation rolling resistance. The indentation rolling resistance is caused by the visco-elastic nature of the rubber covers of the conveyor belt.

In general, the indentation rolling resistance force Fi is defined below: (1) Where C is a constant, Fz the vertical force applied on an idler roll by the weight of the belt and the bulk solid material on the belt, D the diameter of the idler roll, v the belt speed, KN the nominal percent belt load and T the temperature. The coefficients ni are introduced in equation 2 (page 22). The coefficients nZ, nh, and nD are constants and are respectively 4/3, 1/3, and 2/3. The other three coefficients are not constant. The coefficient nK depends on the roll diameter D. The coefficients nv and nT depend on the deformation rate of the rubber and the storage modulus of the rubber belt covers. In essence, the six parameters of equation 1 provide options for the reduction of the indentation rolling resistance and thus the overall energy consumption of a belt conveyor.

Aramid is a high strength fibre with tensile properties close to steel. At the same strength, aramid is five times lighter than steel and three times lighter than polyester In order to reduce the energy consumption of an existing belt conveyor, a number of practical measures can be taken: 1. Change conveyor components (affects the parameters D, Kn) 2. Change operational parameters (affects the parameters v, Fz) 3. Change belt properties (affects the parameters h, T)

Conveyor components

The number of options to lower the indentation rolling resistance by making changes to belt conveyor components, excluding the belt, are limited. The only really effective measure is to use idler rolls with a larger diameter than normal. This affects the indentation rolling resistance both directly (via D) as well as indirectly (via Kn). From equation 1 it can be seen that, if for example, the roll diameter is doubled, the indentation rolling resistance decreases by a factor of at least 21/3. Another option to decrease the energy consumption of a belt conveyor is the application of more energy efficient drives.

Operational parameters

Possible changes in operational parameters in reality are also limited. A belt conveyor is designed to safely and reliably transport a certain amount of bulk solid material over a certain distance. Normally it is not overdesigned. Sometimes the actual volumetric capacity of a belt conveyor is not fully utilised, due to either operational circumstances or built-in upgrade possibilities. In that case the belt speed v can be adjusted so that the volumetric capacity of the conveyor stays at the design capacity. This can reduce the power consumption of the belt conveyor significantly as discussed.

In terms of equation 1, decreasing the belt speed to increase the volumetric utilisation affects the vertical load Fz as well as the belt speed v. The indentation rolling resistance increases with a decrease of the belt speed caused by the increase of the vertical belt load. The required power, however, which is the product of the resistance force and the belt speed, decreases. Other operational measures can be a more frequent shut-down of the conveyor after it has been run empty. In practice, this may not be desirable because it increases the logistic complexity of the operation.

Belt properties

The most effective way to accomplish energy savings is by changing the conveyor belt itself. Three main options are available.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

19

BELTCON

From equation 1 it can be learned that firstly, the thickness of the belt cover in contact with the idler rolls plays an important part in the indentation rolling resistance. Although the effects on a fabric reinforced belt and a steel cord reinforced belt differ, in general the indentation rolling resistance decreases with a decreasing belt cover thickness.

Expected wear of the belt cover on the carry and the return side determines the required cover thicknesses. Therefore options to reduce the indentation rolling resistance by decreasing the cover thickness are limited. In practice, a belt turnover can be used to turn the belt so that the normally thinner, bottom cover also supports the belt in the return strand. It should be noted that a passage of the belt through a belt turnover also requires power

so that the application of belt turnovers to reduce the energy consumption of the overall conveyor, requires a certain minimum conveyor length.

The second main option is to reduce the belt weight. The belt weight is roughly made up from the weight of the belt carcass and covers. Since the belt covers have a certain required minimum thickness there is not much to gain in terms of weight by changing the belt covers unless a rubber compound can be used with a much lower density than the rubbers used today. Decreasing the density of the cover rubber will, however, seriously affect the wear properties of the covers. A more practical option is to change the carcass. Most long overland belt conveyors and large scale systems utilise steel cord reinforcement. If the steel cords are replaced by a much lighter material like aramid then the belt weight reduces substantially which leads to significant energy savings.

The third main option is to change the recipe of the rubber compound used for the belt covers to reduce the effect of the visco-elasticity of the belt.

The more elastic the rubber behaves, the lower the indentation rolling resistance. This is not new, most existing low loss rubbers are based on a change in the recipe of the rubber compound.

Figure 1: Para-aramid structure

20

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

Three main options are possible. Firstly, an addi-

BELTCON

tive to the recipe, like aramid, can be used. Secondly, an ingredient like the filler material can be exchanged for an alternative that increases the elasticity of the rubber. Thirdly, another rubber type can be used.

Application of Aramid

Aramid is a short form for ‘aromatic polyamide’. Aramid fibres are manmade high-performance fibres. Their molecules are characterised by relatively rigid polymer chains, linked by strong hydrogen bonds that transfer mechanical stress (Figure 1).

Low loss conveyor belts

The application of aramid in belt conveyors is not new. At the beginning of the 1990’s, aramid had already been applied in belt conveyors as reinforcement.

Recently however, aramid has also been used as an additive in the compound of the rubber used for the belt covers.

Together the two applications are very promising in creating opportunities for energy savings in belt conveyors. The question is whether or not conveyor belts utilising aramid additives and an aramid carcass can be called the new generation low loss conveyor belts.

Figure 2: Tenacity, elongation of aramid, steel and polyester

Belt carcass

Aramid is a high strength fibre with tensile properties close to steel. At the same strength, aramid is five times lighter than steel and three times lighter than polyester (Figure 2). This means that an aramid reinforced conveyor belt weighs considerably less than one with a conventional reinforcement, especially if compared with steel.

Figure 3: Cord versus straight warp fabric.

Most long overland and heavy duty conveyor belts are reinforced with steel cords. As an alternative, an aramid fabric can be used, typically in the shape of a straight warp fabric or cord fabric.

In these fabrics the aramid is oriented longitudinally and straight for optimal strength and modulus, as schematically represented in Figure 3. Another idea is Figure 4: Belt elongation and recommended take-up in percentage of centre distance with to use aramid in the form of cables, like different reinforcement materials a steel cord belt. This, however, has not behaves more elastically. It is to be expected that been developed yet. this reduces the indentation rolling resistance.

Conventional fabric reinforcement has a low elasSulfron is pellet shaped and can be mixed into ticity modulus and requires a long take-up length. rubber compounds at low loadings of typically As aramid is a high modulus fibre, belt elongation around 2 phr (Figure 5). Phr stands for parts per is low and close to that of steel belts (Figure 4). hundredth rubber. If a compounds requires 2 phr of a certain ingredient then 100 g rubber requires Belt covers Sulfron is a new aramid-based rubber ingredient 2 g of the additive. The properties of rubbers with that reduces hysteresis. The effect is that the and without addition of Sulfron are discussed in rubber compound that has Sulfron as an additive the next section.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

21

BELTCON

Rubber properties

Typically, the rubber compounds that are used in conveyor belting for long overland conveyor systems have about 40% of SBR rubber (Styrene-ButadieneRubber) and 60% of NR rubber (Natural Rubber).

