BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 

 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

 September 2010

Featured on the cover:

Ketaflex
Contents
Tel: 072-421-6459 Cover Story Endorsing Bodies
Email: lleburu@ketaflex.co.za 5 Taming Conveyor Problems • CMA (Conveyor Manufacturers
Website: www.ketaflex.co.za
Association)
Power Transmission
9 Coming Full Circle • HCASA (Hydraulic Conveying
13 More for the Conveyor Industry Association of SA)

• LEEASA (Lifting Equipment Engineering

Conveying Association of South Africa)
17 Fighting Wear
21 What’s in a Pulley?
• RFA (Road Freight Association)

Harbours & Ports • SAIMechE (SA Institution of Mechanical

25 Container Terminal Leads in Productivity Engineering)
27 Not Your Average Watchdog
• SAIMH (SA Institute of Materials Handling)
31 Market Forum

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is 4 016 Proprietor and Publisher:
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BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 

CONVEYOR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
From the Chairman’s Desk
I am delighted to once again report that the AGM and Industry Interact weekend held at Hunters Rest 13 to
15 August was a huge success.
T
he weekend kicked off with
a cocktail hour followed by a
superb table d’hote dinner. A
lively and closely contested
quiz evening was next up and won by
the Melco team with 39 points and
chased home by two teams from Re-
maDunlop (Free 38 points) and (Dom
37 points). The golfers were off to an
early start the next morning with the
bowlers soon following for an excel-
lent morning’s bowls. The standard of
the bowls is improving every year and
I’m sure that there are some budding
champions hiding among the numbers,
if only they would play more regularly!
A mixed team from Afripp, Nepean and
Sandvik beat last year’s winners Fenner in the finals
to win the Bowls trophy and Dunlop triumphed over
a mixed team (Shaw Almex and RemaDunlop) to
win the Plate.
Was fined for swimming, after falling in water while
attempting a recovery shot!!!
Points amassed
To get back to the golf, we had 6 fourballs and
Danie O’Connell (Melco) amassed 42 points to
win the Wolhuter trophy. Clive Dicks of Hansen
(38 points) and Jay Pillay of Brelko (34 points)
were the runners up. Knox Ngema of Bauer and
Willem Niemandt of Bosworth saw more of the
course then the other 22 players and Willem was
fined for swimming, after falling in water while
attempting a recovery shot!!!
After the golf, it was time to don costumes weird and wonderful for Notable couples were “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” (Dave and Lynda
the Gala Dinner Pitcher)
 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
Then it was time to don costumes weird and won-
derful for the Gala Dinner and Fancy Dress party;
the theme being book titles. Wow – the costumes
get better and better each year! Notable couples
were “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” (Dave and Lynda
Pitcher), “Men are from Mars and Women are from
Venus” (Gavin and Lynette McKenzie). There were
some outstanding individuals, too – the “Devils
Advocate” (Jay Pillay) won the best male award,
and “War and Peace” (Janet Skeen) was adjudged
the best female. The prize for the best group went
to Bosworth for their “Alice in Wonderland” and a
special award was made to Damon Oliver (Shaw
Almex) for his “IT”. Our entertainer, Wez Mayo,
who attends many fancy dress parties, is firmly of
the opinion that the CMA is easily the best that
he has seen.
Well done to you all – the level of creativity is
truly amazing.
For a good cause
As custom dictates, prize giving wrapped up the
Industry Interact weekend in lively fashion with
the Bearings International Trophy being awarded
to RemaDunlop and the Seawest Trophy going to
Gavin Hall of Melco, enjoying his first CMA AGM
and Interact weekend. The Fines Master managed
to extract R4 817 in fines for misdemeanours
over the weekend, admissions of guilt for those
he couldn’t pin anything specific on, and straight
donations for our favourite charity, the SA Guide
Dog Association. Thank you all!
Simon Curry
Chairman

Taming Conveyor Problems
T
here just isn’t anything like it in the
country and to best describe the
software package in one sentence,
it can be compared to zooming in on
a digital map on the internet. As you would
in Google Maps, you zoom in from a graphic
of the whole earth right down to an actual
picture of your front gate at street level, this
new software allows you to ‘zoom’ in from
a global view of several plants in various
locations, to a single component such as a
conveyor belt, idler or gearbox on any one
of the plants and get specific information
about it.
Lord Leburu
Imagine what this means for the chief main-
tenance engineer of a power station or mine? He’d
start off with a picture of all the mines in the group
and is able to ‘zoom’ in on a specific gearbox on a
specific conveyor system at a specific mine and is
not only able to see its current condition, but also
its full history in terms of maintenance records.
He’ll be able to retrieve all the specifications in
terms of shaft sizes, couplings fitted, when it was
installed, by who and even under what condi-
tions, including any personal notes made by the
engineer on site at the time. All at the click of a
mouse button.
The software can be compared to zooming in on a digital
map on the internet
Where it started
“It all began when Ketaflex started an Eskom
contract to do the inspection and monitoring of
materials handling systems at its Duvha power
station,” explains Lord. “This service comprises
teams of specially-trained beltsmen from our com-
pany going through the plant on a daily basis to
physically inspect conveyor belts, idlers, gearboxes,
motors and pulleys for wear and faults. They have
a checklist on which they log the condition of each
BULK HANDLING TODAY
COVER STORY
It’s not everyday that you talk to an engineer
about something new he developed and you
walk out the interview in stunned awe having
heard about a development that is bound to
change things forever. But, this is how “Bulk
Handling Today” felt after talking to Lord Le-
buru of Ketaflex about a software module he
is developing for the bulk materials handling
industry.
component so that we can compile a report for the
maintenance engineer at the power station.
“As we progressed with the collection of data, it
just kept on growing so much that we soon realised
that it all needed to be recorded in a computer
database and Eskom did not have anything suitable
in place,” says Lord. “We then started developing
a dedicated SAP Business One software module
that can interface Eskom’s SAPR3 system so that
we can log data from all the conveyor systems in
the finest detail in order to build up a profile of
each system.”
More functions
Over the last two years, this conveyor software
module has kept on growing in functionality in that
engineers could start plotting trends in terms of
idler wear and replacement, gearbox temperature
variants and so on. “We then also started building
strong graphic capabilities into the software such
as actually mapping a conveyor belt to show the
condition of the belt in a graphic interface,” says
Lord. “One of their conveyors, for instance, has
15 000 idlers and through this interface we can
graphically show the engineer exactly which areas
to pay attention to in terms of the condition of the
idlers. From this he can clearly see exactly how
many idlers need to be replaced.
Adaptability
The beauty of this system is that it is adaptable to
any materials handling plant, complete with the
unique codes, specifications and standards for each
individual company. “Since our manual system
has been implemented, the unexpected failures
and breakdowns at this power station have been
reduced dramatically. With the software module
in place this has been reduced even more as the
engineers can now do something about problem
areas before they have a breakdown,” Lord adds.
Referencing
Initially the function of the Conveyor Module only
September 2010 
COVER STORY
addressed the inspection side of monitoring and
recording data, but Lord realised that such a
comprehensive database could be utilised even
further. “If each single component in the materi-
als handling plant is not properly referenced it is
difficult to clarify exactly which component at a
specific location you’re referring to when reporting
a fault,” he says. “In addition, without a reference
system, any specification that has changed is not
recorded and over time, engineers lose track of any
changes made to a specification.”
The beauty of this system is that it is
adaptable to any materials handling
plant
“This prompted us to then build a referencing func-
tionality into the module as well,” Lord explains.
“Here we will literally spec the entire plant to
produce 3D models representing the actual plant.
If something breaks down, the engineer simply
goes to the module, delves into the area of the
breakdown and pulls out a drawing with all the
latest specifications of the specific component that
has failed. He can then order the right replacement
part immediately, without having to go out to the
plant to dismantle it to find out what he needs.
In fact, the engineer can be at head office, miles
away from the plant and address the problem im-
mediately through the Conveyor Module.”
Preserving knowledge
And, there’s more, “We’ve also added a function
called knowledge resource,” says Lord. “Over time
engineers can add to this resource so that certain
facts and experiences on a specific component don’t
get lost as is usually the case when the engineer
 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
leaves the company. For instance,
he may learn certain aspects about
an installation during a repair and
by storing his notes, someone else
can later benefit by reading his com-
ments and avoid making mistakes
related to that specific component,”
he comments.
The future
As the development of the Conveyor
Module stands right now, it is being
used and can be implemented on
any materials handling plant, but
Lord is stoked-up on even more
functionality that will enhance this
software solution to be the ultimate
tool for any materials handling plant.
“We’re working on ways of integrat-
ing vibration monitoring or thermal
graphic monitoring into the inspec-
tion side of the module,” he says
in conclusion. “Such functionality
will be a great aid in trending the
extent of a problem as it develops.
The aim of the module is to give
the maintenance engineer a holistic
view, not only of one plant, but all
the company’s installations. Yet, he
will also be able to go down into
each single component and read
its current state.”
Lord Leburu, Ketaflex, Tel: 072-421-
6459, Email: lleburu@ketaflex.co.za,
Website: www.ketaflex.co.za
SAIMH NEWS

