Peer reviewed paper: Research and application of new dust control technologies Engineering services feature Directory of Australian bulk
handling engineers
Australian Bulk Handling Awards,
6th November, Doltone House, Darling Harbour Wharf, Sydney
www.BulkHandling.com.au Volume 19 No 5
September/October 2014
Precision Weighing on the move. Anywhere. Everytime. See pg 32
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CONTENTS
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www.bulkhandling.com.au EDITOR Charles Macdonald Tel: +61 2 9080 4443 Email: charles.macdonald@informa.com.au REPORTER Oliver Probert Tel: +61 2 9080 4484 Email: oliver.probert@informa.com.au ADVERTISING SALES Peter Delbridge Level 2, 120 Sussex St, Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: +61 2 9080 4478 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622 Email: peter.delbridge@bulkhandling.com.au PEER REVIEW Ronda McCallum Tel: +61 2 9080 4354 Email: ronda.mccallum@bulkhandling.com.au PRODUCTION MANAGER/GRAPHIC DESIGNER Magazines byDesign - Linda Gunek Tel: +61 2 8883 5890 Email: linda@bydesigngraphics.com.au FOR SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES Peter Delbridge Tel: +61 2 9080 4478 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622 Email: peter.delbridge@bulkhandling.com.au PLEASE SEND ADVERTISING MATERIAL TO Ronda McCallum Email: ronda.mccallum@bulkhandling.com.au Tel: +61 2 9080 4354 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Peter Attwater SUBSCRIPTIONS Natalie Gardner – Tel: +61 2 9080 4447 natalie.gardner@informa.com.au
ABN 66 086 268 33
AUSTRALIAN BULK HANDLING REVIEW (ABHR) is published 7 times a year by Informa Australia Level 2, 120 Sussex Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia PO Box Q1439, Queen Victoria Building Post Office, NSW 1230 Tel: +61 2 9080 4480 Fax: +61 2 9299 4622
ISSN 1444-6308 Circulaton: 5,837
contents 7
Flexicon to double size of world headquarters
56 Australian Bulk Handling Awards briefing
8
James Valentine set to host ABHR awards on November 6th
60 A primer on coal quality analysis
9
Narrabri hits record with Fenner Dunlop belts
62 Grain handling: Rabobank and GrainCorp
10 Bonfiglioli doubles CBH bucket elevator tonnage
64 NBE container dumper
11 Parsons Brinckerhoff’s two-way conveyor for Bylong project
65 Enerpac portable lift system
12 Speakers announced for CHoPS 2015
66 Atlas Copco oil-free air
14 Looking into FMG’s ship purchases
67 DSH expands range with larger capacities
16 Flexicon bag dischargers help turn tyres into scrap rubber
68 Spiroflow automated bulk bag filling system
20 Kason sifter for bakery
69 Weighing system for gas provider
22 Formation of Chute Technology ‘dream team’
70 Job cuts for Bradken; neoprene encased drive train
24 Atlas Copco buys Henrob
71 WTBB Tipper-Tank package
26 PEER REVIEWED PAPER Research and application of new dust control technologies by Peter Wypych This paper has been peer reviewed by at least two independent referees.
72 Elastotec and Sandvik on ceramic pulley lagging system 76 Agnew Gold mine crushers refurbed by Minprovise 76 Two new nozzles from Tecpro 78 Enmin on selecting the right vibrator
ENGINEERING SERVICES FEATURE
78 Australian Diversified Engineering water spray heads
34 Directory of Australian bulk handling engineers
80 CDE machines for concrete maker
46 Aurecon gets new chief executive
82 Upgrades to Camfil’s APC dust collector
46 Expansion at Jenike & Johanson
83 Superior buys US firm GreyStone
48 GHD not for sale, boss says
84 Munson mixer improves performance at wheat plant
50 In mining slowdown, IBS looks to Asia
86 Metso Lokotrack LT220D track-mounted combo
51 WorleyParsons axes jobs as profit drops
86 Big pay day for new GrainCorp boss
52 Kockums bolsters engineering service résumé
88 Rockwell and Manta supply Peak Gold mine
53 Award for Ausenco Rylson’s asset optimisation
90 Doppelmayr RopeCon extended at Swiss site
54 FLSmidth expands Perth base
92 Revised standard for fixed ladders, platforms and walkways
58 Soto Consulting on ‘light gauge’ plants
94 New 88 Class locos for Pacific National
(audit period ending April 2014) Member Circulation Audit Bureau (Australia)
Copyright © 2010 Informa Australia Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the editorial or pictorial content by any manner without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. While contributed articles to ABHR are welcome, return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings and photographs if they are to be returned and no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. All rights in letters submitted will be treated as unconditionally assigned for the publication. All products listed in this magazine are subject to manufacturer’s change without notice and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. The publisher’s advertising terms and conditions are set out in the current Advertising Rate Card, which is available to read before placing any advertisements.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Peer reviewed paper: Research and application of new dust control technologies
handling engineers
Australian Bulk Handling Awards,
6th November, Doltone House, Darling Harbour Wharf, Sydney
www.BulkHandling.com.au Volume 19 No 5
September/October 2014
Precision Weighing on the move. Anywhere. Everytime. See pg 32
Cover_3.indd 1
ABOUT THE COVER Dual gauge train weighbridge a first for Meridian
Engineering services feature Directory of Australian bulk
It’s been a hectic 12 months for industrial weighing specialist, Meridian Engineers. In a first for the company in the grain sector, Meridian supplied a solution to GrainCorp which addressed a dual gauge track at the latter’s Geelong Port train unloading facility. In effect, the solution dealt with a dual gauge track consisting of standard gauge and broad gauge, meaning there were three rails on the track. In other news, Meridian has: sold rail operator Aurizon its latest Rail-Master 6 software; installed new weighbridges at Anglo American’s German Creek and Callide coal mines; supplied three new RM6 weighbridges to Aurizon to service Gregory, Hail Creek and Moranbah North; and made two major improvements to its Train Loading Mass Control System (TLMCS) software. For the full story, see page 32.
25/09/14 12:19 PM
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
3
EDITORIAL
By Charles Macdonald Editor – ABHR
Looking for an engineer? A
BHR’s directory of bulk handling engineering firms, starting on page 34, is the perfect place to pinpoint the firm, capability and individual for your project. The backdrop to the list is one of tumult for many of Australia’s engineering firms heavily geared to the resources sector. Market leader WorleyParsons, for example, has recently axed 1200 staff and announced disappointing profits. Employee-owned firms are divided on their strategy. Mining-focussed SKM looks to have timed its sell off to the publicly-quoted US firm Jacobs well. GHD on the other hand, as the firm’s CEO makes clear on page 48, will persevere with an employee-ownership model which it says allows growth of up to 30% per annum.
Farmers smiling as grain ports proliferate There’s an investment boom underway in the port end of the grain handling sector, with Rabobank estimating that $150m has flowed into it between 2012 and 2015. Around the country, brand spanking new facilities are either under construction or in operation. Amongst others, there’s the Newcastle Agri Terminal, Louis Dreyfus terminal at Kooragang, Quattro terminal at Port Kembla and Bunge terminals at Bunbury and Geelong. So is the investment splurge filling a gap in capacity? Far from it. Australian grain production has averaged around 40mtpa in recent years, reaching nearly 44mtpa in 2011/12. And yet even before the new entrants, there was some 55mtpa of up-country and port storage. Not surprisingly, GrainCorp, the previous East coast grain handling incumbent, is crying foul. Its executives have been railing against regulations which it feels penalise it while giving a free pass to its new competitors. More broadly, it says funds should go to the up-country network and rail, not ports. How the influx of new competitors plays out on the logistics and handling markets will take years to discern. What is clear, though, is that in the new era of excess capacity, ports will be fighting for grain. Farmers can expect some serious duchessing by ports eager to cement relationships. For the full story, see page 62.
Make a night of it on 6th November The annual Australian Bulk Handling Awards roll around again in Sydney on 6th November at Doltone House on Sydney Harbour. As usual, it will be a cracking night. There’ll be good food and wine, a splendid location, media and entertainment figure James Valentine as MC, a ballroom full of bulk handlers and 10 trophies up for grabs. For more details, see page 56. 4
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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NEWS
Flexicon to double size of headquarters Bulk handling equipment supplier Flexicon has broken ground for an expansion that will double the size of its world headquarters in Pennsylvania, USA.
Flexicon president David Gill says the expansion of the company’s headquarters will position the business “for exponential growth.”
P
resident and chief executive David Gill announced the move, which will extend the company’s 8,500 square metre premises which was built in 2001. In addition to manufacturing equipment for the Americas, the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania headquarters oversees Flexicon operations located in Australia, the UK, South Africa, Chile and Singapore. “We built the current [facility] on an over-sized site owned by Flexicon that had additional prime real estate beyond what was needed for the 2001 building,” Gill said, “with the intention of expanding the building as demand for Flexicon equipment exceeded our capacity to produce it.” The addition will allow the company’s steel forming, welding, grinding/polishing and blasting/painting departments to double in size. The electrical controls department will increase four-fold, and the assembly department will be relocated into the new space eight-times larger than before. The assembly department will also provide up to 11.6m of overhead clearance to erect larger systems and enhance factory acceptance testing, Gill said. Other plant floor increases include a dedicated 370 square metre area for new product development, and a total of ten tailgate loading docks and two drive-in doors.
Office space will increase to 3400 square metres, with space for an expanded electrical engineering department, and meeting/training rooms which can be combined with a new cafeteria using collapsible walls to seat 400 during special events for customers, representatives and Flexicon personnel, Gill added. Second floor offices will house the executive management team, global management group, information technology department and project engineering division, and include six conference rooms. “Doubling the size of our world headquarters will have the immediate effect of reducing wait times for equipment deliveries,” Gill said, “while allowing us to develop new product lines and secure patents on an accelerated basis, positioning Flexicon for exponential growth.” Flexicon produces flexible screw conveyors, tubular cable conveyors, pneumatic conveying systems, bulk bag dischargers, bulk bag conditioners, bulk bag fillers, bag dump stations, drum/box/container tippers, and weigh batching systems. Its project engineering division manages large-scale bulk handling projects across the chemical, mineral, food, dairy and pharmaceutical industries. ontact: sales@flexicon.com.au C Phone: 1300 353 942
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AWARDS
James Valentine to host 2014 Bulk Handling awards As judges sort through awards nominations for the Australian bulk handling industry’s gala night on 6th November, ABC radio and television presenter James Valentine is preparing his hosting notes.
James Valentine will host the ninth annual awards.
T
he Australian Bulk Handling Awards every year bring together an audience of bulk handling engineers and technicians to celebrate outstanding performance and high achievement across various facets of their industry over the past 12 months. The 2014 event, the ninth annual instalment, will be held at Doltone House’s Darling Island Wharf on November 6 at 6:45pm. Awards include Bulk Handling Facility of the Year, Innovative Technology, Dust Control, Supplier of the Year, Environment, Workplace Health & Safety, Excellence in Transport and/ or Conveying, Excellence in the Application of Gears Motors and Drives, and Excellence in Engineering Photography. A man of many talents, awards host James Valentine is a broadcaster, writer, musician and has been part of the judging panel on It Takes Two since the show premiered in 2006. Valentine has hosted Afternoons on 702 ABC Sydney, a news/talk show, each weekday for the past decade. He is a regular commentator on social issues and current affairs on Seven’s Sunrise program and is the Australian reporter for Showtime Movie News. He has also authored six books, including the internationally successful JumpMan series of humorous science fiction stories for young readers, and The Form Guide, based on responses to his afternoon program where he and his listeners consider a range of tricky matters by presenting a new range of dilemmas and exploring the solutions. His latest book is a collaboration with artist Reg Mombassa and is called The True History of Stuff. Throughout his career Valentine has written for Rolling Stone, Vogue and Cleo, was a music reviewer for The Australian and has written feature and opinion pieces for the Sydney Morning Herald. His media career began with ABC Television where he presented The Afternoon Show, a daily program for children. He then worked for Good Morning Australia, before becoming host and writer of TVTV, a show which reviewed television. After leaving school Valentine studied music at Melbourne State College and began working with jazz and rock bands. He played saxophone and woodwinds with Jo Camilleri, Kate
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
The awards will be held at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf, which is located at 48 Pirrama Road in Pyrmont, NSW. It is not to be confused with Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, which is further up Pirrama Road!
Ceberano, and Steven Cummings before joining the Models. With them he recorded two No. 1 hits, several platinum albums and toured the US and Europe. He went on to play with Absent Friends. He will add to his impressive resume with his presentation of the 2014 Australian Bulk Handling Awards on 6th November. Single tickets are $165.00 + GST and a table of ten people is $1,500.00 + GST. To make a booking, visit our website: www.ibiawards.com/aus-bulk-handling-awards
Dress code: Business attire 6.30pm pre-dinner drinks and registration 7.30pm – 10.30pm Dinner and Awards The evening will consist of a three-course meal, drinks and entertainment, hosted by ABC Radio & TV personality James Valentine. Venue: Doltone House (see image for location) Darling Island Wharf | Sydney Ground Floor of Accenture Building, 48 Pirrama Road, Pyrmont NSW 2009
CONVEYORS
Fenner Dunlop belts help capacity record at Narrabri A weekly coal production record at Narrabri coal mine has been achieved using Australian Conveyor Engineering (ACE) systems and Fenner Dunlop belting.
N
arrabri, owned by Whitehaven Coal, recently set a record for weekly longwall coal production, achieving 257,000 tonnes of production in the final week of June. That works out to an annualised rate of 13.36mtpa. The mine operates three maingate conveyors and one trunk conveyor, which were designed and supplied by ACE, totalling over 8km in length, with 1500KW of installed power. The trunk conveyor performs to 4km in length before a tripper is needed. Fenner Dunlop belts operate on the conveyors. The maingate belting is 10,000 series 1600mm wide solid woven. Trunk belting is PN 2000 4ply 1800mm wide with 4x3 covers. ACE has been a Fenner Dunlop company since being acquired in 2012 as part of the latter’s Engineered Conveyor Solutions strategy, which now sees it offer turnkey conveyor solutions. “Fenner has the unique ability to provide customers a combination of products, services, technology, innovation and manufacturing to tailor-make solutions to their individual and specific conveyor requirements,” a representative of the company told ABHR.
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ACE and Fenner Dunlop have performed overhaul work for Narrabri, including an overhaul of their CV105 equipment, bootend overhauls and equipment such as hydraulic power packs, winders and clamps. The conveyor specialist also worked with the mine to redesign belt maintenance equipment. In addition, ACE modified transfers and manufactured a new trunk bootend to engineer out-site installation and cleaning issues. “Narrabri have the comfort in knowing that we can and will solve any conveyor issues quickly and as cost effectively every time, keeping them up and running,” Mick Egan, Fenner Dunlop/ ACE’s after sales support manager said. Contact: www.fennerdunlop.com.au
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9
GEARS, MOTORS & DRIVES
Bonfiglioli drives nearly double CBH bucket elevator tonnage Bonfiglioli HDO-Series Helical Bevel drives have been selected by the CBH Group in an effort to upgrade the technology and capacity in the company’s Western Australian grain silos.
T
he HDO130 drives, which were installed by authorised distributor Powerdrive, have enabled CBH to almost double the total tonnage of grain being lifted from 250 tons to 480 tons per hour. Two Bonfiglioli bucket elevator drives have been installed over the last year, with an additional seven to be added progressively. “They come with an auxiliary ‘inching drive’ installed so that the bucket elevator can literally be inched through its cycle, which greatly improves maintenance and inspections,” Bonfiglioli business development manager Kris Jaryn said. “An over-running clutch separates the drives, so that when the main motor is on, the inching drive freewheels.” Peter Schulz, manager at Powerdrive, says A Bonfiglioli HDO130 the main function of the drives is to power bucket elevator drive the elevator that lifts grain from underground being installed by Powerdrive, WA storage to the top of the silo, which means it is a significant advantage to productivity to be able to increase the load that can be carried each time. Bonfiglioli, which is this year celebrating 25 years’ service in Australia, says it can combine local engineering skills with the global resources required to tailor larger, sophisticated and efficient drives to the needs of individual customers like CBH. HDO helical bevel drives from Bonfiglioli – assembled in Australia from sizes HDO and HDP 100-160 – are particularly suited for compact, heavy duty and low maintenance installation on major materials handling and resources plant such as conveyors and feeders, the company says. The HDO130 produces torque of up to 69,500 Nm. Also available from the manufacturer is the HDO 180. With outputs of 194,000 Bonfiglioli assembles HDO drives in sizes from HDO 100-160 in Australia, and in 2014 celebrates 25 years here. Nm torque, it is used for major installations requiring high performance combined with flexlubrication, temperature and oil level sensors and drywell for vertiible mounting options to meet specific application requirements. cal shaft installations. “HDO and HDP drives offer outstanding torque per dollar, high “The HD series is a totally new modular design from the ground casing strength, long-life bearing technology and quieter, trouup, which produces outstanding reliability and torque densities to ble-free operation,” Bonfiglioli Transmission Australia managing direcord values,” Lewis says. rector Malcolm Lewis says. “Tailored to customer requirements through extensive asHDOs’ range of input options includes HSS solid shaft, lantern sembly and service facilities in Australia and New Zealand, housing and flexible coupling and extended first reduction shaft they feature excellent torque distribution across their entire rafor inching drives. tio range, with gear ratios laid out in close progression and the Outputs can be solid, with or without keyway (with single and drives having a rugged capacity to cope with the shock and imdouble extensions), keyed hollow or shrink disc. pact of intermittent loads.” Bonfiglioli says durability and versatility is further enhanced by options such as fan cooling coil cooling, independent cooling Contact: sales@bonfiglioli.com.au systems and optional features such as non-contacting seals, forced
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
CONVEYORS
Q&A: Two-way conveyor for Bylong project Engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff has designed a non-industry standard two-way conveyor for the Bylong coal project, which is expected to start producing coal in 2017. ABHR put questions to Parsons Brinckerhoff’s materials handling executive, Brad Allsopp.
K
EPCO, Korea’s largest power producer, is developing the Bylong Coal Project, 160kms north-west of Newcastle. The project aims to mine a 124mt export grade thermal coal resource. Engineering company Parsons Brinckerhoff was hired to conduct what it calls a ‘value-engineering workshop’, between the pre-feasibility and feasibility phases of the project’s development. The goal of the project was to assess options to generate improved economic outcomes for Bylong. One such option was for a two-way conveyor between the project’s open cut pit and its coal preparation plant. The workshop investigated the potential of such a conveyor, and it was given the goahead by the project’s backers. Brad Allsopp explains why the twoway conveyor is the right fit for the job. ABHR: In broad terms, how does a twoway conveyor work? Brad Allsopp (BA): The two-way conveyor simultaneously carries coal on the upper belt and rejects on the lower belt. In this case, run of mine coal is carried on the upper strand of the conveyor for washing in the preparation plant while washing reject material is carried on the lower strand. Belt turnovers at both ends of the conveyor ensure the same side of the conveyor belt faces upwards for carrying coal and rejects. ABHR: What would be a more traditional solution for this operation? BA: The original solution for Bylong was to install two separate conveyors running parallel to one another, one for coal and one for rejects. ABHR: What kind of site is this method best suited to? BA: The sites that two-way conveyors are best suited to are those where there are similar two-way flows of bulk materials, such as raw material and finished product, being transferred directly between the same two points. To be economically viable, the distance between the two points needs to be long enough to justify the additional expense of the more complex terminal transfer stations at either end.
ABHR: Are there any key examples of two-way conveyors already in operation? BA: There are a few examples of two-way conveyors. The most famous one in Australia was at the now demolished Boodarie Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) plant in Port Hedland, Western Australia. At HBI, iron ore was transported 7km from the port to the processing plant, while finished iron briquettes were simultaneously transported from the plant to the port. Another two-way conveyor in South Africa transports ore 7.5km from a mineral sands mine to a processing plant, and returns the waste material back to the mine for disposal. There are also a few 4km to 5km long two-way conveyors in use on import/export ports in Asia operating as the main trestle conveyor. ABHR: You talked in a recent presentation about a number of key benefits to the two-way system. How can this method reduce capex? BA: When a two-way conveyor replaces two separate conveyors, the total cost of the single, two-way conveyor can be lower than the cost of two separate conveyors. At Bylong, the two-way conveyor was estimated to be 25% less capex than the cost of two separate conveyors. ABHR: Opex? BA: In comparison to two separate conveyors, the two-way conveyor has a reduced number of components requiring maintenance, and reduced power consumption whilst conveying simultaneously in both directions. This leads to reduced operating costs. ABHR: How does it improve access? BA: Two separate conveyors, following the same route in parallel, make inspection and maintenance access difficult. The spacing between the conveyors is usually minimised to keep the width of terminal structures and the easement down, but this makes access to the area between the conveyors awkward for operators. ABHR: How does it reduce rotating components? BA: There are fewer pulleys and idlers in the one, two-way conveyor than in two separate conveyors combined. Basically the return idlers are deleted when the two conveyors are combined into one.
ABHR: And total power demand? BA: The elimination of return idlers and their associated friction is the main reason for the reduced power demand of the single conveyor compared to two conveyors, whilst conveying simultaneously in both directions. ABHR: What are the downsides of a twoway conveyor? BA: A two-way conveyor reduces operational flexibility as both flows need to be available for the conveyor to run. For example, if either downstream process is unavailable, then the two-way conveyor cannot be run. In the case of Bylong, this issue was identified early in the project and the reduction in CHPP system availability was then quantified, understood and deemed acceptable by the project participants. The other downside is the power consumption of the conveyor is higher when conveying one way only when compared to a purpose-built one way conveyor (this is because there are more idlers in the twoway conveyor.) This means that a two-way conveyor may not be the optimum solution if one of the flows is intermittent. ABHR: How have you overcome challenges around availability and complexity? BA: The complexity of the conveyor falls within the design phase but not in the construction or operational phases. The main design challenge is not in equipment selection, as the equipment is standard, but in the layout of the lower belt transfer points, which need to be fitted underneath the upper belt structure. ABHR: How long until the Bylong conveyor is operating? BA: The project is at feasibility stage. The project is currently seeking development approval, and is expected to be in operation in 2017. ABHR: When the conveyor is in operation, what will be its specifications? BA: The conveyor is designed to operate at 1,100 tonnes per hour (tphr) of secondary crushed raw coal on the upper belt, and 480tphr of combined coarse, fine and dewatered tailings rejects on the lower belt. The belt width is 1000mm, belt speed 4.0m/s and total length of 1km. Total installed power is 370kW split in two 185kW drives, one at either end. Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
11
CONFERENCE
CHoPS 2015 speakers announced Plenary and keynote presentation details have been announced for the eighth international conference for Conveying and Handling of Particulate Solids (CHoPS), which takes place in Tel Aviv in May 2015.
S
peakers at the CHoPS event, which is being held at Tel Aviv’s Dan Panorama Hotel between May 3 – 7, 2015 include two speakers from Australian universities. The presentations are as follows: • Giuseppe Bonifazi, Universita di Roma ‘La Sapienza’, Italy: “Chemical Imaging: An Innovative Tool for Particulate Matter Characterization and Sorting” • Shrikant Dhodapkar, The Dow Chemical Company, USA: “Fostering Innovation in Bulk Solids Handling An Industrial Perspective” • Karl Jacob, The Dow Chemical Company, USA: “CHoPS – Twenty Years On – Perspectives on Accomplishments in Bulk Solids Handling and the Challenges that Lie Ahead” • Kerry Johanson, Material Flow Solutions Inc, USA: “Quality by Design – Solving the Powder Segregation Issue” • Jinghai Li, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China: “Removing the Bottlenecks in Understanding Particulate Systems by Mesoscience” • Don McGlinchey, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK: “Direct On-Line Mass Flow Measurement” CHoPS will take place in Tel Aviv in May 2015.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
• Vadim Mizonov and Henry Berthiaux, Ivanovo State Power Engineering University, Russia and Ecole des Mines Albi, France: “Mixing of Segregating Particulate Solid: From Mathematical Modeling to Mixers Design” • Wolfgang Peukert, University of Erlangen – Nurnberg, Germany: “Mechanical Particle Properties – Design, Characterization and Application” • Sotiris Pratsinis, ETH Zurich, Switzerland: “Gas-Phase Manufacturing of Nanoparticles” • Alvaro Ramirez, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain: “Research Needs on Biomass Characterization to Prevent Handling Problems and Hazards in Industry” • Mikio Sakai, The University of Tokyo, Japan: “How Can We Apply the DEM in Industrial Powder Systems?” • Agba Salman, University of Sheffield, UK: “Granulation Processes - From Production to Final Use” • Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, University of Florida, USA: “The Role of Particle Shape in Transport Processes” • Karl Sommer, Technical University Munich, Germany: “The Simulation of Batch and Continuous Powder Mixing on the Basis of the Fokker-Planck-Equation” • Juergen Tomas, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Germany: “Particles in Contact – Adhesion, Micromechanics, Macro-processes and Powder Products” • Vaclav Matousek and Pavel Vlasak, Institute of Hydrodynamics, Czech Republic: “Research Advances in Settling Slurry Flows” • Wei Wang, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China: “Multi-scale CFD of Particle-Fluid systems” • Craig Wheeler, The University of Newcastle, Australia: “Advancements in Belt Conveying Technology” • Aibing Yu, University of New South Wales, Australia: “Particle scale modelling and analysis of gas-solid flow in pneumatic conveying” Contact: http://www.chops2015.org/
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BULK SHIPPING
What’s behind Fortescue’s ship purchases? FMG isn’t building a bulker empire, but it has found a durable reason for owning these giant ships.
F
ortescue Metals Group caused a stir recently by announcing it had done a deal with a Chinese shipbuilder for four 260,000dwt very large ore carriers (VLOCs). Weeks later the Australian company informed the market it was in advanced talks with another Chinese shipbuilder for a further four giants. What’s going on here? Aren’t companies like FMG meant to focus on digging holes in the ground? Well, not necessarily. Roll back the clock five years; Rio Tinto ordered 15 new ships and continues to maintain a sizeable fleet of eight capesizes, seven post-panamaxes and two caustic soda/bauxite combination panamax carriers. Brazilian giant Vale’s shipbuilding experience also has been well documented. One analyst who works closely with this sector is Perth-based Peter Malpas, research director for Braemar Seascope. The way he sees it, the major mining companies want to maximise earnings from selling their commodity, with freight rates a secondary concern. “It’s not always about trying to save a dollar compared with taking ships off the market,” Malpas told ABHR affiliate publication, Lloyd’s List. “What it is all about is trying to optimise the number of tonnes of iron ore that a company can export with its current and future infrastructure expectations.” Malpas says mining companies that need their consignments shipped from ports such as Port Hedland sometimes need specific ship types to optimise sales earnings. “At Port Hedland for example, there is a very long channel which to dredge by a metre or two along the entire length would be unbelievably expensive. “What the mining companies have done is work out the optimum load they can achieve within tidal cycles. “They have clearly calculated a 260,000dwt ship is the optimum they can use to maximise tonnes to get out of that infrastructure on a two-tide period.” At Port Hedland, each mining company is allocated a number of sailings per month at the height of the tide (A class) and a certain number at the shoulder of the tide (B class). Mining companies in Australia have typically chartered ships of around 180,000dwt and 205,000dwt, supplementing them with larger contract ships of around 250,000dwt – the “wozmax”. “Even the 250,000dwt, for some miners, is a bit too small as the producers can optimise on a 260,000 dwt vessel,” said Malpas. Moreover, such giant ships can only achieve a draft of 18.1 metres by designing them specially as ore carriers, meaning they are
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unable to feature in the coal market, a natural alternative commodity. “The problem with large VLOCs is that few owners want to build those ships speculatively without a long-term contract because such ships don’t have the flexibility to also work other possible alternative cargoes such as coal and to a much lesser extent grains, salt and bauxite. “So if you have to commit to a 20-year contract with an owner to build one for you, you might as well do it yourself and if you are going to do it yourself, you might as well do it to the absolute optimum size.” Bancosta research analyst Ralph Leszczynski says whether end users should own their own ships has been debated for decades. “Back 20 or 30 years, most oil tankers were owned by the oil companies like BP and Shell. “Then they decided it was inconvenient for them and sold everything off and began chartering ships from independent owners instead.” Brokers and analysts who spoke to Lloyd’s List indicated the timing could be advantageous with shipbuilding prices reasonably low. “Technically, the timing now could well be very good,” one said. “Capesize prices, both newbuilding and secondhand, are still pretty low, indeed lower than they were 10 years ago and that is in nominal terms. “If you consider inflation over the last 10 years, it means they are even cheaper today. “So if you consider this as a long-term investment, say over 10 or 15 years, it’s almost impossible not to turn a profit on this.” This is an adapted article originally published by ABHR affiliate Lloyd’s List.
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CASE STUDY
Scrap tyres reduced to crumb rubber with help of bulk bag dischargers
Rough ground particles from shredded scrap tyres comprise 80% of Edge Rubber’s raw material.
Retread buffings from tyre retreaders comprise 20% of Edge Rubber’s raw material.
A
ccording to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 290 million scrap tyres are generated in the United States each year. As recently as 1990, most of these scrap tyres took up space in landfills or were dumped illegally. Today, many of them are recycled by companies such as Edge Rubber into various grades of ground rubber, also known as fine mesh crumb rubber. Markets now exist for 233 million (80%) of all scrap tyres. Some 130 million (56%) of these scrap tyres are burned as fuel. Another 56 million (24%) are used in civil engineering projects such as artificial reefs, while 30 million (13%) are recycled into ground rubber. Another 16.5 million (7%) scrap tyres are retreaded. Of the 30 million scrap tyres in the United States recycled into ground rubber, some 6 million (20%) find their way to the Edge Rubber plant in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the oldest facility producing fine mesh crumb rubber in the United States. One of the more efficient scrap rubber plants in the country, it attributes much of its efficiency to a bulk raw material handling system utilising six Flexicon bulk bag dischargers. “On receiving the scrap tyres, we first shred them into approximately 1.3 cm particles, which are gravity fed into 907 kg bulk bags,” says Sam Kauffman, vice president and chief operating officer of Edge Rubber. “These rough ground particles make up 80% of the raw material that we process into fine mesh crumb rubber.” The other 20% arrives in small bags from tyre retreaders that grind a portion of the tread from used tyres prior to applying new tread to the carcasses, generating “buffings” that measure approximately 0.5 cm. Because Edge Rubber has eliminated manual dumping of small bags from its production process, it first transfers the contents of small bags into bulk bags which are stored, or discharged to feed ground rubber particles, along with rough shredded particles, to a cracker milling process to further reduce particle size. Moving the rubber particles from the bulk bags to the cracker mills are six automated Bulk-Out BFC Bulk Bag discharger systems with integral flexible screw conveyors from Flexicon. An operator loads a bulk bag onto the discharger frame by electric hoist and trolley on a cantilevered I-beam; the discharger unloads the particles into a 0.56 cu m capacity floor hopper from which a 4.57 m long flexible screw conveyor transports them into one of six cracker mills. 16
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
Bulk bag discharger and flexible screw conveyor feed rough ground particles and rubber buffings to cracker mill. The bulk bag is loaded into the discharger frame by electric hoist and trolley suspended from a cantilevered I-beam. The wide frame accommodates open-bottom design bags.
