BHT: May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

May 2010
Featured on the cover: Contents

Alien Systems and
Technologies Cover Story 27 Fighting Belt Spillage
Tel: (011) 949-1157 5 Acy Now for Cleaner Air
31 Market Forum
Trucking
7 Hooking the Truckers Endorsing Bodies
9 Class-leading Heavy Truck Range • CMA (Conveyor Manufacturers
Launched Association)
11 Weighing in on Overloaders
• HCASA (Hydraulic Conveying
Harbours & Ports Association of SA)
15 Winning Trailer Design • LEEASA (Lifting Equipment Engineering
Association of South Africa)
Conveying
17 High Speed Conveying - Its Advantages, • RFA (Road Freight Association)
Disadvantages and Some Proposed • SAIMechE (SA Institution of Mechanical
Solutions Engineering)
Copyright 25 A New Approach to Conveyor
All rights reserved. No editorial • SAIMH (SA Institute of Materials Handling)
Architecture
matter published in “Bulk Han-
dling Today” may be reproduced
in any form or language without
written permission of the publish-
ers. While every effort is made
to ensure accurate reproduction,
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and their employees or agents
shall not be responsible or in
any way liable for any errors,
omissions or inaccuracies in the
publication, whether arising from
negligence or otherwise or for
any consequences arising there-
from. The inclusion or exclusion
of any product does not mean
that the publisher or editorial
board advocates or rejects its
use either generally or in any
particular field or fields.
The monthly circulation Proprietor and Publisher: Advertising Sales:

is 4 016 PROMECH PUBLISHING Surita Marx
Tel: (011) 781-1401 DTP: Zinobia Docrat and
Fax: (011) 781-1403 Sanette Lehanie
E-mail:
bulkhandling@promech.co.za Printed by:
Our e-mail address is
Website: www.promech.co.za Typo Colour Printing
bulkhandling@promech.co.za
Managing Editor: Tel: (011) 402-3468
Visit our website on www.promech.co.za Susan Custers
Joint Editor: Andrew Lanham

CONVEYOR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
From the Secretary’s Desk

training software at CTR’s computer college until
This month we have something different for the reader: a brief Beltcon also became a client, which is when CTR
synopsis of the last seventeen years of CMA history, as seen evolved into a full-time company secretarial and
from the Secretary’s perspective! The period spans from her administration office.
first members’ meeting in October 1993 to the current month During Brian Bell’s two consecutive terms of office,
of May 2010. the CMA doubled membership to 21 by the time
O
he handed over the reins to Alan Exton in 1997.
ctober 1993 was momentous for Alan enjoyed two consecutive terms as Chairman,
two reasons: it was the newly- and another twelve companies joined the ranks,
elected Chairman, Brian Bell’s first swelling the numbers to 33.
members’ meeting after the AGM; Max Schenck was elected Chairman in 2001, but
and to further undermine his confidence, he sadly only completed one term as Chairman. This
was supported by a newly-appointed Company was a time of great change within the CMA, with
Secretary that he had not even met before that individuals starting out on their own and internally,
day! Luckily, she had a little knowledge of the a number of working groups being formed that took
CMA already, having written up the books of the Secretary’s workload to beyond full-time status
account for a year before taking over from Pat and CTR expanded yet again. Another four compa-
Mounter as Company Secretary. nies joined the CMA bringing the total membership
That said, in 1993 the CMA had somewhere to 37 during this time.
Chris Townsend around 11 members, nine of which had joined To new heights
only the previous year. The Secretary’s duties In 2003, Simon Curry accepted the Chair and
were not very onerous, and were very much on a after his two consecutive two-year terms, the
part-time basis – the bulk of her time being spent Articles of Association were changed to allow for
the Chairman to be elected
every year from among the
Board of Directors. Simon
is leading the CMA to new
heights, with many success-
ful projects launched during
his tenure. The Working
Groups are writing national
standards, a Diploma course
is running, regulating the
splicing industry is on the
cards and an additional 24
companies have swelled the
ranks of membership to its
current level of 61.
That’s only four bosses but a
hefty 50 new members over
the past seventeen years, a
history that I am proud to
be associated with.
Chris Townsend, CMA Company
Secretary
CMA Members List as at May 2010

All members subscribe to the CMA Code of Ethics Hosch - Fördertechnik Secrivest
ABB Industry Conveyor Watch M & J Engineering SENET
Afripp Projects CMG Electric Motors SA Martin Engineering SET Agencies
Actom CPI Technologies Melco Conveyor Equipment SEW Eurodrive
Atlanta Manufacturing CPM Engineering Moret Mining Shaft Engineering
Bateman Engineered Technologies CT Systems MS Conveyor Pulleys SA Shaw Almex Africa
Bauer a Division of Hudaco David Brown Gear Industries Nepean Conveyors Siemens Southern Africa
Transmission Delras Engineering OE Bearings SKF SA
BMG (Bearing Man Group) DRA Mineral Projects Osborn Engineered Products SA Technique Avant Garde
Bearings International Dunlop Belting Products Read Swatman & Voigt ThyssenKrupp Materials Handling
Belt Reco RSA Dymot Engineering Company Rema Tip Top SA Transmission Components
Bonfiglioli Power Transmissions ELB Engineering Services Renold Crofts Transvaal Rubber Company
Bosworth A Division of Hudaco Trading Facet Engineering Roymec Unitek Engineers
Brelko Conveyor Products Fenner Conveyor Belting SA RSV ENCO Consulting Veyance Technologies Africa
CKIT Conveyor Engineers Flexible Steel Lacing SA Sandvik Materials Handling SA Voith Turbo
Continental Crushing & Conveying Hansen Transmissions SA Schaeffler South Africa Zest Electric Motors

