ESS Engineering Belt Trackers enhance safety on mine sites across the country.
Conveyor belt tracking is a challenge across Australian mine sites. Several contributing factors may cause mistracking, including idler misalignment, belt condition and off-centre material loading.
While all modern conveyors are designed to allow for some belt wander, once the conveyor moves outside these parameters, issues like material spillage and damage to the conveyor structure, components and belt start to occur.
These issues each come with increased safety hazards. Material spillage can cause trip hazards as material accumulates on the ground and structure, and the size of the material spilling from a conveyor also potentially poses increased safety hazards from falling objects.
A misaligned conveyor belt may come into contact with the conveyor frame or other components. This friction causes premature wear on all components and can generate heat, leading to an increased risk of fire.
The downtime and costs of these issues can be significant, especially if belt misalignment results in an unexpected shutdown.
“There’s a lot involved in getting a belt back online when mistracking triggers a shutdown,” ESS sales and service technician Jerome Reid told Safe to Work.
“At ESS, our aim is to keep belts aligned, operating smoothly and safely, reducing the need for shutdowns.”
ESS trackers utilise durable guide rollers that run along the belt’s edge to sense misalignment.
These rollers are linked to a mechanism that guides the belt back to its central position. The tracker does this continually, providing small corrections as it goes.
Through collaboration with a client, ESS has designed a retrofittable safety kit for the trackers.
“We worked extensively with the customer to create a solution which best suited their requirements,” ESS engineer Mitch Stone told Safe to Work.
ESS’ kit improved existing features and added extra security by tethering major parts of the tracker assembly together, reducing the chance of falling objects in the unlikely event of component failure.
“It was important to make the solution easily retrofittable because of the large number of trackers already installed and the high cost associated with complete replacement,” Stone said.
Reid said the kit adds a layer of protection in heavy-duty applications where conditions cause accelerated wear to parts, but emphasised that not all sites are the same.
“ESS has the ability to tailor its solutions to the needs of any site,” he said. “It allows us to remain dynamic in our approach and help customers receive the best solution to suit their own requirements.”
ESS trackers can also be combined with the ESS retractable Quick Change Idler Frame, which allows for the idlers’ safe withdrawal from either side of the conveyor. Being able to slide the idlers out without having to lift the belt reduces manual handling risk during maintenance.
Whether it means making adjustments to an existing product or designing something entirely new, ESS leverages its design experience and manufacturing and service facilities around Australia to ensure the best outcomes for a client’s applications.
Reid said it’s all part of what drives ESS to reach new heights of success.
“Every client is different,” he said “We really thrive off meeting their challenges head-on and delivering solutions they can rely on.”
This feature appeared in the July–August edition of Safe to Work.