Kauffman explains, “Four of these discharger systems are identical, one has a larger diameter flexible screw conveyor for faster feeding capacity, and one is a double discharge unit with two flexible screw conveyors that feed material to two cracker mills.”
CASE STUDY
PERFECT FLIGHTS PERFECT FIT, PERFECT ALIGNMENT From the large hopper, two flexible screw conveyors transport ground rubber particles from the cracker mills to wet grind mills for the finest size reduction. Discharge chute (black) deposits the cracker mill grindings into the hopper.
Once the bag is in place, the operator pulls the tied end through an iris valve, which prevents material flow while the bulk bag is being untied and allows controlled discharge of the material into the hopper once the bag has been opened. Due to the nature of the rubber particles, material flow from the bag can be inconsistent. In order to ensure continuous and efficient operation, Flow Flexer bag activation devices positioned on the frame continually compress and release opposite sides of the bulk bag to promote flow through the bag spout into the floor hopper. The rubber particles flow from the discharge port of the floor hopper and charging adapter into the 4.57 m long Model 1450 flexible screw conveyor, designed to handle difficult materials and consisting of a flexible steel screw rotating inside a 11.4 cm diameter carbon steel outer tube. The screw is driven by an electric motor located at the discharge end of the conveyor, which feeds the rubber particles through a transition adapter into the cracker mill. High and low level sensors in the floor hopper signal a PLC to activate the conveyor on reaching high level, and turn off the conveyor on reaching low level.
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CASE STUDY
L: Crumb rubber particles that have been ground in the cracker mills are packaged for shipment to customers or conveyed to the micro milling process for reduction to the finest powders. R: Edge Rubber’s micro milled, cleanest and finest particles have a unique shape for maximum surface area, yielding performance advantages in applications requiring strong bonding or high tensile strength.
Micro milled particles are packaged in pre-measured batch inclusion bags to be placed directly into the customer’s process.
At the discharge end of the flexible screw conveyor, forward of the electric motor, ground particles gravity feed through a transition adapter and downspouting into the micro mill.
“Before we acquired the bulk bag dischargers, we manually emptied the small bags of material from tyre retreaders into the cracker mills. If our tyre shredder was down for maintenance or repair, the volume of retread buffings we were feeding the cracker mills was not enough to maintain full production speed, which slowed the entire ambient grinding process. Manually emptying the bags was also a very slow operation,” Kauffman says. “Now the bulk bag dischargers and flexible screw conveyors feed all raw material into the cracker mills in a continuous, automatic flow,” he says. Throughput increases, inventory decreases. A typical tyre shredded by Edge Rubber contains, by weight, approximately 70% recoverable rubber, 15% steel, 3% fibre and 12% extraneous material such as inert fillers. On average, one passenger tyre yields 4.5 to 5.4 kg of crumb rubber. The rough shredded particles and retread buffings are first ground in the cracker mills (ambient grinding), the first of two size reduction processes that produce nine particle sizes ranging from 10 mesh (2.00 mm ) to as fine as 200 mesh (0.074 mm ). The cracker mills produce particles from 10 mesh (2.00 mm ) to 30 mesh (0.60 mm). A cracker mill tears apart scrap rubber by passing it between rotating serrated steel drums, reducing it to various sizes by adjusting the gap between the grinding rolls. The resulting long and narrow shaped particles have a large surface area and
Finished powder ships to customers.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
are suitable for applications including automotive, asphalt, and moulded goods such as rubber mats and solid rubber wheels for carts and lawn mowers. Crumb rubber particles discharged from the cracker mills are classified by sifting screens. Oversize particles are reintroduced to the cracker mills while the rest convey to the packaging line or to the next process, micro milling, for reduction to the finest powders. Magnets remove wire and other metal contaminants. Fabric is removed by aspiration and screening.
Micro milling produces the smallest, cleanest particles Wet grinding, or micro milling, produces cleaner, finer mesh particles. “While it produces particles as coarse as 40 mesh (0.40 mm), the majority of the particles are 60 mesh (0.25 mm) and finer. A percentage of the overall throughput, in fact, is finer than 200 mesh (0.074 mm),” says Kauffman. In wet grinding, the crumb rubber particles are mixed with water to create a slurry, and proceed through micro mills. When the desired size is achieved, the water is evaporated from the slurry and the particles are dried and classified. An advantage of wet grinding is the cleanliness and consistency of the fine crumb rubber produced, as the process “washes” the crumb rubber to remove the last traces of fibre. These particles have a unique morphology, or surface structure, and are often sold as additives to improve the performance of injection moulded and extruded plastics. Although most wet milling processes produce particles with a smooth surface, Edge Rubber’s proprietary technique yields particles with a rough surface and unique shape for maximum surface area. The company says they offer superior performance for applications requiring strong bonding or high tensile strength in industries such as automotive, sealants, specialty coatings and custom compounding. Most of Edge Rubber’s wet milled particles are packaged in pre-measured batch-inclusion bags that are placed directly into the customer’s moulding process and then disintegrate by melting at a low temperature. The rest of the wet milled particles, along with the larger particles produced by the cracker mills, are shipped in various size bags to customers in the United States and internationally. “Thanks in large part to our bulk bag discharging equipment, we are one of the most efficient scrap rubber recycling plants in the United States,” concludes Kauffman. Contact: sales@flexicon.com.au
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SCREENING
Bakery opts for centrifugal sifter for mass flour screening The Laurel plant of Gourmet Baker, one of Canada’s leading producers of baked desserts, uses more than 36 tonnes of flour each week. A new centrifugal sifter from supplier Kason is now helping filter that flour prior to use.
The Centri-Sifter Pneumati-Sifter centrifugal separator screens inline with the pneumatic conveying system at approximately 34 kg/min. The sifted flour exits the pneumatic line below. Oversize particles are ejected into the sealed, quick-release receptacle at the end of the screening chamber.
G
ourmet Baker’s Laurel plant in Burnaby, British Columbia, produces many flavors of strudel, Danish pastries, puff pastries, croissants and cinnamon rolls. A critical step in this production is sifting of the flour to remove unwanted material, accomplished using a recently purchased sifter for strudel production, and an older one for multiple products. Chris Helgason, Gourmet Baker’s maintenance manager, explained that the older screener was originally designed to sift sugar and did not work well for flour. “When we replaced the old screen basket with a 30 mesh (516 micron) screen, the machine couldn’t handle it and kept breaking down,” he said. The company replaced the screener with a Kason Centri-Sifter
Pneumati-Sifter centrifugal screener, the same machine dedicated to its strudel line.
Moving flour from silo to mixer Flour is stored in two 31.7 tonne silos equipped with rotary airlocks feeding a pneumatic conveying system that delivers material to the sifter. The flour enters a vertical inlet at the feed end of the centrifugal sifter, a horizontal, cylindrical machine that houses a 30 mesh (516 micron) stainless steel cylindrical screen mounted on a central shaft that is fitted with helical paddles. A 2.2kW motor rotates the paddles, which accelerate the speed at which on-size flour passes through apertures in the screen and drops into the pneumatic line below. Oversize debris is ejected through the back end of the cylinder into a sealed quick-release receptacle. Each sifter processes about 34kg/min of flour. A pneumatically actuated diverter valve sends sifted flour to a hopper that feeds a triple-action dough mixer (for the puff pastry line) or, in the case of the original sifter, to one of three roll-bar horizontal mixers. Each mixer’s hopper is set on load cells, allowing a PLC to stop the flow of material to the hopper once the target weight is reached. The desired amount of water is then metered into the mixer, while yeast and other ingredients are added by hand.
Transforming dough into frozen goods
Sifter is easy to clean and service, as hinged access port and cantilevered shaft allow quick removal of the screen.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
A typical batch weighs 200–400kg, said Helgason. Once thoroughly mixed, it is dropped onto a wheeled table and moved to the appropriate production line. There, the dough is manually cut into chunks and fed by a conveyor to an extruder, which produces a continuous sheet of dough. Measured amounts of filler (e.g. apple or cherry for strudel) are added, and then the dough is cut and shaped to obtain the final product. Finally, the product is frozen and bulk-packed in boxes for shipping.
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High-speed centrifugal sifting of flour for strudel and other baked desserts contributes to the premium quality of Gourmet Baker’s offerings such as blueberry strudel and large blend croissant.
“We have had no contamination of the flour and no problems at all,” he said. “All we have to do is perform preventive maintenance once a month and inspect the internal screen once a week.” Helgason added that the sifter is easy to clean and service. “It is a Quick-Clean model with two ports on top and a hinged access port and cantilevered shaft at the discharge end, from which we can remove the screen in less than 10 minutes for cleaning and inspection.” Kason is represented in Australia by DTD Engineering. Cantilevered shaft includes two bearings between the screening chamber and motor drive, allowing internals to slide quickly from the shaft end for cleaning and inspection.
Contacts: info@kason.com Email: mpolidano@dtdeng.com.au www.dtdeng.com.au
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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CHUTE ENGINEERING
Chute technology ‘dream team’ formed A trio of chute experts are combining forces in a new business called Chute Technology. It aims to help chute users improve their assets’ performance and reliability.
A depressingly common sight at operations across Australia is a blocked chute. Often production losses will run into hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour, while emergency clean-up costs can be hefty.
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hutes are often the biggest headache for conveyor, mine and process plant operators. Blockages cause losses of production running into hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour, expensive clean-up costs and dangers for staff. Rising production necessitates re-designs which often under-perform. The Chute Technology engineering group targets problems common to many coal and ore plants and loading systems by addressing them with a combination of three skill sets, including advanced engineering analysis of flow, followed by up-scaleable 3D Discrete Element Method (DEM) design processes and finally custom manufacturing to individual plant needs. The combined technologies, which are applicable to existing as well as new projects, are complemented by the practical experience of each of the three principal partners in Chute Technology, who have combined experience of more than 80 years in a wide variety of resource industries including coal, iron ore, alumina and limestone across Australia, the USA, South America and South Africa. The
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
technologies are also applicable to gold, nickel and other bulk minerals and ores. Major benefits of the chute design technologies have already been demonstrated in service with a West Australian iron ore producer which increased production by several million tons, or 50 per cent. Several Hunter Valley coal mines, meanwhile, are also benefitting from less wear and fewer breakdowns because of practical individualised designs produced by one of the partners in Chute Technology, long-established Hunter Valley mining industry supplier T.W. Woods. Chute Technology combines the local and international manufacturing experience of T.W. Woods, represented by director Tom Woods, with the similarly broad engineering and technology experience of engineering consultant Dennis Pomfret of Dennis Pomfret Engineering, and design engineer Gary Telford of McKajj Services, which contributes extensive project management, engineering and drafting experience. “We believe Chute Technology brings together a combination of skills that is unique in the marketplace, in that it
The new chute technology dream team. L to R - Dennis Pomfret, Gary Telford and Tom Woods.
brings three proven skill sets that are vital to solving typical mineral processing issues,” said Mr Woods. These issues include reducing wear, removing bottlenecks caused by clogging, minimising damaging impacts on belts and optimizing operational safety and efficiency by curbing breakdowns and cleanups. “Existing chute designs have fundamentally been stuck in the past, because few companies have seen the need to take advantage of innovations now available with advancing technology and knowledge. But under the impact of steeply rising 21st century volumes, existing designs are breaking down incessantly – wearing out in weeks, sometimes – and always slowing up production with downtime and repairs,” said Mr Woods. “As Australian and international producers set out to double and treble outputs, the underlying problems are becoming starkly apparent through breakdowns, downtime, problems with sticky material throughput, and spillage creating cleanup and safety issues. “Supervisors on sites or on loading facilities often are painfully aware that they
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CHUTE ENGINEERING
have got the problem, but these issues have become so prevalent that they sometimes think of it as inevitable. It’s not inevitable, just inefficient and a matter of rectifying the problem with focused design and smarter manufacturing.”
Through their specialist company focused on the design, manufacture and optimisation of materials handling systems, Chute Technology’s partners aim to deliver benefits by applying rigorous design skills and practical knowhow
gained by experience in mines, ports and industrial plants. “In addition to a proven capability to design new chutes, the new Chute Technology organisation will specialise also in the retrofit of existing plants. “A principal aim will be to eliminate reliability problems and production obstacles so as to bring handling systems up to their full potential,” said Dennis Pomfret, who holds patents on proven materials handling technologies. “The three parties involved in Chute Technology have already worked together on transfer chutes and have identified an opportunity to combine resources to form a company that focuses on transfer chutes. We are focusing our capabilities to provide a superior service, and product, that can be delivered to the customers by dedicated effort rather than a generalised engineering approach. All companies are based in Newcastle and have an established business base. Contact: T om Woods, email: tom@twwoods.com.au
NEWS
Atlas Copco buys Brisbane’s Henrob International OEM Atlas Copco will acquire Brisbane-born selfpierce riveting specialist Henrob for an undisclosed sum.
H
enrob’s self-pierce riveting system is a mechanical fastening process for joining two or more sheets of material, where welding is difficult, for example when working with aluminium. The fastener is used commonly in silo, chute and hopper fabrication. The company, which is privately owned, had revenues of $174m in the 2013/14 financial year. Atlas Copco believes Henrob’s riveting system will be a key source of revenue for its business, once the acquisition gains governmental approvals. It is expected to close this quarter. “The self-pierce riveting segment is expanding fast due to the growing use of lightweight materials in the automotive and other industries, a trend driven by increasingly stringent emission standards,” Atlas Copco said in a statement. Mats Rahmström, Atlas Copco’s president of industrial technique added: “Henrob is a strategic fit in our portfolio
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
of adjacent fastening technologies for the automotive industry. “It is a logical addition to our automotive body shop business. Now we can serve customers with three assembly technologies: tightening, adhesives and self-pierce riveting.” Henrob is a supplier to some of the leading auto manufacturers in Europe and North America, but Atlas Copco says its global footprint will open up possibilities to serve customers in more markets. Henrob has an entity in Brisbane, Australia, which was the birthplace of the riveting technology before it was moved to the UK in the mid 1980’s. “We are excited to welcome Henrob to the Atlas Copco Group. They provide complementary product into a range of industries that will ensure we remain the market leader in fastening technology to all market segments,”
Henrob’s self-pierce riveting system has applications in silo fabrication.
said Atlas Copco Tools Australia’s country manager, James Cameron. Contact: www.henrob.com
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PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEWED PEER REVIEW
PEER REVIEWED
Research and application of new dust control technologies Peter Wypych1 and Vitold Ronda2 1. Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong 2. EnviroMist Pty. Ltd., Brisbane
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• Figure 1: Velocity Contours for Simple Exhaust Hoods: (a) Plain end duct; (b) Plain end duct with flange (ACGIH, 1998)
Abstract Industries that handle and process “dusty” bulk materials are facing increasingly difficult challenges to ensure sustainable operation and development (e.g. environmental and workplace dust emissions, social and cultural impacts, economics). Most existing dust control measures treat only the “symptoms” of dust generation and do not deal with the root cause/s of the problem. They also are relatively inefficient in terms of controlling dust emissions (e.g. dust extraction is one of the most common forms of dust control, but can also be one of the most inefficient ways of capturing or controlling dust). This paper summarises initially the various existing options available for dust control and some of their features, advantages and disadvantages. It then describes some of the new technologies that are being researched, developed and employed to minimise dust emissions by addressing dustability or dustiness, dust generation mechanisms, as well as processing and handling requirements. The paper also presents some results from research being undertaken on the: • comparison and evaluation of methods to quantify the dustiness or 26
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
dustability of bulk materials (via rotating drum dustiness testers and standards); • development and implementation of high-energy dry-fogging technology (to suppress airborne dust); • air and dust generation mechanisms, including modelling and computer simulations. With improved understanding of dust generation mechanisms and also bulk material dustiness, it is possible to achieve a step-change improvement in the design, troubleshooting and application of more efficient dust control technologies.
Introduction Fugitive dust emissions from the mining and processing of bulk materials are creating an increasing number of problems for industry, the community and government. For example: • loss of valuable material and export income • increasing workplace dust emissions • increasing direct costs to industry: dust monitoring/testing; control, maintenance and housekeeping; premature failure of components; shutdown of process/plant; fines and
prevention notices; project rejections (e.g. new mine applications) deteriorating ambient air quality and human health for workers and nearby communities residential complaints (e.g. dust fallout onto the community and its properties) build-up of dust layers and further dust lift-off along road/rail routes, around crushing stations and dump hoppers and underneath conveyors tighter air quality objectives being set by the regulators for protection of both health and amenity, requiring more sophisticated control and monitoring methods increasing integration of mining and processing operations and bulk transport/export infrastructure with residential communities increasing number of government authorities, legislation, legal actions, etc. to deal with the above issues (e.g. new departments, acts, regulations).
The above problems are exacerbated as larger quantities of bulk material are mined, processed and/or handled, and especially as the products become finer. The common (traditional) ways to control fugitive dust emissions include: (i) general ventilation (i.e. dilution of airborne dust concentration); (ii) containment (usually with integral filtration); (iii) “push-pull” systems (using the “airknife” or “air-curtain” concept); (iv) dust suppression veneer treatment (via water, chemicals, additives and/ or foam): “sealing” exposed product surfaces on rail wagons, trucks, stockpiles, etc.; (v) water spray or misting systems trying to suppress airborne dust particles; (vi) dust agglomeration (via ionisation or ultrasonics); (vii) local exhaust ventilation (LEV), also known as dust extraction, with dust filtration; (viii) wind barriers or diffusers (e.g. trees, walls, mesh); (ix) vegetation (e.g. grass, shrubs) to help capture/trap and minimise the dispersion of airborne dust over large flat areas.
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Your Partner for High Performing Conveyors Figure 2: Rotating Drum Dustiness Testers: AS4156.6 (2000) (left); I.S. EN15051 (2006) (right)
Most of these dust control measures really only treat the “symptoms” of dust generation and are considered as “protection” methods (i.e. they do not deal with the root causes of the problem). Also, some have been found to be relatively inefficient in terms of controlling fugitive dust emissions. For example: • LEV requires suction/vacuum flows, which can be relatively inefficient in capturing airborne dust – as indicated in Figure 1, where the exhaust (control) velocity reduces dramatically away from the face of the hood; • traditional water spray/misting nozzles are inefficient in dealing with fine dust, associated air flows and external disturbances, such as cross winds; • dust suppression veneers need to be re-applied whenever the treated product surface is broken or disturbed (e.g. after loading and unloading trucks and rail wagons, stacking and reclaiming stockpiles).
The following areas have been identified to be some of the main causes or “offenders” of fugitive dust emissions: ROM hoppers; dump hoppers at truck/rail unloading stations; stockpile stacker/reclaimers; conveyor transfers and chutes; crushing stations; and haul roads in open cut mines where trucks continuously generate/agitate fine dust, which is then easily dispersed by cross-winds. To achieve a step-change improvement in understanding and solving fugitive dust emission problems for industry, more fundamental research needs to be undertaken to address the application areas listed above. The following sections summarise some of the new technologies that are being researched and developed at the University of Wollongong for this purpose.
Dustiness or dustability Problem quantification is an important early step in the design or troubleshooting of a dust control system. Two standards that can be used to quantify the dustiness of bulk materials are: AS4156.6 (2000), which was originally developed for coal; and I.S. EN15051 (2006), which was developed for a wider range of bulk materials. Figure 2 shows the two different rotating drum dustiness testers based on these standards and some materials being tested: dry sand in the AS4156.6 (2000) tester on the left and dry iron ore in the I.S. EN15051 (2006) tester on the right. Examination of these two standards has identified some key differences that can influence the accuracy and validity of the results from the two rotating drum tests. The key differences are summarised in Table 1. The amount of material required in each tester is quite different (e.g. 1000 versus 35 mL) as can be seen
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leading results as indicated in Figure 4. The DEM for this material was determined to be 12% wb based on the method used in AS4156.6 (2000), however, the DEM was found to be 11% wb based on a smooth trendline. The latter approach appears more accurate and representative of bulk materials in general (i.e. as a better indicator of the actual DEM). (ii) At moistures approaching DEM, some adhesion of product is noticed on the inside of both rotating drums (Figure 5). Such adhesion is expected to have an appreciable effect on the results. Table 1: Comparison of Existing Rotating Drum Specifications
in Figure 2. This will affect the amount of dust collected. The differences in test duration, rotational speed and extraction air flow will also affect the amount of dust generated/collected. There are also some fundamental differences in the overall aim or focus of each standard. AS4156.6 (2000) mainly deals with the dust/moisture relationship and how the Dust Extinction Moisture (DEM) is determined for a particular bulk material. Equation (1) is used to determine the dust number (dustiness) at a particular moisture content in the experiment. The dust numbers at different moisture contents are plotted on a log-linear graph as shown in Figure 3. AS4156.6 (2000) describes how an exponential trendline is fitted to the data and used to determine the DEM for the material. The DEM is defined as the moisture content at which the Dust Number is 10. Dust Number = (Mass of Dust, grams) × 105 / (Mass of Sample Placed in Drum, grams) (1) Figure 3 shows how the DEM can vary significantly for coal, from 5.8 to 26.2% wb (wet basis), and how the slope of the dust/moisture relationship can be quite steep or shallow, depending on coal type.
Such data and trends can have significant effects on dust control efficiency. I.S. EN15051 (2006) focusses on measuring and classifying the dustiness or dustability of a particular powder sample for workplace emissions, based on the inhalable, thoracic and respirable dust mass fractions. If the Inhalable Dust Mass Fraction (IDMF) is found to be > 5000 mg/kg, then the dustiness of the powder sample is classified as “high”. Although not described in I.S. EN15051 (2006), it is possible to determine a dust/moisture relationship for a particular powder by simply repeating the test for different moisture contents. Equation (2) can then be used to calculate equivalence between the two standards. IDMF (I.S. EN15051, 2006) = 10 × Dust Number (AS4156.6, 2000) (2) Based on research conducted to date, some other issues have been identified as possible limitations and/or errors sources of the two current rotating drum tests. Two potentially significant issues are summarised below. (i) The exponential dust/moisture curve stipulated by AS4156.6 (2000) does not necessarily occur for all bulk materials and can provide mis-
Figure 3: Dust/Moisture Curves for several Australian Coals with DEM = 5.8 to 26.2% wb (AS4156.6, 2000)
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
To investigate possible differences between the two standards, “side-by-side” experiments have also been performed. Figure 6 provides an example of some typical results obtained on iron ore. The resulting difference in the DEM shown in Figure 6 (viz. DEM = 5.2% wb based on AS4156.6 and 3.8% wb based on I.S. EN15051) indicates a significant difference in the moisture that would be required for dust control. Some possible key improvements to dustiness testing are being investigated, such as: • collecting the entire dust sample and then determining its Particle Size Distribution (PSD), so that inhalable, thoracic and respirable dustiness mass fractions can be determined • re-designing the dust chambers and transfer pipes/tubes to avoid dust deposition • investigating possible system effects via coupled DE-CFD (Discrete Element - Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation modelling of the product-air flows inside each rotating drum. Such improvements are being pursued with the overall aim of developing a reliable and practical dustiness tester that is representative of the bulk material sample and does not contain any system effects or operator dependencies.
Figure 4: Dust/Moisture Relationship of Ore using different Curve Fitting Methods: Exponential Curve based on AS4156.6 (2000) and Smooth Trendline
High-energy dry-fogging technology
Figure 5: Dustiness Tests on: (a) Ore at 8.1% wb (DEM = 11% wb); (b) Concentrate at 1.6% wb (DEM = 2.8% wb)
Some examples of results obtained from research into mist curtain efficiency are shown in Figures 7 and 8. This work is being undertaken in collaboration with Enviromist Pty. Ltd. to solve difficult dust
Figure 6: Dustiness and DEM of Ore based on AS4156.6 (2000) and I.S. EN15051 (2006)
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For water spray or misting systems to be effective in controlling/suppressing airborne dust, the mist curtain efficiency and energy need to be matched to suit the product flow rate, the process-driven air flows and any external disturbances, such as cross-winds, moving equipment or obstructions. Other factors that need to be considered for this purpose include: • dust particle size distribution and concentration • water droplet size distribution; nozzle design (e.g. air-water; water-only) • water quality (e.g. chemicals, impurities) • inertia and momentum of dust particles and air (including “gusts”) • inertia and momentum of droplets • dynamic “balancing” of droplets with particle-air mixture • orientation (e.g. plant layout; dimensions)
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problems in industry, such as conveyor transfers, crushing stations, rotary rail car dumpers and stacker/reclaimers.
Dust generation mechanisms Understanding and modelling dust generation mechanisms will assist greatly in tackling the root cause/s of fugitive dust emission problems. This also will help to optimise and minimise the size and cost of the “final” dust control system needed for a given product and application. The problem depicted in Figure 9 has been studied experimentally (Cooper and Wypych, 2001; Liu et al., 2007), theoretically (Liu, 2003) and numerically (Wangchai et al., 2013). The control volume shown in Figure 9 needs to be greater than the total amount of air generated inside the container (otherwise dust-laden air will be forced back out of the container inlet). Other sources of fugitive dust emission can include dust “peeling off” the main product stream due to: boundary layer turbulence and vortices; and cross-wind effects. The total amount of air “generated” inside the container consists of: interstitial air entering the product discharging from the hopper outlet (due to expanding voidage inside the hopper); air being dragged by the material stream (referred to as induced air); entrained air (due to the expanding voidage of the free-falling stream of bulk material); displaced air (due to particles entering the container). Based on experience and research, entrained air has been found to be most dominant, even for relatively small drop heights. For example, Cooper and Wypych (2001) found that entrained air is proportional to drop height raised to a power of n = 5/3. It is interesting to note CEMA (2007) presents an equation for entrained (induced) air to assist in the design of dust control systems for conveyor transfers. This equation can be simplified to show that the drop height exponent, n = 2/3. This means that doubling drop height will result in a 60% increase in air entrainment (and corresponding control
Figure 8: Water Droplet Size Distribution for Enviromist Nozzle
volume). However, based on the experimentally verified value of n = 5/3, a doubling of drop height will actually result in a 220% increase in air entrainment (not 60%). Hence, it appears that CEMA (2007) will significantly underestimate the effect of drop height on entrained air (and required control volume for effective dust control).
Discrete Element (DE) Simulation Modelling Discrete Element (DE) simulation modelling has been an extensive topic of research since the 1970’s. New validated calibration technology (Figure 10) has been developed recently by Grima and Wypych (2011) in collaboration with DEM Solutions. This facilitates the application of DE simulation technology to the design and troubleshooting of “dynamic” bulk material applications, such as conveyor transfers, chutes, screens, etc. Not only “full-scale” product flows (Figure 11), but also air and dust flows, can be modelled properly to help minimise dust generation at the source (i.e. target the root causes of the problem). The aim of this new “complete” or “total solutions” approach to modelling and (re)design is to achieve reliable operation with minimal dust generation and
Figure 7: Characterisation and Modelling of new Enviromist High-Energy Dry-Fogging Nozzle
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
emission, where dust-laden air flows are more easily contained inside the transfer/ chute enclosure and particle impacts are also minimised. This will help to minimise the size and cost of any subsequent dust control measure.
Conclusions Fugitive dust emissions from the mining and processing of bulk materials are creating an increasing number of problems for the industry, community and government. Most of the existing dust control measures only treat the “symptoms” of dust generation and can be considered as “protection” technologies. New technologies are being researched and developed to achieve a step-change improvement in solving fugitive dust emission problems for industry, such as: quantification and modelling of the dustiness of bulk materials; new fogging suppression systems that can be optimised to suit different applications; calibrated/validated simulation modelling of product, air and dust flows to quantify and target the root causes of the problem. Further work still needs to be done in the area of dust control, including: standardisation of dustiness testing and subsequent determination of dust extinction moisture; research and development
Figure 9: Air and Dust Generation during Free-Falling Stream of Bulk Material
Figure 10: Flow Chart of Validated Calibration Technology
being loaded onto trains or trucks; research and development of new high-energy fogging technology that can tackle large-scale applications (e.g. ROM hoppers, stacker/reclaimers, truck/rail unloading stations, haul roads); development of coupled DE-CFD models to predict product, air and dust flows for design and troubleshooting purposes. Figure 11: Full-Scale DE Simulation of Conveyor Transfer using Calibrated Material Model
of sustainable “total particle” dust suppression technology, where the product is treated at the mine site before
References
ACGIH 1988, Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Inc., U.S.A., 23rd Edition.
AS4156.6 2000, Coal Preparation, Part 6: Determination of Dust/Moisture Relationship for Coal, Standards Australia, Sydney. CEMA 2007, Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials, 6th Edition, Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association, U.S.A. Cooper, P. and Wypych, P.W. 2001, “Dust generation and air entrainment in bulk materials handling operations involving free fall of material”, AIOH 19th Annual Conf., Wollongong, 1-5 Dec. 2001, Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists Inc., Proc., pp. 29-33. Grima, A.P. and Wypych, P.W. 2011, “Development and validation of calibration methods for discrete element modelling”, Granular Matter, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 127-132. I.S. EN15051 2006, Workplace Atmospheres, Measurement of the Dustiness of Bulk Materials – Requirements and Reference Test Methods, CEN European Committee for Standardization, Brussels. Liu, Z. 2003, Air Entrainment in Free Falling Bulk Materials, PhD Dissertation, University of Wollongong, Australia. Liu, Z., Cooper, P. and Wypych, P.W. 2007, “Experimental investigation of air entrainment in free-falling particle plumes”, Particulate Science and Technology, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 357-373. Wangchai, S., Hastie, D.B. and Wypych, P.W. 2013, “The Simulation of Particle Flow Mechanisms in Dustiness Testers”, Int. Conf. on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Transportation, Newcastle, 2-4 July 2013, Organised by ASBSH, Proc., 10 pp. Contact: wypych@uow.edu.au
NEWS
Petkus to supply IMECO Down Under Petkus Technologie Germany subsidiary Petkus Australia Pacific has been appointed Australasian representative for Italian bulk handling manufacturer IMECO.
I
MECO has for over 30 years provided weighing, dosing, bagging and palletizing solutions for bulk products with numerous machines installed in plants throughout Australia and New Zealand. As well as supplying new equipment, Petkus Australia Pacific will support existing IMECO customers with all spare part requirements and onsite maintenance.