COVER STORY
Act Now For

The new Act regarding air pollution
has been promulgated, directly
affecting the future of gas fire
extinguishing systems installed
throughout South Africa. Many of
Cleaner Air
these systems contain HFC and HCFC
gases which are now legally regarded
as air pollutants even when stored in
a cylinder lying dormant waiting to
extinguish a fire.
I
f you’re buying a fire the prevention of pollution
extinguishing system and ecological degradation
today that contains and for securing ecologically
these gases, you’re sustainable development
literally buying canned while promoting justifi-
pollution that may cost able economic and social
you dearly to dispose of development; to provide
once regulations have for national norms and
been formulated, under standards regulating air
the new act, regarding the quality monitoring, man-
disposal of stored air-pol- agement and control by
luting gases. all spheres of government;
for specific air quality
Discarded cylinders that are currently measures; and for matters
incidental thereto.
being warehoused, in reality just a
stockpile of imported pollution The Act goes on to say that
Grant Wilkinson marketing manager at AST everyone in South Africa has
the constitutional right to
an environment that is not
harmful to their health or
well-being. Everyone has
the constitutional right
to have the environment
protected, for the benefit
of present and future gen-
erations, through reason-
able legislative and other
measures that;
• prevent pollution and eco-
logical degradation;
• promote conser vation;
and
• secure ecologically sustain-
able development and use
of natural resources.
The minimisation of pol-
lution through vigorous
control, cleaner technolo-
gies and cleaner produc-
tion practices is key to
AST’s workshop where gas bottles are filled
ensuring that air quality
is improved.
The Act
Published in the Government Gazette, Act No. 39 Consequences
of 2004: National Environment Management: Air “Bulk Handling Today” speaks to Grant Wilkinson,
Quality Act, 2004, was created to reform the Marketing Manager of Alien Systems and Technolo-
law regulating air quality in order to protect the gies (AST) about the consequences of the Act.
environment by providing reasonable measures for “For some time now Europe and other countries

COVER STORY
have been removing HCFC and HFC gases from HCFCs and HFCs, like that of Halons” he says. “In
the fire protection industry,” he says. “Countries the long term though somebody is going to have
like Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, to pay for the removal of these gases.”
Canada and the UK have put use-restrictions on South Africa will likely have to pay foreign com-
HCFCs and HFCs, effectively banning their use for panies to dispose of these systems as there is no
fire protection systems. infrastructure able to destroy these products avail-
able locally. “The alternative is that we will face
A long term sustainable solution that is in fact far the same situation regarding our discarded Halon
more cost-effective cylinders that are currently being warehoused, in
reality just a stockpile of
imported pollution,” says
Grant. “Bear in mind that
there is no effective way
to dispose of HCFC’s and
HFC’s other than placing
these gases in a plasma
furnace to break down into
other environmentally-
damaging components
like hydrogen fluoride and
toxic salts.”
The solution
What users should be
asking for is ‘Clean Agent
Inert Gas Blends’ which
are gas mixes that harness
the natural environment by
using naturally-occurring
gases. “Systems that use
these gases have no real
impact on the environment
since they have zero ozone
depletion potential, a zero
carbon footprint and zero
global warming potential,”
A typical Clean Agent Inert Gas Blend system Grant explains. “They do
not contribute to climate
“Unlike these countries, where the suppliers of change and are not a source of pollution.”
HCFC and HFC fire protection gases are required The HCFCs and HFCs used in fixed gas-based fire
to undertake the removal and destruction of these protection systems are synthetic gases that are a
gases when they are eventually phased out under legacy from the CFC-based Halon fire protection
the cradle-to-grave product stewardship system, products, and are manufactured outside of South
South Africa has no such rules in place,” says Africa. They have particularly high global warming
Grant. “It is therefore possible to dump these potential, typically in the region of 3 500 kg of CO2
products into the South African market cheaper equivalency per kilogram of product.
than in the UK, since there are no clean-up costs
to consider as yet. Green
“For a reduced carbon footprint and protection of
“It’s therefore crucial for South African property
the environment, clean agent naturally-occurring
owners, architects, engineers and builders to be
gas blends offer a long term sustainable solution
very cautious in terms of purchasing a fixed gas-
that is in fact far more cost-effective,” Grant says in
based fire protection system in relation to the carbon
conclusion. “The primary cost for naturally occur-
footprint, sustainability and long-term costs of such
ring gas systems lies in the hardware and therefore
a system,” Grant advises.
refilling is far cheaper than synthetics where the
Warning primary cost lies in the gas used. Going green
“Although there are moves afoot to now institute such doesn’t necessarily mean higher costs.”
regulations in South Africa, there is an aggressive Grant Wilkinson, Alien Systems and Technologies, Tel:
push to sell these products in South Africa due to a (011) 949-1157, Email: grant@astafrica.com
shrinking western market,” says Grant. “South Africa
could end up with large stockpiles of fire protection

TRUCKING
Hooking the Truckers

One of our people here at “Bulk Handling Today” recently to drive produce to market and do various other
bought a property in a small town in the Eastern Free State. driving-type work.
The tenant renting the property ran a driving school and told “However, in the past two or three years, I have had
our man the following story. young black women arriving at the school wanting
M
to be trained as truck drivers. I have to admit I was
ostly, I get the local farmers bringing surprised. However, it is the new South Africa, and
in a worker to have him trained as I could see no reason why they should not drive
a truck driver. These trainee drivers trucks if they wanted to. I converted the barracks
live in my driving school barracks so females could also stay there.
for three weeks during which time I train them.
When they have a licence, the new driver then has
Best wishes
A couple of women drivers graduated from the XYZ
Driving School and went on their way
with the trainer’s best wishes.
However, the trainer, who wishes to
I converted the barracks so

females could also stay there
remain anonymous, said his curios-
ity nagged him about why these girls
wanted to drive, and who was hiring
them.
A couple of months later there was a
fatal truck accident on the Durban-Jo-
hannesburg run. It was this crash that
provided the trainer with the answer
he sought. For in the cab of the wreck,
not one body was extricated, but three.
Of the three, two were women and one
was the driver. The driver and one of

TRUCKING
the women were in a state of undress.