The exact ratio depends, among other factors, on the price of the different rubbers on the world market. The properties of a 60% NR and 40% SBR rubber compound do not differ substantially from an 80% NR and 20% SBR rubber compound in terms of visco-elastic properties. To enable the investigation into the effect of applying Sulfron in

the belt bottom cover compound and changing from using SBR rubber to BR (Butadiene-Rubber), six rubbers were prepared (Table 1). Rubber 1 can be considered as the standard modern rubber used in long overland belt conveyors. The rubbers 2 to 6 are variants using 1,5 or 2 phr Sulfron and/or BR instead of SBR. In general BR is known to increase the elasticity of a rubber compound more than SBR. It is therefore to be expected that the NR/BR rubbers perform better in terms of the indentation rolling resistance than the SBR/NR rubbers.

(2)

Figure 5: Sulfron pellets (actual size ca. 6 mm)

22

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

In order to get a first impression of the performance of the six rubbers, the maximum rolling coefficient (MRC) has been calculated. The MRC is a parameter that is directly proportional to the indentation rolling resistance. In literature a number of expressions of the MRC can be found. Here, the MRC using the Jonker’s theory is used. The MRC can be expressed as follows: where E’ is the storage modulus of the rubber and tan the loss factor. Figure 6 shows the MRC for the six rubbers. Please note that the rubbers have been designed for application where ambient temperatures are relatively normal. The compounds are not fit for application in belting

BELTCON

that has to be used in arctic ambient conditions.

Figure 2 shows that the application of Sulfron in the rubber has a significant effect, reducing the MRC of the rubber. In addition, changing from SBR to BR further reduces the MRC. To further assess the applicability of the five new rubbers in belt conveyor cover compounds, the hardness and the abrasion characteristics were tested and compared against the properties of the basis rubber 1. Figure 7 shows that the rubber hardness, expressed in Shore A, hardly changes between the rubbers.

Figure 8 shows that the Figure 6: MRC values for the six rubber types abrasion characteristics also do not change dramatically. All six rubbers classify as at least DIN-X type rubber which is very common for rubber compounds used in the covers of conveyor belting of long overland belt conveyors.

Case study

In order to assess the potential of the application of aramid and BR instead of SBR in real belt conveyors in terms of energy, and thus costs and savings, a case study was performed. For this study the power requirements of the, at the time, new overland conveyor system at Optimum Collieries were reviewed.

The Optimum Collieries are located in the Mpumalanga province, Republic of South Africa.

Project description

Table 2 shows the data of the original KW belt conveyors of the Optimum Figure 7: Hardness values for the six rubber types overland system. In Tables 3 and 4, the belt masses are calculated for the original belts and, as an alternative, the same con- shows the rubber type used. The exact compound veyor belts using a Twaron carcass are calculated. of the rubbers is given in the second column. The The masses listed in these tables have been used third column lists the carcass type used. The for the analyses. The ST code used in the tables fourth and the fifth columns list the drive power stands for a steel cord carcass, the d code stands requirement of the belt conveyors when fully loaded for a Twaron carcass. In the case study the effect and when empty. The last two columns show the of using six different rubbers and two different possible power savings related to the base case: carcasses are analysed. Therefore the effects of a conveyor belt with rubber 1 in the bottom cover and a steel cord carcass. twelve options are calculated.

Calculation results

Tables 5, 6, 7 and 8 list the required drive power numbers of the overland conveyors KW-01, KW-02, KW-03 and KW-05 respectively. The first column

From Tables 5 to 8 it can be learned that the addition of Sulfron seriously decreases the drive power requirement of the four belt conveyors.

This information is summarised in Table 9.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

23

BELTCON

ssible energy savings varying between tthe 40% and 60%, it is fair to say that with these belts the next generation low w loss conveyor belts have been found. lo

Feasibility study F

S Substantial power savings are possible w when aramid products are applied in cconveyor belting and when a BR rubb ber is used instead of an SBR rubber.

H However, it is not only benefits that a are achieved with this combination.

T The aramid products come with a cost b both in terms of the product as well as a an increase in production cost if the p production process of the compound o or the formation of the belt needs to be a altered. The costs of Sulfron and the im implication on the production process a are known accurately. The cost of a prod duction change when using Twaron and Figure 8: Abrasion values for the six rubber types (tested in accordance with DIN 53516) a change to BR rubber are not precisely known. Therefore, in order to analyse the feasibility of the application of aramid products, Finally, Table 10 gives an overview of the maximum only the addition of Sulfron in 2 phr is studied. possible energy savings. As follows from this table, maximum energy savings are obtained in the cases where 2 phr Sulfron is added to a NR/BR rubber Substantial power savings are possible and a Twaron carcass is used. Looking at the pos-

when aramid products are applied in conveyor belting and when a BR rubber is used instead of an SBR rubber

Sulfron costs about 20 euro per kilo. Knowing the amount of Sulfron added to the rubber compound of the bottom cover, 1,5 phr or 2 phr, the extra costs per belt width can be calculated for a bottom cover with a thickness of 4 mm as used in the Optimum conveyor belts (Table 11).

Payback time

Knowing that the addition of 2 phr Sulfron gives the biggest energy savings, the costs of using a NR/SBR bottom cover with 2 phr Sulfron have been calculated (Table 12). The vulcanization properties of the rubbers 2 to 6 are similar to rubber 1. This means that a low loss bottom cover can be applied together with a more conventional top cover which makes the combination as mentioned feasible.

Knowing the exact energy savings, the cost savings can be calculated. The cost savings consist of both the reduced costs for energy as well as the reduced CO2 compensation fees. For this calculation it is assumed that the belt conveyors run under full load for 75% of the time and that they run empty for 5% of the time. The other 20% of the time it is assumed that the conveyors are not running. If the interest and depreciation effects are neglected then the payback time of the investment in a next generation low loss bottom cover can be calculated by dividing the costs per belt (last column of Table 12) by the cost savings

24

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

BELTCON

Figure 9: Overland conveyor KW-05 looking towards the head of the conveyor

(6th column of Table 13). The results are presented in the last column of Table 13.

From that column it can be seen that the payback time is two to three months. That justifies the negligence of the interest and depreciation effects.

A payback period of two to three months is excellent considering the economic life of a belt.

Rubber 1

Rubber 2

Rubber 3

Rubber 4

Rubber 5

Rubber 6

NR (SMR10) [%]

80%

80%

80%

80%

80%

80%

SBR (Buna SB 1500) [%]

20%

20%

20%

0%

0%

0%

BR (Buna cis 132) [%]

0%

0%

0%

20%

20%

20%

S 3001 [phr]

0,0

1,5

2,0

0,0

1,5

2,0

N339 type

50

50

50

50

50

50

Nytex 840

5

5

5

8

8

8

Zinc oxide

3

3

3

3

3

3

Stearic acid

1,5

1,5

1,5

1

1

1

Sunolite 240

2,5

2,05

1,75

2,5

2,05

1,75

6 PPD

1,5

1,5

1,5

1

1

1

TMQ

1

1

1

1

1

1

CBS

1,5

1,5

1,5

1,5

1,5

1,5

Sulfur

2,5

2,5

2,5

2,5

2,5

2,5

It is therefore fair to Table 1: Definition of the six used rubber compounds say that the investment Overview of the new Optimum belt in a next generation low loss rubber for the Belt conveyor KW-01 KW-02 bottom cover is more Capacity (MTPH) 2.200 2.200 than justified. It is Installed power (kW) 1.890 945 also expected that an Belt Speed (m/s) 5.75 5.75 investment in the next 1.200 1.200 generation conveyor Belt width (mm) belting using NR/BR Belt rating (-) ST 1400 ST 1400 rubber and a Twaron Belt covers (mm) 6+4 6+4 carcass will be justified Rubber compound 60%NR. 40% SBR 60%NR. 40% SBR considering the addiBelt mass (kg/m) 31.7 31.7 tional energy savings Length (m) 5.280 2.700 that they will bring.

