Flexco Australia’s portable air tensioning (PAT) system recently helped a Pilbara mine enhance its safety and productivity.
Belt cleaners are an integral part of any belt conveyor system because of their ability to remove carryback from the belt.
But when belt cleaners are not regularly maintained, material build-up becomes inevitable.
One of the most important routine belt cleaner maintenance tasks is to check the tension, as consistent blade-to-belt pressure ensures the best cleaning capability, ultimately enhancing your system’s productivity and belt life.
An Australian iron ore mine encountered significant challenges in accessing and adjusting tensioners and cleaners on the drive side of their chute while maintaining safety standards.
The confined space of the chute posed risks to technicians during maintenance procedures, resulting in irregular belt cleaner upkeep.
This led to the accumulation of excessive carryback and material within the chute, accelerating premature wear on belts and components.
Flexco stepped in to assess the situation and proposed their innovative portable air tension system as the optimal solution.
The system ensures belt cleaner tips maintain constant pressure on the belt with a limited need for manual adjustment.
The tanks utilise site air or nitrogen and are Australian-made, Class E, and environmentally safe for sites.
To complement the PAT system, two MHS heavy-duty secondary cleaners were integrated to create the ultimate cleaning system that requires minimal maintenance.
Once the system was installed, there was an immediate and noticeable drop in carryback.
Remarkably, the site did not need to make any manual adjustments for over four months because of the constant blade-to-belt pressure.
This limited the need to perform any unsafe maintenance tasks in between shutdowns.
In addition, the PAT system effectively eliminated material buildup on the chute’s back wall, previously requiring regular manual cleaning with water.
This not only saved considerable time and resources for the mine but also substantially mitigated safety risks associated with manual clean-up procedures.
Flexco Australia’s innovative solution transformed maintenance practices at the iron ore mine, enhancing safety, productivity, and overall operational efficiency.
To learn more about this case study and how Flexco Australia can optimise your belt cleaner maintenance processes, visit www.flexco.com.
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