Diarise!
It is that time of the year again so we have
great pleasure in inviting you to participate
in our annual Golf Day, to be held at the
ERPM Golf Club on 14 October 2010
(Tee-off time will start at 11.00).

T
he format will be a 4ball alliance stableford, 2
scores to count and there will also be prizes for
“nearest the pin” and the longest drive”.
The entrance fee of R300 per person includes
green fees and supper. Advertising banners will be R1
000 each either at a tee, a green on the course or on
the practice putting green. The same fee will apply to
“watering” holes.
Proceeds will be donated to the Avril Elizabeth Home.
Bookings can be made by phone to Graham Downing at
082 372 5150, email: gdowning@vodamail.co.za or
Fax: 086 550 0291. To book a golf cart, please contact
the Pro Shop on (011) 826-2466 or (011) 383-9920
no later than 7 October 2010.
At the same time, please advise players names, handicap
(use your club handicap), otherwise off 18 and whether
you are able to sponsor a watering hole or provide us
with prizes. Because the event creates tremendous in-
terest each year, it is very important that you book your
4ball early.
Payment can be made electronically (or if preferred by
cheque) to: Institute of Materials Handling, Nedbank -
Bedford Gardens, Branch No: 176105, Account number:
176 100 1450
(Kindly fax copy of deposit slip to 086 550 0291)

Yours sincerely
Graham Downing

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 

 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

Coming Full Circle
Continuously transmitting power from one shaft to another
through chain running over a sprocket wheel affixed to each
shaft dates back to designs Leonardo da Vinci penned in the
16th century. Today the same principle is widely used to trans-
mit power in industrial drive systems. Even modern highly-
sophisticated car engines still utilise the sprocket and chain
principle inside the engine for the high precision opening and
closing of valves.
A
modern drive train, depending on the ap-
plication, can consist of any combination
of chains, pulleys, sprockets, clutches,
motors, gearboxes and couplings, engi-
neered to deliver the optimum transfer of torque to
achieve a specific objective. Power transmission
specialists, Sprockets & Chains in Jet
Park near Johannesburg, has extended their
product range over the years to now offer
the South African and African market
all the components needed for such
a total drive solution from under
one roof.
Specific requests addressed
“Bulk Handling Today” speaks to Shaun Bennett,
technical sales manager at Sprockets & Chains, to
catch up with the latest additions to the company’s
comprehensive power transmission product range.
“Besides adding a full range of shaft mounted
speed reducers as well as a full range of electric
motors under our Challenge brand, we have also
BULK HANDLING TODAY
POWER TRANSMISSION
been appointed as a FAG/Ina distributor in South
Africa,” he says.
“Although we have always had a premium bearing
in the Challenge range, some customers specifi-
cally requested FAG bearings and this range now
complements our offering with a choice between
both premium quality brands.”
More bearings
“The Schaeffler Group and the FAG brand is well-
respected for their precision rolling bearings in the
automotive, mechanical engineering and aerospace
industries and has been for many years,” adds Shaun.
“The INA brand stands for the development and
manufacture of rolling bearings, plain bearings and
linear systems as well as precision components for
the automotive industry for engines, transmissions
and powertrains worldwide.”
A highlight in this range is the special X-life design
which provides development engineers with totally
new design perspectives. New manufacturing tech-
nologies enable a more uniform and comprehensive
contact surface between the rolling elements and
raceway.
Under identical load, there is a
significant reduction in the stress
conditions
A-brand
As a result, under identical load, there is a
significant reduction in the stress conditions
impacting on the rolling elements and
raceway. This means there is reduced
friction and lower bearing temperatures,
less strain is placed on the lubricant, a
higher basic dynamic load rating can
be achieved and there is an increased
basic rating life.
“These bearings are high-precision
A-brand bearings giving us yet another
top-quality product line in the whole
power transmission offering,” says
Shaun. “In addition, we also have
access to FAG’s engineering services
in terms of monitoring systems to
manage condition monitoring of bear-
ings in drive systems.”
Since moving into new premises bordering the
Jet Park Lake, east of Johannesburg, Sprockets
& Chains has also added shaft mounted speed
reducers (SMSR), worm gear units and electric
motors to the product range.
Awareness
“After taking on the full range of shaft mounted
September 2010 
 w w w . d y z v . c o . z a

10 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

 POWER TRANSMISSION

commonly found in many light

conveying systems.”
Specialist in charge
Rounding off the product range,
there are all shapes and sizes
in keyless clamping, taper
bushes and hubs, shaft cou-
plings, torque limiters, pulleys
and V-belts and a wide range
of sprockets and chains. “Our
standard policy is to develop and
promote quality products through
dealerships and resellers as well
as OEM’s on a countrywide basis
in order to service the diversified
industry of South Africa,” Shaun says
in conclusion.