Conclusion

Elevation Change (m) 26.5

3.3

conveyors KW-03

KW-05

1.800

1.800

945

945

5.75

5.75

1.050

1.050

ST 900

ST 900

6+4

6+4

60%NR. 40% SBR 60%NR. 40% SBR 22.6

22.6

3.720

3.304

-13.4

-5.05

It can be concluded Table 2: Data of the four new Optimum belt conveyors that the application of aramid materials in a conveyor belt, like Sulfron of a NR/BR, rubber drastically reduces the energy and Twaron, in conjunction with the application consumption of a belt conveyor.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

25

BELTCON

Top cover

6.0

1.150

8.3

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.4

Carcass

1.0

7.850

9.6

Filing

4.0

1.150

5.5

Should these belts be used in the four belt conveyors of the Optimum overland system, then the overall maximum energy savings would be between 40% and 60%. On that basis it is fair to say that with these belts the next generation low loss conveyor belts can become a reality.

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.4

Environmental benefits

Bottom cover

4.0

1.150

5.5

Total

17.0 Density (kg.m 3)

Mass (kg/m)

ST 1400 - 1200 mm Thickness (mm)

Density (kg.m 3)

Mass (kg/m)

31.7

D1400 - 1200 mm Thickness (mm) Top cover

6.0

1.150

8.3

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.4

Carcass

1.3

1.450

2.3

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.4

Bottom cover

4.0

1.150

5.5

Total

13.3

18.8

Table 3: Calculation of belt mass of the 1.400 N/mm rated belts with belt width of 1.200 mm ST 900 - 1050 mm Thickness (mm)

Density (kg.m 3)

6.0

1.150

7.2

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.2

Carcass

0.6

7.850

4.9

Filing

2.6

1.150

3.1

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.2

Bottom cover

4.0

1.150

4.8

Total

15.2

D900 - 1050 mm

Thickness (mm)

Density (kg.m 3)

Mass (kg/m)

Top cover

6.0

1.150

7.2

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.2

22.6

Carcass

1.0

1.450

1.2

Adhesion layer

1.0

1.150

1.2

Bottom cover

4.0

1.150

4.8

Total

13.0

15.9

Table 4: Calculation of belt mass of the 900 N/mm rated belts with a belt width of 1.050 mm

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

It can be concluded that the application of aramid materials in a conveyor belt, like Sulfron and Twaron, in conjunction with the application of a NR/BR, rubber drastically reduces the energy consumption of a belt conveyor

Mass (kg/m)

Top cover

26

Apart from the financial benefit, the environmental benefits in terms of a substantial reduction in the emission of, for example, CO2, should also be a major driver in deciding to change to the next generation low loss conveyor belts.

Finally, although the analyses set forth in this article have been carried out with utmost care and are based on commonly accepted theories, it should be noted that it is still theory even though the rubber properties are determined experimentally.

Therefore the next phase in the research into the next generation conveyor belts is to apply Sulfron and Twaron in a real conveyor belt using NR/SBR rubber and NR/BR and test it under laboratory and practical conditions.

This paper has been condensed due to space constraints.

The author is Prof. Gabriel Lodewijks of Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands.

7KLV SDSHU ZDV 多UVW SUHVHQWHG DW %HOWFRQ KHOG LQ Johannesburg in 2011 and copyright is vested with the IMHC. Enquiries can be made through the website; www. beltcon.org.za

BELTCON

Summary of calculation results for belt conveyor KW - 01@35 degrees C

Rubber type

Power requirements (kW)

Power savings (%)

Carcass type

Fully loaded

Empty

Fully Loaded

Empty

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Steel Cord

1.497.8

505.8

0.0%

0.0%

Rubber 2

NSR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

1.393.4

465.6

7.0%

7.8%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

1321.8

438.4

11.8%

13.2%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Steel Cord

1.277.2

421.5

14.7%

16.6%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

1.126.1

364.1

24.8%

30.3%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

1.094.6

352.1

26.9%

30.3%

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Twaron

1.266.0

294.7

15.5%

41.7%

Rubber 2

NR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

1.179.8

271.6

21.2%

46.2%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

1.120.6

255.7

25.2%

49.4%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Twaron

1.083.9

245.8

27.6 %

51.3%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

959.1

212.4

36.0%

58.0%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

933.0

205.4

37.7%

59.3%

Table 5: Calculation results for overland conveyor KW-01

Summary of calculation results for belt conveyor KW - 02@35 degrees C

Rubber type

Power requirements (kW)

Power savings (%)

Carcass type

Fully loaded

Empty

Fully Loaded

Empty

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Steel Cord

508.6

194.8

0.0%

0.0%

Rubber 2

NSR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

471.2

179.9

7.4%

7.7%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

445.5

169.6

12.4%

12.9%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Steel Cord

429.6

163.6

15.5%

16.2%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

375.5

141.6

26.2%

27.3%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

364.2

137.1

28.4%

29.6%

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Twaron

423.6

113.6

16.7%

41.7%

Rubber 2

NR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

392.7

104.9

22.8%

46.1%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

371.6

98.9

26.9%

49.2%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Twaron

358.4

95.2

29.5%

51.1%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

313.7

82.6

38.3%

57.6%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

304.4

80.0

40.2%

58.9%

Table 6: Calculation results for overland conveyor KW-02.

Summary of calculation results for belt conveyor KW - 03@35 degrees C

Rubber type

Power requirements (kW)

Power savings (%)

Carcass type

Fully loaded

Empty

Fully Loaded

Empty

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Steel Cord

464.8

241.1

0.0%

0.0%

Rubber 2

NSR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

423.1

222.3

9.0%

7.8%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

394.4

209.3

15.1%

13.2%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Steel Cord

376.6

201.3

19.0%

16.5%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

316.2

174.0

32.0%

27.8%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

303.6

168.3

34.7%

30.2%

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Twaron

397.1

164.3

14.6%

31.9%

Rubber 2

NR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

360.7

151.5

22.4%

37.2%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

335.7

142.6

27.8%

40.8%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Twaron

320.1

137.2

31.1%

43.1%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

267.4

118.6

42.5%

50.8%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

256.4

114.7

44.8%

52.4%

Table 7: Calculation results for overland conveyor KW-03.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

27

BELTCON

Summary of calculation results for belt conveyor KW - 05@35 degrees C

Rubber type

Power requirements (kW)

Power savings (%)

Carcass type

Fully loaded

Empty

Fully Loaded

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Steel Cord

690.6

295.5

0.0%

Empty 0.0%

Rubber 2

NSR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

634.6

272.4

8.1%

7.8%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

596.2

256.6

13.7%

13.2%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Steel Cord

572.3

246.7

17.7%

16.5%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Steel Cord

491.2

213.3

28.9%

27.8%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

474.3

206.3

31.3%

30.2%

Rubber 1

NR/SBR

Twaron

599.8

201.4

13.2%

31.9%

Rubber 2

NR/SBR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

550.9

185.6

20.2%

37.2%

Rubber 3

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

517.3

174.8

25.1%

40.8%

Rubber 4

NR/BR

Twaron

496.5

168.1

28.1%

43.1%

Rubber 5

NR/BR with 1.5phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

425.7

145.3

38.4%

50.8%

Rubber 6

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

410.9

140.6

40.5%

52.4%

Table 8: Calculation results for overland conveyor KW-05 Summary of calculation results Belt conveyor

