HIGH PROFILE
For the largest capacities and most challenging projects in mining Continental supplies conveyor belts from ST5000 and above which are highly engineered products
to the information captured by our monitoring systems .
Best of belting
IM Editorial Director Paul Moore recently spoke to Danny Slonka , Head of Vertical Material Conveyance at Continental Industrial Solutions Americas , Sector ContiTech , about its global leadership in the mining conveyor belting market and the technology behind it
Continental is a global leader in conveyor belting and related solutions for mining - right up to the highest capacities and belt strengths in the industry . Recent high profile contract wins include a contract to supply the conveyor belt for Atlas Energy ' s Dune Express - designed to optimise delivery of proppant from Atlas ’ sand mine in Kermit , Texas , to the northern Delaware Basin in New Mexico . The total system , expected to begin operation this year , has an impressive 42-mile length , which includes a world record single conveyor belt flight length of 16.4 miles without a mid-booster drive .
Q At the top end of the quality and durability scale - mining conveyor belts from ST5000 and above , there are only a few players globally - what are the hurdles and challenges from a manufacturing and engineering point of view to be able to produce these types of belts ? DS : Conveyor belts from ST5000 and above are highly engineered products and part of our extreme solutions portfolio . As such , they are individually designed for the specific application and are customised solutions to provide our customers with the maximum possible belt life , uptime and , consequently , the lowest cost per ton conveyed . To deliver this level of performance , conveyor belts require state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and a commitment to quality during the entire manufacturing process .
Q From a mining customer point of view what are the big concerns today when it comes to choosing a high performance conveyor belt - long life , resistance to damage , rolling resistance ( energy costs ), repairability ? DS : Our customers are focused on uptime and reliability , two key components achieved by conveyor belts with long belt life and protection from damage , as well as other system-related issues . Continental provides a solution to meet these requirements . Certainly , sustainability has become an important topic in the last few years , and we have solutions available to support our customers to reach their sustainability targets .
Q You offer a range of belt monitoring solutions
using various technologies . How do you recommend the right sensor technology for a particular application or is a combination sometimes the right way to go ? DS : Belt monitoring is particularly important to protect the customers ' assets . The technology we recommend strongly depends on customer expectations , and when their investment in their conveyor belt has a high dollar value , they look for additional protection . We have a full range of monitoring options that will support increased uptime . We can also offer our customers a web interface and mobile app that delivers easy access
Danny Slonka , Head of Vertical Material Conveyance at Continental Industrial Solutions Americas , Sector ContiTech
Q How does Continental ensure that mining customers have the best possible maintenance and service set up locally - can they either choose to work with you and your dealers on this or do many also do this themselves or through independent companies ? DS : Customer maintenance and service models vary greatly from region to region and from customer to customer . That said , Continental strives to support mining customers through our commercial , applications engineering , service , and distribution teams . By providing education , inspections , and proposed solutions , Continental is able to support customers in their maintenance efforts and is well positioned to fill in the gaps where problems and opportunities exist .
Q Are most projects handled by large EPCM companies or directly by mining groups ? DS : Generally speaking , the major capital projects are handled by large EPCM companies . However , there are also medium sized EPCM companies handling small to medium sized projects .
Q In terms of partners on things like rollers and pulleys , does Conti have certain collaboration partners it opts or chooses to work with or is this entirely project by project ? DS : Continental is committed to supporting its customers as the complete solution provider – Total Conveyance - in the mining industry regarding conveyor belting and conveyor system components , digital solutions , and services . To that end , Continental has developed a number of strategic partnerships with conveyor system accessories and component manufacturers who share Continental ’ s commitment to quality and value-added solutions . We continue to develop new partnerships in completing our Total Conveyance portfolio in order to exceed the expectations of our distributors and end users .
Q To what extent are you able to customise mining belts ( eg different rubber compounds ) based on the hardness of the material to be handled , ambient temp and humidity , speed etc ? Is Conti ’ s approach unique in how it looks at each mine project by project ? DS : Continental has a wide range of rubber compounds and carcass offerings that allow us to offer customised solutions to all of our customers . We are capable of running design calculations taking all aspects into consideration so that we can continuously improve belt life .
54 International Mining | JUNE 2024