It transpired that the hookers who plied their trade
on the Durban – Johannesburg run understand that
their truck driver customers cannot stop their rigs
for 15 minutes of romping recreation. So the way
around this for the ladies was to team up with
another young woman who knew how to drive a
truck. While one was behind the wheel, the other
could be pleasuring the driver in the truck’s bunk.
The arrangement turned out to be satisfactory for
more than one truck driver, and lucrative for these
two-girl teams.
The driver and one of the women were

in a state of undress
So the tenant concluded: “There is something new

every day. And just because they are so-called la-
dies of the night, does not mean they are lacking
in enterprise.”

TRUCKING
Class-leading Heavy
Truck Range Launched
“Bulk Handling Today” was recently invited to the launch of 26 000kg making its freight carrier line-up avail-
the new Isuzu F-Series. Already enjoying a strong reputation able to South Africans a formidable one. Specialist
in South Africa with its heavy-truck brand, the new Isuzu F- F-Series models include full-time 4 X 4 and 6 X
Series looks set to take this reputation even further in areas of 2 freight carriers, a 6 X 4 refuse compactor and
safety, economy and environmental care. truck tractors. For trailer operations Isuzu F-Series
has a gross combination mass (GCM) that tops 32
G
000kg in the model FVR 900.
ross vehicle mass (GVM) is the recognised
basis for vehicle selection and capital Modern technology truck model line-up
investment for any transport task. GVM 1 January 2010 saw a change in the transport
represents a truck’s total operational industry with only trucks equipped with Euro 2
engine emission technology allowed to be produced
in South Africa. This has not proved problematic
Interesting Isuzu truck facts for Isuzu as their entire South African Isuzu range,
Isuzu ranks among the top four medium to extra-heavy truck medium N-Series, heavy F-Series and extra-heavy
manufacturers in South Africa with an annual retail market share Gigamax now include turbo-intercooled, electroni-
greater than 10%. The total registered South African Isuzu truck cally-managed engines for 2010 to match Euro 2
population up to 25 years old is over 36 500 making it one of the requirements. Utilising common rail fuel-delivery
most durable and reliable trucks on South African roads. For an systems, improved fuel consumption is a hallmark
international perspective, Isuzu is also Australia’s leading truck of these new technology engines.
supplier – a position Isuzu has held for 20 consecutive years. The advantage in common rail diesel engines is
At the beginning of 2010 there were over 17 244 Isuzu F-Series very high injection pressure – over 1 600 bar – that
registered and operating on South African roads. Some of these is consistently maintained from idle to maximum
Isuzu F-Series heavy trucks are as old as 25 years and still in engine speed. This ensures clean burning in a
daily operation. A heavy truck is classed as those falling into the diesel engine’s compression ignition cycle with
category of 8 500 to 16 500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM), or from the benefit of improved fuel economy and reduced
around 4 500 to 9 000kg payload. exhaust emissions.
Further to this, the Isuzu common rail diesel engine
design has other advantages in that these engines
mass that includes payload, cargo body, driver are flexible and ready for the introduction of both
and crew, chassis and cab and any other extras. Euro 3 and Euro 4 emission standards with only
This vehicle includes a 13-model line-up compared minor changes required when the time comes.
with the previous 9-model range and offers GVM’s Proven safety technology
stepped from 10000kg to 11 000kg, 13 500kg, The new truck range for 2010 in South Africa is
15 000kg, 16 000kg, 22 500kg, 24 000kg and equipped with ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) for

TRUCKING
on every model in the new F-Series which will

serve to minimise driver fatigue with a consequent
improvements for productivity and safety.
Standard crew cab
The F-Series range also includes one crew-cab model,
the Isuzu FSR 750 is a 13500kg gross vehicle mass
(GVM) truck, offering fully-homologated seating for
a driver and six passengers. This matches National
Road Traffic Act, Regulation 247 requirements for
goods and passengers to be carried separately. An
outstanding technical feature of the FSR 750 crew
cab is that it is powered by an electro-hydraulic tilt
enhanced safety. ABS also has the added benefit mechanism to offer full maintenance access to the
of steer-ability under emergency braking reducing engine as on all Isuzu truck cabs. All doors in the
the skill required of drivers in potential accident new F-Series are also equipped with side-impact
situations. These trucks are all also equipped with protection beams.
an engine exhaust brake for extra retardation with-
out using a footbrake that preserves brake linings Another technology benefit is unitised construc-
and keeps the brakes fade-free for any emergency tion for cab parts on both the N and F-Series as
application. medium and heavy truck models are equipped with
common cab parts – doors, lights and dashboard,
Offering fully-homologated seating for a driver and six for example which simplifies parts inventories for
passengers large fleets.
Standard automatic slack adjusters ensure that Hanlie du Preez, Isuzu Truck SA, Tel: (011) 563-4125, Fax
brake settings are correct at any stage in spite of (011) 806-4693, Email: hanlie.dupreez@isuzutrucksa.
co.za
brake lining wear. In addition to these, drivers will
appreciate the inclusion of an air-suspension seat
10 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

TRUCKING
Weighing in
on Overloaders
As motorists grit their teeth at the state of our potholed roads,
“Bulk Handling Today” speaks to Technical Operations Officer
Gavin Kelly, technical and operations manager at the Road
Freight Association (RFA) about this growing problem.
T
he major contributor to damage to our
roads is overloading of trucks. And the main Gavin Kelly
countermeasure that the traffic authori-
ties have is weighing trucks at a series of Overloading concerns two areas. First is the gross
weighbridges,” says Gavin. vehicle mass, and second is the loading of each
axle. “A trucker can place the correct payload in
There are operators who overload inadvertently, and his vehicle. But if this is not balanced between
there are the truckers, all too frequently, who overload the various axles, the driver might be surprised
deliberately to find that his axle loading on one set of wheels
is too high,” says Gavin. And then, with bulk
Secondary roads loads such as coal, sugar, these can shift while
“What compounds the problem is that many of in transit, unbalancing the truck loading, At the
our older secondary routes will only take loads of weighbridge, the truck can be found to be techni-
four or five tons – a reflection of the trucks in use cally overloaded.
at the time,” says Gavin. “Roads of this nature are
“There are operators who overload inadvertently,
completely inadequate for bearing trucks with a
and there are the truckers, all too frequently, who
legal gross weight of 54 tons.”
overload deliberately,” continues Gavin. “The
Very little weighing or policing is done on second- RFA wants to preserve the country’s roads, while
ary roads and there is also scant understanding of promoting trucking safety. As the Association also
what vehicles are using these roads. supports its own members who do not overload, it
Wear and tear is absolutely opposed to the practice of deliberate
Overloading is short sighted as it subjects the overloading.”
truck to abnormally high wear and tear. Truckers Code
should strive for the best ratio between the pay- On joining the RFA, truckers sign a code of ethics.
load and the number of trips the truck will make RFA members also subscribe to a self-regulating
in its lifetime. programme called the Road Traffic Management
BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 11