KW-01

KW-02

KW-03

KW-05

Maximum power saving (%)

Rubber type

Carcass type

Fully loaded

Empty

NR/SBR with 2.0 phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

11.8%

13.2%

NSR/SBR with 2.0 phr Sulfron 3001 Steel cord

26.9%

30.3%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

25.2%

49.4%

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

37.7%

59.3%

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

12.4%

12.9%

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

28.4%

29.6%

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

26.9%

49.2%

NR/BR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

40.2%

58.9%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

15.1%

13.2%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

34.7%

30.2%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

27.8%

40.8%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

44.8%

52.4%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

13.7%

13.2%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Steel cord

31.3%

30.2%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

25.1%

40.8%

NR/SBR with 2.0phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

40.5%

52.4%

Table 9: Summary of calculation results for all overland conveyors

28

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

BELTCON

Summary of calculation results Belt conveyor

Maximum power savings (%)

Rubber type

Carcass type

Fully loaded

Empty

KW-01

NR/BR with 2.0 phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

37.7%

59.3%

KW-02

NR/BR with 2.0 phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

40.2%

58.9%

KW-03

NR/BR with 2.0 phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

44.8%

52.4%

KW-05

NR/BR with 2.0 phr Sulfron 3001

Twaron

40.5%

52.4%

Table 10: Maximum energy savings for all overland conveyors

Addition of Sulfron 3001

Belt conveyor

Tape length [m]

Costs

Belt width

1,5phr

2,0 phr

KW-01

10.580

23.361

1200mm

1,66

2,21

KW-02

5.408

11.941

1050mm

1,45

1.93

KW-03

7.448

14.390

KW-05

6.624

12.798

Table 11: Additional costs of adding Sulfron in the 4 mm thick bottom cover per metre belt Difference in power (rubber 1 vs 3)

Table 12: Costs of adding Sulfron in the bottom cover per belt conveyor

Energy saving

C02 savings

Cost saving

Pay back time

[Euro}

[Months]

Belt conveyor

Fully Loaded [kW]

Empty [kW]

[kWh]

[Ton]

KW-01

176

66,8

98.798

53

KW-02

63,1

25,2

35.467

KW-03

70,36

31,8

KW-05

94,4

25,2

10.680

2,2

19

3.834

3,1

39.683

21

4.290

3,4

39.683

29

5.741

2,2

Table 13: Costs savings and payback time per belt conveyor

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

29

TRUCKING

Overhaul on the Cards for SA Road Network The rollout of an innovative road rehabilitation system in South Africa is gaining momentum with the recent expansion of the service provider’s vehicle fleet.

J

ohn William’s Commercial Vehicles Bloemfontein has handed over five new Mercedes-Benz Axor 2628/45 trucks to road surface specialist, Velocity Road Rehabilitation South Africa, a subsidiary of Mvelaserve.

Velocity SA MD Frank Cattich

“The Axor is a comprehensible choice for Velocity SA’s requirements, with its all-rounder features, including robust design and long service intervals,” says Cornel Oelofse general manager: New Commercial Vehicle Sales at John William’s Commercial Vehicles Bloemfontein. “The Axor qualifies as the best-fit

Repairs are much longer lasting than achieved with alternative patching methods as the material is keyed into the existing surface transport solution for the Velocity road repair machine, a fully, self-contained unit that’s used to repair potholes and road surface defects instantly and effectively.”

30

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

Customised trucks

Velocity SA MD Frank Cattich says the fast turnaround time of the trucks was a big factor in helping it to mobilise its South African operations within its targeted timeframe.

Frank explains that the trucks have been customised to be fully contained unit used to repair potholes and road surface defects quickly and effectively.

Road Rehabilitation

The first step in the road rehabilitation process is the use of high volume lower pressure air to clear the defect of any debris. A bond coat is then applied through the nozzle. The aggregate is evenly coated with specialised bitumen emulsion and is then applied, resulting in a level, sealed repair that quickly blends into the existing surface.

The advanced system features low CO2 emissions as all material is 100% cold applied. No waste material is created as the machines repair the road surface directly without the need for excavation or further damage to the road surface. Repairs are much longer lasting than achieved with alternative patching methods as the material is keyed into the existing surface.

Also, a superior bond coating prevents water ingress.

The polymer modified emulsions, licensed and produced locally, have been developed in conjunction with Colas UK.

Fully-equipped fleet

“To date we have invested R20 million to set up a

TRUCKING

fleet of seven fully-equipped vehicles and we hope to grow this number to 70 units within the next five years. The five new vehicles each have a capacity of 7,5m3, while the remaining two have a 5m3 capacity,” says Frank. “Our fleet can complete 200 repairs a day, and can do it cheaper than a traditional team is able to accomplish in a week.”

All machines are fitted with GPS technology and the onboard vehicle tracking and reporting system provides comprehensive data of each repair carried out.

“These records will allow municipalities to calculate future budgets for road maintenance as well as to justify funds spent in this area.

On the whole it will ensure government can keep its finger on the pulse of progress in the maintenance of the country’s road network,” says Frank.

Records will allow municipalities to calculate future budgets for road maintenance as well as to justify funds spent in this area He reports that in the UK 70 machines are deployed seven days a week and that the South Africa situation would justify a fleet of as many as 100 vehicles.

Operator training began in 2011 and with each unit capable of completing up to 16km of repairs each day, local roads are poised to undergo a facelift once take-up of the system begins.

“We are grateful for the commitment and professional service that John William’s Commercial Mercedes-Benz Axor 2628/45 truck/Road repair machine Vehicles Bloemfontein and Mercedes-Benz South African have provided. The fast turnaround time of the trucks was a big factor in helping us to mobilise our South African operations within our targeted timeframe,” concludes Frank.

An enhanced supply chain

Frank adds that the benefits to the local supply chain are many, with a maintained and safer road network integral to the efficient and cost effective transport of goods.

Frank explains that velocity patching technology has been undergoing development in the UK since 1985. “More than twenty years of product and process development has culminated in the road repair machines that we manufacture and operate today.”

The units have been demonstrated to the public and private sector in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West province and Frank believes it is just a matter of time before the benefits of the process are acknowledged.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

31

TRUCKING

Preventative road maintenance

“We have taken the initiative to introduce a process that can tackle road maintenance on a national scale. It requires a huge investment but we are not limited by the number of machines that we can deploy. Furthermore our staff employment and training programme is ongoing.

“The Velocity process offers, for the first time in South Africa, an affordable and sustainable solution to preventative maintenance of roads. It offers enormous benefits, such as the reduced time required to repair a pothole, with a vehicle able to ride over the patch within eight minutes, thus minimising traffic disruptions.

A vehicle able to ride over the patch within eight minutes, thus minimising traffic disruptions “We offer a complete solution to the road surface problems faced by the public and the business community.

It is a long-term project to overhaul the country’s road network but we have already witnessed a huge commitment by the private sector to become involved with preventative maintenance initiatives. Now we require the endorsement from and collaboration from government and municipalities,” says Frank.

Frank Cattich, Velocity Road Rehabilitation SA Tel: (011) 463-9171, Email: frank@velocitypatching. co.za, www.velocitypatching.co.za

32

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

EARTHMOVING & PLANT HIRE

Survival of the Fittest

T

o gain perspective into this market “Bulk Handling Today” speaks to Werner Scheepers, operations director of MCC, one of the strongest plant rental companies in South Africa. “We are fortunate in that we’ve been in the business for long enough to know you have to be prepared for the good and the bad times,” he says. “Many companies are turning belly up because there is very little new project work locally right now.