The equipment and processes available through IMECO are: • Bulk weighing – For intake, receiving, flow monitoring, yield monitoring or bulk load out applications • Feeders – For dosing and mixing applications • Manual bag placing bagging lines – For pre made open mouth bags • Automatic bag placing bagging lines – For pre made open mouth bags
• Open mouth bag closing and labeling systems • Form, fill and seal bagging lines • Filled bags’ quality control, turning and conveying • Palletizing solutions • Pallet load securing solutions • Fully automatic wheat damping systems Contact: aust-pacific@petkus.de
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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COVER STORY
TOP: Brookfield Rail 8A high speed weighbridge at Gutha, WA. L& R: GrainCorp Geelong Dual Gauge 2BXD train weighbridge, first weighpoint.
Dual gauge train weighbridge a first for Meridian Meridian Engineers has continued to develop its grain industry presence this year. The industrial weighing engineer, which first worked with GrainCorp in 2013, delivered two more projects for the commodities company, in addition to projects for Aurizon and FMG, in the past twelve months.
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rainCorp’s Geelong Port train unloading facility was the site of a rather complex project: the Meridian solution had to address a dual gauge track consisting of standard gauge and broad gauge, meaning there were three rails on the track. Net weight reports are required along the Geelong system, so weighing points are located before and after the unloading shed (thus giving a gross and tare weight, respectively). The weighbridge accepts trains from a single direction and includes a static RFID station at the gross weighing point, for identifying wagons. Both weighing points employ a Meridian Trackweigh 2BXD system, which means each wheel is weighed twice and the average result is used. This gives the system a better likelihood of achieving class 0.5 train weighing and class 1 wagon weighing results, an improvement over the standard Trackweigh 1BXD system, Meridian says. Trains are expected to traverse the weighbridge at speeds below 10km/h to obtain accurate weights, however the system is 32
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
able to handle upwards of 50km/h, without missing data, according to the engineer. As the Geelong system has both standard and broad gauge rail, 50% more rail mounted hardware was required to capture all trains than in a single gauge rail system. Additional hardware and software was allocated to automatically handle the third rail. A report is produced automatically at the end of each train, regardless of which rail gauge it is travelling on. A NextG access point facilitates the distribution of reports and allows remote access to monitor the weighbridges. Operators inside the unloading control room are provided with a SCADA interface allowing them to observe in real time train activity over the weighbridge. The weighbridges are configured in automatic mode, and require no operator input. Elsewhere in the last 12 months, Meridian sold rail operator Aurizon its latest Rail-Master 6 software (RM6) package. The engineer also installed new weighbridges at Anglo American’s
COVER STORY
GrainCorp Geelong Dual Gauge 2BXD train weighbridge second weighpoint.
FMG Solomon Mine Train Tare 1BXD weighbridge and RFID Tag readers.
GrainCorp Geelong Dual Gauge 2BXD train weighbridge first and second weighpoints with trackside junction box.
Aurizon Boundary Hill 1BXD weighbridge with harsh environment load cells.
German Creek and Callide coal mines. The latter weighbridge was upgraded to include the latest harsh environment load cells. The Boundary Hill installation had a very tight track closure window of 48hrs in which to install the rail mounted hardware, while working around other contractor groups in the same area, according to a Meridian spokesperson. “The project was completed on time with no delay to any rail movements,” says Dr Anthony Pruiti, managing director of Meridian Engineers. “This system was later certified producing some of the best accuracy results to date, achieving (+/- 0.1%) for total train weight and (+/- 0.5%) on individual wagon weights.” Also, three new RM6 weighbridges have been supplied to Aurizon to service Gregory, Hail Creek and Moranbah North. All of these were Trackweigh 1BXD systems, according to Meridian.
Weighbridge R&D saves money Meridian says it has refined the design of its 1BXD train weighbridge and is now able to offer potential clients a 1BXDS split system. The equipment is designed to have no loss in accuracy for train speeds under 10km/h, but has the major advantage of not requiring sleeper relocation. “This system is designed to be installed where rail support points are at 600mm centres. Our standard system generally requires the rail support points be shifted to 900mm centres.” By not requiring rail support spacing adjustment, installation cost and time is significantly reduced, the engineer says. “We estimate it is $20,000 cheaper to install and a half day of installation time saved. It also has the advantage of not disturbing previously well tamped track.”
The first was improving the software execution speed: latencies in the system have been minimised so that information flowing into the master controller is processed more quickly, Meridian says. “This makes the system more responsive to changing loading conditions and thus allows loading to be more accurate.” The second was the introduction of closed loop feedback from the gross weighbridge to the batching control. Results from weighing full wagons are fed back to the master controller which automatically makes adjustment to the loading parameters such as gate open position and chute allowance, a change aimed at improving accuracy. Meridian says both of these features have been implemented at FMG’s Solomon and Christmas Creek train loading stations. The train loading systems at FMG continue to perform very well, according to the engineer, loading thousands of wagons a month at very high average wagon loads whilst at the same time maintaining wagon overload occurrences to almost zero. Loading rate per train averages are now in excess of 13,000 tonnes per hour and it is all done under Meridian’s mass control system.
Targeting future improvements in train loading
Improvements to mass control
“Meridian is continually researching ways to improve the loading performance and accuracy of its TLMC System,” says Dr Pruiti. “There is a major drive presently, across the rail industry in Australia, to improve the loading distribution of wagons, to reduce the impact of unnecessary wear on rolling stock and other safety aspects. “Although currently our system works quite well with evenly balancing loads, we are working with existing and new customers to implement systems which we believe will greatly improve current expectations.”
Two major improvements have been implemented to Meridian’s Train Loading Mass Control System software (TLMCS) in the last year, the company says.
Contact: D r Anthony Pruiti, Meridian Engineers, email: apruiti@meridianengineers.com.au
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
2014/15 Directory of bulk handling engineering firms
Charles Macdonald
ABHR's directory of bulk handling engineering firms is aimed at those companies planning a bulk handling project. This could be the design of a new stockyard or terminal, installation of an overland conveyor at a mine, or the upgrading of chutes and transfers at a process plant. It could also take in a nest of new silos at a grain handling facility, bulk handling systems at a sugar or cement plant, or a pneumatic system at a plant handling plastics or food powder. The list includes those firms offering design and consulting engineering services, as well as some related activities such as EPCM. On page 44, the directory also includes entries for firms that provide engineering 'solutions' tending more to equipment supply and services. If your firm has been unjustly omitted, or you can suggest improvements to the format and content, please contact me in confidence on telephone (02) 9080 4443 or email - charles.macdonald@informa.com.au
AECOM Australia CONTACT: Tim Wilkinson WEB: www.aecom.com PHONE: (07) 3553 2000 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Global professional
services company. Design, construction, operations, maintenance and financing for bulk materials handling projects of any size, technology and location. Expertise in bulk materials conveying, underground facilities and mineral processing. Environmental services, water supply/treatment, bulk ports, heavy haul rail, power generation and distribution, planning and approvals, cultural heritage, quantity surveying, dynamic simulation and mapping. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Peter Strimaitis (Global) | Laurie Barlow (Mineral/Industrial Processing) | Roy Sargeant (Underground Base Metals), (08) 6208 0184 | Angelo Leonforte (Underground Coal), John Connelly (Coal) | Steve McLay (Project Delivery) | Paul McIlvenna (Canada), +1 514 582 4228. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Grasberg Mine Copper/Gold feasibility, detailed design and project support for 2,900 t/day freight and materials, and 1,600 personnel/shift rail haulage system | George Fisher Zinc Mine materials handling infrastructure, dewatering and L72 shaft haulage system detailed design | Solomon Project - detailed design lead engineer for the 20 Mtpa and 40 Mtpa iron ore processing facility and materials handling system including remote crusher hubs | RG Tanna Coal Terminal pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, detailed engineering including investigations for train and rail capacity, unloading, stacking, reclaiming and transfer to ships, plus upgrade of two and upgrade of third conveyor systems | Northparkes E48 concept and feasibility studies, primary crushing and materials handling system | Mt Gibson 6Mtpa and Gindalbie Karara 10 Mtpa iron ore projects concept and detailed design of iron ore bulk material handling facilities at Geraldton, train unloading, storage load/unload, ship loading and wharf upgrades| BHPB RPG 4, 5 and 6 Port Hedland detailed design for iron ore wharf facilities, and FMG 1, 2, and 3 Port Hedland detailed design iron ore wharf facilities | API West Pilbara Iron Ore Project, program management for stage 1, 35Mtpa mine, rail and port facility feasibility study, including 100Mtpa multi-user port design | Oakajee Port & Rail Project - feasibility study for the port bulk materials handling 45Mtpa and 75Mtpa (DSO iron ore and magnetite products) including dynamic simulation modelling. Ernest Henry Underground Mine 34
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
infrastructure detailed design, Kestrel Mine Extension detailed engineering, FMG Solomon Project - ECI phase and detailed design for the Firetail (20MTPA) and Kings Valley (40MTPA) ore processing facilities (OPF's) and materials handling systems.
AMEC CONTACT: Greg Hayes, regional director, Australia West EMAIL: greg.hayes@amec.com SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: A full range of ser-
vices for mining and metals projects, from front end geology and environmental consulting through to feasibility studies and detailed design, materials handling, process design, project delivery, commissioning, asset support and mine closure. Extensive bulk handling capability, including the design of overland conveyors, mobile heap leach conveying systems, and modular designs. Delivery by professionals from centres of mining expertise in Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, South Africa, UK and USA. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Steve Skinner, Technical Director, Engineering, stephen.skinner@amec.com Caroline Chen, Manager, Mechanical and Piping, caroline.chen@amec.com John Higgie, Civil and Structural Manager, john.higgie@amec.com Mark Wanshaw, Technical Manager, Engineering mark.wanshaw@amec.com MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Samsung: Roy Hill, Western Australia - Detailed design and engineering of a 55Mtpa iron ore mine and port materials handling facilities, FMG: Cloudbreak Western Australia - Detailed engineering and procurement for an iron ore beneficiation and materials handling facility, FMG: Second port Out-loading Circuit, Western Australia - Detailed engineering for an iron ore port materials handling facility, FMG: Solomon Hub, Western Australia – Designed supplied and installed seven overland conveyers (two x 72”, 7,400 t/h, three x 54”, 5,400 t/h and two x 54”, 4,500 t/h), FMG: Christmas Creek, Western Australia - Detailed engineering for debottlenecking a brownfields iron ore materials handling facility, Oyu Tolgoi LLC: Oyu Tolgoi, Mongolia - Detailed engineering of the Shaft 1 underground workshop, a vent raise fan, underground primary crusher, and secondary jaw crusher, BHP Billiton: Cerro Colorado, Chile - Support of copper heap leach stacking operations by designing and supplying a tripper, horizontal conveyor and radial stacker, Freeport-McMoRan: Safford, Arizona - Design, supply and erection of modifications to existing overland conveyor with a fixed tripper station, new 60”x1,200’ long overland conveyor
ENGINEERING SERVICES
and new modular MCC, and reinstallation of salvaged 60”x6,700’ long overland conveyor and mobile tripper, Maaden Phosphate: Ras Al Khair Phosphate Facility, Saudi Arabia - Design and supply of two parallel complete 54” – 1,425 t/h Super Portable stacking systems, each of which comprised seven x 250 ft long Super Portables, horizontal feed conveyor, horizontal conveyor and radial stacker, Swakop Uranium: Husab, Namibia - Engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) for a 15 Mtpa processing facility.
Aspec Engineering CONTACT: Richard Morgan EMAIL: rmorgan@aspec.com.au WEB: www.aspec.com.au PH: (07) 3193 0400 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Material handling
kers
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eaner
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machines: Design audits of stackers, reclaimers and ship loaders for mining companies and ports; compliance design checking of existing machines; upgrade feasibility; retrofit detailed design. Configuration of stockyard and shiploaders for new or expanding terminals | Structural integrity: ongoing asset audits of ports and mines; specialist investigations for life extension of structures and mechanical components involving finite element analysis, strain gauging, fracture mechanics and engineering design, risk studies and functional safety | Engineering projects: ROM and rail dump stations; bins, bunkers and silos; conveyor systems; reclaim tunnels; crane and machine runways; supports for vibrating machinery; marine structures; mooring systems. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Richard Morgan, director | Frank Gatto, director | Robert Gibson | Jeff Brook | Mark Biggs | Adam Mayers. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: RG Tanna Coal Terminal Stockpile SP22 expansion. Project involves new stacking and reclaim system for 300,000 tonne stockpile | Hay Point Shiploader SL2 and Berth 2 fender replacement. | EPCM services assessment for continued use of reclaimers, stackers and shiploaders for Port Kembla Coal Terminal | design audits of Cape Lambert B stackers, reclaimers and shiploaders | Hay Point stacker reclaimers (SR1 & SR2) replacement project.
Your greatest asset in this industry is a TUFF partner...
Aurecon CONTACT: John Leech EMAIL: john.leech@aurecongroup.com WEB: www.aurecongroup.com PH: (07) 3173 8016 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: From planning
and feasibility investigations to detail designs in the mining, minerals processing, agricultural and construction industries - especially for coal, iron ore, metal ores and concentrates, cement industry products, fertilisers, sugar, grain, sands and aggregates. Specialisations include optimisation of materials handling systems in complete supply chains, detail design for mine and port facilities, high capacity belt conveyors, shiploaders, transhipment facilities, train and truck loading/unloading systems, stacking and reclaiming systems, storage sheds, bins and silos, feeding and dosing systems, dust control systems, sampling systems and pneumatic conveying. Also design audits, safety and condition audits, spillage and dust audits, failure investigations, brown-field upgrades (big and small), specialised lifting systems. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Mackay: Steve Cutting | Gladstone: Peter Smith | Brisbane: John Leech, Lee Williams, Paul Jacobsen | Newcastle: David Baigent | Sydney: Howard Mitchell | Melbourne: Anthony Cornish | Adelaide: David Chin | Perth: Kon Farmassonis, Paul Muscat | Darwin: Carolyn Yates | Jakarta: Rifki Feriandi, Irwan Sakti Siregari | Johannesburg: Michael Vincent, Victor Neto, | Wellington: Steve Jenkins
and TUFFSTUFF hits the mark everytime!
ENGINEERING SERVICES
MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Shishen to Saldanha Ore Line
KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Peter Wypych, general manager | Peter
Expansion, South Africa | Nacala Coal Export Facility, Vale, Mozambique | Tiebaghi Nickel Ore Export Facilities, SLN New Caledonia | Cannington Metal Concentrates Export Facility, Townsville Port | Fisherman's Landing Plant Expansion, Cement Australia | Rolleston Coal Mine, Glencore | Master Plans for coal port developments at Hay Point and Abbot Point | NCIG Kooragang Island Coal Export Terminal | Hay Point Coal Terminal, Stage 3 Expansion | Dalrymple Bay coal terminal, Stages 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7X | Abbot Point Coal Terminal, Stage 1, X25, X50 Expansions | WICET Wiggins Island Coal Terminal | Port Warratah Coal Terminal, T4 Expansion Feasibility Study | Port of Fujairah Aggregates Terminal UAE.
Arnold, expert advisor | Andrew Grima, principal design engineer | David Hastie, expert advisor | Ian Frew, lab manager. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: New rail wagon design for efficient and reliable discharge of iron ore | High-angle belt conveying for alumina | Coal handling plant design and washery upgrades | Gold mine modifications to avoid blockages and flooding problems | Improved bauxite handling and loading operations | Reduced dust emissions at mine sites, ports and power stations | Safe handling and conveying of highly explosive powders | Improved live capacity of bottom-reclaim stockpiles | Improved ship loading and unloading operations, including new dust suppression technology.
BMT WBM CONTACT: Rob Angus EMAIL: rob.angus@bmtwbm.com.au WEB: www.bmtwbm.com.au PHONE: (07) 3831 6744 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: From planning and
feasibility investigations to detailed design for both mines and ports. Specialising in materials handling systems and machinery (auditing & design of systems, conveyors, stockpile plant, rail and container handling equipment); large machines (audit and inspection of bucketwheel excavators, stackers, reclaimers, shiploaders, shovels, draglines); conveyors (design and analysis of large overland, horizontal, vertical, cable, underground); In pit Crushing & Conveying (investigations and advice); electrical consulting (HV, LV, SCADA); analysis (stress, fluid, particle modelling, FEA, DEM,CFD); Test & measurement; Troubleshooting and root cause investigation; vibration, stress, rotational machinery. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Rob Angus, Machinery Group G.M. | Peter Essig, Melborune, peter.essig@bmtwbm.com.au, (03) 8620 6110 | Andrew Hunter, Newcastle, andrew.hunter@bmtwbm.com. au, (02) 4940 8882 | Francois Coetsee, Perth, francois.coetsee@ bmtwbm.com.au, (08) 9322 1577 | Neil Watson, Sydney, neil.watson@bmtwbm.com.au, (02) 9713 4836. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Adani, - Abbot Point TO Expansion, detailed design, Key engineers - Peter Essig, Richard Brown | Kemi, Finland - material handling plant concept design - iron concentrate port facility. Key engineer - Gary Ryan | BHP Billiton Escondida Mine Chile- material handling detailed conveyor design. Key engineer, Peter Essig | Loy Yang Mine - conveyor L310 detailed conveyor design, conveyor L801 tripper detailed design. Key engineer - Gary Ryan | Yallourn Mine - E315 detailed conveyor design. Key engineer, Gary Ryan | Esperance Ports - berth 3 shiploader audit - machine inspections - berth 2 shiploader modification and upgrade. Key engineer, Steve Saflekos | Maryvale Field - material handling conveyor concept design. Key engineer, Gary Ryan | Xstrata Mount Isa Mine - copper rotary furnaces analysis and detailed design. Key engineer, Peter Essig | BMT WBM wagon vibrator. Key engineer, Russ Morrison | China Light & Power, Castle Peak power station - conveyor audit, conveyor upgrade, grab unloader audit, stacker reclaimer refurbishment, electrical system upgrade.
ULK MATERIALS ENGINEERING AUSTRALIA B (BMEA) CONTACT: Peter Wypych EMAIL: wypych@uow.edu.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Bulk materials han-
dling: flow properties and dynamic testing, bins, hoppers, feeders, conveyor transfers, chutes, segregation, dust control and suppression, bin wall and feeder loads, pneumatic conveying, dust explosion hazard minimisation. Testing, troubleshooting, engineering design, retrofit experts, audits, calibrated DEM computer simulation modelling/design (in excess of 15,000 tph). 36
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
Cortex CONTACT: Ian Chamberlain EMAIL: ichamberlain@cortex.com.au WEB: www.cortex.com.au PHONE: (03) 9543 5225 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Engineering design,
procurement and construction management services. Expertise in bulk materials handling of construction materials such as cement, lime, flyash, ground slag, washed sand, quarry sand, crushed rock and liquid admixtures as produced in quarries and used in concrete batching and mixing plants; agricultural products bulk handling including wheat, barley, canola, pulses, fertilizers; mining bulk material handling applications including mineral sands rutile, zircon and leucozene; ore materials including iron ore, copper & gold ore, coal. Material receival, storage, reclaiming, transfer and/or loading into road trucks, rail wagons and ships. Design of belt conveyor systems, bins, silos, sheds and loaders. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Ian Chamberlain, general manager | Joe Scerri. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Hanson Hobart Quarry 14 degree decline downhill belt conveyors system to convey primary crushed 200 mm minus crushed rock over 1.5 km | Newmont Gold Tanami mine 600 tonne cement bulk storage and metering system for paste back-fill plant | Straits Resources Tritton 500 tonne mine cement bulk storage and metering system for paste back-fill plant; FMG Cloudbreak mine overburden conveyor system handling > 8000 tph of 250mm minus from open pit via mobile high angle conveyor system | Northport NZ Woodchip ship-loading at > 800 tph | Solid Energy NZ Tauranga port 70,000 tonnes of coal in shed storage, reclaim to 1500 tonne over rail holding silos and rail wagon loading at 3,000 tph | ABA Globex 50,000 tonne capacity grain export terminal at Appleton dock, Port of Melbourne | NAT 60,00 tonne capacity grain export terminal conceptual designs for terminal development staging, plant layouts and feasibility study for Mayfield and No 2 Dyke locations at Port of Newcastle | Iluka Minerals Port of Portland 50,000 tonnes storage shed, wharf conveyors and 1500 tph mineral sands mobile ship-loader.
Engineering Design Resource (EDR) CONTACT: Geoff Hughes EMAIL: geoff.hughes@edr.net.au WEB: www.edr.net.au PHONE: (03) 5173 7600 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Materials handling
plant upgrades, including the integration of new and existing plant for mining, power, paper, automotive, food and manufacturing clients Australia-wide. Specialising in design engineering, FEA, crane certification, pressure vessel design and certification, design/detail 2D & 3D drafting. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Geoff Hughes (engineering manager) | Gary Smith (projects manager) | Michael Minniti (specialist
ENGINEERING SERVICES
mechanical engineer) | Steve Murcott (mechanical/structural engineer) | Jared Crutchfield (specialist mechanical/programming engineer) | Andrew Quenault (drafting manager) MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Gladstone, Qld: Redesign of Quarry Crushing Plant - QMM | Lang Lang, Victoria: Upgrade to Process & Mining Plant - Sibelco Aust. | Marmor, Qld: Lime Kiln Exhaust System upgrade - Sibelco Aust. | Port Headland, WA: Conveyor Belt Change-out system - BHP/Belle Banne.
GHD CONTACT: Warwick Biggs EMAIL: warwick.biggs@ghd.com WEB: http://www.ghd.com/global/, http://www.ghd.com/global/
services/materials-handling/ PH: (02) 4979 9009 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Bulk materials handling from concept to operation: Multi-discipline engineering, concept, pre-feasibility, feasibility, definition studies, detailing, brownfield upgrades and construction management, of materials handling systems. Individual components to complete exploration to export for the mining industry; conveyors, stacker/reclaimers, rail/ship loading and unloading, stockyards, crushing and screening; automation and control; commissioning and audits. The industries for which GHD has provided materials handling services include mining (soft and hard rock), mining (open cut and underground), power, food, industry, rail, ports. Materials covered include: coal (black and brown), iron ore, magnetite, wood chips, sugar, bauxite, grain, fence posts, bulk fuels, drums, gravel, gold, copper and heavy metal concentrates. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Newcastle: Warwick Biggs, warwick. biggs@ghd.com | Brisbane: Shane Coles, shane.coles@ghd.com | Perth: Feliciano Sanchez, Feliciano.Sanchez@GHD.com | Hobart: Nirmala.Gunadasa, Nirmala.Gndadasa@ghd.com | Melbourne & Morwell: Chris Johnston, chris.johnston@ghd.com | Orange: Tim Chapman-Mortimer, tim.chapmanmortimer@ghd.com | Malcolm Peattie, Mal.Peattie@ghd.com | Manila: Manuel Ancheta, Manuel. Ancheta@GHD.com | Chile: Carlos Vejar, carlos.vejar@GHD.com | Canada: Colin James, Colin.James@GHD.com MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Anvil Hill Coal Mine | Antiene Coal Unloader Upgrade | Bayswater Power Station Conveyor Upgrade | BMA Gregory Crinum Mine | BHP, Mount Arthur Coal 32 Expansion | BHP Rapid Growth Project 6 | Carborough Downs Coal Mine Expansion | CQPA RG Tanna Coal Terminal Expansion | Moranbah South Mine | Newpac No 1 Colliery Expansion | Pilbara Iron Mine Expansion | Queensland Sugar Corporation Terminal Expansion. Port Waratah Coal Services stage 2 | Lekir Bulk Terminal and LBT upgrade | Albany Hematite processing and port facilities | Kenmaman bulk import terminal and processing plant
Altra products help keep material moving throughout Australia. Our global family of industry-leading “power brands”, extensive application knowledge and award-winning design advantages provide proven product performance and reliability. Thousands of Altra backstops, couplings, clutches, brakes, torque limiters and belt drives are hard at work in industrial applications including conveyors, cranes, winches, hoist, water treatment plants, coal power plants, oil and gas, marine, water treatment plants and more. Many major equipment OEM’s and end users partner with Altra to access the latest power transmission technologies. www.AltraMotion.com.au
Haald Engineering CONTACT: Andrew Reid EMAIL: andrew.reid@haald.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Medium-sized en-
gineering design consultancy. Provides project based mechanical, civil and structural design in particular and can offer electrical and process design inputs via collaborative relationships. Design team combines experienced engineers, drafters and technical support staff equipped with the latest 3D modelling, stress analysis and discrete element modelling technology as well as project management tools. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Andrew Reid, managing director | John Hanna, lead mechanical engineer | John DeAndrade, principal modeller/designer | Marian Giermanski, lead modeller/designer and drafting co-ordinator
Previously known as Warner Electric Australia
Warner Electric • Bibby Turboflex • Stieber Clutch Marland Clutch • Wichita Clutch • Boston Gear • TB Wood’s Formsprag Clutch • Industrial Clutch • Twiflex Limited Altra Industrial Motion Australia Unit 51/ 9 Hoyle Avenue Castle Hill, N.S.W. 2154 - Australia Phone: +61 2 9894 0133 sales@altramotion.com.au
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Design and workshop draw-
ings for Syntech's Cameby Downs Surat Basin coal mine, including engineering and design of coal handling plant and structural engineering and design of coal preparation plant; modelling software used for project was Pro/E Wildfire 3 - M160 & EFX5 | Abbot Point bucket wheel reclaimer (APBWR) chute design and deflector redevelopment using EDEM software - redesigned chute work geometry and deflector layout on the APBWR, which displayed unsatisfactory behaviour during operation. Used EDEM discrete element particle analysis software. | Alcan Gove Expansion - mechanical, civil and structural engineering and detail drafting services for Alcan's $2.0bn expansion at Gove, including steel structures, conveyors, 1,000t lime silo and screen house rebuild. Also, technical evaluation of upgraded hydrate belt conveyors, and design of transport for modules from Thailand.
Hatch CONTACT: Frederic Cloutier EMAIL: FCloutier@hatch.com.au | hatch@hatch.com.au WEB: www.hatch.com.au PH: (07) 3166 7777 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Global EPCM ser-
vices provider; bulk materials handling equipment selection and design; mining engineering (surface and underground); capacity simulation modelling (logistics); debottlenecking studies and BMH plant audits to achieve nameplate capacity; conveyor dynamic transient analysis; discrete element modelling (guided flow chutes); machine audits & upgrades (stackers, reclaimers, shiploaders). Hatch supplies engineering, project and construction management services, process and business consulting and operational services to the mining & metals, energy and infrastructure sectors. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Brisbane: Milton Carruthers, John Ollivier | Wollongong: Barry Fraser, Brian Moore | Perth: Erle Williams | Johannesburg: Stephen Stacey, Hendrik Visser | North America: Andreas Delbruck, Devendra Badam, Jean-Francois Marchand, Predaq Jokovic, Tom Maus, Jerry Westermann | South America: John Elkink, Sergio Gonzalez. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Xstrata - Koniambo Nickel Project - New Caledonia | Anglo - Grosvenor Mine Expansion - QLD Australia | Codelco - Chuquicamata Underground Expansion - Chile | Mosaic - Colonsay Potash Plant Expansion - Canada | Transnet - Capital Programme of Works - South Africa PLUS AURECON HATCH JOINT VENTURE PROJECTS INCLUDING: Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group Coal Export Terminal
- EPCM | Hay Point Coal Terminal, HPX3 expansion - Detail Design | Dalrymple Bay coal terminal, 7X Expansion - EPCM | Abbot Point Coal Terminal, X50 Expansion - EPCM | Wiggins Island Coal Terminal - Detailed Design | Port Warratah Coal Terminal, T4 Expansion - Feasibility.
Hyder Consulting CONTACT: Paul Davis, managing director, resources, environment, energy, water EMAIL: paul.davis@hyderconsulting.com WEB: www.hyderconsulting.com PHONE: (02) 8907 9235 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Engineering, environmental and project and construction management services from concept and planning phases to detailed design, commissioning and handover in the resources industry. Concept, prefeasibility and feasibility studies, full service engineering design and specification. Community engagement, environmental planning and assessment and control of health, safety, environment
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
and community (HSEC). Materials handling and infrastructure: conveyors (surface and underground), stacking and reclaim systems, bins, silos and hoppers, crushing and screening, dust control systems, batch weighing and feed plant, train and truck loading/unloading systems, port loading and unloading, reticulation pipework and pumping systems, rail, civil infrastructure and existing plant audits and upgrades. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Paul Davis, managing director, resources, environment, energy, water | Frank Panetta, business director, resources | Graham Wall, technical director for materials handling, resources | Allan Rose, technical director for heavy structures, resources | Dan Callaghan, principal electrical engineer, resources | Adam Halpin, project manager, resources. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Ulan West Surface Infrastructure Stage 1 & 2 - concept, pre-feasibility, feasibility, detailed design and documentation | Moolarben Coal OC4 expansion structural and mechanical detailed design and documentation for the materials handling system| Queensland Bulk Handling concept, FEED study and mechanical, structural and electrical detailed design for the expansion of its port terminal facilities at the port of Brisbane | Airly Coal Mine - Rail balloon loop, civil infrastructure and environmental services | Ulan Coal Mine concept, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies; relocation of in-pit crushing and conveyor system (2.6km) | Boggabri Coal - structural and mechanical design for a new stockpile recovery system to rail load-out | Wambo Coal - 3,500tph coal clearance and stockpile system for new longwall installation | Curragh North new in-plant upgrade including 500-tonne bin (with five outlets) | NorthParkes Mines: new secondary crusher installation and 1.6km horizontal curved conveyor | Hyrock - new copper concentrate storage facility container tippler, and 1,000tph conveyor system plus major ship-loader modifications | Ovoot Tolgoi Coal Mine (Mongolia) - mechanical, structural and electrical design for a new coal handling plant for open cut coal mine. Design of rock waste separation plant using grizzlies, a rotary breaker, and dump hopper for the 200t haul trucks, transfer, rejects conveyors and a truck loading bin, plus project management | Las Flores Colombia - 500tph ROM coal handling system including a 350 tonne truck dump hopper, apron feeder, primary crusher, secondary sizer building, radial stacker installation & interconnecting conveyors to a truck load out bin | Bontang (Indonesia) - upgrade ship-loader feed system to 3,700tph; increase conveyor belt speeds to 7.2m/sec | BlueScope - upgrade of existing No. 5 blast furnace sinter conveyor system.
ideas Pty Ltd CONTACT: Michael Percy EMAIL: info@ideaservices.com.au WEB: www.ideaservices.com.au PHONE: (03) 9763 4332 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Materials handling,
process, manufacturing and technology solutions across range of industries. Specialised in manufacturing, recycling and waste management, materials handling, crane services, transportation and heavy industry sectors. Customised engineering solutions alternative to off-the-shelf equipment. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Michael Percy, managing director | Rick Stefanutti, technology development director. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Concrete recycling facility, detail design and engineering for Alex Fraser Group | Gypsum Infeed Mill & Store Systems, design, mechanical and electrical installation for Boral Australia | Compounds plant, concept layout for Boral Australia | Australian Paper Maryvale pyrolysis plant, engineering for Renewed Carbon | Tumbleback conveyor, design and engineering for Norstar.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Jenike & Johanson CONTACT: Chris Muller EMAIL: info-australia@jenike.com WEB: www.jenike.com PHONE: (08) 9277 3303 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Bulk materials han-
dling design firm (handling, processing and storage) for iron ore, coal, grain, and other bulk solids. Materials flow properties testing: wall friction (hopper angles for mass flow), cohesive strength (rathole and arching dimensions), bulk density, permeability, segregation, TML, dust extinction moisture, belt surcharge angle, abrasive wear, pneumatic conveying. Engineering: on-site assessments, functional designs of silos, stockpiles, hoppers, chutes and feeders, DEM analysis, structural engineering, detailed design. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF Herman Purutyan, CEO | Dr David Craig, Director of Engineering | David Morgan, Senior Consultant | Dr Terry Tan, Senior Engineer | Jarant Johnson and Chris Muller, Project Engineers. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Design of transfer chutes for fine, sticky iron ore; stockpile design and live capacity calculations for materials such as coal, bauxite, and copper concentrate.
