CONVEYORS
Full service at Fenner Conveyors
Fenner Conveyors , a Michelin Group company , is a formidable player in conveyor belting technology and supply globally . However , its scope is much broader than just the belts themselves . In Australia , for example , it offers a true turnkey solution that is unique in the industry . This includes the conveyor belt itself , but also conveyor field service ( including installation , maintenance throughout conveyor life , as well as decommissioning ), conveyor equipment including rollers , pulleys and idler frames , plus the conveyor engineering - whether individual components or the entire system - from head to tail . Finally for conveyor digital technology it offers the iBelt .
Tony Pace , CCO of Engineering at Fenner , told IM : “ Traditionally , Fenner is synonymous with conveyor belts , but this is changing . Following its multiple acquisitions over the years , Fenner has succeeded in establishing itself as a complete offering for anything in the industry , from conveyor field services to the design , manufacturing and monitoring of conveyor systems , the latter of which is carried out through digital technologies supported by its maintenance and field service teams . Fenner ’ s breadth of capability far exceeds its traditional conveyor belting products . The company has engineered conveyor components and systems , established methodologies for conveyor installations and change-out equipment , and uses the information it gains from conveyor monitoring to develop new products and compounds that are engineered for belting .”
This growth into a full solution has been organic but also via a series of important bolt-on acquisitions . Engineered methodologies for belt installation and change outs , were delivered through Victoria-based company , Belle Banne Conveyors , acquired in 2010 . The acquisition of Australian Conveyor Engineering ( ACE ) in 2012 provided Fenner with the ability to design conveyor systems , pulleys , and everything else that is part of the process , including all electrical system components such as the starters and drive motors . And in 2022 , Fenner made the acquisition of Conveyor Products & Solutions Pty Ltd ( CPS ), which operates as the company ’ s primary roller manufacturer based in Western Australia . This development was the last piece of the puzzle to where Fenner currently stands in 2024 .
And CPS ’ s scope is also growing . In November 2023 , the CPS team showcased its latest investment in Australian conveyor manufacturing - a state-of-the-art pulley and fabrication facility in Bayswater , Western Australia . From these new premises , CPS is now producing over 300 pulleys per year and north of 3,500 aftermarket idler frames per year .
Reflecting the scale of the Australian market , Fenner is making other big investments , most recently into its Kwinana facility in WA . The A $ 70
New features have been added to Fenner ' s iBelt DigitalHub solution including belt mapping and quality tasks , adding more value for its subscribing customers and users
million facility opened in 2009 and primarily produces the steel cord belting . At the time , the move was one of the largest investments into conveyor belt manufacturing made in Australia by a single company .
In 2020 , the company partnered with German-based Siempelkamp as part of a A $ 23.5 million expansion to the Kwinana facility . A third press line was to be installed to increase Fenner ’ s steel cord capacity by a further 50 %. The facility already housed two of the world ’ s largest steel cord press lines , measuring 18.5 m in length and having the capability to produce steel cord and rubber ply belts up to 3,200 mm wide and 50 mm thick . An increasing demand for steel cord belts meant Fenner needed to significantly expand its production facility .
Finally , to give a project example that illustrates Fenner ' s scope , in 2020 , Fenner Dunlop ACE was contracted to deliver an overland conveyor system for Anglo American ’ s Aquila underground hard coking coal mine near Middlemount . The company selected Fenner to design , supply and install the 2.6 km-long ACV002 overland conveyor , along with four drives , a transformer , loop take-up , elevated gantry sections , overland structure , and belting . It also included the mechanical and electrical installation , belt installation and commissioning .
It runs from the underground to the surface and then moves up to the stockpile . Often , the product will be put onto a stockpile outside the mine , but because the project will make use of an existing stockpile and wash plant , the conveyor will help connect the infrastructure together . Included within the design were several custom components , such as a horizontal curve in the conveyor and an elevated stacker to load onto the stockpile .
Although the consolidated bulk density of some materials can cause the troughed cargo to condense into a much smaller size , once the particulates separate in the transfer chute at the point of discharge , the volume can increase considerably . So loose bulk density should be recalculated and used to determine the geometry of each transfer point based on this change .
“ Labour and safety issues for monitoring and maintaining the flow of material can and will be costly if overlooked . When receiving cargo from other conveyors , feeders , front loaders , rail cars , etc ., the paramount concern in any design should be safety . This is achieved by controlling throughput , impeding obstructions and sealing the chute to prevent spillage and dust .”
Installed directly under the chute discharge , impact cradles alleviate belt damage by absorbing the forces from the landing of material on the belt . Marshall says that many operators are moving away from impact idlers in favor of static cradles that feature a bed of steel angles lined by energy-absorbing impact bars with a top layer of low friction , ultra-high molecular weight ( UHMW ) polymer or polyurethane .
Finally , the space between impact idlers can create a small gap between the skirtboard and the belt . The impact of material on the belt can cause a splashing effect of fines and produce air turbulence that seeks exit points from the chute through these gaps , pulling dust and spillage with it . The bar design retains a consistent seal at the loading point to reduce the amount of
spillage and dust emissions .
Marshall concludes : “ Loading zone design is not an exact science , and with so many considerations , some details inevitably get missed . Until the system is up and running , engineering design can only provide highly informed scientific estimates that may change . Unpredictable factors such as weather , foundation settling and variations in the material density can have significant effects in the postconstruction operations and efficiency . Luckily , there is equipment specifically designed to mitigate these design issues and engineered to fit any system retroactively . It is only through experience , observation , and testing – and some smart engineering – that the correct retrofit can be applied .”
56 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2024