Now that many construction projects are winding down, the market is flooded with yellow metal machinery, so some are cutting the rates to try and survive the aftermath, not a healthy situation for business.

“The recession has certainly eliminated those who jumped in boots and all to buy yellow metal machinery simply to reap the benefits while the going was good,” Werner adds. “Some of them are cutting rates, but that’s not going to be the answer. Service and support play a vital role in retaining customers. Those who came into the industry during the boom had it easy, skimming the cream, but now they’re going to have to start working and show their metal in order to keep the business afloat.”

Many companies are turning belly up because there is very little new project work When we arrive at the company’s stock yard at headquarters in Midrand, we notice the yard is relatively empty, a good sign as most of the machines should be out in the field, working. “About 85% of our plant hire fleet is out right now, but this still leaves 15%,” Werner says. “This amounts to around 70 to 80 units standing, the size of some

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

33

EARTHMOVING & PLANT HIRE

rentals companies out there. So, it’s an indication that rentals certainly are significantly lower than previously.”

Mining paves the way

Apart from the plant rental division, MCC has a mining contractor division which undertakes contract mining projects all over Africa. They recently won the mining contract for the Benga coal project, in Mozambique, and are busy negotiating the contract for the expansion phase of French nuclear and power engineering firm Areva’s Trekkopje uranium project in Namibia.

Although we rent equipment to our mining division we also rent equipment directly to mining companies They also recently started contract mining on Total Coal’s Dorsfontein coal project near Witbank. The contract miner has until recently been involved in the Trekkopje project but concluded its mining contract at the end of last year. However, it is busy re-negotiating a deal to start working on the next expansion phase which is expected to commence around mid-2013.

New ground

In terms of rentals, the company recently embarked on a drive to do more business across South African borders. “The shift in focus towards these markets is necessary to maintain growth,” Werner says. “For many years now we’ve undertaken several mining contracts in Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. Our vision is to also establish permanent rental branches within the neighbouring countries.”

When MCC Plant Hire was founded in 1972 it focused on rental to civil engineering and mining projects. “In 1986 the company diversified into

34

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

EARTHMOVING & PLANT HIRE

the mining sector, growing to offering extremely large open cast mining machines such as dozers, face shovels and many more,” explains Werner.

“Although we rent equipment to our mining division we also rent equipment directly to mining companies.

In mining the norm is to buy their own yellow metal machinery, but they often, for various reasons, need to rent machinery on a short to medium term basis.”

Group growth

At present the plant hire fleet consists of in excess of 700 units spread across the country with branches in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, KZN, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West provinces.

“This equipment includes graders, excavators, ADTs, rigid trucks, water tankers, FELs, vibrating rollers, dozers and hydraulic hammers,” says Werner. “The holding company, Eqstra Holdings Limited is an integrated leasing and capital equipment group and has a Namibian presence with passenger and commercial leasing dating back a few years.

“Thus, with our expansion drive, the plant hire subsidiary will certainly further cement Eqstra’s position in this country,” adds Werner. “We’ve also recently extended our rental footprint into Mozambique and, together with the Nambian branch, we’re well on our way to successfully achieving our vision to expand into sub-Saharan Africa.

“To date we’ve seen steady growth coming from

We’re well on our way to successfully achieving our vision to expand into sub-Saharan Africa Namibia, but we anticipate exponential growth from Mozambique,’ says Werner. “A source of pride for us is the fact that ours is one of the foremost earthmoving rental companies with the largest grader fleet in Africa. In addition, we pride ourselves on an excellent on-going training record for all operators with a well-structured fleet maintenance system to ensure the best service to clients at all times.”

Werner Scheepers, MCC Plant Hire, Tel: (011) 990-6600, Email: werner@mccgroup.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

35

N

EW

NEW NEW

N

0T new 12 r! l l a e h o T xcavat E i a d n Hyu EW

NEW NEW

J

Now reliability has a name...

HPE AFRICA US

TA

RRIVE

D

J

new The all ackB i a Hyund der! a lo hoe US

TA

RRIVE

D

,4) %JVMGE LEW E TVSYH VITYXEXMSR MR WYTTP]MRK [SVPH PIEHMRK IEVXL QSZMRK IUYMTQIRX ERH YRGSQTVSQMWIH WIVZMGI XS ZEVMSYW MRHYWXVMIW MRGPYHMRK TPERX LMVI GSRWXVYGXMSR KSZIVRQIRX QMRMRK HIQSPMXMSR ERH QEXIVMEPW LERHPMRK 8S VIEGL TVSHYGXMZMX] ERH KIX ]SYV FYWMRIWW MR FYWMRIWW [MXL XLI FMK REQIW MR LIEZ] QEGLMRIV] XEPO XS ,4) %JVMGE XSHE] 8SKIXLIV [I GER QSZI XLI [SVPH +

[[[ LTIEJVMGE GS ^E

GYWXSQIVWIVZMGI$LTIEJVMGE GS ^E

4EVXW 7IVZMGIW ;SVOWLST ,IEH 3J½ GI .,& 8IP 4EXVMGO 6SEH .IX 4EVO &SOWFYVK (YVFER &VERGL 8IP 3XXS :SPIO 6SEH 2I[ +IVQER] )EWX 0SRHSR &VERGL 8IP 9RMX )ZIVKVIIR 4EVO 3GIER[E] 3PH +SRYFMI 6SEH 'ETI 8S[R &VERGL 8IP 9RMX 2SYVWI %ZIRYI )TTMRKW 7LEVIGEPP

36

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

HYDRAULIC HAMMERS

MARKET FORUM

Solution for A leading global technology and service supplier to the process industry recently requested SKF to evaluate the bearing arrangements on a pair of bearings and housings selected for the main drive shaft assembly of an apron coal feeder.

“The customer required verification of the suitability of the bearings, bearing arrangement design, cap bolts and holding down bolts for the applied loading in the application as well as an expected bearing life in order to be able to better plan routine maintenance and bearing replacement,” says SKF Applications Engineer, Devlin Moodley.

SKF application engineering services performed detailed calculations and simulations, based on the loading conditions of the entire conveyor system.

Based on the results of the simulations, SKF Application Engineers recommended that SNL plumber blocks be replaced with spherical graphite SNLD plumber blocks and that cap bolts and holding down bolts be changed from grade 8.8 to grade 12.9.

The calculated ISO basic rating life of the

Feeder

recommended spherical roller bearings for the apron feeder main drive shaft assembly far exceeds the normal design life requirement of 100 000 hours for this type of equipment which confirms the suitability of the bearings for this particular application.

According to Darren Chetty, SKF Application Engineering Manager, the customer has confidence in the apron feeder design “because SKF reviewed the design of the main drive shaft assembly.

Our customer can also be confident of a longer bearing arrangement life due to the necessary design calculations being done upfront as well as stronger, more durable products being chosen for the final design.”

Samantha Joubert, SKF South Africa, Tel: (011) 821-3500, Fax: 011 821 3501, Email: samantha.joubert@skf.com, www.skf.co.za

Water-Operated Turbo Couplings “We are world leaders in Hydrodynamic coupling technology and Voith Water couplings present customers with all the advantages of oil filled couplings and more” says Voith Product Manager – Start-up Components, Hans Voshol.

The ISO compliance, combined with some ingenious design features, means that Voith water couplings ensure substantially improved energy efficiency.