Unlike most makes, the motors come with multi-mount

detachable feet as standard
speed reducers for conveyor drives. the demand
has grown steadily as more and more people be- “Each one of our products is overseen by a special-
come aware of the product,” says Shaun. “This ist with many years’ experience in that particular
prompted the move to also bring in the standard field and, as a team, we aim to bring complete
electric motor range to complement our offering solutions to the market.”
for conveyor applications. Shaun Bennett, Sprockets & Chains, Tel: (011) 397-5115,
“We launched the Challenge SMSR range with the Email: shaunb@sprocketsandchains.co.za
arrival of over a million rand’s worth of stock,” adds
Shaun. “These SMSRs are fully interchangeable
with other leading brands and provide a conve-
nient method of reducing speed. They come in a
number of different sizes including “B” through to
“J” in both 20:1 ratio and 13:1 ratios while all
units include a torque-arm. Naturally we keep a
comprehensive range of spares in order to be able
to provide a repair service to the industry.”
Motors
“All Challenge products are branded and are thus
traceable,” says Shaun. “Our ironware products are
branded using laser technology. The advantage is
that your staff can easily identify the product for
storage and dispatch and this in turn reduces the
number of packing and picking errors.”
The Challenge-branded electric motors are 3-phase
asynchronous AC electric motors and comply with
the international IEC standard. “The motors are
manufactured from high grade die cast aluminium
alloy and unlike most makes, come with multi-
mount detachable feet as standard, allowing for
various mounting positions to be achieved easily,”
says Shaun.
Also for conveyor applications, the company has
added a versatile range of worm gear units. “We
keep a complete range of worm gear units in ten
sizes,” adds Shaun. “Each size comprises 11
standard ratios allowing for numerous output
speeds and it uses standard IEC electric motors
up to and including 7.5Kw. The units are generally
interchangeable with other leading brands and are

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 11

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12 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010


More for the
Conveyor
Industry
S
o it’s now becoming a case
of, the more a supplier
can provide, the more
customers will order from
the company as a single inter-
face rather than having to shop
around among multiple suppliers.
A company who recognised this
trend is Zhou’s Enterprise based
in Jet Park near Johannesburg.
“Bulk Handling Today” speaks to
Hennie Pieterse who heads up
the power transmission section
Hennie Pieterse of the company.
“For years we’ve supplied general power transmission
components for conveyor systems and, therefore,
it’s natural to extend our product range so we can
fulfil more and more customer requirements,” he
says. “We, therefore, commenced a global search
for products that meet the high quality requirements
we’re known for in the South African market.
Only when we’re satisfied that it conforms to world
standards, will we take on the product
Carefully selected
“Under the power transmission division we’ll soon
have a complete range of flange-mounted gearboxes
as well as a full range of electric motors manufac-
tured by carefully-selected reputable manufacturers
in China,” Hennie emphasises. With China recently
overtaking Japan to become the second largest
economy in the world after the United States, it is
BULK HANDLING TODAY
POWER TRANSMISSION
With South Africa being mining country, it
is expected that the country ranks among
the top in the world when it comes to con-
veyor installations. This creates healthy
competition in the market in terms of sup-
pliers of power transmission components,
each vying for a slice of the cake in a highly
active industry.
a clear indication that this country has a lot to offer
from a wide range of manufacturers competing in
the world market.
“Of course you do get the ‘cheap and nasties’
emanating from China but there are as many
good quality ones. In order to maintain our qual-
ity standards, all the products we’ll be importing,
such as the gearboxes and motors, first undergo
stringent quality tests,” explains Hennie. “Apart
from literally taking the gearbox apart to check the
quality of components and its assembly, we also
get someone locally to test the product for us in
an actual installation. Only when we’re satisfied
that it conforms to world standards, will we take
on the product.
An old hand
In addition, Zhou’s will stock conveyor belting
and associated products, including a belt splicing
service as part of their offering to the conveyor
industry. Although conveyor belting is new to the
company, Hennie is an old hand in this industry.
“My background is with Goodbearing & Belting
which I ran for many years before joining Zhous,”
explains Hennie.
“The belting division will now be run through this
company and we’ll be covering all requirements
for conveyor systems, from design, right through to
structures and installation of a complete conveyor
system. This will include belt splicing utilising in-
novative imported clips. Several of the big mining
groups have already shown a keen interest to deal
with us due to previous dealings over the last fifteen
September 2010 13
Tough demands have
met their match.

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Visit us at Electra Mining 4-8 October 2010,
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Hägglunds Drives South Africa (Pty) Ltd

P.O.Box 2851, 1610 Edenvale, Johannesburg
Phone: + 27 (0)11 454 4933, Fax: +27 (0)11 454 5088
E-mail: info@za.hagglunds.com, www.hagglunds.com

Our drive is your performance.

14 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
 POWER TRANSMISSION

years with Goodbearing & Belting. made certain rec-

Smart isn’t the word ommendations
“In terms of design and specification, we’ve also and they haven’t
invested in a software programme of which there had a problem
are very few in South Africa,” adds Hennie. “A since.
client simply provides us with his or her conveyor “Generally people
requirements and, with this programme we can across the world
calculate their specifications in the finest detail. are realising that
The programme is so smart we can even tell the not everything
life expectancy of each bearing.” that comes out
Hennie is a hands-on man and personally inves- of China is below
tigates any problems clients may have with any par just because
of their power transmission applications. “We’re it costs less,”
focused on assisting our clients in finding solutions Hennie says in
The new motor from Zhous
with regards their power transmission requirements conclusion. “Like
in addition to providing training to ensure correct some of the well-
installation and operation.”
Of course you do get the ‘cheap and nasties’ emanating
Blaming the equipment from China but there are as many good quality ones
“An example is where a steel processing plant
started picking up problems with their conveyor known manufacturers who now have components
system,” explains Hennie. “On closer investigation made at factories in China, we also critically se-
we found that they have been increasing production lect the good quality manufacturers to supply the
over the years without making any changes to the broad range of products we put our name to. The
drive system, designed 20 years ago. Although the confidence people have in our selection is clearly
belt could handle the increased tonnages, the drive reflected in our ever increasing sales.”
simply wasn’t coping and they started blaming the
Hennie Pieterse, Zhou’s Enterprise, Tel: (011) 397-7788,
equipment, rather than the fact that production Email: henniea@zhous.co.za
had increased dramatically. We audited the plant,

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 15

16 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
 CONVEYING

Of all the machinery on a mine there is probably noth-

Fighting
ing that takes more punishment than the materials
handling system in terms of wear and corrosion. The
conveyor system, chutes at transfer points, crushers
and mills are constantly bombarded with chunks of
abrasive rock and chemical substances as ore is

Wear
carried through the various stages of processing.

R
ubber is steadily becoming the material of a better chocolate
choice to protect these systems, but it’s cake than others,”
not just any rubber, it’s a highly specialised he says. “Similarly
industry, where rubber compounds are there are hundreds
scientifically mixed to suit each and every unique of different rubber
application. Tega Beruc South Africa is a company compounds, each
that specialises in protective systems for conveyor mixed scientifically
systems and mills, and to find out more “Bulk Han- by our rubber tech-
dling Today” speaks to Wayne Johnstone, product nologists, for each
manager at Tega. and every applica-
tion under specific
It’s all in the compound
conditions. Each one
“Getting the right rubber compound for an applica-
of our mill liners, for
tion is like baking cake, there is a specific recipe for
example, is custom Wayne Johnstone
each type of cake, but even so, some people make
designed to suit the
duty application.
It is a flame-retarded material that can handle up to
160ºC “With more than 30 years’ experience in the field
of rubber lining systems, we have firmly estab-
lished the use of rubber liners in grinding mills
and conveyor applications
in the ore processing
industry,” Wayne says.
“With our technology and
a huge database, Tega
liners have been able to
out-perform and replace
traditional steel liners to
a large degree in many
applications.
Conveyor systems
Tega has become well-
known across the globe
for their mill linings, but
a large part of the com-
pany’s business come
from the wear compo-
nents they manufacture
for conveyor systems.
“Our range of conveyor
products include all impact
bed requirements, wear
protected parts at load-
ing and transfer points,
protection in chutes and
our unique belt spillage
control system called Spill-
Ex,” says Wayne. “We
also do pulley lagging in
a variety of rubber and
ceramic combinations.
Tega’s Spill-Ex Universal Support System

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 17

CONVEYING

The only parts we don’t do are idlers and the

belting itself.”
All of these systems have been thoroughly
tested in typical South African applications,
adapted from Tega technology from elsewhere
in the world specifically to suit local condi-
tions. “A particular challenge we recently
faced was at a chrome plant where they had
a huge problem with rubber due to the very
aggressive nature of chrome ore,” explains
Wayne. “We came up with a special rubber
compound that exceeded even our expecta-
tions. It was our standard Spill-Ex skirting
system, but the actual skirting was rubber
blocks made out of this new compound. The
client is now getting four times the life out of
our system than the previous rubber protec-
tion they had.”
Flame-proof rubber
A product fairly new to the South African
market is a rubber compound developed by
Tega in India, specifically for high temperature
applications as found in the cement industry C

and coke production plants. “It is a flame-re-

tarded material that can handle up to 160ºC,” M

says Wayne. “This rubber is also known as a Y

self-extinguishing material and is popular in CM

The skirting system underground application in the coal mining

MY

CY

CMY

18 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

 Scania is the leading
supplier in South Africa
of Euro 4 products, with
EGR technology.