TRUCKING
System (RTMS). Not only does this deal with

overloading but also helps truckers to avoid ‘un-
derloading’ their trucks.
In extreme cases of overloading, truckers have been
caught with more than 100% of the allowable
load. While the fine may be R50 000, this does
not even remotely cover the cost of the damage
to the road.
One of the problems operators face is knowing
exactly what weight they are loading on their
trucks. “If you take, for example, wooden poles,
their weight will vary quite considerably. One load
of 100 poles may weigh substantially more than
another load of similar poles. Over the past couple
of years, a number of operators have ordered trucks
that have scales fitted. Although costly, these help
ascertain the correct load while avoiding the risk
of prosecution.
A number of operators have ordered

trucks that have scales fitted
Advantages
The RFA emphasises that RTMS compliant trucks
will not be weighed as often as others. This is
because RTMS trucks are much more likely to be
load compliant. This reduces the cost of the truck’s
standing time.
“While there are a number of weighbridges, the
service is not instantaneous. Presently, the average
standing time is 45 minutes. This time costs the
operator money and a number of operators have
ordered trucks that have scales fitted delays the
time of delivery, especially if the trucker is on a
long haul.’
If one factors in all the delays a trucker experi-
ences with weighing, border formalities, tolls and
rest stops, a trip that might take a motorist six
hours, could, for example, take the trucker two to
three times as long. “At the national borders, the
RTMS trucker enjoys other accreditation systems,
which get his or her truck across the border quite
quickly,” explains Gavin.
Results
Eliminating RTMS trucks also allows the traffic
authorities to focus on the less reputable truck opera-
tors. In the timber and sugar industries, the RTMS
programme, remarkably, brought overloading down
to less than 4% of vehicles checked. Conversely, in
coal, it had the benefit that it increased loads, as,
in the past, truckers had been under-loading.
With RTMS, what some truckers are doing is taking
their loaded trucks to a weighbridge, and if they are
overweight, taking some of the load off. Because
RTMS is operating as a pilot programme in three
separate industries, the idea is to expand it this
year into other areas of truck transport. Generally,
RTMS has engendered a greater sense of respon-

TRUCKING
sibility from consignors as well as truckers.

In the past four or five years, the trucking industry
has been working closely with manufacturers, the
legislative arm of government and the traffic police.
An ongoing problem is that the trucker has no control
over certain aspects of the cargo. A good example is
the container, as the truck operator may not know
what is inside. Apart from the specs on the contract,
the operator doesn’t necessarily know what the
container’s weight is.
New legislation
Through negotiation and agreement, the RFA has now
drafted new legislation called the Consignee/Consignor
Legislation, whereby all parties involved in a transport
project, can be held jointly or individually responsible
for certain issues in that chain. Should the consignor
misrepresent the weight of a certain load, he will be
held responsible, not the trucker.
The operator doesn’t necessarily know what

the container’s weight is
“When it comes to sealed containers, if the manifest

says the cargo is sugar, for example, but when the
container is opened, the cargo is found to be drugs,
the trucker is not responsible for the content of a
properly-sealed container. Formerly, truckers were
prosecuted in these instances. This has been a tre-
mendous step forward in the prevention of this type
of fraud,” says Gavin.
“The new legislation makes the business of trucking
fairer for all operators. And, no matter how hard we
fight for axle mass reduction, we all pay taxes, so the
roads are ours as well,” Gavin concludes.
Gavin Kelly, Technical & Operations Manager, RFA, Tel:
(011) 974-4903, Email: gkelly@rfa.co.za

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HARBOURS & PORTS
from any third parties.

“The size of this order meant that it was critical for
us to work with the actual manufacturer, rather than
a third party who outsourced to the manufacturer,
added a mark-up but then was unable to provide
adequate after-sales service and maintenance to
meet our stringent requirements,” he says.
Track record
Instead of relying solely on tender submissions, Er-
nest says the process required a nationwide search
and visits by TPT to dozens of trailer manufacturers
across the country. These were whittled down to a
selection of suppliers boasting a national footprint,
Seven of the 60 bathtub trailers delivered to Cape Town container terminal. in-house capacity to cater for TPT’s requirements
and a proven track record of excellent service,
Winning Trailer Design

W
quality and back-up assistance.
ith the support of Transnet Port Ter-
Afrit was one of the short-listed companies. Ernest
minals (TPT), a local manufacturer
says the company eventually scooped the contract
has designed a trailer that will make
due to its competitive pricing and a significantly
it safer and easier to move containers
shorter delivery time frame of just four months,
from ship to shore. The mammoth delivery of a
backed by a sound track record.
multimillion rand consignment of 66 new ‘corner-
less bathtub’ trailers designed and manufactured Design changes
by Pretoria-based Afrit, has brought to a close While essentially serving the same purpose, the
months of intensive market research, supplier new Afrit trailers offer a simple yet effective change:
scouting and short-listing in a collaborative effort they do not have the closed corners of traditional
between representatives of TPT’s procurement and trailers. This used to make it difficult to load con-
technical teams. tainers directly onto trailer vehicles and access the
corner cone fasteners.
The sides are raised and curved inwards to enable the
crane operator to lower the container onto the trailer Harry Dickinson, Project Manager at TPT, explains,
The trailers will not only

streamline operations and
speed up container turn-
around times, but also
provide a far safer method
of moving containers from
ship to shore. Sixty trailers
have been delivered to Cape
Town container terminal as
part of the facility’s R4.2
billion capacity creation
project while six were de-
livered to Pier 1 container
terminal in Durban.
Intensive Research
Ernest Bell, Commercial
Specialist in TPT’s Procure-
ment Department, says that
TPT senior management
made a strategic decision
to approach local OEM’s
(original equipment manu-
facturers) of trailers directly Representatives of Transnet Port Terminals and Afrit pictured in front of one of the new
and not accept proposals corner-less bathtub trailers