Hans explains, “Voith water couplings can deliver higher output because the density of water is higher than that of other fluids. Because water’s specific heat capacity is double that of oil, wateroperated couplings allow more stop starts and the couplings’ lower slip reduces temperatures. Another advantage is the environmentally-friendly and convenient use of drinking water which is generally freely available at any plant and easier

to transport as an operating medium.

Hans also points to the added benefit offered by eliminating the stocking of oil and it removes the risks of oil spills and using the incorrect grade of oil.

Hydrodynamic couplings are used mainly in belt conveyors, armoured face conveyors (AFCs), fans, centrifuges, wood chippers, mills and pumps etc.

“Water-operated couplings have been operating specifically on underground AFC drives for many years. Operating at the coal face, these drives demand intrinsic safety – a criterion that Voith water-operated turbo couplings always meet with utmost confidence”, comments Hans.

Voith Turbo, Hans Voshol, Tel: 011 418 4000, Fax: 011 418 4080, Email:hans.voshol@voith.com Web: www.rsa.voithturbo.com

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

37

BULK HANDLING IN AFRICA Dear Client,

Africa is on the brink of an economic takeoff. The question is not whether you should do business in Africa, but rather how/ when/ how much?

“Bulk Handling Today” (BHT) will be publishing a new “BHT in AFRICA GUIDE” which will focus on the track record of South African companies working in Africa. “BHT in Africa” will feature comprehensive information on companies working in Africa from EPCM/turnkey to small bearing suppliers, for example.

We’ve conducted research on the distribution of the guide and have identified the following sectors:

Distribution (printed copies) - 5502 Mining Houses (in SA, SADC, Africa and overseas. eg, Anglo, Exxaro, Rio Tinto, Vale) Chamber of Mines Mining departments (local and in Africa) Trade Commissions in Africa Project Management companies GAMA Members (African members of the Consulting Engineers of SA) Procurement/buying departments In addition “BHT in Africa” will be mailed out with the Nov/Dec issue of “Bulk Handling Today” and given out from our stand at Mining Indaba 2013 in February 2013.

Distribution (electronic) - 2376 An exact replica of the magazine will also be emailed to a well-researched list of mine managers and mining engineers at all African mines. “Bulk Handling Today” has purchased an updated list of email addresses of Buyers, Engineering Managers, Mine Managers, and SHE Managers working in mines/for mining houses throughout Africa. In addition, “BHT in Africa” will be available from our website: www.promech.co.za for a year.

Be sure to be part of this launch issue of “BHT in Africa” by means of advertising your company and educating readers throughout Africa on your products and services.

Rates 4 Pages (1 Advert, 1 Page Advertorial and 2 pages Q & A) 3 Pages (1 Advert and 2 pages Q & A) 2 Pages (2 Pages Q & A) 1 Page ½ Page ¼ Page All rates exclude VAT.

R39 500 R36 000 R26 000 R15 000 R12 000 R 7 400

Make sure you’re in this comprehensive reference publication!

Kind regards Surita Marx Sales & Marketing

“Bulk Handling Today” covers the movement of all bulk goods from Point A to Point B. We concentrate on the equipment used to undertake this task such as shipping, railways, cranes, trucks, conveyors etc. Another important aspect is logistics, freight forwarding, customs etc. It is the only magazine which covers this topic exclusively.

l Tel: 011 781-1401 l Fax: 011 781-1403 l Cell 083 281 5761 l bulkhandling@promech.co.za l l www.promech.co.za l

38

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

BULK HANDLING TODAY

February 2012

1

MARKET FORUM

Emergency Breathing Apparatus The Fire-Pak Breathing Apparatus is the latest offering from Alien Systems & Technologies (Pty) Ltd. This innovative product services a host of applications including mines. The self-contained breathing apparatus is light weight with disposal air canisters. It supplies 3 to 5 minutes of breathable air allowing the user to escape areas affected by fire, heavy smoke and/or toxic gas.

Paul Wright, CEO of Alien Systems & Technologies, says: “As a company we have always prided ourselves on developing new and innovative technology. In the case of the Fire-Pak Breathing Apparatus we identified another company with the same ethos and partnered up with them to bring to the African market a cost-effective and awardwinning product that can be used in a multitude of applications.

“Following the launch of our Astex Vehicle Fire System earlier this year, the Fire-Pak Breathing Apparatus was simply the next step into the future of fire protection and suppression technology.”

Alien Systems & Technologies, Grant Wilkinson, Email: grant@astafrica.com, www.astafrica.com

Green Quarries Open pit mines and quarries belonging to the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of South Africa (Aspasa) have thrown their full weight behind programmes to help protect the environment.

Sustainable mining practices have been adopted by all member companies who through their efforts hope to set an example to non-registered companies, as well as other mining sectors on environmentally-friendly mining operations. In decades gone by unscrupulously-operated pits and quarries were left to scar environments and contamination as a result of the mining activities was most often left for future generations to clean up.

The “About Face” programme guides all members on legislation governing the industry. It also requires members to implement the association’s own set of environmental standards and guidelines. Regular audits ensure members comply with the association’s requirements and scores are assigned to quarries to provide an overview of the operation’s performance.

Furthermore, the audits benchmark operations against all other participating quarries to provide a snapshot of the entire industry’s performance against environmental regulations and guidelines. The Department of Mineral Affairs may also use the information for future mining licence decisions.

This year the Aspasa “About Face” RSA 2012 audit yielded encouraging results that prove that the environmental health of member mines and quarries is better than it has ever been in South Africa. Independent auditor, Alan Cluett of Alan Cluett Consulting says in his audit report that Aspasa member operations have showed excellent progress and absolute

Nico Pienaar, director of Aspasa

commitment to sustainable mining.

“While some company’s policies may have been overly ambitious and as a result were not practical it is a move in the right direction. As long as the correct management reviews are put in place and audits are used to identify issues, then we are confident we will achieve our goal of mining sustainably,” says Aspasa director, Nico Pienaar.

He praised the top performing companies for their efforts and noted that overall the move to sustainable mining practices

by Aspasa members has been successful.

The Top 10 performing quarries for the period under review were: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

SPH Kundalila Driefontein SPH Kundalila Kloof OMV Stilfontein Drift Super Sand WG Wearne Muldersdrift Afrisam Eikenhof Afrisam Sub-Nigel Afrisam Ferro Afrisam Roodekrans Afrisam Rooikrans

Aspasa, Nico Pienaar, Tel: (011) 791-3327, Fax: 086 647 8034 Email: nico@aspasa.co.za, www.aspasa.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

39

MARKET FORUM

Components contained in the Silver kit

Maintenance Interventions Caterpillar’s recently launched Precious Metals Engine Rebuild series comes in pre-packaged kits that contain all the necessary components to effect maintenance interventions at set stages in an engine’s working life.

explains Barloworld Equipment group product specialist, Reuben Phasha.

“Platinum kits meet complete rebuild requirements, optimising the second and third life capabilities of Cat engines.”

To get machines back to work fast, there are four kit options: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum with all parts enclosed meeting Caterpillar’s exacting quality standards.

As the basic building block for all higher levels, Bronze includes components that one might not think of replacing, but which could lead to unplanned downtime and costly failures, a prime example being exhaust manifold sleeves.

“Bronze covers basic repairs typically caused by factors such as dust ingress, while Silver and Gold kits are designed for mid-life top and bottom rebuilds,”

Bronze components include gaskets and seals; oil and fuel filters; camshaft bearings; turbo nuts and bolts; and a coolant temperature regulator.