Just add Diesel.

Scania. Destined to Lead.

For more information contact Scania Southern Africa

your nearest Dealer. Details available
Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia
on www.scania.co.za South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 19

CONVEYING

industry. If the rubber does overheat, for

instance, it will not ignite into a flame as
is the case with ordinary rubbers.
“For coke production plant application
where you’re dealing with very high tem-
peratures we’ve taken it a step further
and embedded ceramic materials into the
flame-retarded rubber,” adds Wayne. “The
ceramics provides the necessary flow char-
acteristic required while the rubber won’t
burn from the material that is almost in a
sintered state.”

Often it is not a problem with the

wear material as such, but rather
the whole design of a system

Consultancy service
Due to the complex specialised nature of
wear protection in conveyor systems as
well as mills, Tega has teams of specialists
who analyse each situation on its particular
merits and will assist in taking a project
from design and specification all the way
through to installation and commissioning.
“We have a dedicated consultancy side of
the business where, founded on a large
knowledge base, we do surveys of an entire
plant to solve all the wear problems on the
plant,” Wayne says. “We’re not only here
to sell a product, we physically go out to
the mines and we’ll survey the plant in
relation to operations. We consider the
amount of downtime spent on replacing
products that don’t last or fail prematurely
and, if we don’t have a solution in terms of
a specific wear product, we’ll even assist
in re-designing a system to try and solve
the problem.
“Very often it is not a problem
with the wear material as such,
but rather the whole design of a
system,” Wayne says in conclu-
sion. “With Tega experts in 26
countries world wide, we have
access to a huge knowledge
resource, not only on rubber
products but also in experience
of materials handling systems
of all kinds. In addition, we’re
always willing to try and find
new solutions in terms of differ-
ent types of rubber compounds
for particular challenges, result-
ing in Tega bringing new rubber
wear solutions to the market all
the time.”
Wayne Johnstone, Tega Beruc South
Africa, Tel: (011) 421-6761, Email:
wayne@tegaindsutries.co.za

20 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

 CONVEYING

What’s Quality assurance can only be provided if the

in a
manufacturing company has full quality control
of the manufacturing process. One sure way
of achieving this is to manufacture as much as
possible in-house. Relying on others to maintain
the specific quality standards associated with

Pulley?
a well-established product is often more cum-
bersome than just doing it yourself in the first
place.

Mark Tarboton

process that distinguishes

a premium pulley from the
rest,” he says. “Every single
part of a Bosworth pulley, for
instance, is made in-house
and each phase of assembly
is fully controlled by our
people.
“Although it isn’t general
practice to stress relieve
pulleys, every single high
tension pulley we manufac-
ture is stress relieved right
An assignment of pulleys ready for shipping
here in our factory as part of

B
ased on this principle, throughout its sixty
eight years in business in South Africa,
Bosworth has built its pulley manufactur-
ing business in Alrode to become known
throughout the local and international mining
industry as a manufacturer of superior conveyor
pulleys. “Bulk Handling Today” visits managing
director, Mark Tarboton, in the company’s newly-
built offices to catch up on developments in this
specialised industry.
What differentiates a good pulley from an inferior one
really depends on what goes on behind the scenes
More than meets the eye
“When you look at one make of pulley against an-
other, they pretty much look the same, but there’s
a lot that actually goes into the manufacturing
our strict quality assurance
programme,” adds Mark. “This philosophy has also
been extended to welding and every weld is therefore
tested ultrasonically as well. What differentiates
a good pulley from an inferior one really depends
on what goes on behind the scenes. We only use
certified plate and all our welders are coded as to all
extras we add onto our pulley, which is not always
the case with some of the pulleys in the market.
Pulley design
“Apart from using improved materials, the design
of a pulley has changed substantially over time,”
he explains. “Through finite element analysis (FEA)
we now have a better understanding of where the
stress points are in a pulley which has enabled us
to design a pulley where those stress points are
moved away from the usual failure areas.”
Originally, pulleys were of the boss-type design

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 21

CONVEYING

Many companies have their own specifications which have

to be strictly adhered to when fabricating a pulley

A ceramic lagged pulley

where the pulley was shrunk onto a shaft as a perma-

nent fixture. This proved to be unsatisfactory as once
the pulley or pulley shaft became worn or damaged,
repair was difficult and sometimes impossible, leading
to the replacement of the whole pulley. Now the shaft
is locked onto the pulley by a locking element arrange-
ment which is removable and when either the pulley or
shaft is damaged or worn out, just the damaged part
can be replaced.

Every high tension pulley we manufacture is

stress relieved

Lagging
“The life of a pulley has also been extended through
lagging methods with rubber or ceramics,” explains
Mark. “This has two main advantages, the first is that
the rubber or ceramic becomes the wearing surface
as opposed to the pulley shell and the second is the
improved efficiency of friction to allow for better trac-
tion on a drive pulley. Failures that used to occur, very
seldom happen these days if the pulley is designed and
manufactured correctly. The pulleys have developed to
the current series where all components are computer
designed. We developed a 3-D modelling drawing sys-
tem using Solid Works and have added an in-house FEA
design onto this package.”
Unique features
Bosworth has always been at the forefront in pulley
design and was the first conveyor pulley manufacturer

22 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

CONVEYING

The rubber or ceramic becomes the wearing surface as opposed

to the pulley shell

in South Africa to obtain an ISO 9002 listing. “Today the in-

dustry has matured to a point where pulley design has been
optimised to almost as best as it can be,” says Mark. “You’ll
find that the reputable manufacturers all work to similar design
theories. As applications vary for different conveying systems,
for instance, there is sometimes a request for pulleys of an
unusual or unique size, but we can readily custom design
and manufacture.”
In pace with general developments in the materials handling
industry where mines are increasing production with larger
throughput, pulleys have increased in size to cope with big-
ger conveyors systems being built. “We’ve just done some
extremely large pulleys weighing fifteen tonnes each for an iron
ore mine in Brazil,” says Mark. “It was a unique project in that
the pulleys had very special design requirements. Locally we
also supplied large pulleys to the BKM iron ore mine upgrade
project near Sishen as well as a long overland conveyor system
for the new DMO project near Middelburg.”

