Conveyors, Transfers, Chutes

Kinder collaboration keeps quarry conveyors clean

By installing a conveyor belt cleaning system designed by Kinder Australia, a Victorian quarry has been able to significantly improve productivity by eliminating carry back material fines.

By installing a conveyor belt cleaning system designed by Kinder Australia, a Victorian quarry has been able to significantly improve productivity by eliminating carry back material fines.

Located in North Western Victoria, a basalt quarry had encountered a common conundrum leading to lost productivity.

Material fines were travelling down the conveyor belt, especially during the winter months, which had a tendency to cling to the belt and accumulate on the return rollers. This build up led to complications such as potential belt mistracking and increased power usage.

To find a solution, the quarry contacted conveyor company Kinder to investigate. Consultations with the quarry staff and the Kinder Technical Applications team began looking at different ways to reach the site’s productivity goal. Reducing maintenance and cleaning costs were highlighted as priorities, as the time spent manually clearing away the material fines could be better spent elsewhere.

The quarry had been operating an incline conveyor system for many years at that point, so to implement a reliable and effective cleaning system, the solution needed to account for factors such as hard to reach tail pulley locations and the tilting incline conveyor itself.

After the consultations, the maintenance team decided unanimously to install K-Rotabrush conveyor belt cleaners. These consisted of a rubber brush design and featured a high performance, uniform rotary action to sweep the excess fines off from the belt where space was limited.

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By doing so, the amount of carry back material on the return rollers was greatly reduced, which helped to stabilise belt tracking, improved conveyor operation and overall plant efficiency.

The K-Rotabursh performs the cleaning action without compromising belt wear, helping to extend its wear life. An external contractor was involved with the belt cleaner installation, and has had minimal maintenance throughout its lifespan, with almost no adjustments required.

Additionally, as a result of the belt cleaner installation, the quarry has been able to eliminate carry back issues and extend belt wear life due to correct conveyor belt tracking. The system has also reduced the risk of injury and the associated costs of clean up.

The system supplements previously-installed Kinder products, such as the K-Commander Self Centring Idler, which helps the quarry address onsite belt tracking and excessive material spillage issues. K-MotorShield Motor Covers have been employed to extend motor life and reduce maintenance, while K-Sure Support Belt Support Systems provide consistent and stable support at the quarry’s main transfer points.

Four months after the initial installation of the K-Rotabrush, the quarry maintenance teams have reported less production downtime, with operators becoming more efficient and able to dedicate their time on other daily duties instead of manually shovelling material fines.

Kinder says it is pleased with the results and will continue to spread the successes achieved to date with group training sessions and operational improvement meetings.

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