Silver builds on Bronze with the addition of pistons, cylinder liners, wrist pins, piston rings and retainers. Gold in turn includes the Bronze kit, plus six Cat Reman cylinder pack assemblies; while Platinum incorporates all Gold kit components plus a Cat Reman cylinder head, Reman fuel injectors, and Reman water and oil pumps.

Reuben Phasha, Barloworld Equipment, Tel: (011) 929-0000 Email: rphasha@barloworld-equipment.com, www.barloworld-equipment.com

Largest-ever Excavator HPE Africa, the sole distributor of Hyundai earthmoving equipment in Southern Africa, has expanded its product offering by introducing the 120-ton Hyundai R1200LC-9.

Hyundai Heavy Industries team leader JJ Choi highlights the fact that the Hyundai R1200LC-9 excavator is particularly wellsuited for use in mining and quarrying applications. “The size and robustness

Team leader, JJ Choi

40

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

of the Hyundai R1200LC-9 excavator makes it an ideal choice for large earthmoving projects, especially in the harsh African climate and landscape. What’s more, it is more competitively-priced

MARKET FORUM

Martin Engineering has introduced a new line of truck vibrators. Martin’s Cougar truck vibrators help drivers ensure complete emptying of bulk materials, reducing the need for personnel to enter dump beds for manual cleanout.

“Minimising the need for people to climb into or out of a truck bed, helps to avoid the potential for injuries,” says David Ruggio, product specialist.

Truck vibrators also increase productivity by helping to eliminate carry-back, giving drivers more payloads per cycle and fewer cycles per job.

The result is reduced fuel costs, labour expenses and vehicle wear.

A properly-placed and installed vibrator also saves cleanout time and helps to more evenly distribute material when spreading, in addition to savings from more complete truck emptying. In addition, truck vibrators help prevent unnecessary vehicle damage that can result from attempts to fully evacuate the material.

Truck Vibrators Save Time stubborn load, vibration can reduce wear on clutches, brakes and transmissions. It also reduces the opportunity for damage to tailgates and truck beds from equipment used to remove residual material.

By avoiding the sudden stops and starts commonly used to help break loose a

The entire line of Cougar 12V and 24V vibrators from Martin Engineering is built with shielded, oversized, permanentlylubricated ball bearings to deliver excep-

than similar sized competitor excavators, ultimately reducing the overhead costs of managing a larger fleet, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and reliability.”

JJ notes that the technologically-advanced R1200LC-9 excavator comes standard with Hyundai’s exclusive Hi-mate remote management system, which provides operators and dealers with continuous

tional service life. All models are sealed against dirt, dust and water intrusion for reliability in extreme service conditions.

The small size and light weight of the electric motors contribute to easy, lowcost installation and efficient operation.

Martin Engineering, Elizabeth Allen, Email: elizabetha@martin-eng.com www.martin-eng.com

access to vital service and diagnostic information on the machine, from any computer in the world that has internet access.

“Users can pinpoint the excavator’s exact location using digital mapping and set machine work boundaries, in order to reduce the need for multiple service calls.

What’s more, Hi-mate also saves time and money for the owner and dealer, by promoting preventative maintenance and reducing machine downtime,” he explains.

HPE Africa, Kirsty Denholm, Tel: (011) 397-4670, Fax: (011) 397-4683, Email: kirsty@hpeafrica.co.za www.hpeafrica.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

41

MARKET FORUM

First Chutes in a Shiploading Application

M&J Engineering is supplying the first Weba Chute Systems in a shiploading application for installation on Portnet’s Shiploaders 1 and 2 at the Port of Saldanha. This follows the successful installation of Weba Chutes at Portnet’s iron ore handling plant some time ago.

“Designed for a transfer of 10 000 tph of iron ore, the two boom transfer chutes feature a levelling device that keeps them vertical at all times during the luffing of the boom in a range from 14 degrees to 5 degrees. This will minimise spillage and blockages, and ensure an even load of iron ore onto the boom conveyor,” says Alwin Nienaber, technical director of M & J Engineering.

This conveyor has a belt size of 1 650 mm and runs at a speed of 4 metres per second. Bulk density of the iron ore varies from 2.3 to 3 tons per cubic metre and maximum lump size is 40 mm, with a moisture content of about 3%.

Also at the Port of Saldanha, on a contract awarded directly by Portnet, M&J Engineering is currently upgrading the moving head chutes to ensure these conveyor transfer points will be able to cope with the 10 000 tph ship loader capacity.

“The existing conventional chutes had been experiencing ongoing problems

42

BULK HANDLING TODAY

relating to spillage and blockages,” M&J Engineering’s Ted Cruickshank says.

“We’ve been contracted to design and fabricate Weba Chutes for this applica-

tion and to re-instate all the required instrumentation and piping services.”

Mark Baller, M & J Engineering, Tel: (011) 827-9372, www.mjeng.co.za

Transport Efficiency In South Africa, Lafarge Gypsum SA, a division of Lafarge, runs a fleet of longhaul trucks carrying construction materials such as plasterboard, bagged cement, steel ceiling grids, metal studs and aluminium profiles between Gauteng and all major centres in the country.

According to Richard Nancarrow, Supply Chain Manager in order to reduce the environmental impact of its longhaul truck distribution fleet while improving the safety of drivers and ground personnel, Lafarge Gypsum SA has initiated a pilot programme in partnership with MAN Truck & Bus SA and Imperial Group. “A combination of smart truck and trailer design and comprehensive driver training form the foundation of our ‘green’ transport initiative, one which promises to greatly improve the safety and productivity of our longhaul fleet

September 2012

while significantly reducing its carbon footprint,” says Richard The existing Lafarge Gypsum SA truck fleet is comprised of some 30 truck-trailer combinations, powered predominantly by 6x4 derivatives from MAN. The new ‘green’ fleet will be managed by Imperial and will commence duty with the launch of two MAN TGS WW 26.440 truck-tractors pulling the ground-breaking low tare mass ‘teardrop’ trailers fabricated by SA Truck Bodies under licence to UK-based trailer builders, Don-Bur. Having been involved in this roll-out of the TGS WW for Lafarge’s in South Africa, Ian Carmichael, Sales Support Manager, MAN Truck & Bus SA, states, ”The impressive feature of this exercise for MAN is the fact that the MAN TGS WW is built for African conditions but is perfectly capable of meeting in-

MARKET FORUM

)DVW 7UDFN 3URJUHVV Hlakani Engineering Services (HES) is a small sized engineering and construction company with three professionallyregistered engineers and one professional construction manager in its ranks. In 2011 HES secured a contract with G4 Civils for the design, manufacture and installation of an 85m in-feed and off loading incline conveyor at Tubatse Ferro Chrome. For the installation, G4 prepared all the relevant civil work and HES performed the design, installation and commissioning of the conveyor belt.

HES extensively utilises 3-D rendering software draughting and steel detailing. This is a definite advantage as concurrent engineering principles can be applied as the design and draughting can run in parallel to fast-track project progress. The level of steel detailing produced also assists the manufacturing side of the project as single part and assembly drawings ensure a higher level of production on the shop floor.

Another advantage is that there is brilliant software available (BIMsight) for construction project collaboration. With BIMsight the client is actively involved in

the design of the project and all relevant user requirement specifications can be addressed effectively.

Since this project, HES has also started to expand its abilities and among others, is manufacturing structural steel components for the Kusile Power Station project.