Kerman Contracting CONTACT: Chris Kerman EMAIL: kc@kerman.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Industrial process-
ing plants, bulk storage and materials handling facilities, complete design and construction of mine site infrastructure, accommodation villages and large industrial warehouses, factory and
workshop buildings. Activities include: civil, structural, mechanical and piping design; civil and concrete construction; equipment procurement; inspection and quality control; fabrication, surface treatment and field erection of: structural steelwork; platework; storage tank construction; mechanical plant installation; pipe spooling and field installation; insulation; electrical services and plant commissioning. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Project managers: Jim Walker | Klaus Hartmann | Wenge Liu | Adrian Parks. Project engineers: Jon Butler | Nigel Dowd | Maria Maggi. Design manager: Michael Ricci. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Design & construction of iron ore export shed, reclaim & shiploader facilities at the Whyalla Port Expansion project in SA for Arrium Mining (OneSteel); Construction of explosive storage & handling facility at Marandoo, WA for Hamerlsey Iron; Design and supply of enclosed conveyor modules for BHP Billiton at Finucane Island, Port Hedland, WA; Design & Construction of non-process infrastructure facilities at Jimblebar Hub, WA for BHP Billiton Iron Ore; Design & construction of resource recovery plant and all material handling systems for BioVision / SITA in Neerabup, WA; Design and construction of iron ore storage and material handling systems for the Esperance Port Authority, WA and similar facilities for OneSteel at Whyalla, SA; Design and construction of grain storage and material handling systems for AWB Limited in NSW, Victoria and Qld and for the CBH Group in WA.
Kockums Bulk Systems CONTACT: Jason Groves, applications manager EMAIL: j.groves@kockumsbulk.com.au WEB: www.kockumsbulk.com.au PHONE: (03) 9457 8200
ASPEC Engineering
Provides high quality technical engineering support to mines and ports
ASPEC is a specialist consulting firm with expertise in large bulk materials handling machinery such as stackers, reclaimers, shiploaders, car dumpers, car positioners, conveyors and surge bins. ASPEC provides services for many of the major iron ore, coal, manganese, alumina and bauxite producers in Australia. Brisbane T +61 7 3193 0400
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Newcastle
» » » » » »
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Experts in Bulk Materials Handling Machinery Owner’s Engineer / Design Auditor Technical Studies and Advanced Analysis Performance Benchmarking Functional Safety and Risk Assessment Refurbishment, Upgrade or Replacement Decisions
Wollongong
Lvl 1 Stockland Bld, 99 Melbourne St, South Brisbane, Q, 4101
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Perth
admin@aspec.com.au
aspec.com.au
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Engineering design and supply of equipment for handling bulk materials in process industry. Dust management and reliable flow promotion, especially where abrasives, combustible dust or gasses, toxic or high temperatures are present. Equipment range covers: sack filling and emptying, bulk bag filling, emptying and conditioning, IBC systems, container unloading, pneumatic and mechanical conveying, batch weighing and feed systems, blenders, sifters, breakers, specialist valves, flow aids, dust filters, automatic bagging and baling machines, vacuum lifting systems, palletisers, wrappers and hooding machines. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Ivan Price, i.price@kockumsbulk.com. au | Brian Watson, senior application engineer, heavy industries, b.watson@kockumsbulk.com.au | Jason Groves, application manager, powders, j.groves@kockumsbulk.com.au MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Design and supply of a total compounds batching plant for Knauf Plasterboard Australia at Altona, Victoria | Design, supply, install and commission a major upgrade of the Cereform (AB Mauri) cake and pastry Ingredient Batch Processing Plant located in NSW | Design, supply, install and commission of a three stage system upgrade of a three-line Garden Products Automated Bagging, Palletising and Hooding plant at Martins Fertilizers located in NSW | Design, supply and commissioning of a substantial upgrade to the Dry Compounds Plant of Winstone Wallboards (GIB) located in Auckland NZ | Design and supply of 160 tonne/hr suck and blow system for supplying cement from barges to shore in the building of Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong | Design and supply of a dry disposal dense phase system for PFA flyash at Bayswater Power Station in the Hunter Valley for 300 tonne per hour collection and transfer off site, a total distance of 1.6 km.
Grain Silos & Conveyor Systems
Laing O'Rourke CONTACT: Brisbane: Darren Grundy, EMAIL: dgrundy@laingorourke.com.au Sydney: Ian Fleming, EMAIL: ifleming@laingorourke.com.au Perth - Dale Ewart, EMAIL: dewart@laingorourke.com.au WEB: www.laingorourke.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Offers a comprehen-
sive range of services from concept /feasibility study and early contractor involvement (ECI) through to detailed design and construction delivery. The in-house engineering and design team features technologies and partnership agreements within the Asia-Pacific region with Conveyor Dynamics (CDI) and Schade. The CDI technologies for advanced (20 - 30km) overland conveyor design include beltflex dynamic analysis and super low rolling resistance rubber (SLRR) rheology. The Schade stockyard equipment range includes stackers and high capacity scraper reclaimers for homogenisation suitable for diverse materials and configurations. These technologies compliment a long standing bulk materials handling capability primarily in iron ore, coal, hard rock and bauxite (as well as a diverse range of other materials ie. magnetite, sugar etc) including conveying systems, ROM dump hoppers, crushing, screening, stockyards and truck/rail loading/unloading facilities. The in-house multi-disciplinary team covers all project disciplines including mechanical, civil, structural, geotechnical, electrical and controls system design. It is as an integrated detailed designer and constructor that Laing O'Rourke offers a turn key solution integrating safety in design through constructability, operability and maintainability. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Bruce Gerard, principal applications; Brad Lawson, principal mechanical; Paul Hough, principal structural; Eugene Izis, principal electrical MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: FMG Solomon mine stockyard conveyors and train loading; BHPB Yandi RGP5 dual ROMs, crushing and overland conveyors; Airlie mine and Cooranbong upgrade for Centennial Coal; Overland conveyors including the 20.03km Curragh North variable speed conveyor and the Indokodeco 25km system in Indonesia; North Parkes Lift Two underground primary crushing and rising conveyors; Argyle Diamonds underground project drift and overland conveyors; Curragh North project and integration and upgrade of existing Curragh facilities; Blackwater CHP complete; stackers and scraper reclaimers at Dartbrook mine, Wallerawang PS, Collie PS, Karumba Century Zinc, and Pha Lai Vietnam; Power station CHPs at Bayswater, Stanwell, Wallerawang, and Mt Piper.
Calibre Minerva (formerly Minerva Engineers) CONTACT: Derek Gnauck, general manager EMAIL: derek.gnauck@calibreglobal.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: A division of Cali-
ALLIED GRAIN SYSTEMS FOR GRAIN STORAGE AND CONVEYING ALLIED GRAIN SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN DESIGNING & CONSTRUCTING WORLD CLASS PROJECTS FOR YEARS • Project Design & Construction • MFS Commercial Silo Range • Comprehensive Range of Conveyors including Bucket Elevators, Screws, Drag Chains & Belt Conveyors • Structural Steel Fabrication including Walkways, Towers, InGround Hoppers Young NSW Ph: 02 6382 7474 Fax: 02 6382 5149 Email: john@alliedgrainsystems.com.au www.alliedgrainsystems.com.au
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bre Global. Provides engineering solutions and related project delivery services to the resources, bulk materials handling and minerals processing industries. Key services include specialist consulting engineering, operational support, design and drafting, shop detailing, client advisory, project management and controls services. Undertake all project phases from concept to execution and commissioning, as well as long term operational support. Brown-field upgrades, optimisation and maintenance of operating facilities, as well as green-field projects. Specialising in: mine infrastructure: ROM, crushing, stockpiling including stackers, reclaimers, conveyors, train load-outs; port infrastructure: train unloading, stackers, reclaimers, ship-loaders and conveyors; concentrators, mills and process facilities; overland conveyors: design and engineering; all related infrastructure; operational support: maintain, repair, optimise, upgrade, expand or alter existing bulk materials handling facilities and minerals processing plants.
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014 Australian Bulk Handling Review Sept/Oct 2014
ENGINEERING SERVICES
KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Gary James | Peter Dawson | Cam-
eron Bain | Colin Preston | Josh Proud MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Western Turner Brockman (RTIO), iron ore, including 20km curved OLC system | Solomon Front End (FMG), iron ore | Hope Downs 4 Front End (RTIO), iron ore | Mesa A (RTIO), iron ore | Marradong (Worsley Alumina), bauxite mine, including 11km curved OLC | CIL Heated Leach (gold plant upgrade for Fosterville Gold Mine) | Flash flotation and regrind (gold plant upgrade for Fosterville Gold Mine). Multiple engagements and on-going support for operations including Port Waratah Coal Service, MMG (Century and Roseberry mines), Oz minerals Prominent Hill mine, Aditya Birla Nifty Copper mine, FMG Solomon, Kaltim Prima Coal (Indonesia).
Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) CONTACT: NSW/Vic/Tas: Brad Allsopp (02) 9272 5353 Qld: Mark Wolton (07) 3854 6559 (WA/SA/NT): Speros Galanopoulos (08) 8405 4396 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Multidisciplinary engineering team delivers projects for mines, ports, power stations, and for cement and aggregate plants. Specialisations include: investigations, studies, design, EPCM and PMC implementation of materials handling facilities, including conveyors, feed and transfer equipment, sampling systems, storage facilities and train loading facilities. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Brad Allsopp, technical executive, materials handling MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Roy Hill PMC | Adelaide Brighton Cement: cement mill upgrades, storage silos, automated stacking and reclaiming facilities, raw materials handling and storage systems, ship-loader upgrades, sand drying plant | KEPCO Bylong FS: 1,000 t/h open cut coal and 400 t/h reject handling | Glencore Rolleston CHF expansion: 1,250 t/h ROM feeder, sizers, roller screen, conveyors, fixed stacker | Port Kembla Raw Materials Handling Facilities: 2 x feed hoppers, elevated travelling/luffing/slewing stacker and interconnecting conveyors for iron ore, sinter, fluxes, coal, and coke | Territory Iron East Arm Port Stockpile: conveyors, transfer stations, chutes and stacker | Tampakan Copper Mine: 10,000 t/h ore crushing and conveying system, 6,000 t/h waste rock crushing and conveying system, and copper concentrate conveyor systems with ship loading and unloading equipment, enclosed 90,000 t copper concentrate stockpile with shuttle conveyor stacking and FEL reclaim, 120,000 t coal stockpile with automatic stacker and FEL reclaim.
pitt&sherry WEB: www.pittsh.com.au PHONE: 1300 748 874 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Infrastructure
consultancy across multiple specialisations, including industrial, mining, energy, food & beverage, transport and community sectors. Specialist engineering services throughout life cycle of plant and machinery assets. Design, verification and asset management of hazardous plant and machinery. Lifting and access design solutions across multiple sectors. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Peter Johnson | Dick Baird | Nick Bailey. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Cyolite Recovery conveyor design - Rio Tinto Aluminium Bell Bay Tasmania | ALC plant upgrade project, Rio Tinto Aluminium, Bell Bay Australia | Lime dosing facility - Tas Alkaloids | Atomiser 1 expansion project Bahrain Atomisers International | Phase 1 & 2 process and bulk handling plant project, Ecka Granules of America LLC, South Carolina | Mobile woodchip conveyors design - Tas Ports, Bell Bay Terminal. 42
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
Plant Performance CONTACT: Janice Bale, general manager EMAIL: janice@plantperformance.com.au WEB: www.plantperformance.com.au PH: (03) 5623 5455 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Bulk materials han-
dling consultancy in mining, ports and rail. Machinery expertise: bucket wheel excavators, stackers, reclaimers, ship loaders, conveyors, rail. Service scope: integrity management system development and auditing, independent structural inspections, advanced structural analysis, expert witnessing, slew bearing inspections and changeouts, critical shutdown and project management, conveyor design, machine upgrades and modifications, asset management consultancy. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Jason Fankhauser, WA regional manager | Janice Bale, enterprise risk management | Ryan Leslie, snr. project manager | Brenden Vosper, snr. rail engineer | Colin McKay, snr. design engineer. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Shiploader-integrated conveyor and transfer design for Whyalla port expansion; development of project plan for AGL Mine's Tripper Stacker 4 re-location and new overburden conveyor system; design of new zinc conveyors and feeders for Xstrata; design of over-water enclosed conveyor at Townsville Port for MineForce; structural design and analysis of bucket wheel excavator; structural and mechanical inspection of reclaimers, ship loaders and stackers for BHP, FMG, and Glencore; bucket wheel and slew bearing change-out shutdown management for BHP and FMG.
Practical Engineering Australia CONTACT: Rod Tait, Rod McDonald EMAIL: info@praceng.com.au WEB: www.praceng.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Design consultants,
technical drafting and project management in materials handling with specialisation in bins, silos, hoppers, feeders, conveyors, batching, flow analysis and CFD, product handling machines; Structural design and FEA as well as lifting equipment and design of access systems; Certification (RPEQ, NPER, CPEng), verification and registration. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Rod Tait | Rod McDonald MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Adbri Masonry Plant Upgrade design of conveyors, mixers, weigh hoppers, product handling and prefeasibility investigations | BHP Slurry Processing Skids - design, project management and supply of slurry processing skids for Olympic Dam | Caixo Cane Trash Recovery Chamber - structural analysis, CFD and process design to extract cane trash from high-speed air flow including air slide conveyors | Hanson Block Plant - design and project management of new block plant including conveyors and 250t aggregate bin.
Sedgman Limited CONTACT: David Proud EMAIL: David.Proud@sedgman.com WEB: www.sedgman.com PH: (07) 3514 1000 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Minerals processing
and associated infrastructure solutions for the global resources industry, with process engineering and materials handling solutions for the coal, minerals and iron ore sectors. Sedgman also provides contract operations, maintenance, operations support and consultancy services for process and materials handling plants and infrastructure. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Australia: Peter Watson, CEO | Simon Stockwell | Michael Carretta | Ken Boulton | Danie Coetzee | Luke
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Graham | Americas: Javier Freire, Chile | Mark Wilkin, Canada | Simon Mordecai-Jones, Africa | Ed Sun, Asia. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Aurora Gold Project for Guyana Goldfields in Guyana (EPC of a 1.75 Mt/a processing plant and power station) | Solomon Iron Ore Mine Project for Fortescue Metals in Western Australia (D&C of 7.5 Mt/a ROM Feed modular iron ore processing plant) | Mungari Gold Project for La Mancha Resources in Western Australia (EPC of new processing plant) | Caval Ridge Coal Processing Plant for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance in Queensland (detailed design and commissioning of 2400 t/h coking coal processing plant) | Boggabri Coal Project for Boggabri Coal in New South Wales (EPC for 6.9 Mt/a coal handling and processing plant) | Ukhaa Khudag Coal Project for Mongolian Mining Corporation in the South Gobi Desert, Mongolia (EPCM and Operations Management of 21 Mt/a coal handling and preparation plant) | Boseto Copper Project for Discovery Metals Limited in Botswana (3 Mt/a copper flotation plant and associated infrastructure) | Daunia Coal Project for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance in Queensland (EPC of 5 Mt/a coal handling and preparation plant) | Maules Creek Coal Project in New South Wales for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance in Queensland (detailed design of initial coal handling and preparation plant including equipment supply for an ultimate 13 Mt/a resource) | Moatize Coal Project for Vale in Mozambique (detailed design and procurement of the world's largest coal processing plant at 26 Mt/a) | Bocamina Power Station Project for Chile's largest energy supplier, Endesa (EPC of coal handling plant upgrade from 400,000 t/a to 1.4 Mt/a including replacement and upgrade of thermal coal station's coal yard equipment from end of ship unload conveyor to bunker conveyor, and coal stacking system) | Benga Coal Project for Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique (EPC of 5 Mt/a coal handling and preparation plant).
SEMF CONTACT: Adam Coode EMAIL: adam.coode@semf.com.au WEB: www.semf.com.au PHONE: 1300 357 363 | (03) 8545 0400 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Specialising in the
design of complete materials handling processes and applications, including transportation, stock piling, storage, reclaiming and loading. Design of all types of ship loaders, stackers, mobile machinery, road, rail and ship loading/unloading stations, large bulk storage buildings with integrated in-load and out-load systems. Multi-disciplinary engineering capability of all aspects of materials handling projects, including concept, preliminary and detailed designs, condition auditing, feasibility studies, project management, procurement management, site construction management and commissioning. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Melbourne: Adam Coode, Industrial Group Manager; Jason Bodnar, Principal Mechanical Engineer; Andrew Bongetti, Principal Electrical Engineer; Chris Tattersall, Principal Structural Engineer | Hobart: Bob Dunbabin, Principal Structural Engineer; David Oudman, Project Manager | Sydney: Ray Sassine, Principal Mechanical Engineer; Magdalena Geraldo, Principal Process Engineer. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Maules Creek Stacker (coal) | Kestrel Coal Stacker, Rio Tinto (coal) | Corio Quay Ship loader and conveyors, Port of Geelong (woodchips) | Koolan Island ship loader and conveyor | Mount Gibson Iron (iron ore) | Port of Darwin ship loader, conveyors and truck dump (manganese, iron ore) | Port of Esperance ship loader and conveyors (iron ore) | Queensland Bulk Handling, Brisbane stacker (coal) | Mesa A stacker, Pilbara, HWE
Schenck Process Australia Pty Limited Ground Floor 65 Epping Road North Ryde NSW 2113, Australia T 1300 SCHENCK (1300 724 362) T + 61 2 9886 6800 sales@schenckprocess.com.au www.schenckprocess.com
IntraBulk Bulk Reception Unit
The IntraBulk is an above ground bulk material reception solution providing a user friendly, cost effective alternative to conventional below ground intake pits. The cost savings achieved by eliminating expensive civil works have seen the IntraBulk selected across a diverse range of industries. The IntraBulk is capable of receiving bulk materials from a range of bulk handling vehicles. The wide Apron Belt design permits a very low loading height, allowing trucks and front end loaders to discharge directly to the entry section with only a small access ramp.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
(iron ore) | Lake Vermont radial stacker, Sedgeman (coal) | Sonoma radial stacker, Sedgeman (coal) | Telfer Gold Mine stackers (3), Newcrest Mining (gold ore) | South East Fibre Exports, Eden, stockpile and reclaim system (woodchips) | Condong/Broadwater, NSW fuel handling systems for co-generation plant (bagasse) | Australian Wheat Board, numerous up-country grain terminals | GrainCorp significant upgrade projects incl. Grain Terminals, Grain Storage and Handling Laminex Industries, Ballarat, major plant upgrade (woodchips and particle board).
SOTO Consulting CONTACT: Jim Allan EMAIL: jim.allan@sotogroup.com.au WEB: www.sotogroup.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Design solutions
for processing companies, resources and heavy engineering industrials Australia-wide. Specialises in Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), proficiently in Advanced Analysis. Also specialises in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), fracture mechanics, computational dynamics, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), dynamic analysis, thermal analysis, Discrete Element Modelling (DEM). Engineering services include mechanical, civil and structural design, material handling systems, detail drafting and 3D modelling, and pipe engineering. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Solutions for Worsley Alumina, Orica Mining Services, BlueScope Steel, BHP Billiton, Boral.
Structural Integrity Engineering CONTACT: Doug Hawkes EMAIL: dhawkes@siepl.au.com WEB : www.siepl.au.com PHONE: (08) 9316 9400 | (07) 3256 8333 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: SIE is a specialised
structural engineering consulting company providing services to the mining and heavy industries. Specialists in stacker, reclaimer and shiploader design audits (Australia and offshore), plus assessments of existing machinery, including compliance assessment, upgrade/optimisation assessments and rectification design. Mining plant structural design services, including advanced finite element analysis capabilities. Brownfields works including structural assessments, prescription of remedial measures and crisis recovery. Mining/minerals processing plant structural integrity training. Expert witness services relating to structural incidents and failures. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Peter de San Miguel, principal structural engineer ( Perth ) | Doug Hawkes, principal structural engineer (Brisbane) | Dr Matthew Humphreys, principal structural engineer, advanced analysis. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: 125 machine inspections and over 30 machine design audits in the last 10 years.
UNRA Bulk Solids Handling Research T Associates, NIER, The University of Newcastle CONTACT: Dr Tobias Krull PHONE : (02) 4033 9055 EMAIL: enquiries@bulksolids.com.au WEB : www.bulksolids.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Flow properties,
Wear characterisation, Idler testing, Transfer chute designs, Computational Modelling (DEM, CFD & FEA), DEM calibration services, Belt conveyor testing, Dust minimisation, Abrasion minimisation strategies, Bin and hopper functional designs, Stockpile draw-down optimisation, Belt conveying systems, Wall loads, Pneumatic conveying systems and testing, Hydraulic conveying 44
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
test work, General material handling audits and site visits. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Director - Professor Mark Jones | Founding Director - Prof Alan Roberts | Associate Director - A/ Prof Craig Wheeler | General Manager - Dr Tobias Krull | General Manager (Research) - Dr Ken Williams | Engineering Managers - Dr Stephen Wiche & Dr Tim Donohue MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Complete materials handling review of Port Waratah Coal Services T4 Expansion | Australian coal terminal reclaimer belt wear optimisation | Partner in AMIRA and ACARP research teams investigating transportable moisture limits for iron ores and coals | Iron ore head chute wear optimisation | Gold ore crusher pocket redesign in Central America | Belt abrasion investigation for iron ore feeder in the Pilbara| Audit of entire biomass transfer and handling system | Investigation into rolling stock discharge | Conveyor Indentation Rolling Resistance Test Facility | Comprehensive idler testing | ISO 9001 accreditation
WorleyParsons CONTACT: Mark Southey PHONE: (02) 8923 6866 EMAIL: mark.southey@worleyparsons.com WEB: www.worleyparsons.com SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Professional engi-
neering and project management services to the resources and energy sectors, delivering comprehensive pit to port projects and solutions in base metals, alumina, aluminium, coal, iron ore, steel and chemicals. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Mark Southey, managing director, minerals & metals MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: 45mtpa Pilbara Iron Ore and Infrastructure project for Fortescue Metals Group | 90mtpa S11D Iron Ore Project for Vale, Brazil | EMAL Aluminium Smelter Project for Emirates Aluminium, UAE | Ma'aden - Phosphate Development for Saudi Arabian Mining Company.
Equipment, solutions, installations, services Integrated Bulk Systems (IBS) CONTACT: Tim Gibson / David Leggatt / David Short, South East Asia / Erric Wu, China EMAIL: info@integratedbulksystems.com.au WEB: www.integratedbulksystems.com.au PHONE: (03) 9585 6391 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Project and design offices in Victoria, sales offices in Thailand and China. Network of manufacturers around Australia, South East Asia and China. Engineering, drafting, design and manufacturing. Engineering design, build and project management across mining and resources, coal, chemical, cement and building and power generation, food processing and waste management. Designs from concept, procures equipment including manufacturer of auxiliary supporting structures. Systems and equipment include specialised conveyors and transfer, factory process systems, transfer and storage systems, batch weighing, pneumatic conveying systems and mixing projects. Services include commission, installation, feasibility studies, QA/QC inspection, after sales service, maintenance control, spare parts and InfoTrak, system management. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Raymond Hill, managing director | Tim Gibson, sales and engineering | Rob Andrew, snr. design engineer | Fred Stickland, snr. structural engineer. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS : Worsley Alumina - coal and
ENGINEERING SERVICES
biomass conveyor systems | Vale-Inco - Goro Nickel - truck loading systems | Rio Tinto Bell Bay - bucket elevator | TiWest - tioxide transfer systems | Cadbury - mixing and conveyor systems | Visy Australia, biomas boiler feeding system | Vale specialised belt conveyors | McConnell Dow sand recovery and separation system.
LEAP Australia CONTACT: Nick Goodall, regional manager. EMAIL: info@leapaust.com.au WEB: www.leapaust.com.au PHONE: (02) 8966 7888 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Computer aided
engineering (CAE) software and services. Support, training, advice and customisation in CAD, CAM, FEA, CFD, DEM and product development. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Dr Srini Bandla, technical director, 03 8542 7888; Dr Jindong Yang, technical director, 02 8966 7888 MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Coal wagon train stress analysis and fatigue analysis; Waterfall training crash simulation and technical analysis; Truck body stress analysis and fatigue analysis; Conveyer structural analysis and fatigue analysis; Rock and mine blast simulation.
Noyes Bros. CONTACT: Matthew Koomen EMAIL: info@noyesbros.com WEB: www.noyesbros.com PHONE: (02) 9651 6456 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Supply and engi-
neer of spare parts and new installations for the cement, aggregate, phosphate, aluminium, petrochemical industries and rubble recycling plants. Crusher refurbishment, provision of OEM spares, maintenance and refurbishment and replacement of Noyes Bros. Material Handling Equipment. Specialises in management, engineering and procurement of equipment from China. Has EPCM capabilities, and OH&S and environmental requirement compliance knowledge. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Australian representative for Buss Kneader Equipment | Clients include BHP, CSR, Rio Tinto, KNPC, Australian Cement, Australian Defence, Hydrodec Group, Orica and Qenos.
Pilz (Australia & New Zealand) CONTACT: Paul Rawlings EMAIL: p.rawlings@pilz.com.au WEB: www.pilz.com.au | www.machinesafe.com.au SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Turnkey engineer-
ing, consulting and specialised training in the areas of machinery & process plant safety. Safety services and solutions for a wide range of industries including transport, logistics, rail, ports, mining, oil & gas, automotive & robotics, manufacturing and food & beverage. Local knowledge of health and safety regulations and standards, specifically specialising in safety standards such as AS 4024, ISO 13849, IEC 61508, IEC 62061, IEC 61511 and others. Training programs; half day specialised courses through to four day TUV (Nord) Certified Machinery Safety Experts Course (CMSE). Conduct risk & hazard identification & assessments (RA's, HAZID, HAZOPs), create safety concepts, safety requirements specifications, safety functional specifications. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Scott Moffat, managing director, Australia & New Zealand | Paul Rawlings, safety services and training manager | Tony Catterson, country manager, New
Zealand | Pedro Ascoz, engineering projects manager | Matthew Wallace, snr. certified functional safety engineer | Serg Ivkovic, snr. certified machine safety engineer | Mat Whinney, snr. certified machine safety engineer | Adam Hallinan, technical support manager.
RUD Australia CONTACT: Ian Cattell, mechanical project engineer, Brisbane EMAIL: ian.cattell@rud.com.au WEB : www.rud.com.au PH: (07) 3809 1300 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Chain based con-
veyor and lifting solutions - bulk material handling, safe lifting solutions, engineered lifting devices, conveyors, conveyor conversion kits, engineering site reports, optimisation of existing systems, tyre protection and traction solutions. Specialised in chain bucket elevators, belt bucket elevators, apron conveyors, en Masse chain conveyors, forky drag conveyors, biomass conveyors, systems for energy and power generation, conveyors for gasification and combustion. Also lifting beams, overhead lifting and hoisting solutions, transmission of large components, safe calibrated drive solutions, FEM analysis of existing systems and, system optimisation, mechanical systems for maintenance platforms, traversing systems and trolleys. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Matt Pauli, engineering manager | Ian Cattell | Roy Segal, mechanical project engineer | Amandeep Gill, mechanical engineer | Kevin Cruikshank, mechanical engineer.
Spirac CONTACT: Veronique Ramen, general manager EMAIL: info@spirac.com.au WEB: www.spirac.com PHONE: (08) 9434 0777, (02) 8811 4100, (07) 3482 4230, (03)
9717 1199 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Manufacture, installation and maintenance of screening, grit & sludge handling solutions. Wastewater solutions engineering and project management. Compliance with local specifications and best global practice. After sales support. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Rob Cilia, (08) 9434 0722 | Peter Vogelaar, (02) 8811 4100 | Rick Hill, (07) 3482 4230 | James Petrovski (03) 9717 1199. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Goondiwindi (Australia): sewage treatment plant, design and construction of primary treatment area | Sarina (Australia) inlet works package, design and construciton | Nambour (Australia): silo systems | Doha (Qatar): sludge reception system.
WA Belting Solutions CONTACT: David Cotton, director and design engineer EMAIL: david@wabelting.com.au WEB: www.wabelting.com.au PHONE: 1300 651 320 | +61 422 228 375 SERVICES AND AREAS OF SPECIALISATION: Conveyor systems
design and solutions, from plant start-up to next stage development. Product line aimed at problem solving and minimising downtime. KEY ENGINEERING STAFF: Gary Cotton, sales manager, gary@ wabelting.com.au, +61 411 054 780. MAJOR OR MARQUEE PROJECTS: Sino Iron, Cape Preston: overland conveyor splicing | Roy Hill: conveyor supply | Supply of Super Screw belt splice | Supaskirt polyurethane wear skirting. Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
New chief at Aurecon Global engineering and technical services company Aurecon announced in August the appointment of its next chief executive officer.
G
iam Swiegers will take over as CEO of the engineering company from February 1, 2015, and will be based in its Sydney office. Aurecon chairman Teddy Daka was happy to announce Swiegers as the next chief after the board conducted a global search. “He has an outstanding track record as a CEO and is a great cultural fit for us as a business,” Daka said of Swiegers. “His South African background and experience in the US and Australia tie well with our large footprint in both Australia and Africa. His track-record in building a great culture and an agile, growing business are a great strategic fit for us as an expanding global business.” Swiegers leaves his current role as chief executive officer of Deloitte Australia after 12 years in the role.
Aurecon’s new chief executive Giam Swiegers (left), with chairman Teddy Daka.