HARBOURS & PORTS
directly from a vessel onto the old trailers

until the twist lock cones were physically
removed from the container. The container
would have to stay suspended at least two
metres in the air for a long period of time so
the cones could be physically removed.”
This process also posed safety risks: the
suspended container or the loosened cones
could have fallen and caused serious damage
or injury to those working around it.
Curved inward
With the Afrit-designed bathtub trailers, the
sides are raised and curved inwards to enable
the crane operator to lower the container onto
the trailer, where it will locate itself without
the operator having to conduct a series of
manoeuvres. This saves time in the loading
procedure. The new rounded design is already
in use at major European ports.
Brenda Magqwaka (left), Chief Operations Manager at the Cape Town Container
Terminal, and André van de Wetering, Managing Director of Afrit
The trailers are of heavy duty construction with
a capacity of 65 tons to carry two six-metre
Only meets the standards of its European counterparts containers with a combined weight of 60 tons or
one fully-laden 12-metre container. The axles are
but also caters specifically for South African needs
supplied by Henred and are of a 40-ton walking
“Containers stacked on a vessel have twist lock cones beam design with heavy duty leaf springs.
at each corner to secure them while in stack. In the
Minimal defection
past this meant we could not load the container
Adding to the high impact capabilities of the trailer,
the axles are fitted with solid puncture tyres which
have minimal deflection under impact loading.
Also the fitting of these tyres has given Transnet a
large cost saving in providing a low instance of tyre
replacement and puncture repairs. Maintenance on
these trailers has been cut down to a minimum by
fitting the Groeneveld self lubricating system.
A departure from the norm in trailer manufactur-
ing was included in the design in the landing legs.
The truck tractors used to transport the trailers are
of special design and are fitted with hydraulically
adjustable 5th wheels which lift the trailers before
locking them in place.
Says Harry Dickinson, “Equipment like this would
usually have to be imported from the country that
had perfected this unique design. Working with a
local supplier throughout this process meant that
the end result was beyond all expectations.”
“TPT and Afrit were in constant communication
throughout the process. Afrit had initially provided
us with a prototype which we tested in operations.
This allowed us to make working changes and tweak
the design to finally fit the specific needs of our
terminals,” says Ernest.
In conclusion, he adds that the bathtub trailers
were an example of design and manufacture that
not only meets the standards of its European
counterparts but also caters specifically for South
African needs.
Lunga Ngcobo, GM: Corporate Communications, Transnet
Port Terminals, Email: Lunga.ngcobo@transnet.net

CONVEYING
High Speed Conveying

– Its Advantages,
Disadvantages And
Some Proposed Solutions
T
o have a better understanding and to il-
The obvious advantage of conveying bulk ore or material at lustrate the capital savings and consequent
higher belt speeds is the lower capital cost of the conveyor effects of conveying at higher speeds, as-
sume a typical conveyor of 6000m long
system. The capital savings are due to lighter material loads,
with an overall elevation of 60m carrying coal
narrower belts and lower belt tensions. It is fair to say that at 4000t/h. In order to do a fair comparison the
high speed conveying is generally not suited to in plant type of design parameters shown in Table 1 have been
through some basic optimisation. A comparison
conveyors and probably never will be for reasons of safety and based on ISO 5048 between 4m/s, 6m/s, 8m/s,
material transfer points. Therefore the focus will be only on the 10m/s and 12.5 m/s has been done using the
design parameters and the results are shown in
longer ‘overland’ type of belt installations.
the calculated values of Table 1.
Design Parameters
Belt speed m/s 4 6 8 10 12.5
Capacity t/h 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000
Belt S.F on steady state min 6 min 6 min 6 min 6 min 6
Carry Idler spacing (return) m 2.5 (7.5) 2.5 (7.5) 2.5 (7.5) 2.5 (7.5) 2.5 (7.5)
Carry idler trough angle deg 45 45 45 45 45
Idler rolls # 5 3 3 3 3
Idler roll diam mm 152 152 152 152 152
Sag percentage % 2 2 1 0.5 0.5
Minimum L10 idler life required hrs 60000 60000 60000 60000 60000
Friction factor 0.016 0.016 0.0165 0.017 0.0175
Table 1: Design parameters
Calculated Values
For belt speed m/s 4 6 8 10 12.5
T1 kN 700 496 409 368 321
Belt width mm 1800 1500 1350 1200 1050
% belt fill % 85 83 78 79 84
Belt class ST2500 ST2000 ST2000 ST2000 ST2000
Idler speed rpm 503 754 1005 1256 1570
Carry idler series (shaft dia) 40 40 40 40 40
Return idler series (shaft dia) 40/30 35/30 30 30 30
L10 carry idler life hrs 90000 81659 84556 77727 66451
L10 return idler life hrs 133134 210783 215736 236522 279027
Carry idler bearing 6308 6308 6308 6308 6308
Return idler bearing 6306 6306 6306 6306 6306
Load on centre roll N 5879 5305 4765 4549 4449
Absorbed power kW 2274 2390 2609 2789 3008
Diff. compared to 4m/s kW 116 335 515 734
Table 2: Calculated design values

CONVEYING
Cost comparison of capital cost vs. belt speed (cost in R1000’s)