Pulley manufacturing is not just a case of

churning out off-the-shelf components

Standards
Clearly, pulley manufacturing is not just a case of churning
out off-the-shelf components. In spite of an industry-wide
‘standardisation’ in pulley design, many companies have their
own specifications which have to be strictly adhered to when
fabricating. “Although we have our own Bosworth standards,
there is a SABS standard to formalise the basis of a pulley
design. In addition each major company has a standard that
suits their operations best and the pulley has to conform to
those specific standards,” says Mark. “These specs can vary
substantially in areas such as shell thickness, shaft sizes and
turn-down ratios. The amount of turn-down determines the
size bearing that has to be fitted and as the bearing makes
up to between 30-40 percent of the value of a pulley, this
becomes a serious factor to consider.
“Bosworth is the oldest conveyor pulley manufacturer in
South Africa and we pride ourselves on being able to supply
an economical, well engineered pulley which is reliable and
of the best quality available,” Mark concludes.
Mark Tarboton, Bosworth, Tel: (011) 864 1643, E-mail: markt@
bosworth.co.za, website: www.bosworth.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 23

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24 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010


Container Terminal Leads
in Productivity
Better planning and streamlining of operations has given Cape
Town’s container terminal the lead in productivity among the
five container facilities operated by Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) in South Africa
W
ith an achievement of 24 gross crane
moves per hour (GCH) on average
during July 2010, the Cape Town
Terminal enjoyed a 9% improvement
from June’s recorded average of 22 GCH. The
overall Transnet target is 26 GCH.
Truck turnaround time was 26 minutes on average
against a target of 30 minutes maximum
Improved performance
Velile Dube, the new Regional Terminal Executive
for TPT’s Western Province operations, attributed
the improved performance in July to a reduction
Cape Town’s container terminal leads in productivity among
the five container facilities operated by Transnet Port Ter-
minals (TPT) in South Africa
BULK HANDLING TODAY
HARBOURS & PORTS
in force majeure disruptions caused by inclement
weather, as well as improved employee skills as
operators become more proficient in handling the
new equipment procured as part of the terminal’s
five-year capacity creation project.
The equipment includes new Super Post Panamax
ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and rubber tyred gantry
(RTG) cranes. Decreased stack congestion in the
terminal has encouraged a smoother operational flow.
Velile says, “We have managed to strike a balance
in the availability of resources to meet operational
demand and have also systematically improved
productivity in our RTG crane operations.”
New cranes
The new STS cranes give the terminal a competi-
tive edge because they are faster than the older
cranes and boast twin lifting capability, where two
six metre containers are handled simultaneously.
This minimises the crane cycle time and increases
the cycle frequency. Also contributing to improved
productivity in July was Ship Working Hours (SWH),
which were maintained at an average of 41 moves
on all vessels. Ship Working Hours is the number
of containers moved by the cranes working on a
vessel in one hour.
Better housekeeping
Truck turnaround time was 26 minutes on average
against a target of 30 minutes maximum, while
stack occupancy was an average of 46% against
a ceiling figure of 65%. Further plans to improve
landside operations are advanced and even greater
productivity is expected. Greater emphasis has been
placed on housekeeping compliance, which ensures
conducive landside operations.
The terminal’s ongoing refurbishment has extended
the quay wall by 10 metres and increased the draft
by 15.5 metres on the high productivity Berth 601
and the first 40m of Berth 602.
Equipped with four of the latest Super Post Panamax
ship-to-shore cranes, the terminal is now able to
service 305 metre vessels along Berth 601 and
the first 40 metres of Berth 602. In addition, the
increased berth and increased height capacity of
the cranes allow for the efficient handling of Super
Panamax vessels.
Transnet Port terminals, Ayanda Mantshongo, Cell: 083 301
2975, Email: Ayanda.Mantshongo@transnet.net
September 2010 25
26 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
 HARBOURS & PORTS

Not Your Average

Watchdog
The manufacturer of materials handling and electronic components, 4B Braime Elevator Components, has
supplied its condition monitoring equipment to one of two veteran ship-unloading system located at the Port
of Tilbury on the River Thames.

T
he Port is London’s major gateway, handling normal operation, regardless of the product being
significant levels of diverse cargo including conveyed, because of a number of issues. These
the importation of paper, containers, grain, include possible bearing and drive faults, misaligned
and various bulk handling facilities, all of head and tail pulleys, belt slipping and rubbing and
which are handled at a number of berths both in bucket damage and rubbing.
dock and on river facilities. The Port’s Grain Terminal Together with the potential for inlet and outlet
facility handles around 1.5 million tonnes per year, chute blockages common with any conveyor and
making it one of the biggest in the UK. the prospect of poor maintenance and housekeep-
The 35 metre long marine leg elevator operates at a ing due to inaccessibility or lack of personnel, it
capacity of 860 tonnes per hour is clear why comprehensive monitoring solutions
are necessary.
If, in addition to this, the product being conveyed
The ship-unloaders, in the form of marine legs are is combustible or even explosive then monitoring
the main component of two rail-mounted, mobile is absolutely essential. The installation cost of the
marine towers which were installed on the quayside system is insignificant when compared with the
in the 1960’s. Although the equipment is over 40
years old and has, since installation, handled many
millions of tonnes of grain, it is still in excellent
working condition and is a key element of the grain
operations at the port.
Major overhaul
Following a major overhaul of one of the marine
legs in 2003/2004 it was decided to bring the
condition monitoring right up to date and the 4B
Braime Watchdog Elite system was chosen to be
installed on the marine tower.
The marine leg is an extremely heavy duty, purpose
built, bucket elevator, designed to be deployed into
a ships hold in order to dig into and unload grain
cargos to shore. Raising and lowering of the leg,
together with luffing, is achieved through a winch
and rope system controlled by an operator in a
cabin, mounted in the marine tower.
The 35 metre long marine leg elevator operates at
a capacity of 860 tonnes per hour, is fitted with
4B Braime HDPE CCS elevator buckets bolted to a
continuous 1 120mm wide belt and runs at a speed
of 3.5 metres per second. Although 4B Braime
Watchdog Elite elevator monitoring systems have
been around since 1984 and over 2 000 systems
have been installed, this is the first to be fitted to
such a mobile device.
Why a monitoring system?
Fundamentally all bucket elevators are at risk during The Port of Tilbury Marine Tower

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 27

HARBOURS & PORTS
The open-cage elevator boot showing the triple row 4B Braime
HDPE elevator buckets
consequences if workers, plant and equipment are
not adequately protected and a failure occurs.
The system
The Watchdog Elite effectively mitigates these risks
by constantly monitoring a number of conditions.
These include belt speed, belt alignment, bear-
ing temperature, pulley alignment, blocked chute
detection and acceleration.
Over the six years, a number of potential incidents have
been avoided due to the early detection and quick
response capability
28 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
Up to 4 digital and 6 analogue parameters can be
monitored and all data is collated at the Watchdog
Elite Control Unit and monitor. The control unit
is usually mounted adjacent to the conveyor or
is sometimes positioned in the operator’s control
room.
The IP 66 rated unit has a LCD screen that dis-
plays machine status messages (available in four
languages), and a LED display that shows belt
speed. Calibration and set-up parameters are ac-
cessed via the front panel buttons. An optional PLC
interface is available.
The Tilbury implementation
Belt under speed and misalignment are monitored
by WDA High Power sensors which detect moving
ferrous material, in this case bucket bolts, since
non-ferrous elevator buckets are being used. This is
a non-contacting extended range sensor, designed
to detect targets which are up to 100mm away.
Sensors mounted on either side of the marine leg
casing monitor belt alignment.
Alarms for under speed are set at >10% for 180 plus
seconds and immediate shutdown at > 20%.
Furthermore, all four main conveyor shaft bearings
 HARBOURS & PORTS