HES developed a database programme that is used in the manufacturing and erection phase of the project. Every single part and component can be tracked and the client can receive updates on where

every single kilogram of steel is in the project programme. For bigger projects this software will give HES a cutting edge advantage because if material flow is well-controlled, erection and commissioning activities should not produce any last-minute surprises.

Hlakani Engineering Services, Gerhard Holtshauzen, Tel: (013) 246-1824, Email: info@hlakani.co.za www.hlakani.co.za

ternational performance specifications for Health & Safety standards. As more multinational organisations operating in South Africa comply with international Health & Safety and Carbon Emissions Reporting processes, the TGS WW will be a natural first choice for those companies seeking to limit their road fleet carbon footprint.�

The key to sustainable transport – smart truck and trailer design [from left] Richard Nancarrow, Supply Chain Manager, Lafarge Gypsum South Africa; Jean-Paul Croze, Managing Director, Lafarge Gypsum South Africa; Johann Schreuder, Managing Director, North East Carriers (Imperial Logistics); Mark Gavin, National Truck Sales Manager, MAN Truck & Bus SA

BULK HANDLING TODAY

MAN Truck & Bus, Naseera Barradeen, Tel: (011) 928-6924, Fax: 086 670 1983 Email: naseera.barradeen@ za.man-mn.com, www.mantruckandbus.com/ press

September 2012

43

MARKET FORUM

Advanced Screen Motion Ludowici Meshcape has launched the lightweight and portable screen motion analyser, which was developed and manufactured in Australia, to assist in reducing the amount of revenue spent by operations on lost production and plant maintenance.

Ludowici Meshcape technical manager Henri Robertson points out that the primary function of the Screen Motion Analyser is to ensure that vibrating screens are operating correctly by assessing vibrating stroke, lateral displacement and operating frequency – all the necessary parameters to ensure that screen performance and efficiency are fully optimised. “The screen motion analyser records the vibrations in three directions simultaneously to create a 3D plot of a screen or feeder motion. The 3D plot interpretation can be undertaken immediately after the data is collected without the need for advanced vibration analysis skills, which can help to prevent irreversible damage to the vibrating equipment,�

Henri notes. “The replacement of a vibration screen

44

BULK HANDLING TODAY

is a costly and time-consuming process, and the screen motion analyser provides industrial operations with the opportunity to review the operation of their screens and feeders more regularly, thereby improving machine operation while reducing the risks related to incorrect operation.�

According to Henri, the stroke of the screen is important as it relates to the screen’s capacity to move material from

September 2012

the feed end to the discharge end. “If this movement is not linear, it can cause hold up issues and material surging.

What’s more, uneven distribution of the feed onto the screen deck can cause a deviation in the motion across the screen, leading to higher screen wear.�

Ludowici Meshcape, Henri Robertson, Tel: (011) 210 4849, Fax: (011) 210 4050 (PDLO KHQUL UREHUWVRQ#Ă€VPLGWK FRP www.ludowicimeshcape.co.za

MARKET FORUM

Protecting Expensive Belts Unlike other monitoring systems that only periodically scan for damage, Cord Guard is a permanently-mounted system that sends continuous data alerts of steel cord damage while the belt is operating. It provides easy-to-interpret imaging to view steel cord integrity and enables timeous action.

T h i s prevents costly shutdowns, minimises belt replacement costs and downtime for fitting, and curbs production losses.

“Cord Guard detects and displays magnetic discontinuities associated with cord gaps, cord ends, and damaged or deteriorated cords. It creates hot spots

in the steel cord to indicate trouble spots and classifies damage in terms of severity. Assessments are colour-coded for easy interpretation,” explains Paul van Zyl, marketing manager, Veyance Technologies Africa.

The system consists of a magnet array that magnetises the steel cords of the

belt as it moves. The sensor array measures the magnetic properties associated with steel cord damage, which is recorded as a function of belt position to create a damage map. In real-time, the information is transmitted via the control box to a remote computer screen, where the results appear in easy-tointerpret image output.

Cord Guard can be accessed by a stand-alone computer or laptop via an Ethernet connection, or via a customer’s plant network using Ethernet protocol.

Paul van Zyl, Goodyear Engineered Products, Tel: (011) 248-9337, Email: paul_vanzyl@veyance.co.za, www.goodyearep.co.za

Most Reliable in the World Melco managing director Gavin Hall points out that the Rulmeca motorised pulley has become recognised as

a preferred belt conveyor drive solution among leading African mining and engineering firms, since the company began importing the range locally five years ago.

“The Rulmeca motorised pulley is considered to be one of the most reliable,

effective and safe conveyor drive systems in the world, thanks to its unique design which encloses the drive and gearbox inside the drive pulley. By enclosing all drive components within the pulley shell, the unit becomes considerably more compact and efficient,” he explains.

Melco sales and marketing director Craig Warmback highlights the fact that the Rulmeca range of motorised pulleys comes in power ranges from 1 kW to 250 kW, with pulley diameters ranging between 220 mm and 1000 mm – making them ideally-suited to numerous industries, ranging from mining and engineering, to agriculture and construction. “Only the shell of the motorized pulley moves when installed, which makes it an extremely safe design for any application.

The compact design of the motorised pulley also makes it more cost-effective and easier to install, compared with standard drive systems.”

Melco, Gavin Hall, Tel: 087 806 3160, Email: gavinh@melco.co.za www.melcoconveyors.com

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

45

MARKET FORUM

Underground “app”

With the growing use of smart phones, tablets and other hand-held devices, Atlas Copco is now taking full advantage of app technology to give its customers quick and easy access to information.

First into the app world is the company’s Underground Rock Excavation division.

By downloading its app free of charge, users will access the company’s wide range of underground face drilling rigs, loaders, trucks and other equipment.

The exclusive content in the app includes high resolution images of the products presented as 3D turntables which enables the products to be viewed

from all angles. In addition, all of the content can be synchronised so that it can be accessed offline.

Paula Blamberg, Vice President Marketing Communications, Underground Rock Excavation, says: “Due to the staggering number of new mobile devices we now see in use, and knowing the capability of these devices, we see that this technology has huge potential to simplify the way our customers can access our products. Information sharing has never been easier.

“You can easily pass on technical specifications or images with the touch

of a button. Getting in contact with an Atlas Copco office has also never been easier as the GPS function will automatically direct you to the representative closest to you.”

Apart from technical data, 3D images and video, the app will also feature case stories and a social news flow.

The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Atlas Copco, Kathryn Coetzer, Tel: (011) 821-9019, Fax: (011) 388-3813, Email: kathryn.coetzer@za.atlascopco.com, www.atlascopco.co.za

Index to Advertisers AMD-Rotolok 34 Bateman/Tenova Inside Front Cover Bearings International 22 Bibby Turboflex 35 BMG 13 Bonfiglioli 14 CMMS 17 Conveyor Industrial Supplies Outside Back Cover Dunlop/Rema 10 Dymot 28

46

BULK HANDLING TODAY

HPE Africa 36 Melco 26 Multotec 32 Nepean 20 Sandvik Outside Front Cover Schaeffler 12 SEW 18 Transmission Components 24 Voith 16 Western Star Inside Back Cover

September 2012

Promech Publishing has a BEE rating of 168.75%

THE OLD SHANGHAI FIRECRACKER FACTORY 702477

Contact Liebherr-Africa now on 011 365 2000 For the full vehicle specs visit www.westernstar.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012

47

48

BULK HANDLING TODAY

September 2012