He began his career as an auditor with Deloitte in South Africa, and subsequently worked for Deloitte in the USA before returning to become managing partner of its Tshwane (Pretoria) office. He moved to Australia in 1997 and became CEO on 1 June 2003. He has been a member of Deloitte’s Global Board and Global Board Governance Committee for three years and is a member of the Deloitte Global Executive Committee. “This is an exciting time to take a global role in a leading engineering company with the ability to be agile in the market,” Swiegers said. “The sector is experiencing unparalleled change and offers immense opportunities for a company like Aurecon which is already leading in technology driven innovation and in tailoring its
services to meet client needs around the entire infrastructure lifecycle. “I am very impressed by the people I have met at Aurecon. They are clever and passionate. I look forward to working with them to grow the company even further around and beyond its excellent core design and engineering business.” With around 7,500 staff across Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, Aurecon provides engineering, management and specialist technical services for public and private sector clients. The company is the result of a threeway merger in 2009 between Australian engineering company Connell Wagner, and South African companies Africon and Ninham Shand. Contact: www.aurecongroup.com
Jenike & Johanson expands facilities, staff Bulk material engineering firm Jenike & Johanson (J&J) recently expanded its Belmont, WA headquarters to more than twice its original size. (L to R) Messrs Johnson, Muller and Tan.
J
&J, headquartered in the US, entered Australia two and a half years ago. The firm says it has experienced such a rapid increase in demand for its bulk materials engineering and lab-testing services that an expansion of over 100% was necessary to meet client needs. As well as doubling the size of its facilities, J&J has also expanded its staff. Terry Tan is the firm’s specialist in bulk material handling in bin loads, capacity calculations, transfer chute designs, and bin/stockpile/feeder designs. Tan’s prior process engineering at Shenck Process Australia saw him 46
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
work on volumetric and gravimetric train load-out systems. 2013 addition Jarant Johnson is focused on identifying and eliminating wear risks in conveyor transfer chute designs for J&J clients. Johnson, who joined J&J in August 2013, advises on implications of increasing throughput for conveyor users, and gives practical guidelines for system upgrades and when bulk materials change. His experience includes ten years in mining and construction project management and site services for coal, alumina and iron ore.
And Chris Muller, who joined J&J in August 2014, combines a client-based site background with an understanding and appreciation for plant operation, reliability and safety, the company said. Muller works off the back of roughly a decade’s experience in mining, mineral processing and power generation, specifically in the iron ore, steel, coal, bauxite, alumina, gold, lead, and zinc industries. Contact: t tan@jenike.com jjohnson@jenike.com cmuller@jenike.com
Engineering Excellence has now become
3 ials Handling yssenKrupp Mater Uhde Shedden, Th p Polysius are now and ThyssenKrup (Australia) ustrial Solutions ThyssenKrupp Ind
3 big names are now bigger and better. Introducing ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (Australia), a new company that combines the strengths of Uhde Shedden, ThyssenKrupp Materials Handling and ThyssenKrupp Polysius. We now bring together plant engineering, construction and ongoing service along with advanced equipment for mining, mineral processing and bulk materials handling systems across industries including chemical, refining, gas, cement, mining and minerals. Engineering Excellence3: a new dimension of expertise for industry. Why not contact us today? Perth: Leif Berndt +61 8 9200 0050 Brisbane: Peter Walker +61 7 3295 9010 Melbourne: Rod Gardiner + 61 3 9207 5451 www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions-australia.com
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (Australia)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
GHD boss not interested in sale Ian Shepherd, chief executive of Perth-based engineering and professional services company GHD, says the company is best left in private hands for now.
GHD worked on the expansion of the RG Tanna Coal Terminal at Gladstone. Photo: Southern Cross Maritime.
J
ust nine months after rival firm Sinclair Knight Mertz (SKM) was bought by USbased Jacobs Engineering, Shepherd told The Australian in September that GHD – an employee-owned business – would do well to stay that way. “We have been able to show, particularly over the past few years, that we can grow up to 30% per annum as a private company,” Shepherd was quoted as saying. “We have the capital structure to do that. We don’t believe that we need to list or to sell out to another player.” Prior to SKM’s sale to Jacobs for $1.3bn, the former was owned by 660 of its 6500 employees – a structure largely credited with its success. GHD is structured similarly, with between 15% and 20% of its employees owning a share of the company. But unlike SKM’s former employee-owners, GHD’s employee-owners are unlikely to see a pile of cash any time soon, Shepherd has signalled. “We just see ourselves as being able to maintain our own identity, build our own 48
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
“We don’t believe that we need to list or to sell out to another player.”
Ian Shepherd, chief executive of engineering services firm GHD. Photo: GHD.
brand around the world and offer a very client service-led outcome,” he said. While Shepherd says GHD isn’t on the market, the engineer has been in the mood to buy smaller players of late. The company acquired Canadian engineer
Conestoga-Rovers and Associates (CRA) in July for around $1.5bn. It also bought architecture firm Woodhead, bringing its global staff figure to 8500 people. Woodhead is an Australian company with offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. CRA is a global engineering and consulting firm based in Ontario, Canada. Its North American location has been flagged as a key asset to GHD by Shepherd, who told The Australian: “North America is very important to us. “It is the world’s largest economy. From a western country point of view, it has the youngest demographic and we just believe that there is a lot of potential in the services we provide.”
ENGINEERING SERVICES
M&As abound in engineering biz Shepherd’s assurance that GHD will not soon be for sale bucks a recent trend. In response to a trying economic climate, engineering and professional service firms in Australia and worldwide are engaging in mergers, acquisitions, and other partnership deals.
B
ritish engineering firm Hyder Consulting was, at time of writing, the subject of a bidding war between Dutch firm Arcadis and Japanese firm Nippon Koei. Valued throughout the bidding at around $512m, Hyder’s past projects include design work on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Arcadis has indicated that it would like to acquire Hyder as “a natural step” in its evolution towards being the world’s biggest design and consultancy firm, and Arcadis executives have referred to the two companies as “highly complementary”. London-listed Balfour Beatty announced in early September it would sell its Parsons Brinckerhoff consulting business to WSP Global for $1.35bn. The potential sale of Parsons Brinckerhoff, which Balfour Beatty bought six years ago for US$626m, was believed to be the major obstacle in merger discussions between Balfour Beatty and Carillion earlier this year. WSP, which is based in Canada, hopes
to create “an industry leader, with the ability to deliver more expertise and services to our client base across the world” via the acquisition. NYSE-listed AECOM, meanwhile, is in the midst of completing a US$4bn acquisition of URS Corporation. AECOM, whose work in Australia includes mining, mineral processing and other infrastructure and industrial processes, announced the acquisition in July 2014, saying that the move “creates [an] industry-leading E&C company with broad global reach and enhanced ability to deliver integrated services to clients.” AECOM expects to realise US$250m in annual cost-saving synergies, “nearly all of which will be achieved by the end of fiscal year 2016,” via the acquisition. Meanwhile, Brisbane-based Ausenco is looking to expand into a new market, signing a Memorandum of Understanding with building consultancy Arab Engineering
Bureau, for the pair to work together on delivering infrastructure projects throughout the Middle East. “Our intention is to better align the range of services our firm offers with the growth of Qatar’s construction market,” Arab Engineering Bureau chief executive Ibrahim Jaidah said. “Taking into consideration the tremendous growth in Qatar’s infrastructure sector we are strategically expanding our service package. Ausenco and AEB form a great team for the delivery of high quality and contextually-appropriate solutions by combining global knowledge and local know-how.” Ed Skinner, Ausenco’s executive general manager for projects delivery, was quoted: “Our relationship with AEB will position us very well to deliver global expertise to future growth opportunities in the region’s infrastructure sector.” The pair announced the MoU in early September.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
In mining downturn, IBS looks to Asia With mining in the doldrums, bulk handling supplier integrated Bulk Systems is looking to Asia and pneumatics. ABHR spoke to the company’s chief executive, Ray Hill.
R
ay Hill has been spending a lot of times on planes recently. The boss and owner of IBS has been travelling regularly – initially for three weeks a month and now for two – to the company’s new offices in Thailand and China, which are a beachhead into the potentially lucrative Asian markets for pneumatic solutions in industries such as food, chemicals and manufacturing. Hill’s strategy makes sense with the mining industry, long a major sector for the firm, struggling against a backdrop of poor commodity prices and negative sentiment. “We’ve been fairly active in mining in recent years but that sector’s just died. So we’re doing more in chemicals and food and setting up a Thailand sales office was a natural for us as we do manufacturing over there,” explained Hill. IBS’ Thailand office will also be used as an entrée to other Asian markets, such as Indonesia and Vietnam. “We’re quoting jobs worth millions of dollars and Asia is where the future is,” said Hill. “The work and project management will be done overseas and the engineering and 3D modelling will be done in Australia, with our engineers going back and forth.” Hill has been recruiting and a key hire is David Short, a very experienced pneumatic conveying specialist with long
Tim Gibson, IBS sales director with Eric Wu, regional manager China and Patrick Xu, technical engineer at IBS’s office at Yangzhou City China.
Thorndon Bearings David Short, IBS’s regional manager South East Asia is based in Bangkok and is a pneumatic conveying specialist.
Thordon Bearings offer excellent wear life, reduced noise and low operating friction while providing a dependable, environmentally friendly alternative to the grease and oil lubricated bearings. The Mining, Sugar Cane, Marine, Sewage, Water Treatment, Paper Pulp and Forestry industries are just a few of the industries that have Thordon bearing applications. Victoria – Head Office:
JAC 037
20-22 Macquarie Drive Thomastown Vic. 3074 Australia
Victoria Office Tel: 61 3 9465 8777 Fax: 61 3Head 9465 8788 20-22 Macquarie Drive Thomastown Vic. 3074 Australia N.S.W. Telephone: Office: 61 3 9463 0888 Facsimile: 61 3 9465 8788 Tel: 61 2 9844 5495E-mail: Fax: info@jacmor.com.au 61 2 9844 5478 FreeCall 1800 334 005 FreeCall 1800 334 005 Web Site: www.jacmor.com.au Web: www.jacmor.com.au E-mail: info@jacmor.com.au
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engagement with industry in Asia. Other staff for the Asian offices are being trained in Australia. IBS is a specialist materials handling engineering firm, with experience in designing, procuring, building and project managing installations across areas such as conveyors, transfer and storage systems, and batch weighing and mixing. It regularly acts for Australia’s largest EPCM engineering firms as well as end users in sectors from coal and iron ore to sugar, flour and starch. Key staff, besides Ray Hill, include sales director Tim Gibson and design engineer Rob Andrew, a belt conveying specialist who previously ran his own engineering firm, called Engenuity, before it was acquired by IBS. Recent business for IBS includes: a third order from Vale for a specialised shuttle conveyor in New Caledonia; a fifth conveyor for Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill iron ore project; a new order from established customer Worsley Alumina and an ammonium nitrate load-out facility for CSBP. Contact: www.integratedbulksystems.com.au
ENGINEERING SERVICES
WorleyParsons sheds jobs as profits crimped Engineering company WorleyParsons’ underlying profit dropped 18% in the 2014 financial year, as the company saw major clients shelve big projects in response to the end of the mining boom.
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orleyParsons’ aggregated revenue was down 3% to $7.36bn, and underlying net profit after tax was down 18% to $263m. Chief executive officer Andrew Wood said the two key figures were down, year-on-year, “primarily due to the downturn in the Australian business, previously the major contributor to the company’s earnings.” The engineer has seen a number of its big-ticket clients, specifically in the oil & gas space, put valuable Australian projects on hold as economic conditions call their financial feasibility into question. Around 1200 staff were axed in the second half of the 2013/14 year, as part of WorleyParsons’ drive to trim down and become more competitive. “We are significantly progressed in achieving the objectives we set ourselves,” Wood said, “that is to simplify the corporate structure, reduce overhead
costs and enable our staff to deliver greater customer satisfaction.” Despite these efforts, the firm’s NPAT figure was at the bottom end of its $260-$300m guidance. But Wood is confident that the company’s effort to become more efficient will pay off in the long run. “We have refocused our strategy to more aggressively leverage our broad and deep technical capabilities and our diverse geographic presence,” he said. In the near-term, WorleyParsons views its key markets as challenging, however, with threats including increased competition and customers delaying the making of commitments to new developments. In terms of the minerals and mining sector, WorleyParsons says expenditure will continue to trend downwards over the next 12 months, but should rebound
The slowdown of big contracts in the LNG sector have hit WorleyParsons’ bottom line. Photo: Shutterstock
in the medium term. The firm expects expenditure levels in gas projects to be flat this financial year, with capital largely directed to completing projects already underway. Contact: www.worleyparsons.com
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
Kockums positions itself as specialist engineering service Kockums chief executive Francois Steyn thinks the business has earned the right to be known by the industry as an ‘engineer service’, rather than just a provider of bulk handling solutions.
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teyn says Kockums, which has longheld a reputation as an equipment and solutions supplier in the powder handling sector, is much more than that. He says it has shown its ability to be regarded as a full-on bulk handling engineer. “As an equipment supplier, our normal mode of operation involves responding to requests for proposals issued by clients across a very diverse range of industries,” he explains, “including mining, cement, plasterboard, through to pharmaceutical and foods.” When Kockums receives what Steyn describes as a “refined” request for proposal, in which the client’s needs are clearly set out and outcomes well defined, “our task is easy and a competitive proposal may be assembled in a matter of days,” he says. But when clients are not clear on how they would like to achieve their desired outcomes, the commercial process of competitive bids produces quite unpredictable results and only the most cavalier client will commit without doing further investigation, he says. That’s where Kockums’ engineering experience comes in, according to Steyn, who had some advice for bulk handling operators preparing to embark on a new project. “It is an established fact that a wellplanned project is more likely to deliver the expected outcome ‘in time’ and ‘on budget’. As a project moves into the detailed design, fabrication and then installation phases, the cost of making changes increases exponentially.” Steyn says committing funds early on to clarify the scope and requirements is by far the cheapest way of ensuring a good project outcome. “For a fraction of the cost a number of options may be investigated and tested for technical and economic viability.” Such an investigation, he says, can cost as little as 1-5% of the final cost of the project itself. “Since the client’s attention is mainly focused on running his production plant as cost-effectively as possible, it makes sense to engage the help of an engineer who specialises in designing this type of plant to assist in the early phases of project development,” Steyn continues. “Even
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As a project moves into the detailed design, fabrication and then installation phases, the cost of making changes increases exponentially as shown in the graph.
though the client’s and the engineer’s efforts are ultimately focused on achieving the same outcome, two completely different skill sets are required.” Kockums has in recent times had a number of requests from clients to do paid front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies to evaluate options and comment on the best way forward for them to achieve their outcomes. “Our specialised knowledge combined with a comprehensive range of technologies and a unique testing facility, makes us a good partner for any powder handling project.” Steyn believes the FEED approach makes sense for a number of reasons: • A properly executed FEED study will result in a well-defined scope and a reasonably accurate capital cost budget that will assist greatly in achieving management approval for the project • If it is revealed during the concept phase that the project is unviable, the process may be stopped with the client having only committed a small amount of money. It is easier and less costly to stop a project at this stage than having to cancel a full turnkey project midway through the design. • After completion of the study, all the deliverables becomes the client’s property who are then free to go to the market with a much better request for proposal and specification than before. • A properly detailed request for proposal should result in more consistent and competitive contractor proposals making the selection process less complex. Contractors are also less
likely to apply large contingencies for risk and uncertainty. • When the project scope is likely to be split, a good FEED report also helps other partners involved in the project to estimate their work accurately. For example, installers, control system designers and civil/ structural engineers will have quality drawings and a proper scope description to work with. Steyn continues: “We certainly do not proclaim to be all things to all people, but in our field of expertise, we are quite confident that we are able to produce a detailed budget estimate in less time than any of our competition. “We are clear on what we are able to achieve and even clearer on what we aren’t. If the best solution is outside our range of offerings, we assist our clients to find an alternate supplier.” Backing up this expertise and methodology, he says, is a comprehensive in-house product range featuring components from roughly 20 international suppliers. “While it is always desirable to have projects run according to plan, it is even more important in current times with the manufacturing industry in Australia under pressure to reduce costs, that we do everything possible to minimise costs and get maximum return on investment for every project,” Steyn concludes. “Proper project planning with the support of a specialist engineer such as Kockums is a proven way of commencing your project with a solid start.” Contact: www.kockumsbulk.com.au
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Ausenco Rylson asset optimisation recognised Queensland-based asset management, logistics support and engineering services provider Ausenco Rylson was awarded Best Cost Saving Initiative at the Queensland Mining Contractors Awards in July.
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usenco Rylson took out the gong for its innovative optimisation work on MMG’s Century Mine Project, which achieved lifecycle plant cost savings of more than 17% and was recognised as ‘best in class’ by the awards' judges. “The entrepreneurial approach adopted shows a contractor with the confidence to back their own performance, leading to significant and mutually beneficial outcomes for both the client and the contractor,” awards judge Michael Gray said. Simon Cmrlec, Ausenco’s president for APAC and Africa, said the award demonstrated the company’s leading expertise in asset management and optimisation services. “This award and the feedback we received from the judging panel signals we are leading the way in delivering innovative, cost-saving initiatives that deliver significant bottom-line value to our clients,” Cmrlec said.
Ausenco Rylson’s Nick Tompkins accepted the award for the Queensland-based company.
“We are delighted to be recognised by our industry peers with this award.” Ausenco’s work on Sumitomo/VALE’s Isaac Plains Coal Handling and Preparation Plant was also nominated as a finalist in the same category. The Queensland Mining Contractors Awards were held as part of the Queensland Mining Exhibition in Mackay and were attended by 500 industry participants.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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ENGINEERING SERVICES
FLSmidth expands Perth base Engineering company FLSmidth is to expand its ‘Australian Supercentre' in Welshpool, south-east of central Perth.
Mark Clifford, FLSmidth’s country head for Australia and global vice president.
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he company, which specialises in the supply of mineral processing plants, materials handling systems and services to the mining and cement industries, announced the plans in August. Scheduled for completion in mid-2015, the expansion will double the facility’s warehouse and workshop from 5,000 square metres to 10,000 square metres. The company says the investment is aimed at bringing further value to its Australian customers by increasing coordination and integration of the company’s products and services, and by minimising lead times through added capacity in its workshop and warehouse. Mark Clifford, FLSmidth’s global vice president and country head for Australia, said the expansion will allow the engineer to further decrease costs and increase productivity for its customers. “Aftermarket support and back up is critical in ensuring that our customers meet their productivity and cost targets and will further enhance FLSmidth’s relationship with our clients,” he said. “The expansion will allow us to better support our installed equipment base and keep it operational allowing our customers to get the maximum productivity out of the machines through technical competency, rebuilds or upgrades. “When other suppliers are retracting their footprints in Australia we’re increasing our footprint to provide better service to our customers.” FLSmidth’s mineral processing general manager for customer service, David Williams, added: “We’re making a significant commitment in the industry here, and we’re here to support the mining industry.” In Perth recently to assess operations at the FLSmidth site, director Romy Gibbons said the expansion announcement was a clear demonstration to the market of FLSmidth’s commitment to be closer to and, therefore, better serve its customers in the region.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
(Left to right) FLSmidth’s Andrew Laughlin, Romy Gibbons, David Williams, and Mark Clifford.
“The fact that we are now closer to where our customers in this region are operating enables us to be more responsive in terms of our offering and abilities to serve our customers,” she said. The Perth ‘Supercentre’ is one of six large service centres FLSmidth operates around the world, tailored to support customers
Expansion of the Perth Supercenter is scheduled for completion in mid-2015 and will double the facility’s warehouse and workshop from 5,000 square metres to 10,000 square metres.
ENGINEERING SERVICES
FLSmidth’s centre is one of six large service centres operating worldwide.
with warehousing of critical equipment and spare parts, along with rebuild and repair capabilities. The facility comprises an office building, workshop and warehouse, and is designed to bring together product specialists, system designers, project managers and support staff. It has an advanced stock management system, enabling quicker supply and specialised rebuild and repair capabilities to increase the customers’ plant up time. The workshop includes four cranes with large lift capacity, spray booth, fabrication and machining areas, dedicated test facilities and wash-down bay.
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Operations manager Andrew Laughlin said operational excellence is the goal. “We want to be a technology centre at the forefront of technology excellence for our customers - not just providing a product, but providing the support behind it,” he said. “Being a one-source service provider that can provide customers with everything from technological requirements to lab testing and aftermarket support is what really sets this facility apart.” The primary aim of most of FLSmidth’s centres are the ability to repair and rebuild equipment, to keep it in good working order and return it to the field as quickly as possible. “We also carry strategic stock,” said Andrew Laughlin. “There are many parts that are needed on a regular basis to keep machines at optimum function. Having those types of parts in these facilities where they can be dispatched quickly is another key tenet of what we’re doing with our Supercenters in general.” The Perth site’s training capabilities have been particularly well received, according to the engineer, with paying customers attending courses with instructions on how to operate FLSmidth’s equipment safely and efficiently. “The machines and services that we provide can be quite complex and so the ability to help people operate them safely and properly – the tips and tricks that go along with operating our equipment optimally – helps them to then accomplish some of the goals and challenges in the current market,” Clifford said. The training facility can accommodate class sizes up to 25. Contact Mark Clifford: (07) 3121 2900
The Australian Bulk Handling Awards
C
elebrating Achievement in the Bulk Handling Industry
The ninth annual Australian Bulk Handling Awards will be held on Thursday 6th November 2014 at Doltone House in Sydney.
How to nominate There is no set application form or template for nominations. Instead, nominations, which can be of any length, should be in the nominator’s own words and should include any photographs, diagrams or illustrations that might aid the judges’ understanding.
The Australian Bulk Handling Awards were first held in 2006 in Melbourne.
The judges are not concerned with literary merit and encourage all sections of the bulk handling community to “have a go”. Nominations close October 3rd, 2014 and should be emailed to Charles Macdonald at Charles.Macdonald@informa.com.au
The event gathers an audience of bulk handling engineers and technicians together to celebrate outstanding performance and high achievement across various facets of their industry.
Or posted to: Charles Macdonald, Editor, Australian Bulk Handling Review (ABHR) PO Box Q1439, Sydney QVB, NSW 1230
At the 2014 event, which will be held at Doltone House’s Darling Island Wharf (opposite Star City), there will be awards for: the bulk handling facility of the year, innovative technology, dust control, supplier of the year, environment, WH&S, excellence in transport and/or conveying, excellence in the application of gears, motors and drives, and an exciting new category for excellence in engineering photography. The 2013 Awards were sponsored by Schenck Process, Integrated Bulk Systems, Tenova TAKRAF, Bonfiglioli, Aurizon, Qube, the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling and ConvaTech. Details of the 2014 event such as judging panel and categories are on the Awards website.
www.BulkHandlingAwards.com.au
Nominations for ASBSH & A.W. Roberts awards close August 15th and should be emailed to Peter Wypych on Peter_Wypych@uow.edu.au
Questions? Unsure how to proceed?
Call Charles Macdonald on 02 9080 4443 to discuss a potential nomination.
Nomination Process Who can nominate...
R R R R
Individuals can nominate themselves, their company, or their project Suppliers can nominate customers Customers can nominate suppliers Unsuccessful nominations from previous years can be re-entered
YES! You can nominate yourself or
a colleague for an Award!
Share the Kudos – Sponsor an Award The Australian Bulk Handling Awards offer a number of sponsorship opportunities to companies keen to associate themselves with the premier event in the bulk handling calendar. Sponsors’ names and logos will be extensively advertised in the months leading up to the Awards, and for several months afterwards. At the gala dinner, sponsors will introduce the winners and present trophies, while enjoying extensive signage and branding rights. For more information contact Peter Delbridge on 02 9080 4478 or email Peter.Delbridge@BulkHandling.com.au
Thursday 6th November, Doltone House, Darling Harbour Wharf, Sydney
Award Categories Bulk Handling Facility of the Year (Resources and Infrastructure)
Excellence in the Application of Gears, Motors or Drives
An award for a bulk handling facility servicing the resources sector (mining, grains, commodities), ports and terminals.
An award for the application of gears, motors or drive technology in an Australian bulk handling facility.
Bulk Handling Facility of the Year (Manufacturing and Processing)
Supplier of the Year
An award for a bulk handling facility servicing the manufacturing and processing industries encompassing, food, pharmaceuticals, stockfeed, chemicals, plastics, resins, and building products.
An award recognising exemplary service, performance and customer commitment by a supplier to the Australian bulk handling sector.
Excellence in Engineering Photography
Innovative Technology An award for the introduction of new technology or improvement to established technology in the bulk handling industry.
Environmental Project of the Year An award for a project or technology displaying environmental sensitivity and innovation in waste management, site or facility rehabilitation, recycling or energy/water conservation.
Dust Control Technology, Application or Practice
An award for onsite photography of a bulk handling plant or facility, machinery, or engineers at work. The subject is not specific, but may include photos of conveyors, shiploaders or stacker reclaimers. Subjects may include resources and non-resources industries as well as rail and port bulk handling infrastructure. The judges welcome nominations from both professional and non-professional photographers and may, depending on the quality of nominations, choose to recognise each group separately. Nominations from professional photographers will be judged on a portfolio of 10 photos.
An award for best practice in dust and fume suppression, management or control; or for innovation in dust control technology, equipment or application.
Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling Award
Best Practice in WH&S
PLEASE NOTE: Nominations for this award are welcome but this category will be judged only by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling. Nominations, including a full CV, should be sent direct to Society chair Peter Wypych on peter_wypych@uow.edu.au by August 15th.
An award recognising the implementation of WH&S, ergonomic or risk management practices, policies or technologies to enhance the safety and health of employees and/or the general public.
Excellence in Transport and/or Conveying An award for new or improved technology affecting conveying and/ or transport systems with positive impact on performance, reliability, efficiency and the environment.
Recognising an outstanding contribution to the field of bulk solids handling.
The A.W. Roberts Award An award presented to a young engineer (aged 35 or under) who has made a significant contribution to bulk solids handling in the areas of research, design and/or practice. PLEASE NOTE: Nominations for this award are welcome but this category will be judged only by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling. Nominations, including a full CV, should be sent direct to Society chair Peter Wypych on peter_wypych@uow.edu.au by August 15th.
Judging Panel
Moderator:
CHARLES MACDONALD
Editor, Australian Bulk Handling Review
ASSOC. PROFESSOR PETER WYPYCH
School of Mechanical Materials & Mechatronic Engineering University of Wollongong
2013 - 2014 Sponsors...
PROFESSOR MARK JONES
Director, Centre for Bulk Solids & Particulate Technologies, University of Newcastle
IVAN PRICE Chairman, Kockums Bulk Systems
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Lighter plants, heavier stress on handling facilities It is widely acknowledged that modern business conditions have generally led to more imported components and equipment in the Australian market, and they are being used right across the industry spectrum.
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hat is less recognised is that entire materials handling plants are also affected by such market dynamics, unearthing a lack of contingency planning for owners when operating problems unexpectedly hit these relatively ‘light gauge’ plants. Resources processing, primary industry, materials handling and large port handling facilities have also been impacted by economic changes and are of a much lighter gauge construction than in decades past, yet fewer in-house engineering teams are in existence today for ongoing structural assessments. This often exposes a lack of expertise due to reduced company overheads and foresight, according to Australian engineering design consultant and R&D company Soto Consulting, which has stepped in to close this ‘unpredictability gap’. “It’s a form or risk management, but more importantly it analytically forecasts where a new, lighter gauge plant is likely to fail and therefore helps stay a greater step ahead of stress and fatigue related failures and problems,” said managing director, Frank Soto. “The reality is that whether the plant is old or new, each has its unforeseen problems – the old plant for wear and tear reasons, but the new plant due to design constraints forced by economic changes and untested operating conditions. “Older plants are still operating well beyond their original design life of 20 years due to the conservative design approach used in the past. “Now that everyone is focused on reduced capex for projects, the conservative approach has changed to an optimal approach and therefore plants are being designed much lighter gauge than in the past. “Therefore their life expectancy might not achieve the forecast 20 years required by the plant owner and operator in order to realise the ROI. “But the new plants are expected to operate at increased tonnage rates that will surely test the life expectancy and reliability of the plant. “It is inevitable that those industries that have selected the lower-cost capex option may be burdened with much higher
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
This plant was likely designed by external engineers with parts fabricated in China. Will an independent technical review reveal any issues to consider?
operating costs over the life of the plant. “Also, because every square metre of operating land is rising in purchase or lease value, they are compacting more and more technologies into a tighter space whereas in the past they were on a much bigger footprint. “Because a lot of plant design and engineering is outsourced, there is not as much legacy thinking compared to when done in-house, as was common in the past “We find the most successful approach is to work in sync with plant management, more or less as an in-house engineering team and bring world’s best practice; we aren’t technology owners, but we will ask the right questions according to needs and design accordingly and logically.” Soto’s experienced engineers undertake a visual inspection to locate detectable deficiencies – even at a design stage. A structured risk management approach is then taken to identify the risks based on the likelihood and consequences of a risk. Risks identified are prioritised and categorised with both photographic evidence and written descriptions to support the required actions. It is essentially an in-depth technical
Frank Soto.
analysis with predictive modelling identifying where the weak spots are and where the upgrades and challenges are most required. “The days of operational plants having big in-house engineering are gone, so outsourced plant design has less incentive to perform for the long haul,” said Soto. “This is where performance analysis becomes a competitive edge and a predictor of weak points to stay ahead of costly breakdowns and down time. “As long as the plant has been going, if it is 50 days or 50 years, it will always need some improvements.” Contact: Frank Soto, tel 02 4298 8888
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COAL SAMPLING
A primer on coal quality analysis
Every year, billions of tonnes of coal are traded in regional and international markets. Along with standard supply and demand factors, the price of coal is decided by its calorific value, volatile matter, moisture, sulphur, chlorine and ash content. Qian Zhu, from the IEA Clean Coal Centre, gave ABHR an introduction to the best ways of sampling coal in the supply chain. C
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oal is heterogeneous in nature; particles come in various shapes and sizes, with different physical characteristics, chemical properties and residual ash content. The coal to be sampled may be a blend of different coal types, and how it is blended has a profound effect on the way a representative sample is obtained. The sampling equipment available, the quantity to be represented by the sample mass, and the degree of precision required also influence coal sampling. The rapid increase in coal utilisation in the twentieth century led to the development of a number of test methods for coal analysis so as to correlate coal composition and properties with its performance and behaviour during applications such as coal combustion and gasification. New methods are continually being developed and the accepted methods are modified to increase the accuracy of the technique as well as the precision of the results. However, it is only by assiduously careful analyses of coal that the various aspects of coal usage can be achieved in an effective and environmentally acceptable manner. National and international standards have been developed to provide guidelines for coal sampling procedures under different conditions, sample preparation and bias test procedures for the purpose of obtaining unbiased samples. 60
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
Mechanical sampling from moving streams is the preferred method for sampling fuels whilst manual sampling should always be avoided whenever possible. The best location for sampling from a moving stream is at the discharge point of a conveyor belt or chute where the complete stream can be intersected at regular intervals. Coal samples can also be taken from a moving conveyor belt. Sampling from stationary coal such as a coal storage pile is sometimes necessary but is problematic. Modern mechanical sampling systems include some degree of preparation of the coal sample and are designed to accommodate the installation of an online coal analyser within its subsystem. Correct sampling and preparation procedures should be followed to ensure a sample is representative. If the standard procedures are modified, there can be significant effects on the precision of the final results, and disputes between the buyer and seller. International and various national standards for coal sampling and evaluation are well established. Strict adherence to the standard procedures is necessary to obtain reproducible results. Conventional coal test methods are well established and widely used. They often involve the use of wet analysis or laboratory bench-scale apparatus and can be time consuming.
