Technology and innovation
Rain, snow, and freezing temperatures can all
affect conveyor operation, especially when the
carryback gets some ice on it.
Even a small amount of carryback or spillage from
the conveyors is a serious issue.
Martin Engineering. “And because
they have such an abbreviated time
frame in which to operate, every hour
counts. So, we focused on the designs
engineered for long service life and
minimal maintenance.”
In a move to further reduce
the chances of fugitive material
problems, technicians also installed
tail pulley protection in the
form of a V-plow. “Bulk material
bounces when it comes in contact
with a fast-moving conveyor
and often shifts as it travels over
carrying idlers,” said McKenna.
“These disturbances can eject small
amounts of material from the
belt. Occasionally, along its return
run, the belt will collect lumps
of spilled material on the non-
carrying side. If it’s not removed,
The conveyor to the crusher presented a
different problem. While the belt needed tracking
assistance, the framework prevented installation of
a standard unit on the 42″ wide belt.
Martin Engineering technicians travelled
to the Colorado site and reviewed the
entire conveyor network.
it can become trapped between
the tail pulley and the belt and do
significant damage to both.”
Once the belt cleaning systems
had been fine-tuned, Poulson and
McKenna turned to some of the other
challenges faced by the 316 Mining
crew: belt tracking. “Rain, snow, and
freezing temperatures can all affect
conveyor operation, especially when
the carryback gets some ice on it,”
Poulson continued. “So, achieving a
clean belt was a critical first step. But
we were still getting some belt wander.”
McKenna came through again,
this time with a new design for a
roller tracker to stabilise fast-moving
belts. Based on a standard crowned
roller, the tracking mechanism uses a
unique ribbed lagging made of durable
polyurethane to increase performance
and wear life. The roller does not come
in contact with the belt edge, which
minimises fraying while delivering
excellent tracking for single-direction
or reversing belts. The result for the
Hoffman crew is a more centred cargo
load, less spillage, and increased safety
from the hazards of belt wander,
leading to higher productivity and
lower cost of operation.
The conveyor to the crusher
presented a different problem.
While the belt needed tracking
assistance, the framework prevented
installation of a standard unit on
the 42″ wide belt. “We figured out
a way to modify a 36″ unit to fit on
the wider belt,” said McKenna. “This
kind of thing comes up occasionally
in the field, and we try to be ready to
get creative when we need to.”
MAY 2018 MINING MIRROR
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