Capital Equipment Belt Speed [m/s]
4m/s 6m/s 8m/s 10m/s 12.5m/s
(1800mm belt) (1500mm belt) (1350mm belt) (1200mm belt) (1050mm belt)
R 1000’s % of total R 1000’s % of total R 1000’s % of total R 1000’s % of total R 1000’s % of total
Idlers 8,511 13% 6,243 11% 5,678 11% 5,298 11% 5,006 11%
Belting 32,688 48% 26,352 47% 24,852 47% 23,484 48% 21,996 47%
Drive 6,559 10% 5,712 10% 5,333 10% 4,887 10% 4,643 10%
Pulleys 3,249 5% 3,281 6% 2,279 4% 1,582 3% 1,431 3%
Electricals (VSD’s) 5,200 8% 5,200 9% 5,800 11% 5,800 12% 6,800 15%
Support Structure 11,310 17% 9,570 17% 8,700 17% 7,830 16% 6,960 15%
67,518 100% 56,358 100% 52,643 100% 48,880 100% 46,837 100%
Table 3: Capital cost comparison for various belt speeds
the same tonnage. There
are however also a few
other factors that should
be considered to ensure a
complete comparison can
be done between these
two options. Factors such
as equipment replace-
ment costs (maintenance
costs), finance costs and
operational costs.
Figure 2, This graph also
gives some idea of future
cash flow requirements
as the major items are
replaced on the convey-
ors. The major influenc-
ing factor is that of belt
replacement. The costs
of replacing the wider
belt are significantly more
Figure 1: Graph showing capital expenditure vs. belt width for a given throughput than those to replace the
narrower belt. The cost
Figure 1, shows the general trend from a capital difference between the
expenditure point of view when considering a wider, two plants indicates that the wider belt remains
slower belt to a narrower, faster belt conveying substantially more expensive throughout the life
of the conveyor.
Disadvantages
Idlers
Idlers are one of the most
affected components when
belt speeds are increased.
Based on previous work
done on high speed idlers
let us accept that the ad-
ditional considerations
and requirements, when
designing higher speed
belts, on idlers and their
related support structures
are:
• Overall conveyor struc-
tural alignment, vertical
and horizontal, becomes
critical.
Figure 2: Capital expenditure (initial and recapitalization) vs. equipment life span • Structural rigidity to ensure

CONVEYING
minimal vibration of the structure as well as to ponents, basically those components other than
rigidly support the idler frames also becomes idlers and belting. Without having explored fully
critical. the implications on pulley bearings they should not
• The installation of idler frames becomes criti- be a major issue. Pulley bearing sizes are usually
cal, both from an alignment point of view as more dependent on the shaft size after a certain
well as to ensure the frames are securely and allowed turn down of the pulley shaft. The pulley
properly tightened to the structure. It has been shaft is generally governed by deflection resulting
noted previously that loose idler frames can in comfortable sizing of the pulley bearings. The
play a major part in idler bearing failure due same scenario is applicable here as was applied
to the vibration. to idler bearings – the L10 life will reduce due to
• Idler frames need to be of rigid design. increased bearing rpm but the load on the bearing
• Idler bearing L10 life is decreased with increas- is reduced, while conveying the same load, thus
ing bearing rpm but is at the same time the L10 again increasing L10 life to some degree.
life is also increased with the reduced load on As belt speed increases, while conveying the same
the bearings. load, tensions and therefore belt class are reduced.
The lower tensions (due to lower resistances)
mean a lower gearbox output torque is required.
Although this generally reduces initial capital costs
starting the belt with lower reduction gearbox may
• Idler total indicated runout (TIR) and idler mass
bring some difficulties of its own. Starting require-
unbalance at high speeds is another cause of pre-
ments after dynamic analysis may also involve
mature idler bearing failure (expand on this).
more costly equipment in the form of couplings,
• Overall higher idler costs as a result of tighter
coolers,VSD’s etc.
tolerances.
• Forward tilt? – Should well aligned belt conveyors
Power consumption generally increases with
have forward tilting idlers – Belts that are properly
an increase in speed. The basic power required
aligned should not require forward tilting idlers,
comes down to:
particularly not on the straight sections.
• Design should incorporate optimal idler spac-
ing, belt tensions, belt sag and control as these
affect power consumption. As the velocity increases so does the power consump-
tion. However with narrower belts the F decreases
Belting for a given conveyor but typically proportionally not
On higher speed applications, any defect in the more than the effect of the increased v. This high-
belt may be magnified due to the belt speed, thus lights one of the main disadvantages of conveying
belts need to be accurately manufactured with high at high speeds, increased power consumption. For
quality splice joints. high speed conveying to be an attractive option
Belt wear, due to scuffing on idler rolls if badly there will need to be a point reached where the
aligned, or if idler bases have forward tilting roll- capital savings are substantial enough to off-set
ers will increase. Belt wear at loading points, if the increased power consumption cost.
not properly designed to
match the material and
belt speed along the axis
of belt travel, will also
increase significantly.
The use of faster nar-
rower belt results in a
lower vertical load, thus
reducing indentation roll-
ing resistance. This is an
advantage to higher speed
conveyors, however it is
purely covered here as
it falls within the belting
section.
Mechanical
components
For the sake of this paper
items such as pulleys and
drive systems are referred
to as mechanical com- Figure 3: Graph showing power cost vs. time