A number of factors combine to dictate the overall quality of a sample of coal, and that quality is a key factor in its value on the market.
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CM
MY
CY
Many relatively new approaches, usually based on modern sophisticated instrumentation, have been shown to have wide applicability to coal analysis. Several such instruments are fast and can determine carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen and/or other elements simultaneously in various samples. Instrumental analysis is now widely applied for analysis of coal and coal products, in particular, in online analysis of coal. Common techniques for routine coal analysis involve spectroscopic methods such as x-ray spectroscopy, electron microscopy, atomic spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and neutron activation analysis. Instrumental analytical techniques enable tests of coal to be carried out in situ where the coal is mined, processed, transported or utilised. Online analysers provide an automatic, fast, relatively accurate, and instantaneous method of coal analysis for pricing, quality or process control, and SO2 emissions control. These analysers apply a wide range of technologies including nuclear, microwave, ultrasonic and optical to deliver an appropriate online solution. Qian Zhu has penned a report on this issue, ‘Coal sampling and analysis standards’, available from www.iea-coal.org.
CMY
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GRAIN HANDLING
New infrastructure sees grain power shift Rabobank senior grains analyst Graydon Chong says recent development of port infrastructure around Australia signals a move towards exclusive supply chains and long-term service agreements.
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rain farmers are the biggest winner out of roughly $150m of infrastructure investment in the sector between 2012 and 2015, Chong writes in his latest Rabobank report. “Average annual Australian grain production over the last five years has been 38.9mt, peaking at 43.8mt in the 2011/12 marketing year, and this was already significantly less than the 55mt of up-country and port storage which existed in the storing and handling networks prior to this latest round of port infrastructure investment,” Chong says. “With this significant overcapacity in the system, supply chain operators are likely to face strong competition for grain.” Co-investment in port infrastructure has raised the incentive for supply chain operators to form partnerships along the supply chain to maximise the utilisation of infrastructure assets, Chong says: “Particularly in a model which is heavily reliant on throughput of volume for economic returns.”
Development of port infrastructure around Australia has already resulted in partnerships between multinational companies who have co-invested in the infrastructure. The newly-opened Newcastle Agri Terminal, and the planned Quattro terminal in Port Kembla are two examples of this. At the same time, Chong says, the new developments are creating competition for the incumbent supply chain operators. “As the industry moves towards a more fragmented and competitive grain supply chain system, the formation of long-term supply chain partnerships will be crucial. “Partnerships between growers, marketers, supply chain operators, capital investors and export customers will dictate how grain infrastructure is utilised and will influence the winners and losers throughout the chain.” Grain farmers are almost certain to find themselves in the winners column.
Graydon Chong of Rabobank.
“Supply chain operators looking to maximise throughput will come under increasing pressure to attract grain to achieve optimal asset utilisation,” Chong predicts. “As a result, the Australian grain industry is likely to see a dramatic shift in the pricing of grain.”
Taylor: Rival grain terminals unnecessary Don Taylor, chairman of Australian agriculture business GrainCorp, says the industry is “shooting itself in the foot” by developing new terminals on the east coast.
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aylor, who is currently acting as GrainCorp’s chief executive but will return to his full time role as chairman when Mark Palmquist takes over as the new chief on October 1, spoke with the AFR in September. GrainCorp has been at odds with the ACCC in recent months as it tries to have a number of anti-monopoly regulations and restrictions lifted from its grain terminals. While the ACCC has agreed to ease the rules, which include forcing the grain handler to publicly declare its access rates, sometimes months in advance, Taylor says not enough is being done to help GrainCorp stay competitive in the face of an increased level of competition in the sector. Taylor has been in the press for the past six months to stress the fact that two
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
other terminals in Newcastle – the Newcastle Agri Terminal at Carrington, and the Louis Dreyfus terminal at Kooragang – are not under the same strict regulations, and thus the anti-monopoly regulation enforced by the ACCC is leaving GrainCorp at a disadvantage. The announcement earlier this year that Qube Logistics will team up with a number of GrainCorp’s competitors (including Noble and Cargill) to build the Quattro grains terminal in Port Kembla, and the recent announcement that US firm Bunge is planning a $20m terminal in Geelong, have only heightened Taylor’s disdain for the regulation. He says the new terminals are not only hurtful to GrainCorp’s future prospects, but also are an unnecessary
investment that will negatively impact the industry. “Eventually someone is going to wear this excess [port] capacity,” Taylor was quoted in the AFR. “It’s going to hurt us. Once [port facilities] get built, they are going to take volume. Why do we need a different set of rules?” GrainCorp is reportedly estimating that once new terminals are built, Australia will have 10mt of excess annual capacity for grain exports. “The industry is shooting itself in the foot,” Taylor reportedly said. “We are putting capital into a field we don’t need. It almost defies logic. We need it in the up country network and in rail.” Contact: www.graincorp.com
www.linak.com.au
Quality electrical movement for dust explosive atmospheres IECEx and ATEX approved electric actuators from LINAK add superior control and high safety to grain handling facilities Optimise your grain handling facility with intelligent LINAK actuators. Accurate positioning and precise feedback ensures optimised sorting and blending processes. The powerful LA36 actuator is the first of many LINAK actuators to receive an ATEX/IECEx approval for operation in dust explosive atmospheres. Contact Peter Ebenwaldner on 0438 055 101. Now in operation on a number of sites around Australia.
NEW PRODUCT
NBE container dumper designed for quick changeover Michigan-based National Bulk Equipment (NBE) says its bulk container dumper is designed to reduce change over times, and improve product safety.
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pecifically for processing applications handling non-free flowing, high bulk density materials, the NBE system’s chassis enables stable, 16-foot lift and unload cycles of 1.1 tonne loads, the company says. “Process-specific features of this bulk container dumper include specially milled 304-2b stainless steel sheet that has a greatly reduced coefficient of friction relative to typical flat sheet,” NBE says, “for improved material release during infeed, and faster, more thorough cleaning during changeovers.” Additional design features aimed at speeding up changeovers and improving product safety include: • the elimination of internal angles that could harbor contaminants; • the use of rounded-radius framework turned 45 degrees to horizontal to speed moisture run-off; • sub-assembly designs that enable single-operator access, removal, and replacement. “Despite the two-tiered operating environment of the application, changeover times were reduced as a result of the NBE quick-changeover design and performance-proven construction. “Process throughput was further increased due to the greatly improved material release, and complete discharge. This NBE bulk container dumper also improved process safety.” The dumper’s material discharge carriage features a container lift-and-seal function that NBE says eliminates the release of migrant material dusts into the
National Bulk Equipment’s bulk container dumper is capable of stable, 16-foot lift and unload cycles of up to 1.1 tonne loads.
operator work area. The equipment supplier says the system’s complete process sequence, including container loading and sealing, and container high-lift and discharge, operates on a paired, process-specific structural framework chassis with all automation and control functions centralized to a single, menu-driven HMI to enable standardized and system-wide data reporting. “The NBE integrated construction and controls infrastructure provides the basis for reduced total cost of ownership, relative to the common systems integration concept of bolt-together, divergent ‘islands’ of
equipment and controls, while also improving process performance and the accuracy of production data shared throughout the enterprise.” NBE says the system was built based on HACCP assessments that guided the determination of the framework and component materials of construction. “This pro-active effort ensured the highest compatibility with the specifications and conditions of the process, material, and production environment,” the provider says. Contact: www.nbe-inc.com
NEW PRODUCT
Portable lift system hoists off-road vehicles to 181 tonnes Enerpac says its new portable self-contained Pow’R-LOCK hydraulic jacking system features full-time automatic load holding protection for highly safe operation.
Pow’R-LOCK lifting jack system.
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he PL-Series Pow’R-LOCK portable lifting system, which was introduced to Australasia at the 2014 Queensland Mining Exhibition (QME) in Mackay from July 22-24, is designed to provide safe lifting of heavy off-highway machinery, including trucks, tractors, civil engineering machinery and implements. According to Enerpac, the system accomplishes its load-holding protection by utilising a control system (patent pending) that maintains the position of a rotating locking collar near the cylinder base, providing a mechanical lock regardless of cylinder movement and control cycle. According to Enerpac’s publicity: “The heavy-duty lifting system integrates into a mobile cart with a high capacity and compact 700 bar (10,000 psi) hydraulic cylinder and an air-driven hydraulic pump unit with complete valving and control systems. “The units, the two versions of which feature strokes of 356 and 622mm (14 and 24.5in) are ideal for companies where time and safety are paramount, such as mining and energy, oil and gas, heavy infrastructure construction and heavy transport.”
Lifting a mining haul truck.
“Machinery servicing can be a time-consuming and hazardous task if not undertaken properly,” says Enerpac regional manager, Australia and New Zealand, Denis Matulin. “Frustrating problems can arise both in workshop situations where space is at a premium, and in remote situations where normal plant services and lifting surfaces are not available. A solution to such problems is offered by the easily maneuverable, self-contained, Pow’R-LOCK lifting jack system, which can be used in even the tightest locations and over rough terrain where recommended safety procedures are followed. “Pow’R-LOCK is unique in that it provides autonomous locking of the load through all stages of lifting and lowering. No operator intervention is required to activate or energise the locking system, they just lift or lower the load. If anything hazardous occurs, the Pow’R-LOCK system is there to hold the load.” Contact: (02) 9743 8988, email - info@enerpac.com.au
PNEUMATICS
Atlas Copco targets low cost with oil-free pneumatics Global engineer Atlas Copco has designed its low pressure oil-free air compressors to help pneumatic conveyor operators save money through high reliability and energy efficiency. ABHR spoke to Atlas Copco’s Dennis Benson.
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nergy cost represents up to 80% of the life cycle cost of a compressor, and the generation of compressed air can account for more than 40% of a plant’s total electricity costs, according to Atlas Copco. The engineers at Atlas have looked at their complete range of ZS/ ZE/ZA low pressure products and achieved dramatic savings in this area, according to the company. The systems’ Teflon rotor coating and cooling jackets are designed to provide the highest air volume at the lowest energy consumption, while the compressors’ integrated variable speed drive technology offers around 35% extra energy savings by automatically tuning compressor flow to the required air demand, Atlas Copco said. More savings can be found for pneumatic conveying operators through the compressors’ low downtime and low maintenance, thanks to their innovative screw compressor technology, Atlas Copco’s Dennis Benson told ABHR. Benson said the company’s low pressure compressors stand in stark contrast to alternative technologies, with many of the older type lobe units now being pushed beyond their capabilities.
Case study: Hoffmann Mineral
Oil Free Air Blower - ZS 160+ VSD.
In addition, Atlas Copco’s units have self-protection installed, to reduce startup load or to stop the unit when a fault occurs. Many units, Benson said, do not have any self-protection installed. “This can have a dramatic effect on production and maintenance budgets,” he said. “Sometimes the units have to be totally rebuilt irrespective of where they are in their life cycle.” Another benefit of the electric compressors, Benson told ABHR, is that they run far quieter than the standard diesel compressor. “We have a lot of clients who have added one of these electric compressors to
Atlas Copco compressors were the solution for Hoffmann Mineral, which required 5000 standard cubic metres of oil-free compressed air per hour for its crushing and refining plant for siliceous earth in Germany. Hoffman’s plant required air at a defined temperature, and at a pressure of 0.8 bar. The company settled on an oilfree compressing screw blower, model ZS 132, which Hoffmann managing director Dr Karlheinz Schmidt said saves the company on energy usage. “The installed power is 132kW,” he explained. “This is a lot lower than the 200kW of the next-best solution which was offered by another supplier.” Schmidt continued: “The advantage is that the machine is designed to deliver pressures of 0.3 – 1.2 bar and can generate precisely the pressure that we need. With another screw compressor, we would have had to compress to 3 bar and then decompress again, which was out of the question.” their tanker unloading sites,” Benson said. “When a lot of delivery tankers offload bulk powders they use their onboard diesel compressors to create the pressure required; this can be quite disturbing for the surrounding residential area.” The oil-free electric systems Atlas Copco has on offer can be used in situations such as this, or in other applications such as dam aeration, he added. Atlas Copco’s oil-free air division can work in tandem with pneumatics experts to provide a suitable system for bulk handling sites. “The pneumatics people give us the specifications of what sort of pressure and flow they need, and we can provide the right product for them to suit any application around the world,” Benson said.
Water cooled Oil Free Air Low Pressure Air compressor with variable speed drive - ZE4VSD.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
Contact: www.atlascopco.com.au
POWDER HANDLING
DSH expands range with large capacity loaders New Zealand-based bulk loader manufacturer DSH Systems has expanded its range to include larger dust suppression hoppers, after finding success with its initial range.
The new DSH7 unit has a capacity of 1,500tph. The first model was delivered to a South American sugar handling business.
DSH System’s two newest models of dust suppression hoppers, the DSH8 and the DSH9, which have capacities of 2,500 and 3,000tph, respectively.
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SH chief executive Ian Walton told ABHR the company, which manufactures a range of loading spouts designed to load bulk powders and solids into bags, bins and other containers, was recently asked to supply a much larger unit to a South American sugar operation. “[DSH Systems’] global reputation [has been] built around the 200 to 500tph range, having globally supplied hundreds of these units into a variety of industries loading numerous types of products,” Walton said. Designing upward from its existing range of models, DSH manufactured and installed a DSH7 unit for the South American business, capable of loading sugar at 1,500tph. The project, Walton said, was a success. “Based on the overwhelming operational results and dust reduction achieved compared to conventional loading spouts, the same end user has now ordered a DSH8 and DSH9 unit.” The two new units have loading capacities up to 2,500 and 3,000tph, respectively. The company’s range of dust suppression hoppers are used around the world on products ranging from fertilizer to soda and palm kernel extract. The units have been installed to a variety of ship-loading units ranging from smaller mobile belt loading systems, up to major systems with long drops via telescopic spout units. “The company has not forgotten it roots and still supplies a growing number of units into the small to mid-range capacity market, but the addition of these latest high capacity systems adds another weapon to our already strong stock of dust reduction solutions,” Walton concluded. Contact: www.dshsystems.com
For all your standard and special idler & pulley needs • Fast local fabrication • Consultation with expert, experienced designers • Trough Idlers • Impact Idlers • Return Idlers • Flat Carry Idlers • Side Guide Idlers • Belt Tensioning Devices • Conveyor Pulleys • Self Cleaning Pulleys 2-4 Burns Road, Heathcote NSW 2233
T: 02 9548 1044 F: 02 9520 7743 E: les@drcrollers.com.au E: admin@drcrollers.com.au
ACN 001 054 388
www.drcrollers.com.au
BULK BAG AUTOMATION
Automated bulk bag filling system streamlines peanut processing Golden Grove founder Lee Swinson, a peanut farmer in Eastern North Carolina, sells his Carolina/Virginia-style peanuts to wholesalers around the world.
Golden Grove’s Bulk Bag Filling Stations.
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hile some peanuts are made into candy and some are roasted, packaged and sold to retailers, the majority of the 10,000 ton harvest is left raw and sold in bulk. The company’s raw in-shell peanuts are packed in 900 lb bulk bags and shipped to customers around the world. As this wholesale business grew, Swinson saw opportunities to improve bulk bag filling efficiencies. Golden Grove employees were manually filling 20 bulk bags per day. Three filling stations each contained a hopper fitted with a slide gate and a scale positioned below. An operator would open the slide gate allowing the peanuts to fall into the bulk bag until the bag was within +/- 2 lb of the target 900 lb weight. The process was extremely slow and labor intensive. Weighing accuracies could be improved to increase profitability as well. The process also generated some spillage and possible product contamination. If the bag spout was not held firmly beneath the slide gate, peanuts fell on the floor and had to be swept up daily. Operators were easily bored with the tedious process and would
Spiroflow Bulk Bag Filler Gain-in-weight Control Panel.
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
sometimes look at their cell phones during filling. On occasion cell phones (and other items) were dropped into the bulk bag contaminating the contents. Golden Grove required a significantly faster contamination free process to meet the growing wholesale demand. The company turned to Spiroflow Systems who recommended an automated gain-in-weight filling system. Golden Grove initially bought a single Spiroflow C1-2 bulk bag filling sysBulk Bag Filler Station. tem and Spiroflow says the solution worked so well that they quickly purchased two more identical systems. In operation, a large elevator conveyor continually delivers peanuts to a hopper installed above each filling station. Each hopper is fitted with a 10” slide gate valve automatically operated by the filling system control panel. The C1-2 Bulk Bag Fillers installed are designed to fill customer specified 40” square bulk bags but can be adjusted to accommodate bags that are 50-64” tall with corner loops 8-10” long. All product contact parts on the bulk bag fillers are constructed from 304 Stainless Steel to meet food safety standards. A flexible connection is installed between the filling head and the base of each hopper as rigid connections would interfere with accurate weighing. A flexible connection is also installed between the bag inflation fan and the filling head. Load cells on each filler are connected to a NEMA 4 certified control panel with digital weigh batch controls, a slide gate valve position control and a bag inflation blower fan. With the installation of three Spiroflow gain-in-weight filling systems, the number of dedicated bulk bag filling operators was reduced from nine to one. According to Spiroflow, their filling rate increased to 300 bulk bags per day, a 15 times productivity increase. According to Spiroflow’s publicity: “Weighing accuracy increased by more than 400% and product spillage was reduced. The automated filling system eliminated all operator contact with the product which significantly reduced possible product contamination. “The new bulk bag filling system delivers the speed the company needed to meet their growing wholesale business demands.” Swinson commented “Spiroflow is always willing to work with us. Their controls engineer worked on-site to program the control panels which was well worth the investment. Spiroflow bulk bag fillers are simple and durable. Their solution delivered the filling speed we needed.” Spiroflow’s sales manager handling Australia and New Zealand is Jacob Davis. He works from the company’s US office in North Carolina.
BULK BAG AUTOMATION
Golden Grove fills 300 bulk bags per day.
For more information on Golden Grove visit their website at www.goldengrove.com. Contact: jdavis@spiroflowsystems.com
WEIGHING SYSTEMS
Weighing system helps efficiency at gas provider Precia-Molen has recently supplied A-Gas (UK) with weighing systems for three vertical storage vessels plus a platform scale for gas cylinders.
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The gas cylinders at A-Gas’s Portbury West plant.
-Gas, based in Portbury West, Bristol, operates as an international business in the distribution of specialty chemicals such as refrigerants, insulation agents, industrial gases and other products including propellants and solvents. The project involved the supply of weighing systems for three large vertical storage vessels in an area classified as a Zone 2 hazardous area, with the platform scale located in a safe area. For the installation Precia-Molen supplied twelve Silo LoadMounts with explosive certified DSL load cells providing a four cell arrangement for each vessel which offers better stability under high wind-loads, the supplier says. Manufactured in stainless steel and sealed IP68 the assemblies were delivered ‘locked up’, allowing the erection of the vessel directly onto the mounts without the requirement for ‘dummy load cells’ during installation. Each vessel is equipped with an explosive certified weight transmitter Model I400 TB Ex 2-21 which is connected via a highspeed data bus to an I400 D-MS Operator terminal located in the safe area adjacent to the cylinder scale. The low profile platform cylinder scale supplied by PreciaMolen was purpose-designed with two ‘saddles’ to support the drum and rather than having a separate transmitter, the I400 D-MS indicator is equipped with an internal ADC module connected to the platform scale. Normally the operator will use the I400 D-MS terminal to monitor the cylinder weight but due to the network architecture the same terminal can be used to display the individual vessel weights as well as being used to set-up and calibrate any of the weighing channels. The weighing channels are integrated with the client’s automation system via an RS485 Modbus network allowing access to real-time weight data for efficient plant operation. Contact: aurelien.roques@preciamolen.com.au
SOME THINK LONG-DISTANCE TRANSPORT IS INFRASTRUCTUREINTENSIVE. WE THINK DIFFERENT. Transporting materials from remote locations has traditionally required significant infrastructure investments in road or rail links, vehicles, personnel and fuel. BEUMER offers an economical, efficient and environmental alternative – long-distance overland conveying. This gives you a dedicated, around-the-clock transport link at the fraction of the cost of infrastructure development. The reduced noise and air pollution minimises environmental impact and improves personnel safety. Add to that a high degree of design flexibility and customisation and you can see why overland conveying makes a big difference to operational efficiency and environmental protection. For more information, visit www.beumergroup.com
ENGINEERING SERVICES
More job cuts likely at slumping Bradken Mineral processing, mining and rail parts supplier, Bradken has announced significant drops in revenue and profit in the 2013/14 financial year, and managing director Brian Hodges has flagged potential further job cuts as the company moves more of its operations offshore.
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radken recorded an underlying net profit after tax of $55.1m in the financial year just ended, down 43% year-on-year. Underlying EBIDTA was down 19% to $173.3m. Bradken axed just over 450 jobs in the financial year, and Hodges indicated that more jobs could go, saying only “one stage of a series of remodelling initiatives” has so far been executed. The engineering company pledged to capitalise on low cost manufacturing capacity in Xuzhou, China, further enhancing speculation that more job cuts are in store for its Australian operations. Sales revenue for the company’s mining products division was down 18% to $339m. Within that, sales revenue in the ground engaging tools and buckets business was down 14%, due to a drop in demand from the Australian coal market, Bradken said. The company’s mineral processing division saw a 6% decline in sales, “due to lower activity by mining OEMs as new mine developments were put on hold and some mines closed,
predominantly in the gold sector and these factors were not totally offset by new business won.” Bradken’s rail division saw a 7% drop in sales, to $206m. Overall, Hodge pointed to a down period in the mining and resources market for the bulk of Bradken’s woes, but said the company was well positioned to deal with whatever happens next. “Our continued work on new product development, increased low cost capacity, high cost foundry and overhead rationalisation place Bradken in an excellent position to take the greatest advantage of improved market conditions,” he said. “We expect an improvement in order intake as delayed expenditure at mine sites is released and mine production volumes continue to increase, supporting sales in the second half. “It remains unclear when the mining capital cycle will improve, but we are not solely relying on it to do so.” Contact: www.bradken.com
NEW PRODUCT
Neoprene encased drive train coupling for the mining industry A US inventor has developed a novel new coupling which has no moving parts and is encased in vulcanized neoprene.
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win Spring Coupling of Pearl River, New York says its patented coupling is the world’s first full thrust coupling unit to be encased in vulcanized neoprene and to be scalable. As a result, Twin Spring’s CEO and founder, Darren Finch says the coupling will increase uptime for miners’ and suppliers’ machinery. The coupling can be used for such applications as pumps submerged in water, and conveyor belts operating in dry and dusty environments, as well as in general mining situations. “With the coupling lubricated at manufacture and encased in neoprene, there are less maintenance and breakdown issues and because it’s scalable we can produce a coupling for the individual’s needs,” says Finch. “The flexibility of the springs means it can operate up to 25°, more than either a universal or CV joint. As it’s directly 70
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
The new neoprene encased drive train coupling.
connected from input to output, it is the only coupling that can take full thrust. This means a stronger coupling that is more flexible than what the market offers today. The two springs means the unit is also multi directional offering the same amount of thrust in either direction.” Finch told the AJM that he is experiencing brisk interest in his product. “We have found lots of interest from major manufacturers as the encasement means it can run in almost any condition,” he said. “We have also found that conveyor belt system makers are interested as the bearings they use are prone to failure once the dust gets into the seals; with us we can make one that will slide into the middle of the roller and failed bearings will be a thing of the past.” Contact: Darren Finch, email at info@twinspringcoupling.com
TIPPERS
Tippers turn into tankers in minutes Tanker manufacturer WTBB says it’s preparing for El Nino with its range of portable tanker kits that can convert tippers or flatbed trucks into water carts.
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ith some parts of the Eastern states already in drought, dust will represent a major environmental site problem with potentially far reaching effects, WTBB says. To counter this, the manufacturer says its range can turn most working tipper and flatbed trucks into water tankers. No vehicle modifications or structural changes are required, the company says. Based in Port Kembla, WTBB supplies to the civil engineering and the rental industries. Its flexible ‘Tipper-Tank’ package can turn a basic road maintenance or council tip truck into a road tanker in a matter of minutes. The base model is a 10,000L rapid spray poly tank equipped with a high volume, high pressure, 3” diesel drive pump. Spray heads, dribble bar and an integrated hose reel with fire-fighting spray nozzle provide flexibility for contractors. “Unusual seasonal conditions, like the developing El Nino, have created a huge demand for tankers for construction sites,” WTBB’s Brendan Bastian says. “With the ‘Tipper-Tank’ kit, it’s not necessary to invest in purpose built water trucks that may spend up to 50% of the year sitting idle.” Bastian is the design engineer and innovator behind the Tipper-Tank programme, a project that’s been under development for the last five years.
“We’ve added a number of user-friendly features to take the pain out of swapping from tanker to tipper and vice versa,” he says. “The heavy duty galvanised steel base has integrated fork tynes slots for ease of movement.” The tank set has an optional jack-leg kit that means that the tank can be unloaded from the truck without a crane or fork lift. The tank kit can be left jacked up and ready to be mounted on the truck when required, WTBB says. WTBB uses Australian Pump Industries (Aussie Pumps) tank and pump combinations. The company says the 3” pump used on the tankers has excellent self-priming characteristics enabling the tanker to load from creeks, streams or dams where necessary. “These pumps will suck through a vertical lift of up to 8.4 metres” Bastian says. “No other pump we try can even approach that kind of suction capability.” The base kit’s Aussie Pumps model QP310SL high pressure 3” pump boasts flows of up to 1,100L/min. “Maximum head is 50 metres, that’s 75psi, providing loads of pressure for spray heads and dribble bar,” Bastian says. The pump is powered by a Kubota 0C95 9.5hp air-cooled diesel engine with integrated solenoid and remote control kit. A remote control, similar in size to a T.V. remote, controls each sprayer individually
Brenden Bastian demonstrates the remote control for the versatile spray system on WTBB’s Tipper-Tank
and can also start and stop the pump from up to 50 metres away. The collaboration between Australian Pump Industries and WTBB has been important for both companies, according to Bastian. “We wanted equipment that won’t fail in the field and were impressed by Aussie Pumps five year pump end warranty. “The support we get from the engineering team at Aussie has been first-rate and the product’s performance in the field extraordinarily reliable.” Contact: www.wtbb.com.au Contact: www.aussiepumps.com.au
Driving the vibration industry for over 50 years
ELECTRIC • HYDRAULIC • PNEUMATIC • CONTROLS Proudly distributed by Teco Australia since 1987
30 years in Australia
Sydney (02) 9765 8118 | Melbourne (03) 9720 4411 | Brisbane (07) 3373 9600 | Perth (08) 9479 4879 Email: emd@teco.com.au www.teco.com.au
CONVEYORS
New technology improves service life of ceramic pulley lagging Elastotec says it has developed an innovative ceramic pulley lagging system with superior bond strength and durability, eradicating traditional issues associated with ceramic lagging. Elastotec’s David Molesworth and Sandvik Mining Systems’ Michael Finlen wrote the report below.
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eramic pulley lagging is ideal for pulley applications that require increased wear resistance, as well as increased levels of drive traction. Capable of delivering an extended service life of more than 10 years, Elastotec’s ceramic pulley lagging system is significantly more cost-effective than rubber lagging over the long term. Through extensive research and development, Elastotec has addressed the common causes of failure for ceramic pulley lagging, including: • debonding of the lagging from the pulley shell • ceramic tile loss due to tile pullout • ceramic tile loss due to tile cracking/ fracture
Debonding of ceramic lagging Until recently, ceramic lagging was applied to pulleys using two-part neoprene contact cements in a process generally known as ‘cold bonding’. Although this is a convenient system there are a number of limitations that can adversely impact the reliability and service life of the ceramic lagging, including: • Bond strength between the rubber backing on the ceramic lagging and the steel pulley shell is limited and it does not achieve a 100% rubber tear bond. The generally accepted minimum bond strength for lagging adhesion in the conveyor industry is 9 kN/m – this is well below the level required for a 100% rubber tear bond. 100% rubber tear is where the bond strength is greater than the rubber, causing the test samples to fail in the rubber and leaving rubber adhered to the substrate. • In a drive application with high belt tensions, where the shear forces applied by the pulley to the conveyor belt exceed the bond strength between the ceramic lagging and the pulley shell, the lagging can be ripped off the pulley shell (see Figure 1). Figure 2 illustrates how increased belt tension at the drive pulley increases the required lagging bond strengths, which can be well above the adhesion value of 72
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
of the lagging strip, with the resultant lagging failure. For pulleys that are being refurbished, the shell corrosion may require machining of the shell with the resulting loss of shell thickness requiring a de-rating of the pulley service load or, in the worst case, scrapping of the pulley.
Ceramic tile bond failure Figure 1: Lagging debonding.
9 kN/m, currently used as a requirement for cold bonded ceramic lagging. Other considerations when using cold bonded lagging systems include: • Bond strength can be adversely affected by moisture during application. High humidity during application of cold bonding adhesives can reduce the final bond strength by as much as 50%. • The application of ceramic lagging using cold bonding adhesives relies on the skill of the operator and the method of application being used. • Ceramic lagging applied with cold bonding adhesives has multiple joins between the lagging strips. These joins are a weak point that often allows water to pass through to the pulley shell and cause shell corrosion. In the worst case scenario, this can lead to failure of the bond from the edge
There are a number of causes of ceramic tile bond failure, including the following: • The primer and adhesive systems that are used by most manufacturers of ceramic lagging provide a good initial bond when applied at the specified coating weight, but field experience attests to bond failure as service time extends. Laboratory testing has also identified that some bonding systems deteriorate with exposure to moisture. • An effective bond between ceramic tiles and rubber requires a minimum coating weight of primer and adhesive. A number of ceramic lagging manufacturers apply primer and adhesive using a spray application, making it difficult to ensure that the required minimum primer/adhesive coating weight is obtained on all tile surfaces and leading to tile/rubber bond failures. • Lagging designs that only bond the ceramic tile on the back face results
Figure 2: Required bond strength estimate.
CONVEYORS
Figure 3: Tile pull out.
Figure 4: Tile cracking.
in less of the tile surface area bonded, leaving the edge of the tile exposed as a potential weak point for bond failure (see Figure 3). • Bond strengths between the ceramic tile and the rubber backing can be lower than the applied shear forces from high tension conveyor belts, resulting in tile pull out.
