CONVEYING
PROK engineered pulleys are built for infinite fatigue life and are manufactured in state-ofthe-art CNC facilities
design ,” said Wilson .
Designed with years of industry advancement and infinite fatigue life criteria , PROK says it aims to maximise your uptime and reduce total cost of ownership . “ Buyers might not save money when purchasing a PROK engineered pulley , however , they will save on total cost of ownership ” said Wilson .
“ Our facility in Vancouver , Canada is set up for both manufacturing new and also refurbishing conveyor pulleys for large scale mining operations . Having recently increased our workshop capacity and capability , we ’ re in a really strong position to help our customers across North America get the most out of their pulley investment .” He added .
PROK engineered pulleys are built for infinite fatigue life . They ’ re manufactured in state-of-theart CNC facilities located in major mining markets across the globe , with ongoing operational and maintenance services provided by local engineering teams .
Conveyor operators and maintenance staff should not consider conveyor pulleys as a commodity or a wear item with a 3-5 year life span . If designed and built correctly , conveyor pulleys should last 25 + years of 24 / 7 operation with only the bearings assemblies and lagging requiring services through rebuilds .
PROK ’ s design standard ensures common modes of failure such as welded hub break out or end disc failure are eliminated through rigorous design standards and quality control learned through 60 + years of pulley manufacturing . Each year , PROK produces around 3,000 engineered pulleys in a wide range of diameters and lengths to suit all applications .
When the mining pulley reaches the end of its service period , you have two options : invest in a brand-new pulley or refurbish the one you already have . More often than not , refurbishment is the smarter move . PROK : “ Pulley refurbishment is like giving your pulley a second chance . Instead of replacing the entire unit , we
focus on upgrading the components that wear out the fastest , such as bearings and lagging . The stronger , long-lasting parts - like the shell and shaft - are preserved , saving you the cost of replacing parts that don ’ t need it .”
PROK also offers pulley acceptance testing in key mining regions including North America , which is one of a kind in that market . “ This equipment dynamically engages pulley assemblies and tests them prior to leaving the facility , meaning when you purchase from PROK you are making an investment in reliability and productivity for your materials handling requirement .”
PROK also has the capabilities to dynamically balance each pulley , better ensuring uptime and giving peace of mind for hard to reach pulleys . PROK engineered pulleys come on steel cradles intended not only to transport pulleys safely to site but be kept for when they need returning to a PROK service centre for refurbishing and recertifying .
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Big Roller™ Overland Conveyor Company recently announced that it has partnered with Tribotech to develop the world ’ s first 20 ″, 20 kg idler roller suitable for a 1,500 mm wide conveyor belt , the most common belt size for 25-40 Mt / y conveyors handling larger jaw and gyratory crusher output , and to invest in tooling to scale up their existing production processes for the initial commercial product run of 50 rollers .
“ We are really pleased to say that the engineering has now been signed off , tooling and manufacturing processes have now been developed with initial component samples produced . We are aiming to have the first commercial product run of 50 rollers assembled and available by the end of February 2025 for third party Party testing and as client samples ,” said Big Roller Founder Shawn Ryan .
“ Third party testing of the Roller product ensures that it meets industry expectations by complying with international SANS / TUNRA Bulk Solids standards .” Results of testing are
Big Roller™ Overland Conveyor Company recently announced that it has partnered with Tribotech to develop the world ’ s first 20 ”, 20 kg idler roller suitable for a 1,500 mm wide conveyor belt
expected to be available for clients in April of this year .
“ We are also looking to fill in the knowledge gap around 20 ” roller diameter and energy efficiency and will have those results in May . We ’ ve tested on low rolling resistance belt compounds proving a substantial benefit up to 16 ” diameter and have now funded the modification of the TUNRA AS1334-13 test rig for the benefit of the industry to accommodate up to 24 ” rollers , which we think is the current upper practical limit of roller sizes .”
Ryan adds : “ Strake Engineering have been appointed as our civil-structural engineer to independently review designs of the Big Roller™ idler frame and Big Roller™ ground module . We have also been working with all the major conveyor simulation software providers and confirmed that the idlers and ground modules can be modelled if engineers want to run a static or dynamic simulation to verify the benefits for themselves . We are now looking for progressive bulk materials handling companies , miners and ports that are active in reducing their emissions with upcoming projects in the space so that we can partner with them and undertake paid field trials and then extend on that to selection for projects .”
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In December 2023 , RBL REI , another global leader in bulk material handling solutions , based in Verrières-en-Anjou , France , signed an important contract with an Estonian mining company . This contract involves the design , engineering , fabrication , and installation of a sophisticated 6.175 km overland conveyor ( OLC ) system , which will play a crucial role in supporting the client ' s new underground mining operation .
Located in eastern Estonia , the mine will utilise this advanced conveyor system to transport the mined oil shale product to the company ’ s existing pre-treatment facilities , streamlining operations and improving overall efficiency .
The decision to select RBL REI as the main contractor was a natural choice for the Estonian client due to the company ’ s decades of experience in developing complex bulk handling solutions designed to function in some of the harshest environmental conditions . With a reputation for excellence and innovation in the handling industry , RBL REI will oversee the delivery of several key components , including 5,300 m of curved conveyor : This will form the backbone of the system , starting directly from the underground mine .
It also includes one transfer tower strategically positioned to ensure smooth transitions between
44 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2025