CONVEYING
Support structure and the installation Chute wear also occurs predominantly in these
thereof same areas of impact or impact zones. Typically
The support structure on high speed conveyors large amounts of money are spent on expensive liner
will be subject to a higher excitation frequency materials to line these zones. Furthermore there is
and as such may vibrate close to their natural the damage a dislodged worn liner plate can do to
frequency. a belt and downstream equipment.
Support structures need to be structurally rigid Pre-cast module for overland and high
to ensure minimal vibration. It has been shown speed applications
previously that vibration due to inadequately stiff The Bateman pre-cast module (Patent application
structures, loose idler frames, flexible idler frames, number 2008/03573) for overland and high speed
TIR and mass unbalance of rolls are the major fac- applications.
tors in idler failure. It is also understandable that
The overland section of long conveyors typically
at higher belt speeds areas of misalignment will
presents the greatest opportunity for structural
pose much more of a problem and as such better
savings and to reduce the effect of vibration as it
installations are required for high speed belts.
contains the vast majority of the idlers and struc-
Transfer and loading points tural steel. Therefore development work in this
Transfer points can be problem areas even when area has led to the design of a pre-cast concrete
conveying at low speeds. The transfer of material module for a 1200 mm belt. The intension of the
when using high speed conveying should not be module is two fold. Firstly, to attempt to reduce
under estimated as it can very easily tarnish all cost with steel prices going where they were and
the good design work that may have gone into secondly, to provide a stiff structure to reduce the
designing the high speed belt. effect of vibration due to belt flap and idler un-
balance. As mentioned before, previous work has
Typically material degradation, dust genera- shown that idler vibration is a major cause of idler
tion and chute wear are the major players but bearing failure and this structure should contribute
don’t forget the importance of loading the belt to reducing those failures.
correctly as well.
Looking briefly at belt flap for these two conveyors.
Material degradation is usually caused in Belt flap, particularly on the return side must be
chutes in areas of impact where the particle considered. However as can be seen from Figure
has a significant and sudden change in speed 5 below, the natural frequencies of the different
or direction. belts for the particular belt profiles considered
remain fairly constant without much variation. The
Figure 4: Pre-Cast Module for 1200mm wide belts

CONVEYING
excitation or idler induced

frequency continually in-
creases as the belt speed
increases.
Although a situation may
occur where the third or
four mode of the belt will
coincide with the idler
excitation frequency, these
higher modes are usually
of far less of a concern,
with only the first or sec-
ond mode really posing a
potential problem.
Comparing a fairly standard
overland conveyor using
ground line type modules
for a 1200mm wide belt
at 45kg/m, for argument
sake, the concrete mod-
ule can offer substantial
savings on the structural Figure 5: Graph showing belt natural frequency vs. idler induced frequency
cost while providing a
rigid structure.
material to maintain the required angular velocity.
Cyclo-chute for high speed applications If not, the drive will remain engaged.
Taking a look at transfer points and introducing the
Figure 7, During normal operation the material
Bateman Cyclo-Chute (Provisional Patent number
enters the chute and the angular velocity and as-
2009/02591).
sociated centrifugal forces cause the material to
Figure 6, The ‘Cyclo-Chute’ is intended to function remain suspended on the vertical chute wall. As
as a low wearing transfer chute from one or more more material is added to the chute a vertical bed
high speed conveyor(s) to the next or from one or of material is formed in the same way.
more high speed conveyor(s) to a slower conveyor
The bed depth builds up to a point where the radius
or from one or more high speed conveyor(s) to a
of rotation becomes reduced, thus reducing the
storage facility (bin, silo, stockpile etc.).
outward centrifugal forces to a point where gravity
The chute is specifically designed to work on the becomes dominant and the material falls down
principal of reducing chute
wear, material degradation
and dust generation by
matching the tangential
velocity of the chute wall to
that of the incoming mate-
rial as closely as possible
in the most cost effective
way possible. The cylindri-
cal portion of the chute is
the rotating part with the
conical discharge section
stationary. The cylindrical
portion is driven by some
form of drive system before
conveyor start-up to ensure
the drum is rotating at the
correct angular velocity
to accept material from
the conveyor. This drive
system may be able to be
disengaged once the sys-
tem is running using the
momentum of the incoming
Figure 6: Cyclo-Chute

CONVEYING
into the conical section

in a controlled fashion
and at a greatly reduced
velocity. This material is
then discharged out of
the conical section in any
direction.
The incoming velocity
and the tangential speed
can be clearly seen in
Figure 7.
Figure 8, shows the chute
later in time when full and
clearly shows the reduc-
tion in speed from the
incoming to the outgoing
material. The outgoing
material is in the region
of 2.5m/s.
Figure 8, Furthermore
with the bed of material
Figure 7: Figure showing revolving cylindrical portion to reduce wear
held against the side of
the chute by centrifugal
forces there is the added
protection of material
on material. Due to this
fact of low or no rela-
tive velocities and small
angles of incidence where
the two material streams
come in contact with one
another, there will be very
little material degradation.
Should dust control be an
issue this chute lends itself
well to the installation of
a hood structure on top of
the cylindrical section with
the dust dropping back
into the chute or being
extracted completely.
Conclusion
Figure 8: Figure showing material beginning to discharge Sooner or later we will
reach a practical optimised
Capital cost of 1200mm belt at 10m/s
maximum belt speed, which seems to be around
(cost in R1000’s) the 10m/s mark. But one thing is for sure that more
and more high speed conveyors will be installed
Capital Equipment
around the world.
10m/s
(1200mm belt) It has been shown that there are ways and means
R 1000’s % of total to get around the issues of high speed conveying.
Idlers 5,298 11% There is a need, which can only grow over time, for
Belting 23,484 48% formalising requirements for high speed idlers and
Drive 4,887 10% incorporating them into our industry standards.
Pulleys 1,582 3% Furthermore, given the fact that indentation rolling
Electricals (VSD’s) 5,800 12% resistance still forms a significant portion of belt
Support Structure 7,830 16% resistance, there is room for further development
R 48,880 100% or investigation into the use of larger diameter
idler rolls and possible further development of a
Table 4: Table showing an extract from Table 3 highlight-
ing the 10m/s 1200mm belt capital breakdown
conveyor belt bottom cover grade of rubber for

CONVEYING
the overland type of belt where the additional belt cost may be
well worth it in the longer term as it would further reduce the
power consumption.
High speed conveying is shown to be a more cost effective

solution over a twenty year period. However the analysis is
very dependent on belt life. Belt replacements are the most
significant costs in maintaining the conveyors so all attempts
and measures that are put in place, be they in the form of
monitoring equipment or in the form of operational attitudes
will be well worth the effort.
This paper has been condensed due to space constraints. The

author is Gavin White.
This paper was first presented at Beltcon 15 held in Johannesburg on
September 2 and 3, 2009 and copyright is vested with the IMHC. Enquiries
can be made through the website; www.beltcon.org.za
Don’t Miss the first ever