Ceramic tile cracking Tile cracking leads to tile loss and may lead to premature failure of the ceramic lagging, with a number of causes leading to this issue: • Lagging design that has the ceramic tiles butted up against one another can result in cracking from impact between the tiles when subjected to shock loads, which can occur when material becomes caught between the conveyor belt and the ceramic lagging (see Figure 4). • Poor quality aluminium oxide tiles are prone to cracking and breakage/wear of the raised dimples. Eighty percent of the raw material cost of ceramic lagging is the aluminium oxide tiles and this offers the largest potential cost saving for manufacturers of lower cost ceramic lagging. Unfortunately, reducing the quality of the aluminium oxide tiles has a direct impact on the ceramic lagging performance. • With the increase in aluminium oxide content, the vickers hardness, wear resistance and flex cracking resistance also increase. The tile cost also increases with aluminium oxide content (see Table 1).
HOT VULCANISED CERAMIC LAGGING ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Innovative technology Long life Reliable Proven performance Does not wear belt covers
HVCL MATERIAL
UNITS
Al2O2
Al2O2
Al2O2
85%
92%
96%
Vickers Hardness
(Hv 10)
600-800
1000-1100 12001300
Impact Resistance
(MPa m1/2)
2.5
3.3
4.1
20x20x5 Tile Cost
($US/pc)
$0.04
$0.08
$0.16
+200%
+200%
Tile Cost Increase Table 1
Development of hot vulcanised ceramic pulley lagging Elastotec is a specialist manufacturer of pulley lagging and has developed a hot vulcanised ceramic lagging (HVCL) system to meet the requirements of Sandvik Mining Systems, a manufacturer of bulk materials handling equipment. This collaboration has resulted in a quality ceramic lagging system with increased reliability and an extended service life.
www.miningandconstruction.sandvik.com/au www.elastotec.com.au +61 2 8987 1922 Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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CONVEYORS
RUBBER COMPOUND
RUBBER TENSILE STRENGTH (MPa)
BONDING SYSTEM
ADHESION 90 DEGREE PEEL (kN/m)
Conventional Rubber Backed Ceramic Lagging
76511
15.0 min
COLD
5.0 - 15.0
Elastotec HVCL (Standard)
76511
15.0 min
HOT
20.0 min
Elastotec HVCL (High Strength Rubber)
3050
30.0 min
HOT
25.0 min
Table 2
1. Lagging to pulley adhesion Hot vulcanised application Hot vulcanised rubber lagging is generally recognised as providing a number of advantages over pre-cured rubber sheets that are cold bonded to the steel pulley. The main advantage is the bond strength between the rubber and the pulley shell is significantly higher for hot vulcanised lagging. The second, often overlooked, advantage is that there is no join in the lagging when the rubber has been hot vulcanised. Using cold bonded lagging these joins can provide a starting point for shell corrosion, allowing the rubber to lift and be torn from the pulley. A process for installing ceramic lagging using hot vulcanising has been developed and is available as Sandvik Hot Vulcanised Ceramic Lagging (HVCL). This solves any issues with lagging to shell bonding, providing a stronger and more reliable connection between not only the lagging and the pulley, but also, importantly, between the individual lagging strips. HVCL ensures a 100% rubber tear bond between the lagging and the pulley shell, resulting in considerably higher adhesion strength (refer to Table 2). The hot vulcanised ceramic lagging is the subject of a current Australian patent application.
Removal of joins An additional significant advantage of
Primer
Adhesive
Initial Bond as Manufactured
HVCL is that there are no joins between the ceramic lagging strips. When HVCL is vulcanised the un-cured rubber at the edges of the lagging flows together and vulcanises to form a continuous layer that is strong and also impervious to water, preventing shell corrosion. This removes the potential weak points where the joins meet, which can lead to failure of the ceramic lagging. Tile coating.
Application of HVCL HVCL is installed using a tightly controlled high pressure autoclave process, at elevated temperature and with skilled operators working in a factory environment, ensuring a reliable and consistent result.
2. Ceramic tile bond failure Tile adhesion testing Elastotec has undertaken extensive outdoor testing of ceramic/rubber bond performance and has found that a number of primer/adhesive systems recommended by adhesive suppliers, provide a bond that initially offers rubber tear adhesion but, after prolonged exposure to moisture and UV, rapidly deteriorates. Elastotec checks the integrity of the bonds throughout the outdoor testing process, where the tile/rubber bond is under constant stress. The testing is done by bending a strip of ceramic laging into a tight circle, with the ceramic tiles on the outside of the circle. The sample is then held in this position during the outdoor
exposure period. The results are recorded at regular intervals and have been used to identify the optimum primer/ adhesive system for long-term adhesion performance (see Table 3). Additional testing has been carried out to increase the adhesion strength between the rubber backing and the aluminium oxide tiles, as well as the steel for the pulley shell. This testing was undertaken using the tension pull method (see Table 4). Based on the results of the Outdoor Ageing Tile Bond Testing, the Tension Pull Adhesion Testing and production considerations the adhesive system of Primer A3 and Adhesive B2 was selected for HVCL, as this provided the best performance. Importantly, the testing program has identified improvements in the ceramic/rubber bond strength, as well as eliminating the deterioration in bond strength due to moisture and UV
Loss of Bond Strength After Ageing 1 Mth
2 Mth
3 Mth
5 Mth
6 Mth
A1
B1
0%
25%
27%
27%
29%
29%
29%
A1
B2
0%
33%
39%
42%
43%
43%
45%
A2
B1
0%
0%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
A2
B2
0%
10%
19%
26%
30%
33%
36%
A3
B1
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
A3
B2
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
-
B2
1%
6%
9%
11%
14%
16%
17%
A4
B1
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
A4
B2
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Table 3 *Each test lagging sample contained 168 tiles. Bond failures are reported as a percentage of the total number of bonds that have failed.  Adhesive/primer system used for the Elastotec/Sandvik HVCL
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4 Mth
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
CONVEYORS
Primer
Adhesive
Tension Pull (MPa)
Failure Mode
A3
B1
4.31
90% R
A3
B2
3.87
100% R
A4
B1
4.42
100% R
A4
B2
3.26
50% R
Table 4 100% R = 100% Rubber Tear Bond Failure
Medium size completed pulley shown in one of Sandvik’s two autoclaves in Australia.
Elastotec’s pulley lagging technology is designed to give superior bond strength and outstanding durability.
exposure. This technology is an important and unique component of the HVCL product.
Tile coating – primer and adhesive
combined resources of Elastotec and Sandvik Mining Systems. It represents a significant milestone in ceramic lagging technology available to bulk materials handling operators. Contact: D avid Molesworth, Elastotec: email - david@elastotec.com.au
Elastotec uses a proprietary dipping process for the coating of the ceramic tiles with primer and adhesive, which ensures that all tile surfaces receive the necessary minimum coating weight of primer and adhesive. To date, more than 5,000,000 tiles have been coated using this method and there have been no reported bond failures.
3. Ceramic tile cracking Lagging design The unique design of HVCL ensures that tiles are bonded with rubber on both sides and back, providing a more reliable layer of protection from impact and significantly reducing the risk of tile cracking. An additional benefit of the lagging design is the increased area for bonding between the tile and the rubber. For typical 20 x 20mm-sized ceramic tiles used by many ceramic lagging manufacturers the bonding areas are: Tile bonding back only 400 mm2/tile Tile bonding back & sides 720 mm2/tile This is an 80% increase in bonding area, resulting in increased force required to pull the tiles from the rubber.
Aluminium oxide tile quality The key properties of ceramic tiles in terms of performance of ceramic lagging include vickers hardness, impact resistance and abrasion resistance. These properties are specified and checked for each production batch of tiles to ensure a consistent performance. Table 2 lists the properties of the 96% aluminium oxide tiles used in HVCL, with the 96% aluminium oxide tiles demonstrating high hardness and impact resistance, resulting in increased levels of abrasion resistance and longer life than obtained with lower grades.
ARE YOU...
A DESIGNER / MANUFACTURER / RESEARCHER / OPERATOR OF
BULK SOLIDS HANDLING... SYSTEMS / EQUIPMENT / STORAGE?
... If so, you can now expand your capabilities by joining the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling. The Society has a mission to enhance the discipline of bulk solids handling through research, education and sound engineering practice. Further information on the Society’s activities, its Constitution and registration procedures are available from the : Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 Phone: (02) 4033 9055 Fax: (02) 4033 9044 email: Danielle.Harris@newcastle.edu.au Website: www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Australian-Society-Bulk-Solids-Handling
Membership is open to ALL practitioners in bulk solids handling and related technologies.
Hot vulcanised ceramic lagging Hot vulcanised ceramic lagging is the result of a coordinated research and development program over two years, with the Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
75
CRUSHING & SCREENING
Agnew Gold Mine crushers refurbed by Minprovise Crusher and conveyor equipment specialist Minprovise says a lot of money has been saved at the Agnew Gold Mine after non-destructive testing during a refurbishment program undertaken on two 1350 cone crushers found minor cracks in two major components.
T
he crushers were subsequently repaired, in a process which cost a lot less than it could have cost the crushers’ operator, Sedgman, had the crushers failed during production. Agnew Gold Mine, where the crushers are used, is located 1000km northeast of Perth in Western Australia, and is part of the Norseman – Wiluna Greenstone Belt known to be highly mineralised with gold and nickel. The mined ore is processed at the 1.3mtpa carbon in pulp plant using a three-stage ore processing method which includes crushing, single stage grinding and six-stage carbon in pulp circuit. Sedgman is providing crushing and screening services for the mine. The two Kawasaki 1350 cone crushers have been undergoing comprehensive refurbishing at the Minprovise heavy engineering workshops in Maddington. There, all major components have undergone cleaning, sandblasting, stripping, NDT testing (including Magnetic Particle Inspection MPI and UV light methods), dimensional inspections then machining back to original specs. The components include bottom and top shells, main shaft, Hydra set assembly, eccentric assembly and countershaft box. Minor cracking in the main shaft and eccentric assembly was revealed during standard NDT inspection procedures but fortunately these cracks were only in early stages which allowed for excavation and welding repairs followed by dimensional inspections to completely fix the problem. “Sedgman are a good client of ours and they’re well aware of the fact Minprovise has the Kawasaki and Kobe crushers distributorship through EarthTechnica for Australasia,” workshop manager Ben Casley said.
(above) Part of the crushing and screening at Agnew Gold Mine processing plant, Waroona, WA. (left) One of the refurbished Kawasaki 1350 cone crusher bottom shells ready for delivery.
“This gives them confidence in our technical knowhow when it comes to knowing how these crushers operate, particularly when refurbishing existing machines, which almost always requires bona fide replacement parts being available.” 200 workshop hours were required just for the bottom shell refurbishment, and the whole project will cost around $220,000 in total, but Minprovise said that was just a fraction of the potential loss in productivity if the cracks hadn’t been identified and had progressed to failure stage. Contact: www.minprovise.com.au
NEW PRODUCTS
Two new nozzle products from Tecpro Nozzle specialist Tecpro has announced two new products for its range: the Tempest high-flow tank washer, and the powerful Bazooka spray nozzle hose.
T
he Breconcherry Tempest is a high-flow jetting tank washer specially designed with longer nozzles to maximise power and efficiency, Tecpro says. Designed for large vessels in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, coatings and transport industries, the Tempest’s long nozzles produce four ‘heavy’ and highly focused jets that rotate in a spiral pattern to provide a powerful 360 degree coverage. Powered entirely by the wash, the rotating head maintains an optimum jet peripheral velocity that maximises jet impingement 76
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
The Tempest vessel cleaner.
and chemical dwell times, Tecpro says, adding that the short, efficient wash cycle minimises down time and saves on water, chemical and discharge water costs. The Tempest is constructed from only 48 parts, which can be dismantled and re-assembled in minutes, according to the supplier. “To service the unit, you only require the basic repair kit containing just 10 parts, making it extremely easy and cost effective to maintain,” Tecpro tells ABHR.
NEW PRODUCTS
“The sleek external design and self-cleaning backwash nozzles reduce wear and tear and improve hygiene by ensuring product cannot settle on the cleaning head. New Carbon Filled Teflon Bearings improve performance and eliminate contamination risks associated with wear and tear of ball bearings. Food/pharmaceutical grade Teflon bearings are also available if required.” Designed to be lightweight and compact, the Tempest has a 1.5” BSP connection and requires a minimum manhole/flange opening of 210 mm for unit insertion. At a pressure of 10 Bar and a flow rate of 390 L/min, the Tempest has a cleaning radius of 9.5m and wetting radius of 17m. It is suitable for working temperatures up to 95°C and ambient temperatures of up to 140°C. “An ideal replacement for large spray balls, the Tempest is the perfect tank washer where high impact or saturation cleaning is required and where efficiency, durability and hygiene are essential,” Tecpro adds.
Bazooka designed to blast away dirt and grime Tecpro has also designed and built a powerful spray nozzle hose assembly, the Bazooka, for the toughest cleaning jobs. Graeme Cooper, Tecpro Australia managing director, says many enquiries the company receives are from people responsible for worksites that are particularly grimy, such as coal mines. “They are looking for a highly durable washdown nozzle assembly that can handle rough conditions and produce a powerful jet of water to clean very dirty surfaces,” Cooper says. These enquiries led the Tecpro team to design and fabricate a robust hose nozzle assembly, the Bazooka, made of stainless steel and brass.
Tecpro’s Bazooka spray nozzle hose.
“Being entirely metal in construction, it’s much stronger than other standard spray guns on the market,” Cooper says. “And we’ve deliberately made it with fewer parts so maintenance requirements are virtually non-existent. A swivel on the inlet also makes the assembly easy to handle and relieves strain on the wrist.” The Bazooka features a nozzle that funnels the water to create a powerful, laminar flow. “The design of the Bazooka means it produces a consistent flow at high pressure that will blast away tough grime such as coal dust build-up. “Our clients who use it love how effective it is for difficult cleaning jobs, and how it withstands really tough working conditions.” Two sizes are available: the full size Bazooka that fits a one inch hose, and the Mini Bazooka that fits a three-quarter or one inch hose. “Compared with traditional washdown guns, the Bazooka uses less water to produce such a powerful cleaning jet. The design includes a valve so the flow can be quickly turned on and off by the user.” Cooper says Tecpro has been manufacturing the Bazooka for a few years now and it’s been particularly well received by customers in the mining sector. “Because we manufacture it ourselves, we can customise it to match the specific needs of individual customers,” he concludes. Contact: www.tecpro.com.au
NEW MODULAR POLYMER SCREW
A practical innovation from ‘Archimedys’ in Europe - superior replacement polymer screw modules - in 4 special materials and in a wide range of sizes
Learn more: http://www.oldselevator.com/modularscrew/
Olds network distributes Archimedys modules. Contacts: NZ - Mouats Engineering - 64 7 575-8616 Vic. & S.A. - Kockums Bulk Systems Pty Ltd - 03 9457 8245 N.S.W. & A.C.T. - EMTT Pty Ltd - 02 9623 4744 W. A. Lime Systems - 08 9259 8400 Qld. & N.T. - OLDS Engineering - 07 4121 3649
Olds Elevator... Safer Bulk Solids Handling One moving element a rotating casing, revolves around a static helical screw Lower energy and maintenance costs Dust explosion risks reduced Simultaneously elevate, heat, cool, meter, process. • The laws of physics work in harmony inside the Olds Elevator. • As the bulk material rotates, it is conveyed on the static screw as a mass flow. • It is safer and does duties other methods can’t. In use around the world. • Free videotaped test of your product being elevated - phone 07 4121 3649
Learn more
www.oldselevator.com
NEW PRODUCT
Selecting the right vibrator for truck tipping Vibratory feeding and conveying equipment supplier Enmin says its truck vibrators can be easily and inexpensively installed on new or existing vehicles to enhance tipping activities on quarries, minesites and other industrial locations.
A
n Enmin representative told ABHR that the tipper vibrating industry is not a ‘one size or style fits all’ approach. There are a wide variety of industrial vibrators that include electric, hydraulic and pneumatic models and it requires an experienced approach to provide a solution to material flow problems, the representative said. “As an example, in underground mining aluminium is prohibited so the industrial vibrator’s construction must be considered. While in the event that there is no electric power supply then suitable pneumatic or hydraulic units must be specified.” In bulk materials transport operations the materials are often difficult to unload after transportation as compaction occurs, especially when long distances are involved or where the roads are badly potholed, he added. “Even short distances with frequent braking can make the load move forward and compact. This means once the load arrives at its destination the bulk of it may discharge easily but a significant amount is left clinging to the trailer body.” Truck operators are often forced to raise the tipper body very high and then rock the truck to try to dislodge the materials, he said. This is not only a safety issue but it increases wear and tear on the truck and trailer, especially on its brakes, clutch, hydraulics and the tailgate. “Worse still is the possibility of damaging the hydraulic lifting system of the trailer, and if the tray body is forced into extreme angles it becomes vulnerable to tipping the truck and trailer sideways.” Another hasty solution Enmin warns tipping operators to avoid is using a backhoe to remove the remaining material, which can lead to damage to the floor and sides of the trailer. “An industrial vibrator, or more specifically a truck vibrator, provides a simple and cost effective solution for new or existing tipping trucks of any type including side tippers, dumpers, spreaders and bottom dump trailers,” the representative said.
An industrial vibrator, such as the Enmin model pictured here, can save mining and quarry operators time and money for truck unloading, while also improving safety, the company says.
“The type of vibrator used depends on the circumstances with pneumatic, hydraulic and electric truck vibrators available. “One of the most common solutions for trucks is a 12-volt or 24-volt DC vibrator, which is mounted to the underside of the truck body. A few seconds of power from the inboard battery enables even stubborn, compacted materials to be vibrated loose without any damage to the truck or trailer.” The operator remains in the cabin during discharge, and the trailer does not need to be elevated excessively, according to Enmin. This means turnaround times are reduced substantially, while safety is increased. Contact: www.enmin.com.au
Unique nozzle could save thousands, designer says Australian Diversified Engineering says its new range of water spray heads are taking the mining and construction industries by storm by providing a solution to the age old problem of water leakage.
A
DE says early estimates using the new spray heads have shown annual maintenance costs could be as low as two percent of regular spray heads, saving operators thousands. Described as a revelation by clients, ADE says, the modular spray heads use no diaphragm, resulting in less energy being
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
required to close the valve and no water leakage, and the only maintenance being to replace an inexpensive soft seat seal. The rubber valve seal required by the ADE spray heads costs approximately $5, which amounts to $300 per year maintenance costs on a fleet of five trucks with three spray heads each.
NEW PRODUCT
“Bulk Materials” Handling Systems Sack Emptiers
How it opens for cleaning
Sievmaster with Check Sieving Easy to clean sanitary design. For flours, sugars, spices, cosmetics, seeds - almost any powder or granular material. Australian Diversified Engineering’s new water spray heads.
Contact: www.ade.net.au
Sack emptier variations
Vacuum Assisted Lifting
Handling boards and doors TAWI Vacuum-assisted Lifting: A wide range of special models are designed and built in Melbourne.
QR code
This contrasts to regular spray heads, which ADE estimates require an entire rebuild kit every three months to prevent leakage, costing up to $18,000 per year. ADE’s director and commercial manager Danny Irvine says the problem of spray head water leakage is widespread throughout road construction projects and mine haul road maintenance. Until now, he says, there hasn’t been an effective solution. “It’s a constant problem for the project managers – managing the amount of water wasted and maintaining an expensive maintenance regime for the water trucks,” Irvine says. “Every hour the trucks are offline due to maintenance and every litre of water wasted adds up, so we are very pleased with this simple new design that has the ability to increase productivity and profit margin in such a significant way.” Mackellar Mining business development officer Dave White had ADE modular spray heads installed on the company’s water truck and machine rental fleet that operates throughout the Bowen Basin, and says he has seen a great improvement in productivity. “In the past, leaking spray heads were a common and frustrating cause of machine downtime,” he says. “However, since installing the spray heads designed by ADE we have seen an improvement in machine uptime and highly reduced spray head servicing costs. This single part has been a revelation to our water trucks.” The spray head features a double-acting hydraulic actuator with built-in backup spring, which is directly attached to the piston to positively open and close the spray head valve. The soft seat provides a superior seal to ensure the spray head does not leak when the valve is closed, ADE says. The spray heads are available in small or large hydraulic or pneumatic, with an adjustable spray pattern, and a body constructed of stainless steel and aluminium.
Also: Dense phase pneumatic conveying, bulk bag systems, IBC systems, manual and automatic sack emptiers, flexible wall feeders, silo discharge systems, inflatable seat valves, sack filling m/c’s automatic palletisers, wrappers and hooders.
The Professionals in Powder Handling
ABHCA1415-1
Head Office VIC - Tel: (03) 9457 8240
www.kockumsbulk.com.au
NEWS
CDE’s construction and demolition waste recycling plant at ATCO’s concrete manufacturing plant in Aruba, South America.
Turnkey waste recycling plant for concrete maker Washing equipment supplier CDE Global has provided ATCO Concrete Products with a turnkey construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling plant for use in concrete production at its plant on the island of Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela.
T
he tourism-driven demand for new hotels on the island of Aruba in recent years has led to a dramatic increase in demand for construction materials, and Aruban concrete producer ATCO seized the opportunity to set up the first ready mix facility on the island. Since its inception, ATCO’s facility has grown to supply concrete to a large proportion of the market, and the addition of a washing plant paves the way for future growth and increased efficiencies, according to the plant supplier, CDE Global. CDE expects efficiencies will develop with the production of washed recycled aggregates (5-10mm, 10-20mm) and washed recycled sand at <5mm. The modular C&D waste recycling plant comprises an M2500 E3, an AggMax 82R, a RotoMax RX80, an AquaCycle A200, a GHT overhead beam filter press and three S3008 stockpile conveyors processing a variety of raw feed material up to a rate of 110tph. Previously, ATCO’s concrete products were manufactured using imported aggregates to ultimately avoid the need for excavation from Aruba’s environment. But CDE’s plant enables ATCO to recycle construction and demolition waste such as stone, asphalt, concrete and bricks into high quality, commercially viable washed sand and aggregates. The advantages of this process are essentially two-fold, the supplier says. The technology not only avoids the need for 80
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
excavation of the surrounding environment but also enables ATCO to save on the costs of importing materials from neighbouring countries, allowing them to remain competitive by passing on the cost savings to the end user.
The processing system The CDE recycling plant at ATCO includes a number of treatment phases including the initial feeding system, the attrition phase which scrubs the aggregate product and removes unwanted contaminants, the aggregate screening and stockpiling system, a sand washing phase which produces one washed recycled sand product, a primary stage water treatment phase and a sludge management system. The raw feed material is delivered to the M2500 via an R15 feed hopper and tipping grid at a maximum rate of 100tph, which is fitted with a 150mm screening grid. The integrated belt feeder then transfers the material directly onto an inclined transfer conveyor which features an integrated overband magnet for the effective removal of any ferrous material which can then be discharged into an underlying skip. The material from the conveyor is then transferred onto the ProGrade rinsing screen for the first phase of washing and screening. CDE says the P2-75 screen is designed to cope with the harshest of materials and features polyurethane mats on the top and bottom deck to ensure precise and efficient screening with high resistance to abrasion.
NEWS
The top deck aperture is split into two sizes. The first 2 metres is designed to screen material at 10mm, and the last 3 metres is designed to screen material at 22.5mm. Individual spray bars work to wash the material, with the >22.5mm aggregates from the top deck being sent to an oversize stockpile via an inclined conveyor. Meanwhile, the >10mm material is washed and screened before being directly sent to a transfer conveyor prior to entering the AggMax 82R. In the interim, material on the bottom deck is screened for material at 2.5mm, which following the screening and washing of the smaller aggregate is then moved along to a transfer conveyor and subsequently fed into the AggMax. The AggMax 82R attrition system integrates pre-screening, the RotoMax R80 attrition system, a trash screen for the removal of contaminants and an EvoScreen dewatering screen for post-attrition rinsing of the scrubbed material on one single chassis. Designed specifically for heavy, clay bound material, the aggregates within the RotoMax are subject to severe attrition to ensure that the highest level of clay is removed. The high level of attrition is effectively achieved through the use of 138 individual blades mounted on shafts which are manufactured from chrome molybdenum steel for high strength and durability. Maximum attrition is further enhanced through the counter rotation of blades on two separate shafts which merge with each other to ensure the maximum amount of attrition. Following the scrubbing process the clean aggregate is discharged onto the secondary rinsing screen, which de-waters the aggregate ready for further screening. At the rear of the AggMax, a trash screen has been integrated for the efficient removal of lightweight contaminants. All sand fractions and water are piped back to the M2500 cyclone to ensure maximum sand recovery. On the top deck of the AggMax sizing screen, the material is passed directly through to a double deck rinsing screen featuring polyurethane matts. The top deck aperture is 1020mm with the bottom deck aperture being 5-10mm. The 10-20mm material is fed onto a side conveyor and stockpiled while the 5-10mm material is sent to another side conveyor for stockpiling. All other material will fall through to the sump and is then pumped back to the M2500 to ensure maximum sand recovery, CDE says.
Water treatment The first stage of the water treatment process involves the AquaCycle A200 high rate thickener system. This unit comes with a fully automatic polyelectrolyte dosing unit and AquaStore water storage and pumping system. The waste water from the processing plant, which also contains the minus 63 micron material, is sent to the AquaCycle unit through the discharge point at the top of the Evowash cyclone. The first dose of polyelectrolyte is given within a deaeration chamber located at the side of the circular thickener tank. This removes air before it enters the 400m 3 per hour capacity tank thus ensuring effective settling of the material. The polyelectrolyte has the effect of forcing the minus 63 micron particles to join together and fall to the bottom of the tank where the integrated scraper ensures the sludge maintains an even consistency. Meanwhile, the clean water overflows the top of the thickener tank via the peripheral weir and the water is then sent to the AquaStore system for recirculation around the washing plant. When the sludge is ready to be discharged a signal is sent to the PLC controls which engage the sludge pump. www.polymertechnologies.com.au
NEWS
this plant will allow us to make significant savings on imported products.”
Project management With the remote location of the ATCO site, ongoing support was a key issue for consideration at the outset of the project, and the supplier’s project management process, ‘ProMan’, proved vital in this instance and allowed ATCO to be closely involved from the initial design stage, through to manufacturing, logistics, installation, commissioning and beyond, according to CDE. “With all projects that we deliver, internally within the company, we appoint a dedicated Single Point of Contact for our customer which allows them to have continuous contact throughout the entire duration of project delivery,” project manager Brian McCullough explained. “Because of their remote location, it was imperative for ATCO to have the confidence that we could deliver the project to their exact requirements. The ProMan system enabled us to communicate regularly and effectively with ATCO and they were assured that the plant would meet the specifications agreed.” CDE’s construction and demolition waste recycling plant at ATCO’s concrete manufacturing plant in Aruba, South America.
The conditioned sludge from the AquaCycle is then sent to a large concrete buffer tank where it is stored before being sent to the final stage of sludge management, the GHT Filter Press. This eliminates the requirement for settling ponds to store waste water from the plant while maximising water recycling and reducing health and safety risks on site. The filter press is a plate press which effectively delivers filter cakes with over 90% of dry solids content, recycling more than 90% of the water use. “The investment in a construction and recycling plant from CDE was a significant step for us in terms of paving the way for not only meeting the increasing demand for recycled aggregates locally but to allow for sustainable growth in the future,” ATCO managing director Robert Carrasquero said. “Not only are we now in a position to provide quality sand and aggregates to our local market more efficiently in terms of timescales but
Aftersales service
Following installation of the plant, ATCO invested in a preventative maintenance program, which will see the conduction of an on-site plant inspection every two months regardless of operating hours or throughput levels. The program includes recalibrations of the plant if required, a written report detailing the condition of the plant and recommendations for any work that may be required to ensure the plant is operating at the optimum level. ATCO’s Robert Carrasquero continues: “Our ultimate aim is to produce the highest quality products possible and to provide a first class service to our customers. The preventative maintenance inspections from CDE will allow us to maintain our position as Aruba’s number one provider for blocks, pavers, sand, stones and concrete by producing the maximum level of processed material to an exceptionally high quality.” Contact: www.cdeglobal.com
DUST CONTROL
Upgrades to Camfil APC’s dust and fume collectors Camfil Air Pollution Control (Camfil APC) has announced two updates to its popular line of Farr Gold Series cartridge dust and fume collectors.
T
he two improvements – one to the filter access door hardware and the other to the filter clamping system – provide enhanced ease of use, safety and reliability, at no added cost to customers, the company says. “A new patent-pending clamping system on the door hardware provides greater locking strength and makes it easier to close the door,” Camfil APC says. “The new system increases compression leverage to a 50:1 ratio when closing the door, providing a reliable seal with 6.5 psi standard strength and eliminating the need for a high pressure door adder.” The filter clamping system has also been updated to utilize laser-cut, welded-in clamp bar brackets in place of bolted-in brackets,
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
designed to hold the clamping bars to the tube sheet. “The new design ensures highly accurate tolerances and allows Updates to Camfil APC’s dust and fume collectors are targeted at improving the clamp bars to swing freely for safety, ease of use and reliability. greater ease of filter change-out. “The welded design also eliminates bolt holes between the dirty air and clean air plenums,” Camfil APC concludes. “In addition, the corner brackets are made of unpainted stainless steel to help maintain grounding throughout the unit.” Contact: filterman@camfil.com
NEWS
Superior buys US firm GreyStone Equipment supplier Superior has acquired Nebraska, US-based firm GreyStone, which manufactures a line of washing, screening and declassifying equipment distributed in Australia by Rivergum Industries.
A Greystone overland conveyor
G
reyStone manufactures washing and screening plants, sand classification tanks and systems, dewatering screws, coarse material washers, log washers, computer control systems, water clarifiers, rotary and vibrating screens, blade mills, dewatering screens and twin jets and cutter heads. Superior adds GreyStone to its already expansive range, which covers conveyors, feed systems, portable plants, pulleys & drives and conveyor idlers, among other products. GreyStone’s range includes a line of conveyor systems with lengths ranging from 15.2m to 60.9m, custom-designed to meet specific application needs. The line includes standard- and heavyduty portable conveyors, radial stackers and tower radial stackers that deliver material flow capacities from 300tph to 1,300tph. Conveyor belt widths vary from 609mm to 1371mm, depending on conveyor model. GreyStone’s overland conveyors come in lengths up to 762m with belt widths up to 1828mm, and deliver a maximum material flow capacity of 3,700tph. All GreyStone conveyor systems have standard CEMA idlers and a lagged-head pulley design with a rubber-coated gripping surface that the company says ensures a tighter hold on conveyor belts to minimize slippage. A self-cleaning, wing-type tail pulley is designed to eliminate debris build-up and allows the belt to run true, reducing belt damage. Two-ply, 220 or 330 conveyor belts with a 4.76mm top cover and 1.58mm bottom cover are there to reduce belt wear and ensure long life with minimal downtime. All GreyStone conveyor systems feature shaft-mounted gear reducers. The truss structures feature top-grade steel and detailed welding, the company says. For operations on the move, GreyStone manufactures compact stackable field conveyor systems. “With idlers nested below the conveyor top cords, GreyStone field conveyors easily stack on trailers for quick transport,” the company’s publicity stated. “Standard-duty portable conveyors come in 15.24m and 18.28m lengths.”
