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There are more than a few constants to the conveyor elements a mine manager and others are examining on an everyday basis: Is the line carrying the proper load, and at the proper spacing? Is there too much — or too little — maintenance being performed for the best lifespans of the components? Is an upgrade or replace- ment needed, and how will any of those adjustments affect the bottom line? It is expected for operators to have a flurry of questions about whether a mine's conveyor infrastructure is as good, as efficient and as cutting edge as it could be. This is particularly true with a wave of new technology in the space from manu- facturers answering the call from an industry seeking to do the best, produce the most, and have the safest line possi- ble with the smallest amount of involved capital. A market forcing the same pro- duction levels with a greater pull on lim- ited resources has created somewhat of a perfect storm. Conveyor engineering companies have be keeping up with the demand and lis- tening to mines' needs, be it at the work- ing section or at the other end of the line where the product is loaded for transport. Below are just a handful of those forward- looking technologies. Joy Global: Doing More for Less Joy Global engineering manager for con- veyor systems Todd Kirkpatrick and mar- keting communications project manager Greg Chaffin, with more than a half century of conveyor expertise between them, have helped keep Joy Global at the forefront of conveyor technology for years, and have spent just as long listening closely to what the OEM's clients have to say when it comes to the job their beltline is doing. One significant issue is increased loads and the need for greater capacities, but not at the expense of abandoning CEMA (Conveyor Equipment Manufacturing Association)- class compliance. The company's response to that is a new engineered idler shaft that has just received patent approval (9,056,727) that c a n e x c e e d l o a d r a t i n g s f o r a m i n e ' s respective CEMA idlers class by 20% to 40%. The idlers were first hinted at by Joy Global in mid-2014, but with the recent patent greenlight, the are now available for purchase to take on anything soft and hard rock mining can throw at them. Ideal for use underground or at the sur- face, the HD-1500 can be used in CEMA D applications up to a 1,500-lb load rating (D+). Its counterpart, the SDX-2200, is best for CEMA E applications up to a 2,200- load rating (E+) — bringing increased idler-load capacity without the upgrade expense that often goes with such a size- able change. According to Kirkpatrick and Chaffin, in addition to bridging a gap between CEMA classes and possibly keep initial purchase costs down for its client mines, the products were also designed to help r e d u c e i n s t a l l a t i o n a n d m a i n t e n a n c e c o s t s — t h i n k f a s t e r i n s t a l l a t i o n a n d removal and less work while the idlers are in place — while also holding true to its mission to design the safest products possible. For example, from a safety perspective, greater allowed spacing (when ideal to the specific site, the pair noted) equates to fewer idlers for personnel to transport, install and remove. What was a common scenario of whether to install a wider belt or increase load yield while decreasing spacing, both expensive avenues to take and with their own associated safety issues, now has another solution. "It's [also] important to note the role of our tapered roller bearing, which has a high-dynamic load rating," Kirkpatrick and Chaffin said. "The new patented shaft allows us to fully utilize the com- plete load rating of the bearing. Adding this shaft to a ball-bearing idler, common in the industry, would only decrease weight and would do nothing for load rat- ing and extended spacing. The tapered roller bearing is key." For some operations, making decisions on belt line and the engineering and acces- sories that go into their respective design leaves even more questions, and many reach out for OEM support. Kirkpatrick and Chaffin said its Statix conveyor simulation software can help with those considera- tions, aiding mines in finding their opti- mum parameters. "This new engineered shaft allows us to provide higher capacity idlers beyond CEMA D and CEMA E loading ratings and stay in those respective CEMA classes," said Kirkpatrick. "EPCMs and end users b l a st h o l e d r i l l i n g 28 www.coalage.com November 2015 Joy Global's SDX 2200 and HD1500 help mines increase load without the typically significant increase in cost. c o n v e yo r e q u i pm e n t B Y D O N N A S C H M I D T , F I E L D E D I T O R Building a Better Belt An overview of the leading edge in conveyor engineering technology