are monitored for temperature with trips set at indicating a potential per-
80ºC and alarms for 180 seconds and real-time formance failure, the Port
readouts are given from 50ºC - 120ºC. of Tilbury actually uses the
Blocked chute detection is provided in the infeed information in a sophisti-
chute by the installation of a Binswitch capacitance cated way.
style sensor that can detect plugs. All Watchdog Andy Lamb, Engineering
Elite systems are approved for use in hazardous Manager at the Tilbury
environments including Atex Zones 21 and 22 in Grain Terminal, explains,
Europe, CSA in the USA and Canada and IECEx on “When the Watchdog gives
a worldwide basis and the WDA sensor is approved us a first indication of belt
for use in Atex Zone 20. slip and raises an initial
alarm, we use this as a
Unforgiving environment
‘trigger point’ to deploy WDA sensors are mounted either side
The system at Tilbury was installed in 2004 and
our planned maintenance of the marine leg
has, to date, been reliable, even though most com-
scheme. There is a strong
ponents are constantly exposed to an unforgiving
correlation between that very early, slight ‘out of
marine environment and no components have been
order’ condition and the timing of a service.
replaced during this period.
Over the six years, a number of potential incidents By doing this, our maintenance regime is tied to
have been avoided due to the early detection and hours of machine usage not absolute time and
quick response capability of Watchdog Elite. These therefore we only service when necessary. This
occur maybe three or four times per year and are saves valuable manpower resources and obviously
mainly due to belt misalignment. This has given money.”
the operator the opportunity to re-align the elevator We use this as a ‘trigger point’ to deploy our planned
belt without incurring further damage. maintenance scheme
Whilst the Watchdog Elite is a ‘Guardian’ system, 4B Braime Elevator Components, email: 4b-uk@go4b.
constantly monitoring for a change condition com, www.go4b.com

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 29

30 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
Market Forum
True readings
Rainbow Reservoirs has launched the Yaktek, a leading
Australian line of liquid-level indicators for storage tanks
and reservoirs.
The gauges are simple, robust, effective and guaranteed
for five years. The indicators are made from corrosion-proof
materials and early local buyers include Rand Water and
N3 Toll Concessions.
Yaktek level indicators differ from the majority of competi-
tors’ products in that the read-outs are actual and true,
with the indicator exactly matching the level of the liquid.
There is no need to interpret the read-out.
The underlying mechanism comprises a simple, mechani-
cal float-weight-pulley system needing no power source
and the weighted float and external indicator are both
connected by separate chords to a counterweight located
between the two. Everything is in balance and level when
the reservoir is half full. A rising liquid level will lift the
float, lowering the counterweight which in turn raises
the external indicator. A falling liquid level will cause the
weighted float to pull the counterweight up, lowering the
external indicator.
There are three Yaktek variants of this basic mechanism,
any one of which will fit any tank of any manufacture,
whether plastic, fibreglass, galvanised iron, steel, con-
crete or timber.
All Yaktek indicators are made of polished aluminium
fitted with reflective red bands for maximum visibility.
They can easily be seen from a helicopter and at night,
making them suitable for applications such as fire-fight-
ing reservoirs.
Yaktek level gauges are
available ex-stock from
Rainbow Reservoirs and
their authorised agents.
Rainbow Reservoirs, Wayne
Thompson, Tel: (015) 297-
7640, Fax: (015) 297-7646,
Email: skywater@mweb.
co.za
Increasing fleet
Mkulu Plant Hire’s latest
order to High Power Equip-
ment (HPE) Africa for four
additional ‘yellow metal’
earthmoving machines will
bring its Hyundai fleet to a Mkulu Plant Hire’s latest order to High Power Equipment (HPE) Africa brings its Hyundai fleet to a
total of eight. total of eight
The order, which includes the addition of two wheeled 20
tonne excavators, a 50 tonner and the an 80 tonne tracked
excavator all signify key additions to Mkulu’s growing plant
hire fleet.
Determination and uncompromising commitment has re-
alised Mkulu’s expansion from a humble beginning of just
one grader in 2006, to a fleet commanding more than 45
plant hire machines today. Wheeled excavators work much
faster than tracked excavators when used in the correct
application, they are able to move around on site easier,
thereby resulting in a significant time saving advantage
for clients.
“We currently have four Hyundai machines operating in
our fleet,” explains Mkulu Plant Hire owner, Pierre Kok.
This includes the recent delivery of a 30-tonne excavator
with a Soosan hammer attachment that Mkulu has work-
ing on one of the world’s largest open-cast iron mines at
Sishen, near Kathu in the Northern Cape.
“Our 20 tonne wheeled excavator has found an application
with a large contractor, and is working on a significant gas
pipeline construction operation in KwaZulu-Natal. Mkulu’s
largest machine is the Hyundai 50 tonner (R500LC-7),
which never saw Mkulu’s yard as it was delivered straight
to site for a large mining company,” he says.
In addition to the new order, Mkulu is purchasing a Hyundai
80 tonne machine. “The heavy-duty R800LC-7A excavator
will be much more than just a high-performance work-
horse,” adds Pierre. “It will be one of the few of its size in
the country, and will give us the ability to move more than
800 tonnes an hour.”
Mkulu Plant Hire, Tel: (011) 425-0073
BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 31
Market Forum
Largest crawler crane in South Africa at a maximum speed of 1.65 km per hour.
Johnson Crane Hire has introduced the new Liebherr 750 “The crawler crane, being specifically designed for heavy-duty
tonne lattice boom crawler crane, the only one of its kind industrial applications, is ideally suited for applications in
in Africa, to the South African industry. power stations, refineries and petro-chemical plants, miner-
Johnson Crane Hire is recognised as the largest mobile als processing and smelter plants, large civils and bridge
crane fleet operator in Africa and according to Peter Ya- construction sites and the assembly of wind power plants,”
man, general manager of Johnson Crane Hire’s Heavy Lift Yaman says.
Division, the acquisition of this new lattice boom crawler Johnson Crane Hire , Yvonne Macnab, Tel: (011) 455 9203, www.
crane establishes the company as the leader in the heavy jch.co.za
lift sector of the market.
Peter says the Liebherr LR 1750 has a 750 tonne
lifting capacity and being a crawler crane offers the
major advantage of being able to pick up a load and
travel with it.
Another advantage which will have cost saving im-
plications for customers is the flexibility the machine
offers in terms of being able to move while fully as-
sembled and rigged from one location to the next.
This eliminates the need for multiple mobile cranes
on one site. In addition, the ability to carry a load
from the first lift location to a second position where
it will be placed removes the need for additional
transportation between lift locations on site.
The LR 1750 has the further benefit of being able to
handle higher lifts and heavier loads to further radii
than any other crane currently available locally.
It is equipped with a 245 tonne machine counter-
weight and an additional 195 tonne central ballast
counterweight. When used for lifts requiring its
maximum capacity, the crane is fitted with a 400
tonne super-lift counterweight which is mounted on
a suspended super-lift tray.
The Liebherr LR 1750 lattice boom crawler is equipped
with a 133 metre main boom, however when in luff-
ing fly-jib configuration it has a main boom length of
84 metres, a luffing fly-jib length of 70 metres and
is able to reach a height of 150 metres. With tracks
1.5 metres wide and the use of specialised crane
mats, ground pressures are substantially reduced
and the crane can perform single lifts up to a height
of 130 metres. It is powered by a Liebherr eight The Liebherr 750 tonne lattice boom crawler crane
cylinder turbo-diesel 400 kW engine and can travel

