An iron ore mine in Mauritania was dealing with appreciable security danger and upkeep prices as a result of misalignment of its conveyors, till Tru-Trac applied the answer. Based on Ian King, Gross sales Supervisor Africa at Tru-Trac, the client was visited by Tru-Trac’s consultant in West Africa, and an on-site evaluation was carried out to analyse the challenges being skilled.
“We recognise that no two conveyors are the identical, so you will need to begin with an intensive bodily inspection,” says King. “This gives the idea for our customised options, and permits us to use the proper experience and gear.”
This led to the involvement of Tru-Trac’s Technical Gross sales Engineer, Muller Joubert, who offered additional technical help in creating the optimum resolution. Joubert then hung out on the web site, guaranteeing speedy set up.
“Our on-site survey revealed that a number of of the mine’s conveyor belts have been operating into the perimeters of the construction,” he explains. “This extended misalignment had induced important harm to the conveyor sidewalls. A extra critical danger was that this grinding in opposition to the structural framework posed a critical security danger – because the potential build-up of warmth within the conveyor belt might escalate into a hearth hazard.”
Tru-Trac reported on its findings, highlighting the urgency of the scenario to forestall additional harm and to allay the security danger. The corporate’s suggestion was to put in the trusted Tru-Trac V-Return self-alignment trackers, he explains.
“These revolutionary options are designed to right belt misalignment mechanically, guaranteeing that the conveyor stays centred even below difficult situations,” he says. “Although the conveyor belts had been barely broken by the contact with the buildings, our resolution ensured that the belt might proceed working safely for a while – saving on appreciable alternative prices.”
The Tru-Trac trackers’ impact was rapid, he says, aligning the belts centrally inside the conveyor buildings and stopping any additional harm to the belt’s sidewall. As importantly, Tru-Trac’s work on the conveyor system was in a position to cease spillage from the belt and keep away from downtime for upkeep – with each these elements contributing to the mine’s manufacturing functionality. A complete of eight Tru-Trac V-Return trackers have been put in throughout three of the mine’s conveyors, positioned about 40 m aside.
Because it was not needed for workers to work subsequent to the conveyor to scrub up the spilled materials, the operation turned safer and extra environment friendly. It was additionally essential to make sure that the trackers might function sustainably within the harsh desert-like surroundings with excessive temperatures and frequent mud storms.
“Our trackers are constructed with sealed mechanisms, guaranteeing that no mud or particles can compromise their efficiency,” says Joubert. “This design ensures long-lasting performance, even within the extreme climates and punishing working situations so typically discovered on mining websites throughout Africa and elsewhere.”
He additionally highlights that the design facilitates fast and hassle-free upkeep to scale back downtime, together with a easy curler alternative course of and adjustable mounting brackets.
“Our self-alignment frames are designed for max effectivity,” he explains. “The upkeep technician merely loosens two screws on the aspect of the body, then releases rigidity. They drop the body and take away yet another bolt earlier than swopping out the loafer and putting in a brand new one.”
This solely takes about 20 minutes, which is a dramatic enchancment on conventional upkeep occasions. The result’s much less standing time and better productiveness, he factors out.
“To customize our options, we manufacture our trackers to swimsuit the particular belt width, belt velocity and tonnage per hour carried by the conveyor,” says Joubert. “On this case, our trackers have been designed for the particular conveyor operating between 2.7 m and three.2 m per second.”
He concludes that Tru-Trac’s confidence in its trackers relies on world expertise, the place they’ve seen the models performing nicely after greater than seven years.
“With correct upkeep and common assist, we count on the identical excellent efficiency from the models we’ve put in at this mine in Mauritania,” he says.
