CONVEYING
Major new Flyingbelt contract in India for Agudio
Agudio, the brand of Leitner SpA dedicated to material transportation systems, in October 2025 announced a new contract for a 6-ropes Flyingbelt that is set to be installed in India at an iron ore mine. Design activities are now well advanced- this Flyingbelt will transport 2,000 t / h of iron ore over 3 km of rough terrain, receiving the material from an overland conveyor belt and discharging it onto the next one. The Flyingbelt will be supported by only five towers and, to achieve a span of over 1,100 m, it will be the first Flyingbelt with 6 track ropes.
Metso conveyor offering from IPCC systems to productised solutions
Metso told IM that it continues to develop its mine conveying portfolio by combining conventional conveyor systems with in-pit crushing and conveying( IPCC) concepts, alongside an increasing focus on standardised, productised solutions aimed at improving delivery speed and execution certainty.
The advancement of continuous material-handling projects in South America has required solutions with high reliability, operational availability, and seamless integration into well‐established mining infrastructures. In this context, Metso says it has been implementing overland conveyor systems designed to operate as critical links between crushing, intermediate stockpiling, and processing stages, prioritising robust architectures based on widely validated industrial standards. Most of these installations use short- to medium-length conveyors configured with standardised belt widths, speeds, and components, enabling optimisation of spare‐parts inventory, simplification of assembly and maintenance activities, and a high capacity to adapt to different mine layouts.
In northern Brazil, Metso has supplied three complete conveyor systems over the past two years, intended to interconnect primary crushing areas with processing plants. These systems total more than 6 km of belt conveyors and were designed to operate with transport capacities of up to 21,000 t / h, belt speeds of up to 6 m / s, and feed lump sizes on the order of 400 mm. The full set of installed equipment represents approximately 14,000 t of supply, including steel structures, transfer modules, pulleys, take‐ups, and idler stations engineered to withstand continuous operation in highly abrasive environments.
A notable technical highlight of these projects is the incorporation of 22 mobile units integrated into the main conveyor lines. These modules enable dynamic distribution of ore among different production flows through controlled movement and real‐time operational adjustments, increasing system flexibility and contributing to improved plant balance management. The use of mobile units also reduces the need for multiple fixed transfer points, which minimises spillage, reduces concentrated structural loads, and increases overall system availability.
The application of Metso’ s Energy Saving Idlers( ESI) technology in ore transportation systems it adds has emerged as an effective solution for reducing mechanical losses and optimising the energy demand of belt conveyors. In a copper mining project in South America, a terrestrial conveyor equipped with low rolling‐resistance idlers has demonstrated consistent performance, showing measurable gains in energy efficiency, operational stability, and lifecycle cost reduction.
The installed system includes a longdistance belt conveyor line extending approximately 3.8 km, designed for continuous operation under high-capacity conditions. The use of belt turnovers plays a key role in controlling material spillage, significantly reducing ore drop along the route and minimising soil contamination. This feature, combined with ESI idlers, contributes to lower belt wear and reduced stress on downstream components, as well as decreasing the need for corrective maintenance interventions.
The region’ s terrain characteristics and restricted access imposed significant challenges during the engineering phase. To address these constraints, detailed constructability and maintenance studies were carried out throughout the design and development stages. This approach optimized the positioning of structures, improved accessibility to critical components, and reduced downtime required for inspections and replacements. As a result, the system achieved higher levels of availability and reliability, even under severe operating conditions.
Metso:“ This case illustrates the importance of proper component selection and the integration of mechanical, electrical, and maintenance solutions. The adoption of ESI technology confirms the feasibility of reducing rolling resistance without compromising structural robustness, enhancing the overall performance of the conveyor and delivering consistent operational gains for large‐scale mining operations.”
Alongside engineered conveyor systems, Metso continues to expand its productised FIT™ conveyor portfolio. Based on standardised modules and pre-engineered layouts, FIT™ conveyors reduce engineering effort, shorten lead times and support predictable project execution. A recent example is Maaden’ s Ar Rjum gold project in Saudi Arabia, where Metso is supplying multiple FIT™ conveyors as part of the overall process plant delivery. The conveyors are designed for reliable operation in a desert environment, with a focus on robustness, maintainability and consistent performance.
NAFCO’ s Wolf Point
Wolf Point Engineers and Contractors is a division of The North Alabama Fabricating Company( NAFCO), aimed directly at highvolume and difficult bulk material handling markets, including mining.
With expertise ranging from traditional belt conveyors, long-distance overland conveyor installations, storage and retrieval systems, enclosed pipe conveyors, crushing, screening, and material preparation systems, Wolf Point told IM its capabilities cover the full range of mining applications for coal, precious metals, ore, and minerals.
Wolf Point says it can undertake the full scope of supply from concept, engineering, design, fabrication, integration, construction, and complete project management. As part of the North Alabama Fabrication Company, the option to support 100 % North American supply is present without additional subcontracting, reducing end-user exposures to tariffs, expensive ocean freight, and associated cost and time risk.“ With the most modern robotic equipment installed currently anywhere within the United States, our quality, efficiency of operation, and reduced overall project times are assured,” said Simon Shipp, Executive VP.
Wolf Point’ s unique access to domestic sourcing provides a unique ability to avoid the tariffs applicable to offshore supply and the ability to maximise piece size to reduce installation time. It says this means that owners can evaluate and obtain genuine cost, quality, and project start-up benefits from domestic supply like never before. This makes the option to utilise domestic supply not just competitive, but even lower in cost in total evaluation, compared with traditional lower-cost countries.
With multiple references, the Wolf Point team it says is likely to have executed a
International Mining | FEBRUARY 2025