32 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

Market Forum
The Condra 10 tonne high-lift crane for Sedgman
Lifting coal to great heights
Australian company, Sedgman has placed an order with Con-
dra for the first of several high-lift overhead cranes quoted
for the Benga coal handling and preparation plant, near Tete
in Mozambique. Sedgman, is managing design and supply
contracts worth US $63-million at the Benga project.
The contracts relate to the project’s US $270-million first
stage, which will allow 5,3 million run-of-mine tonnes per
year to yield approximately 1,7Mtpa of high quality coking
coal and 0,3Mtpa of export thermal coal. Sedgman Australia
and Sedgman South Africa are delivering under a tripartite
contract with Riversdale Mozambique, the development
entity owned jointly by Riversdale Mining and its partner
Tata Steel.
Condra’s 10-tonne high-lift overhead crane is earmarked for
the coal handling and preparation plant, which will have an
initial throughput of 800 tonnes per hour, expandable in stages
to 3 000 tonnes per hour. The crane’s two-fall K-Series hoist
incorporates a lift height of 32 metres. Travel and lift speeds
are 8,0m/minute and 2,6m/minute respectively.
Condra is acknowledged as South Africa’s market leader
in very high lift crane applications, a niche in which the
company’s K-Series hoists have proved
dependable, durable and robust under
conditions of increased mechanical strain.
The modular design of the K-Series allows
rapid modification to the specific require-
ments of any high-lift application.
Motor reliability in the high-lift role is en-
hanced by the use of silumin motor cores,
while variable speed control levels on the
drives have been developed to enable pre-
cise load positioning, even on lifts greater
than 100 metres. The crane can provide
high-lift hoist speeds of between zero and
18 metres per minute, and travel speeds of
between zero and 100 metres per minute,
depending on the requirement.
Condra, Josef Kleiner, Tel: (011) 021-3712, Fax:
086 669-2372, Email: condra@mweb.co.za
Split bearings the way to go
Split bearings originated in the United Kingdom and have
been on the market for many years. As a result, many British
and colonial built industries used these bearings extensively
on conveyors. One such example is the Konkola copper mines
in Zambia where the concentrator now has split bearings on
all the conveyor pulleys.
Much of the equipment that was imported from the UK was
fitted with split bearings, however many local companies
in the conveyor industry still opted for locally available
bearings.
Split bearings were generally fitted to conveyors only on a
breakdown basis and even this was seldom done due to the
bolt holes and centre height being different.
A split bearing offers a superior sealing arrangement which
BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 33
Market Forum
means the split bearing in many cases outlasts the original
plummer block between 5 and 30 times. An example is
Botswana Ash, where a bearing was replaced every 3 to 6
months, whereas a split bearing lasted 7 years.
Split Roller Bearing (SRB) a division of Revolvo a specialist
bearing manufacturer in UK took a good concept and made
some significant improvements such as using stronger cast
iron. Split Roller Bearings (SRB) pioneered the development
of a range that was compatible with the standard SN and
SD plummer block, this range made the conversion to split
bearings very simple, which led to new plants being speci-
fied with split bearings.
Now many companies such as Lonmin Platinum, Aquarius
Platinum, Portnet, Assmang, Anglo Plats, Impala Plats and
Sasol specify split bearings on new plants.
An added advantage of a split bearing is that it takes about
an hour to replace, compared with around five hours with
a conventional plummer block, the cost of the downtime
saved covers the original cost of the split bearing many
times over.
Based on the above, Revolvo has decided to offer a two year
guarantee on SRB which makes this bearing the only bearing
with a two year warranty.
OE Bearings, Dennis Cooney, Tel: (011) 493-4463, Fax: (086) 502
6433, email: dennis@oebearings.co.za, www.oebearings.co.za
34 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010
A successful dome lift
Target Cranes has completed a precedent setting heavy lift
for Active Mechanical Services Group (AMS) in the Western
Cape.
The contract called for the lifting of a 37-tonne geodesic
dome and placing it atop a recently-refurbished oil storage
tank. The aluminium dome, with a 54 metre diameter, will
serve as a covering for the oil tank to protect its contents
from the elements. The geodesic shaped dome allows any
condensation or rainwater to flow to the edge of the dome
and down the sides of the oil tank.
Target Cranes was selected to perform the lift because of
its expertise with similar, complicated lifts. In addition, the
company has the most comprehensive mobile crane fleet in
South Africa, totalling more than 70 modern, mobile cranes
with lifting capacities from 8 to 600-tonnes.
“The number and size of the crane fleet enables Target Cranes
to provide a turnkey service for substantial projects,” Bernett
Laufs, national operations manager at Target Cranes says.
“Aluminium was the chosen material of construction as op-
posed to steel for its anti-corrosion and light-weight proper-
ties. However, because of the lighter aluminium which is
more flexible than steel, the dome had a tendency to distort
when lifted,” says Bernett.
In addition to supplying the six Liebherr mobile cranes for
the lift, Target Cranes was also responsible for undertaking
the rigging study and supplying a rigging team. “We have
performed rigging on numerous contracts and are actively
expanding the capabilities and scope of this offering,” he
says.
“This service is a value added benefit to our customers as
they can now source all the elements required for a lift from
one service provider. This, in turn, allows continuity and
quality of service,” Bernett continues.
Target Cranes elected to use a 275-tonne LTM 1250 crane
on one side of the tank and a 245-tonne LTM 1225 crane
on the opposite side to lift the 24.7 metre long spreader
beam weighing 6.5-tonnes. Four 30-
tonne slings were used to attach the
spreader beam to the crane hooks.
Below the spreader beam, 24 slings
were attached to the dome’s outer
circumference.
Placed at intervals between the two
larger cranes were two 66-tonne LTM
1060 cranes, one 95-tonne LTM
1090 crane and one 77-tonne LTM
1070 crane. The dome was attached
with four slings to each of these
smaller cranes. Target Cranes used
these additional cranes to provide
more precise and complex lifting as
opposed to the sheer lifting strength
of the larger cranes.
Prior to the lift, a comprehensive rig-
ging study indicated exact placement
of each crane and its slings.
Market Forum
The clearance between the dome and
the tank wall was a maximum of 250
mm, which meant there was no room
for error.
“The time taken from the start of prepara-
tion to the point of fastening the last nut
was 41 hours. The lift was characterised
by stringent safety precautions, extreme
attention to detail and ongoing commu-
nication and cooperation between the
Target Crane and AMS teams,” Bernett
concludes.
Target Cranes , Jan Lourens, Tel: (011) 827
9227, Fax: (011) 827 9688, E-mail: Jan@
targetcranes.co.za, www.targetcranes.co.za

Crane hire service THT managing director, Sampie Swanepoel, seen with three of the Hino 700 Series 28-45
Heavy Transport (THT), which was es- in his fleet
tablished more than 40 years ago, has
recently extended the services it offers customers with the
acquisition of a HIAB Pesci SPE 350/4 that is mounted on
the rear of a Hino 700-Series 28-48 rigid. The crane can
lift up to a 17-tonne load and is the largest crane mounted
on a Hino in South Africa.
The Italian-made crane is one of only three of this model in
the country and it was selected by THT managing director
Sampie Swanepoel for its versatility and manoeuvrability. It
can lift a 17-tonne load with a 2 metre reach and a 5-tonne
load at a 6 metre reach. The current maximum reach of 8
metres enables it to lift up to 3.7-tonnes, while the reach
can be extended even further to handle lighter loads.
“The big advantage of is that it can both lift and drag loads,
which makes it ideal for rigging tasks, while the truck’s freight
carrier body enables it to carry a load of up to 14-tonnes,
including the weight of the crane,” says Sampie, who adds
that it was an expensive piece of equipment, costing (with
the Hino truck) R1.7 million, but has found an immediate
market and is almost continually in use.
The Hino 28-45, which was supplied by Hino East Rand had
its chassis extended by TFM to facilitate the rear mounting
of the crane.
Hino, Ignatius Muthien, Tel: (011) 809 2064/2255, Fax: (011) 809
9064, Email: imuthien@hino.co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 35

