TRANSFER POINTS
Kinder K-sure creates corrosion-free transfer zone at fertiliser plant When a Toowoomba-based fertiliser supplier needed help fighting rust and corrosion, it turned to Kinder Australia for the answer. TIM STORER WAS ON THE way to the airport to head home after meeting with a distributor in south-east Queensland. But before the Kinder Australia field application specialist could catch his flight, he received a phone call from a local supplier of fertiliser-blended products. Storer’s role means it’s job to visit bulk material handling sites to qualify and quantify the problems they are facing and to provide solutions. After a quick discussion in the car, he made a U-turn and headed towards the site. The client’s core business relies on various material blends, such as phosphate and calcium, processed and mixed in the plant’s hopper. The finished fertiliser product is then bagged and sent to nearby shopping retail outlets. Storer said the moment he walked into the bagging house, the issue was evident. “Spillage had become a serious problem at the site, to the point where
the fugitive material had created a false floor which was a O/S issue. Looking at all the machinery, there were clear signs of significant rust and corrosion,” he said. “The technology used in the plant was older and couldn’t keep up with the amount throughput required.” The plant used steel idler frames with soft rubber skirting for its primary line of support within transfer point areas. Site inspections found the highhumidity environment and atmosphere generated within the hopper from blended materials was a key contributor to the rust and corrosion damaging critical plant and equipment. Corrosive rust present on the idler frames was so severe that the frames were ready to collapse, a situation that could cause production havoc and short-term shutdowns for the operator. Belt sag between the idlers was also identified as a key area for rectification. The material being loaded was not being adequately supported, which caused The system after the K-Sure and K-Snap-Loc were installed.
skirting to lift away from the belt line. This caused major spillage and product loss, with up to one tonne of product written off each season, not to mention additional maintenance and clean-up costs to remove spillage. After a thorough audit, Storer recommended Kinder’s conveyor belt support and skirting solution. “Because of the nature of the system, they needed to control the load and capacity,” he said. “Due to the corrosive nature of the fertiliser blend, we switched from mild steel to stainless steel, introduced the slider rail and got rid of all of the rollers and moving components. “The installation of stainless-steel idler frames and brackets ensured rust and corrosion wouldn’t be an issue. “The K-Sure Belt Support System also made it so the material had nowhere to go, improving the K-SnapLoc skirting system effectiveness.” The K-Snap-Loc Dust Seal System is made from engineered polyurethane which can withstand high abrasive and high-temperature applications. It has an inherent “memory-set” that is used to apply downward pressure onto the belt’s surface to create a fine tight seal, without the need for manual adjustment. Storer said fitting the K-Snap-Loc took around five minutes, with no specialised tools required to replace it. One of the key things that sets it apart from other skirting systems is the way it lays in on the belt, conforming to whatever is sitting underneath it. In tandem with Kinder’s belt support system, the skirt can stay in one position to contain the material and its polyurethane places less stress on the belt than rubber does.
14 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: May/June 2022