Greystone radial stacker conveyors.
With belt widths of 610mm, 762mm, 914mm and 1067mm, they offer material flow capacities from 300tph to 1,050tph. Heavy-duty series conveyors are capable of carrying up to 1,300tph. All portable radial stackers more than 18.28m long feature a 6.1m sectional-fold design – where one end of the 24.4m conveyor or both top and bottom ends of longer portable conveyors fold – reducing overall length for travel. Contact: www.superior-ind.com/greystone Australian distributor: http://www.rivergumindustries.com.au/
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
83
MIXING
Munson mixer improves performance at wheat plant A Munson rotary batch mixer has refined a US companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheat processing operation, with a tumble, turn, cut and fold action producing a uniform blend of wheat flour for use as a glue extender.
The finished blend of glue extender, which is a uniform mix of a number of ingredients (below).
I
daho Milling and Grain has produced wheat flour since 1982 in a process that involves measuring, milling and mixing. But this is not a refined baking flour for cookies and cakes. Instead Idaho Milling and Grain produces an industrial-grade wheat flour that is formulated into a glue extender for the wood products industry. Glue extenders are used to bond thin sheets of layered wood veneer that form structural plywood. These rugged compounds are also key elements in adhesives, sealants, coatings, plastics and cleaning compounds. 84
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
Wheat flour and other ingredients are fed from bins into the 3.1 cu m-capacity rotary batch mixer, which loads, mixes and discharges each batch six-times faster than the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ribbon blender.
MIXING
A 15kw motor is sufficient to tumble 1361kg batches in the rotary batch mixer, whereas the company’s mixing master says a 453kg batch in the ribbon blender needs a 37kw motor.
A rotary airlock valve positioned below the discharge of the rotary batch mixer meters blended material into a pneumatic conveying line routed to storage bins in the packaging area.
As head miller, Boyd Hess is responsible for production, maintenance and shipping. With a 28-year work history with Idaho Milling and Grain, Hess credits the rotary batch mixer with blending flour at greater efficiencies and with significantly less residue than the company’s previous, hand-fed ribbon blender. “The rotary batch mixer produces much more uniform blends, even with diverse particle sizes and variations in bulk density,” Hess says. “This is due to the mixer’s tumble, turn, cut and fold action achieved with proprietary internal mixing flights, and continuous rotation throughout the blending cycle.” The blending system from milled product through to packaging is controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC). A recipe is entered into the PLC which starts with a zero-scale reading from load cells under the mixer. The pneumatic system feeds each ingredient from several bins through airlocks until all ingredients are added and the mixer load reaches its target weight. When the airlocks shut off, the mixing action begins, lasting between three and ten minutes, depending on the product density. The mixer discharge gate then opens, and the discharge airlock valve meters the material to the pneumatic line to the packaging area until the load cells again indicate zero weight. The glue extender is packaged in 23 and 45kg bags and bulk bags up to 1361kg.
Production run reduced
The operator enters a recipe into the PLC, which controls the blending process from milling to packaging.
Idaho Milling was able to reduce glue extender production time from 2 hours to 20 minutes per batch cycle by replacing its existing ribbon blender with a 700-TS110-MS rotary batch mixer, according to the mixer’s manufacturer, Munson. Munson told ABHR that the company increased product quality and practically eliminated residual material in the machine after each batch.
Uniform blends The flour production process begins when raw wheat stock arrives from local farms during harvest. The wheat
is tested for moisture and protein, blended to a target protein content, and cleaned to remove foreign seed, sticks, chaff, and other residue. Afterward, it is tempered by adding water to toughen the bran coat. The wheat is then milled into glue extender by running it through a series of roller mills, sifters and purifiers. It travels by pneumatic line into the 3.1 cu m-capacity Munson rotary batch mixer, where it is blended with other proprietary ingredients. The finished extender is then conveyed pneumatically to storage bins for packaging.
A 1361kg batch of formulated wood products extender is loaded, mixed and discharged for packaging in less than 20 minutes, according to Hess. “The batch size varies depending upon the recipe, and the rate of charge and discharge through the airlock system,” he says, “but the entire operation is quick and energy efficient.” “We can fill, blend and empty the mixer in less than 20 minutes for most formulations versus a typical batch cycle time of 2 hours using the ribbon blender,” he adds. Hess says the ribbon blender is limited to a smaller batch size of about 453kg and requires a 37kw motor, compared to the 15kw motor needed for a 1361kg batch in the new mixer. “Another plus is that there is nearly complete discharge without residue,” Hess concludes. “In filling a 1361kg bulk bag, only one or two kilograms of residual material remains in the mixer, if that.” Contact: info@munsonmachinery.com
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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NEW PRODUCT
Lokotrack LT220D compact tracked crusher and screen Metso bills its new Lokotrack LT220D as “the most compact track-mounted combination of a cone crusher and a screen ever made.” Metso says that compact dimensions make the LokoTrack LT220D easy to transport.
L
okotrack’s LT220D, the latest addition to Metso’s mobile crushing and screening equipment range, is aimed at aggregate contractors around the world. The machine combines a cone crusher and a screen into a single track-mounted plant. Metso says the Lokotrack LT220D reduces operational costs in several ways, most notably by lowering fuel consumption and reducing the need for maintenance. In addition, the unit is compact and transportable. “Soaring, unstable fuel prices create demand for plants that are increasingly energy efficient and for new ways to operate. However, you can only increase the efficiency of a single machine up to a certain limit. Going beyond that point requires outof-the box thinking and new innovations,” said Jarmo Vuorenpää, project manager at Metso Mining and Construction. Aggregate contractors often haul equipment on a weekly basis while striving to keep costs down. Because of its transportability, Metso says the LT220D enables contractors to take on smaller contracts that previously would have been unprofitable for them. “The Lokotrack LT220D is the first-ever track-mounted crusher/screen combination with such compact dimensions and good transportability,” Vuorenpää continued. The new machine addresses fuel economy in a number of ways. Running both the crusher and the screen with a single Cat C13 309-kW diesel engine helps, while there is an efficient power transmission system. “A reduced number of transported units and a quick set-up translate into a significant increase in effective production time,” said Vuorenpää. “Hydraulically operated screen lifting and folding side conveyors enable the Lokotrack LT220D to be ready for action in just minutes.
The new LokoTrack LT220D together with LokoTrack LT106 jaw plant.
“The total weight of 48 tons and the compact transport dimensions make the Lokotrack LT220D easily transportable around the world, giving contractors plenty of flexibility with the unit.” The new machine is equipped with a Metso cone crusher, either the HP200 or the GP220, and an intelligent control system. “Paired with Metso’s Lokotrack LT106 mobile jaw plant, the new secondary unit is capable of producing up to three calibrated end products,” said Vuorenpää. Made in Finland, Metso says it has sold more than 6,000 Lokotrack plants globally in the past 29 years to customers ranging from aggregate contractors to major mining companies. Contact: www.metso.com
GRAIN
Former grain buyer’s massive payday GrainCorp’s new chief executive officer and managing director will earn up to $7.2m over the next three years, the ASX-listed grain storage, handling, marketing and processing business announced in August.
M
ark Palmquist, who started out as a grain buyer at American agriculture giant CHS in 1979, has taken over as boss of GrainCorp. It follows his departure from CHS after 35 years at the US-based farmers’ cooperative. Since joining as a buyer out of university in the 70s, he climbed to the rank of executive vice president 86
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
and chief operating officer for all agriculturerelated business units, a role he held from 2011. GrainCorp will pay Palmquist a base salary of $1.2m per annum. He will be able to earn short term bonuses of up to 150% of that remuneration, and long term bonuses of up to 100% of that remuneration.
New GrainCorp chief executive Mark Palmquist.
GRAIN
His contract includes a deferred sign-on payment of up to $7.2m, meaning anything less than $7.2m earned after three years at GrainCorp will be topped up to that amount, unless the board decides otherwise, after Palmquist’s first three years in the top job. The payment was a necessary inclusion in the contract, GrainCorp said, “recognising the uncertainty in relation to the company’s ownership during the period in which candidates were being sought for the position”. A $3.4bn bid for GrainCorp by US firm Archer Daniels Midland was rejected by the Australian government in December 2013, but ADM, which owns almost 20% of GrainCorp already, is thought to still be interested in the acquisition. Palmquist’s contract also allows him to leave within a month of giving notice, if a material adverse change is made to his powers, duties, responsibilities, authority or status with the company, such as what might happen should a bigger business like ADM take over. The contract also stipulates that should he be made redundant, another possibility in a takeover, he is to be given six months’ notice (or the equivalent payment), and a further six months’ severance pay, meaning he would be up for at least a $1.2m payout even if ADM buys GrainCorp. The rejection of ADM’s bid at the end of last year by the federal government led to the resignation of GrainCorp’s former chief executive, Alison Watkins, who is now chief executive at CocaCola Amatil. “GrainCorp’s Board is delighted to have secured a candidate of such high calibre and international standing,” chairman Don Taylor said in August, when the company announced Palmquist’s appointment.
“We are confident that Mark’s skills and extensive experience will be invaluable to the ongoing growth of GrainCorp as a global agribusiness and food ingredients company. “Mark brings a valuable combination of deep industry knowledge and global management experience to GrainCorp. We are all excited about working with him as he leads GrainCorp into its next phase of growth, enhances our customer offering and grows value for our customers.” After graduating from Gastavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1979, Palmquist joined CHS as a grain buyer, and shortly thereafter moved into grain merchandising, trading corn, soybeans and spring wheat among other commodities. He was promoted to vice president and director of grain marketing in 1990, and in 1993 was named senior vice president of that division. From 2001 his role expanded into a broader range of CHS agriculture businesses. “I have worked around the world and GrainCorp is by any measure an outstanding company,” Palmquist said. “GrainCorp’s board, management team and people have transformed the company into a leading agribusiness with a strong international reputation. It is a privilege to be joining the company at such an exciting time.” Palmquist was assisted in the handover by Taylor, who acted as chief executive since Watkins’ departure. Taylor has resumed his role as non-executive Chairman. GrainCorp’s board expressed its appreciation to Taylor for his commitment to the company during his period as interim chief. Contact: www.graincorp.com
Dust Control, Dust Suppression PLUS Explosion Control In the next edition...
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Dust Control Techniques – Technology – Research
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November/December Edition 2014
Contact Peter Delbridge on 02 9080 4478 or email Peter.Delbridge@BulkHandling.com.au
IMPORTANT 2015 EDITORIAL TOPICS Jan/Feb • Electrical Engineering • Instrumentation • Motors, Drives and Gears Mar/Apr • Conveyors, Belt Scrapers, Ancilliary equipment • Container Tipplers, Trans-shipment, Mobile Conveying May/Jun • Food Products • Powder Handling • Pneumatic Conveying • Dust Control Jul/Aug • Weighing and Level Measurement Technology • Grain Handling Sep/Oct • Engineering Services • Design and Consultancy Nov/Dec • Dust Control
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
Peak Gold mine improves automation and control
Peak Gold Mine.
Rockwell Automation and Manta Controls have supplied a range of automation and control solutions to New Gold’s Peak Gold Mine, boosting production at the Cobar site.
N
ew Gold’s Peak Gold Mine is a gold and copper underground mining operation located in the Cobar Gold Field of Central West New South Wales. The mine produces gold dore for sale at the Perth mint and copper concentrate which is sold to markets in Asia. The site comprises five commercially active mines and a copper-gold processing plant. To optimise the Peak Gold mine processing plant to improve throughput rates and process control, Peak Gold called on Rockwell Automation and mineral processing solution provider, Manta Controls to increase productivity and cost savings while also improving environmental outcomes.
Upgrade to winder’s drive and control system Prior to the work on the processing plant, the drive and control system of the winder at Peak Gold Mine was upgraded by Rockwell’s automation systems and solutions business team. The 814kW winder at Peak is utilised to transport personnel and materials, 88
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
so it was important to ensure the safety and reliability of the winder. According to Michael Graves, solutions consultant, Rockwell Automation, “We provided a tailored solution based on our proven mine winder safety, control and drive systems. All phases of the engineered solution were completed by our local drive systems engineering and production facility based in Lane Cove in New South Wales in association with Peak Gold.” According to Graves, the winder upgrade ensures that the winder conforms to the latest safety standards and provides ease of maintenance by using common control and communication platforms. He said the next stage of the project was to optimise the Peak Gold processing plant to increase productivity of the mine.
Advanced SAG mill control SAG mills are a critical component in mineral processing operations; at the same time, they are a difficult process to control. There are a large number of variables involved in the process
but the main objective is to maximise throughput. According to Vivian Beehan, mill manager at Peak Gold, “We set out to optimise the Peak Gold Mine processing plant to improve throughput rates and process control.” Ore from the Peak, Perseverance and New Occidental ore bodies is crushed underground and hoisted to a surface stockpile and ultimately to the SAG mill feed conveyor. Ore from New Cobar and Chesney is hauled to Peak where it is fed into the SAG mill feed conveyor via a separate bin. “A standard ‘off the shelf’ control system would not be enough to effectively improve throughput and control for this processing plant,” said Sean Smith, NSW state sales manager, Rockwell Automation. According to Smith, the solution provided utilised the advanced control and programming capabilities of Rockwell’s ControlLogix integrated with an advanced control system called Manta Cube. “The Manta Cube took more than 18 years to perfect but now provides a
AUTOMATION AND CONTROL
The Smart Diver as installed on-site at Peak Gold on the tails thickener.
clever control system that can leverage the advanced process control functionality of the ControlLogix platform to take process control to the next level,” said John Karageorgos, managing director, Manta Controls. Following the upgrades, Peak Gold was able to increase throughput by two percent which equates to an extra 18,000 tonnes per year, adding an extra 2000 ounces of gold per year. “The life of our mill lining system has also been extended allowing us to push more tonnage through the mill,” said Beehan. “We’ve been able to push our relines out so we’re now doing three a year instead of four which is also providing a significant cost saving.”
The SAG Cube graphic at Peak Gold.
Reducing cyanide consumption Once the ore has been through the SAGmill, gold and silver are recovered in a gravity circuit with Knelson concentrators, further concentrated in an intensive leach reactor, electrowon and sludge smelted in a gas-fired furnace to produce gold dore bars. A third method of gold and silver recovery is by cyanidation in a tank leach circuit. The resulting sludge is then smelted into gold dore bars. To reduce costs and improve environmental outcomes, the control around the cyanide system in the leaching circuit was optimised by incorporating Manta’s Cyanide Leach Cube into the ControlLogix control system. This allowed for advanced process control of the leaching circuit and the amount of cyanide used was significantly reduced. “We went from using roughly around 1.8kg of cyanide per tonne to roughly 1.45kg per tonne in a period from the beginning of January 2013 to December 2013,” said Beehan. “That’s a significant cost saving considering that each tonne of cyanide
The Cyanide Leach Cube graphics at Peak Gold showing all three Cube systems.
costs about $4000. Additionally, as a result of cyanide reduction, recovery from the leach circuit has increased by an extra 1800 ounces of gold.”
Sustainable production Gold, silver and copper from Peak are also recovered as a copper concentrate in a conventional flotation circuit. The flotation concentrate is thickened, dewatered and stockpiled prior to being transported to the smelter. The Manta Thickener Cube with a Smart Diver was implemented on the tailings thickener to improve the settling rates, rake torque, the underflow density and ultimately increase the efficiency of the thickening process. According to Beehan, “We’ve seen
that our tailings thickener is better controlled and we are getting higher densities out of it. An additional bonus is that we used to spend a lot more time ‘babysitting’ or looking after the tailings thickener prior to installing the Thickener Cube with a Smart Diver but now we can dedicate that time to other tasks. We’ve also seen an increase in the density of our tailings system which helps us to meet our environmental commitment. “The project has been a huge success from a production, cost saving and environmental point of view and to top it off there was no significant downtime with very little interruption to processing,” concluded Beehan. Contact: www.rockwellautomation.com
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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CONVEYORS
Rope-bridge conveyor extended at Swiss landfill site Doppelmayr told ABHR about the expansion of a major RopeCon installation, near St. Gallen, Switzerland.
The landfill’s loading station during winter time.
R
opeCon is a system designed by Doppelmayr which implements a rope-bridge style array of anchored ropes, which support a conveyor belt for lengths up to 1km. Since 2005, a Doppelmayr RopeCon system has been used to transport backfill material for use at the Tüfentobel landfill near the city of St. Gallen, Switzerland. The belt conveyor discharges material onto a pile directly where it is to be used. In 2010, the RopeCon was extended for the first time, by 220m. However, the new area was backfilled quickly and another relocation became necessary two years later. As part of the planned expansion of the landfill, and after months of intensive planning and research to determine the ideal way of extending the Tüfentobel RopeCon, an additional support structure was finally erected, and the discharge point relocated to further down the line, in early 2013. The new discharge point of RopeCon is now at 980m. The extension process required shifting the discharge drum and splicing an additional piece of texture into the existing belt. In the course of the extension, an additional tower was erected. Unusually, due to difficult soil conditions, this has not been anchored directly underneath RopeCon, but somewhat offset, therefore protruding into the line. The new tower is 50m high, and makes it possible to bring the belt to
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
38m above ground in its area. Additionally, with this design, backfill material can be worked into the ground directly underneath the belt. A phased relocation of the discharge point had been provided for in the design and planning work right from the outset, so that the material would always be discharged very close to where it was needed. With this latest extension, the discharge point was relocated even beyond what was envisaged for this phase. This change takes into account the increase in material delivered to the landfill and, depending on the actual volumes, will allow backfilling to continue for another 6 to 8 years without further modifications, according to Doppelmayr. The RopeCon system was chosen for Tüfentobel landfill site to leave flexibility for the council to expand the landfill space. When it was opened, there was only enough capacity in the landfill for use up until 2004. With staged expansion and the most recent addition, 5.3 million cubic metres of additional volume have been gained, and operation of the site has been secured for several decades. Prior to the RopeCon’s installation in 2005, the expansion project presented to the Council and to the public investigated, among other things, different aspects of the transportation concept. The following goals had been defined: subsequent recultivation of the landfill site
in several stages, low operating costs, safe operation, minimal exposure of residents to emissions, and optimal logistical delivery conditions. One of the transportation concepts under review considered using RopeCon to transport the inert material from one dumping point near the landfill site entrance to the opposite end of the valley which is to be backfilled. The RopeCon system combines important features of conventional belt conveyors with well proven ropeway technology. RopeCon essentially consists of a continuous flat belt with corrugated side walls and supporting axles arranged at regular intervals. Running wheels are fitted to either end of the axles and travel on a track of steel ropes. These steel track ropes are guided over tower structures, similar to a conventional ropeway system. The whole system is thus elevated off the ground and can easily cross obstacles or difficult terrain. The belt performs the haulage function and is driven by a drive drum at one end and guided around a return drum at the other end. The effects of RopeCon on the operation of the landfill site are fivefold.
Step-by-step backfill and recultivation of the landfill site The concept of backfilling and recultivating the site in various steps is in line with the site’s declared goal to avoid to the furthest possible extent
CONVEYORS
Safe operation
An aerial view of the site, with the RopeCon system in the middle of the shot.
the actual stage of the project, an additional tower may also be erected. Since RopeCon operates elevated off the ground, it occupies only very little space on the ground (in the area of the towers and of the stations.) Bulldozers can continue their landfill operations directly underneath the belt and recultivation can begin straight away. Upon termination of its use, RopeCon can be completely dismantled.
Low operating costs
The new tower which was erected for the most recent expansion in 2013.
any detrimental effects on the environment. It is furthermore in line with government requirements, which state that open surface areas of any landfill site must be kept as small as possible. For this specific application, RopeCon was designed and built as an extendable system. Several stages, each with a different unloading point along the line, were defined. The support structure (i.e. the track ropes, the rope anchoring systems, and the towers) was built for the final complete length of 1,250m at the outset, while the belt on which the material is transported was initially installed on just one part of the system. The discharge drum which deflects the belt can be relocated. When the proposed degree of filling in a zone has been reached, the discharge drum is repositioned within the track rope span and the belt is extended accordingly. RopeCon then unloads at this new point until once again the proposed degree of filling has been reached. Depending on
As a landfill site gradually fills up, transport distances to the dumping point get longer. Access roads must be adapted to the ever changing terrain profile and must be maintained accordingly. From the dumping point onward, the material must be distributed and worked into the ground by bulldozers. With RopeCon as the means to transport the inert material into the landfill, the delivery vehicles simply dump the material into a bunker near the site entrance. The belt then takes it from there to the defined discharge point. The discharge point may be chosen independent of the course of the roads so that distances for the bulldozers can be kept as short as possible. This reduces transportation distances for both the delivery vehicles and the bulldozers. The number of vehicle transports into the landfill site area which still require roads (e.g. for specific local fillings, for placing culverts, etc.) and consequently the strain on the roads, has been greatly reduced. Cleaning of the roads is another cost item: Vehicles driving to the dumping point on the unpaved roads of the landfill site soil the public road heavily, especially in wet weather. The one central dumping point at the entrance area, however, can be reached on paved roads, and the problem of soiling is reduced.
One goal being considered in the evaluation of the transportation concept was the safe operation of the landfill site, not only in terms of landfill technology but also in terms of transport. Wet weather conditions in particular may have an adverse effect on safety. Vehicle transports can become too dangerous in snowy or extremely wet conditions, and in some cases operations at the landfill site may have to stop completely. With RopeCon, such weather-related closures can largely be avoided: There is no need to transport the material over the dirt roads of the landfill site as it can be dumped directly at the site entrance area where the roads are paved. The RopeCon system as such operates fully automatically.
Minimal exposure of residents to emissions A number of residential areas of the town of Engelburg border directly on the T端fentobel landfill site. Reducing the amount of emissions to an absolute minimum was one of the main goals defined when planning the site. When choosing the transport solution, particular attention was given to noise and dust emissions. By using RopeCon instead of conventional vehicles, noise emissions along the line have been greatly reduced and are now largely limited to the starting and to the end point of the RopeCon line. The end point of the RopeCon line moves along as the landfill site grows. Residents are therefore affected by the actual landfill operations only for a limited period of time. Dust emissions have also been reduced since fewer vehicles are required to pass over the dirt roads. The inert material as such is stationary on the belt.
Optimal logistical delivery conditions The use of RopeCon as the means to transport the inert material has a number of significant effects on the logistical delivery conditions: one is that transport distances can be kept short. With the rate at which the site is currently filling up, transporting the material to a dumping point somewhere on the site with vehicles would mean a rotation time of around 10 minutes. If the material is transported to that point on RopeCon, vehicles must drive no further than to the dumping point at the site entrance area. This shortens the rotation time to around two minutes. Contact: dtt@doppelmayr.com
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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WORKING AT HEIGHT
Are you ready for the revised walkways, ladders and platforms standards? Industry expert Carl Sachs explains the changes included in the newly-revised Australian Standard for fixed ladders, platforms and walkways.
T
he revised Australian Standard AS1657 for fixed ladders, platforms and walkways released in October 2013 plugs some serious holes. Guard rails made of rubber, for example, are now explicitly unacceptable. While absurd, rubber guard rails technically complied with the 21-year-old AS1657 and the example shows just how sorely an update was needed. There are four big changes being made to AS1657: concerning selection, labelling, guardrail testing and the design of fixed ladders.
Access selection The new standard deals with the selection of access methods. It explains when to use different types of access, adopting a hierarchical approach consistent with the OHS legislation. A new “Safe Ladder” appendix details how to be sure that ladders satisfy technical and ergonomic requirements for workplaces.
Fixed ladder design The most significant set of changes to AS1657 concerns the design of fixed ladders. Over the 21 years since the standard was written, there has been an explosion in the sales of “cut to size” ladders, which led to several safety-related issues: • rung spacing dimensions • uneven rung heights at the base of ladders • non-level landings • fixings suitability to the structures • unsuitable fitment of hand holds leading to potential safety hazards • methods of mounting of cages and fixing to structures • lack of suitable design criteria • use of fall arrest systems The revised AS1657 includes changes to design criteria, dimensions of rung spacing, mounting of cages, fixings to structures, inappropriate use of hand holds plus several other small issues. The net result is a clearer and a safer set of requirements for users and manufacturers. Additional costs to the industry are expected to be minor and will be offset by multiple benefits, including: 92
Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
• improved safety for users in terms of rung spacing, ladder strength and support fixings • increased rung design loadings that are now aligned with portable ladders • increased emphasis on the use of sloping ladders in the range of 60 to 75 degrees • provision for the use of complying fall arrest systems as an alternative means of fall protection • new ladder testing protocols as an alternative means of supplying compliant products • new provisions for single-stile ladders in specific applications.
Mandatory labelling Identification assists building owners and asset owners to identify responsible parties and assist the workplace safety regulators with incident investigation and root cause analysis but was not mandatory under the old standard. The revised standard mandates permanent product labelling to: • verify compliance of the installation with AS1657 • identify the designer, fabricator, installer and certifier • provide for effective product recalls of faulty equipment The labelling also allows manufacturers to deliver key information such as servicing requirements and special use instructions, which will lift the
accountability of suppliers, and assist with traceability and incident investigation.
Guardrail, ladder and staircase testing The testing procedure contained in the old standard was seriously deficient for guardrail. In fact, a rubber guardrail would have passed because there were no deflection requirements. The new standard, AS1657-2013, aligns with AS/NZS 1170.1 – 2002, requiring higher concentrated loads and line loads for guard railing systems. Importantly, it references standards to ensure the correct application of load factors and load combinations in the design and testing process. New tests for ladders and staircases have been introduced to align with the testing regime for portable ladders.
Other changes Updates to the standard also address the slip resistance of walkways and an alternative test method for stairways other than structural calculation. It is essential that there is a straightforward way of proving the performance of products because many of the items produced under AS1657 are manufactured by companies without the engineering resources to design by calculation. In the case of mass-produced proprietary systems, the test method is used as an adjunct to design and is compulsory.
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Advertisers Index Advertiser Page
Advertiser Page
Advertiser Page
Aerobelt Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Elastotec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Millsom Materials Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Ahrens Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Enmin Vibratory Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
NHP Electrical Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Allied Grain Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
ESS Engineering Services & Supplies . . . . . . 4
NSL Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Altra Industrial Motion Australia . . . . . . . . . . 37
Flexco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
OLDS Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Aspec Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
GEA Nu-Con . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Polymer Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Atlas Copco Compressors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Integrated Bulk Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Sanwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling . . 75
Jacmor Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 50
Schenck Process Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Belle Banne Conveyor Products . . . . . . . . . 59
Kinder & Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
SEW EURODRIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
BEUMER Group Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Knight Frank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
TECO Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Bonfiglioli Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Kockums Bulk Systems . . . . . . . . .
79, OBC
Tenova TAKRAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Bulk Handling Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
LINAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
ThyssenKrupp Materials Handling . . . . . . . . . 6
BulkNet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
MATO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Transmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ConvaTech Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 35
Meridian Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OFC
TUNRA Bulk Solids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
DRC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Metso Minerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Uhde Shedden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
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Concentrate in containe rs at Port Ade Solving belt laide tracking issu es at NCIG Case study of Zibulo over land conveyor Detailed BUL KEX review Dust control feat ure Inte lligent dust management Carrington at Coal Terminal Law son Lug aids handling of bin liners
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Volume 16 No 7
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November /December 2011
TM
A Revolution
in Feeder
Technology by www.transmin.c
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
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WORKING AT HEIGHT
Step irons, too, are revisited. While they were covered by AS 1657-1992, additional provisions for sewerage applications were included in AS 4198-1994. EN 13101 is now extensively referenced. After 21 years, AS1657 was very outdated. This revision will provide increased certainty for manufacturers and specifiers of access equipment that can only lead to greater safety for users. *Carl Sachs is the managing director of falls prevention
specialist Workplace Access & Safety. He was a member of the committee responsible for the revision of Australian Standard 1657: Fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders - Design, construction and installation and represents the Facility Managers Association on standards committee AS1891 (Industrial fall-arrest devices). Carl’s business, Workplace Access & Safety, provides the full safety package for fall prevention – from risk assessments and system design through to installation, training, annual maintenance and certification. Contact: www.workplaceaccess.com.au
COAL HANDLING
Pacific National takes delivery of new 88 Class locomotives Pacific National, a division of Asciano Limited, has welcomed the Australian arrival of five new locomotives to be used across its Queensland coal operations.
T
he locomotives were designed, built and commissioned by CSR Qishuyan in Changzhou, China. According to Pacific National, they have been purpose-built to meet the operational requirements of the Queensland heavy haul rail market. While the new locos’ steel structure was built in China, the prototypes utilise equipment from industry recognised and approved suppliers. The new fleet has been designed to meet Australian and international standards, says Pacific National. Key features of the 88 Class locomotive include: • MTU turbocharged diesel engine with fuel saving features and EU Stage IIIA emissions compliance; • ABB traction alternator and AC traction control system including self-load and dynamic brake; • ABB solid state auxiliary power supplies; • Voith cooling system; • Knorr Bremmse (NYAB) electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake and distributed power (WDP); • Faiveley electrically driven air compressors; • Selectron locomotive control system; • CSR steering bogie; • Simico Queensland Train Radio and PN PACE-R communications equipment;
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Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2014
One of the new 88 Class locomotives.
• Wabtec event recorder and forward facing video recording; and • Wabtec on-board waste treatment system. To ensure the new locomotives meet the functional requirements of Australian operations, Pacific National says its employees in Gracemere, Queensland were consulted on the cabin design. “The procurement model for the new 88 class locomotive has achieved a cost effective solution that will help drive a more efficient haulage operation for Pacific National in Queensland now and into the future,” said Paul Griffin, general manager, Queensland, Pacific National. He continued, “In addition to supporting our ongoing cost and efficiency goals and being a key part of our current
fleet modernisation program, the new locomotives offer the potential for a more efficient haulage operation and broader service offering for all our customers in Queensland.” The five new locomotives left Shanghai in February and arrived in Gladstone Port, Queensland at the beginning of March 2014. “The locomotives have successfully cleared customs and quarantine and have gained interim registration from Queensland track owners. They have now been relocated to Pacific National’s maintenance facilities and are currently undergoing a rigorous test program to assure their performance, reliability and safety,” concluded Griffin. Contact: www.asciano.com.au
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Green Coffee Beans Muesli Polyvinyl Alcohol Muriate of Potash Garlic and Herb Hydrated Alumina Cake Donut Mix Sodium Trihydrate Gluten Free Breadmix Potassium Chloride Manganese Oxide Cream Cheese Powder Ferrous Sulphate Sodium Persulphate Magnesium Sulphate Potassium Sulphate Copper Sulphate Sodium Acetate Manganese Sulphate Sodium Triphosphate Spent Cell Liner Sodium Nitrate Cobalt Sulphate Copper Concentrate Polyetheylene Pigment Sulphate of Ammonia
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