Market Forum
Best grab ever built High closing forces generated by robust chains which close
Since its inception in Durban in 1966, Arlona Engineer- and suspend the grab, are complemented by serrated dust
ing, specialists in fabrication, machining, proofloading and seals and an under-hanging lip, making the grab both robust
maintenance of bulk handling and stevedoring equipment and environmentally-friendly. As a result of these advanced
has made a significant contribution to the efficiency of South design features, leaking grab buckets are now an unusual
African ports. sight in South African ports.
The company’s fully computerised fabrication facility is Arlona Engineering , Steve Christy, Tel: (031) 205 5991, Fax: (031)
equipped to design and manufacture grabs, hoppers, container 205 9835, Email: steve@arlona.co.za, www.arlona.co.za
spreaders and lifting equipment, and a wide range of cargo
handling equipment, all to exact specifications.
“Arlona’s lat-
est grab, with
a unique 12m³
hook-on, remote
opening, dumping Tracked screeners
design, which has rebranded
been described Coinciding with the relocation of
by customers as Metso Minerals’ mobile screening
the ‘best grab factory to the company’s existing
Arlona has ever crusher plant in Tampere, Finland, is
built’, is generat- the 2010 launch of the re-branded
ing quick returns Lokotrack ST track mounted screen
for local steve- series, which comes with a host of
dores,” says Steve new technological enhancements.
Christy, managing Within the southern African market,
director of Arlona the new ST range will complement
Engineering. a growing population of Metso
The new genera- Minerals mobile units already per-
Arlona Engineering’s new 12m³ grabs discharging soya in Durban.
tion of grabs, with forming sterling service on mining,
a unique locking quarrying and construction sites
mechanism that is simple and reliable, has advanced design across the region. Locally, the Metso mobile range is sold
features over conventional units. These include reduced tare and supported by Barloworld Equipment, which is also the
mass, superior sealing and enhanced reliability. exclusive southern African Caterpillar distributor.
By employing the latest design technology, the 12m³ capacity “One of the major new developments on the ST range is Metso
grab weighs only 7 000 kg. This has been achieved without Minerals’ decision to fit Caterpillar C4.4 Tier 3 engines as a
any reduction in strength or loss of closing forces, a problem standard OEM item across the series,” explains Trevor Garden,
generally associated with lightweight grabs. general manager: Metso, at Barloworld Equipment.
In addition, the capacity of these buckets can be quickly The well-proven Metso ST358 and ST458 models have now
reduced in 2m³ increments down to 6 m³. This means that been re-named as the ST3.8 and ST4.8, which best describes
depending on the commodity being handled, the grab can be the tasks which these machines are designed to perform. For
used on cranes with a safe working load as low as 15 tonnes. example, on the ST3.8, ‘S’ stands for Screen, ‘T’ for tracked,
This flexibility is especially useful in South Africa where age- ‘3’ indicates the number of discharge conveyors, and ‘8’ the
ing bulk vessels call into ports on a regular basis. area in square metres to the nearest whole number.

36 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

Market Forum
A Metso Minerals Lokotrack ST358 mobile screening unit in operation on a site in Namibia. The next generation ST3.8 will be fitted
with a Cat C4.4 Tier 3 engine as a standard OEM fitment
Technological enhancements include improved bearing qual-
ity and remote greasing. Additional protection is now also
provided for the hopper skirts to improve skirt life, while a
revised adjustable covered discharge chute design further
increases material flow efficiencies. On the main and fines
conveyors, additional rollers have been added to reduce the
risk of spillage to a minimum.
Barloworld Equipment, Tel: (011) 929-000, Website: www.barloworld-
equipment.com
Improved conveyor loading
Martin Engineering has introduced custom-engineered
transfer chutes, helping to deliver material control from the
time it leaves the conveyor discharge pulley until it reaches
the receiving belt. By managing the material speed and di-
rection, Martin Inertial Flow Transfer Chutes can minimise
impact and wear on liners and belts, while containing dust
and spillage.
The engineered flow chutes employ special geometries that
capture and concentrate the material stream as it travels
through the chute. Every design is tailored to suit the specific
material characteristics and conveyor systems of the individual
customer, rather than using stock products and attempting
to make them work. Inertial Flow Transfer Chutes provide
the dual benefits of minimising aeration and preventing build
up within the chute.
“Transfer points should never be a production bottleneck,”
comments Martin Product Development Engineer Justin
Malohn. “By testing the customer’s specific bulk material
and applying those properties as the initial step in chute
design, we can develop a transfer that meets capacity while
minimising the potential for build-up and chute plugging,”
he says.
The transfer chutes also incorporate replaceable liners, allowing
operators to unbolt the enclosure for simplified replacement
of worn components without confined space entry.
Engineered chutes typically employ a “hood and spoon”
transfer, with the hood discharge chute at the top of the
system and a spoon receiving chute to place material onto
the belt being loaded. Martin Engineering components are
custom-designed to suit the characteristics of the conveyed
product and the materials used for chute construction.
“The hood minimises expansion of the material stream,
directing it downward,” he explains. “The spoon provides
BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 37
Market Forum Subscription

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By managing the material speed and direction, Martin Inertial
Flow Transfer Chutes can minimise impact and wear on liners
....................................................................................................
and belts

a curved loading chute for a smooth line of descent, consis- ......................................................................Code: ..................
tently feeding the material at a specific speed and direction
to minimise impact in the loading zone,” explains Justin. Telephone: (.......) ....................................................................
The goal is to confine the material stream and reduce air
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receiving belt with minimal impact.
Martin Engineering, Tel: (013) 656 5135, Fax: (013) 656 5129, Email: Email: .......................................................................................
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Index to Advertisers
AST Pyroscan Inside Front Cover
Bauer 38
Bearings International 8
Bonfiglioli Inside Back Cover
Bosworth 36
Brelko Conveyor Products 34
Conexpo 24
Delras Engineering 32
Dymot Engineering 33
Fenner Conveyor Belting 28
Hagglunds Drives 14
JIP Turnkey Projects 23
Joy Mining Machinery 12
Ketafelx Outside Front Cover
LMI Academy 22
Melco Conveyor Equipment 20
Moret Mining 11
Multotec 26
OE Bearings 6
Rema Tip Top 30
RULA 29
Scania 18
SEW 16
Tega Industries 35
Transmission Components 23
Waloni Industrial/Sureguide 15
Wilec 7
Wirtgen Group 22
Zhous Enterprise 10, Outside Back Cover
Zest 18

38 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010 39
 Contributing to progress in the world of manufacturing

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International Trade (PTY) LTD
Reg No: 99/16588/07
45 Bisset Road, Hughes Ext.7, Jet Park
Tel: +27 (0) 11 281 4000 Fax: +27 (0) 11 397 7701 BEARINGS
40 BULK HANDLING TODAY September 2010