LIFTING GUIDE
Contact Surita Marx, on Tel: (011) 781- 1401,
Fax: (011) 781-1403, Cell: 083 281 5761 or
E-mail: bulkhandling@promech.co.za with your
advertising bookings

The beat goes on
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The SAPICS Annual Conference is the Leading

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CONVEYING
A New Approach to
Conveyor Architecture
The term “conveyor architecture” relates to the selection and have sophisticated design software to assist them
interconnecting of components, to create systems that meet and speed up the process, the basic approach has
specific goals for safety, efficiency and performance. not evolved much.
True advancement in materials handling technology
T
can only be achieved with a complete understanding
he fundamental engineering of belt conveyors of the characteristics of materials carried on the
to carry bulk materials has changed little conveyor. The physical properties of the materials
in the last 50 years. Traditionally, conveyor carried, whether abrasive, corrosive, underground
systems were specified by determining or overland present a serious challenge for compo-
capacity; meeting the minimum codes and safety nents to withstand.
requirements; then designing for the lowest con-
struction cost. Re-visiting
Today, leading manufacturers are re-visiting system
The new architecture incorporates a ‘re-think’ of many of and component design to make safety; fugitive
a conveyor system’s design details material control; and ease of service, the primary
criteria. An example is the EVO Conveyor Architecture
Re-thinking the details introduced by Martin Engineering, offering a new
Over the years, standards for safety; regulatory approach to system design that is cost competitive
compliance and production performance, have been with conventional designs, yet delivers improve-
raised considerably yet, while today’s engineers ments in performance, fugitive material control,

CONVEYING
safety and serviceability. Wear liner

Much of Martin Engineering’s development in re- This is a sacrificial material used to control the
cent years has been concentrated around conveyor pressure of the cargo against the skirt-board and
transfer point areas to control dust (health/safety), sealing systems. Typically, the liners are installed
fugitive material (safety, cost and environmental on the inside of the chute and skirtboard, which
control), and ease of maintenance (safety and makes them difficult to service.
efficiency). Martin Engineering’s new conveyor architecture
has the liner on the outside of the skirtboard steel
New shapes
(yet still on the inside of the sealing system). This
The new architecture incorporates a ‘re-think’ of
“external” wear liner allows easier installation,
many of a conveyor system’s design details, in
inspection and replacement, without confined
particular, as they relate to any of the aforemen-
space entry.
tioned criteria.
Modular components
Has the liner on the outside of the skirtboard steel (yet New EVO components ranging from belt-cleaners
still on the inside of the sealing system) to impact cradles are designed with track-mounted
or mandrel-style support structures, allowing
A typical ‘re-think’ area would be traditional con- them to be removed and replaced more efficiently.
veyor stringers designed from C-channel with Track-mounted designs deliver ‘slide in/slide out’
angle iron bracing. These shapes allow dust and convenience and, even if a procedure is only re-
spillage to accumulate leading to material waste, quired in-frequently, the time and money savings
long-term corrosion, explosion hazards, clean-up can be significant.
labour costs and safety risks.
The new EVO architecture was developed at
In the new design, structural members are orienta- Martin Engineering World Headquarters in Nepon-
ted at 45 degrees to horizontal, reducing the ac- set, Illinois, USA and, is available to bulk cargo
cumulation of dust and spillage without an increase handlers worldwide. In Africa, EVO technology is
in the weight (or cost) of the structure. available through Martin Engineering in Witbank,
When the cross-braces are orientated “point-up,” they Mpumalanga.
shed, rather than accumulate fugitive materials. Martin Engineering has been a leading supplier
The stringers in the new conveyor architecture com- of material flow technology for more than sixty
bine the convenience of a standard C-channel with years, with a wide range of systems and services
the material-shedding capabilities of a 45 degree to improve bulk handling.
flange. This dust accumulation-resistant structure is Nadia Scapin, Martin Engineering, Tel: (013) 656-5135,
comparable in strength to common C-channels at a Fax: (011) 656-5129, Email: info@martin-eng.co.za,
similar weight and, it accommodates conventional Website: www.martin-eng.co.za
idlers, impact beds and slider cradles.

CONVEYING
Fighting Belt Spillage

W
Avant-garde is a French word meaning to push the boundaries of e meet with the current owners
what is accepted as the norm or the status quo. In finding this of Technique Avant Garde, Lesley
definition, it soon made sense to us at “Bulk Handling Today” Masilo and Steve Alset, who bought
that the manufacturer of a unique conveyor belt scraper named the company about a year ago from
his company, Technique Avant Garde. Their stuff is not only ad- the family of Belgium founder, Justin Met after he
vanced technology but also literally an advanced guard that pro- passed away.
tects the conveyor belt and rollers from excessive wear. “The company and the product, the Dirtwhacker,
is well established in South Africa, so we decided
to keep the name,” says Lesley. “I had known Jus-
tin for many years while I was on the mines and
had learnt all the in’s and out’s of the product, so
when the company came up for sale I jumped at
the opportunity.”
Lesley comes from a mining background where he
systematically worked his way up to become the
first black foreman in a senior position. “My father
had a fleet of taxis and naturally I also ventured
into this business on the side to complement my
income. But since Technique Avant Garde, I’ve
sold it all,” says Lesley with a chuckle. “Now I
have some land where I try my hand at farming
whenever there’s time.”
It was the end of our problems in terms

of spillage-related breakdowns
Partner
Lesley first indicated that he wanted to buy the
business in the middle of the economic downturn
but he simply could not get any of the banks to
help with a loan. “It was risky times but I needed
Lesley Masilo (right) and Steve Alset of Technique Avant Garde
capital, so I approached a life-long friend Steve
to join me. In spite of my
knowledge and confidence
in the Dirtwhacker system,
it was hard work to con-
vince Steve and his wife
to join me in the venture,”
adds Lesley.
“Fortunately we’ve known
each other since youth
and we both come from
technical backgrounds,
making the partnership a
huge success because we
understand each other and
can sort out differences
amicably.”
Spillage solution
In his years on the mine,
Lesley thoroughly learnt the
advantages of the product
and, in fact, helped the for-
mer owner, Justin, sort out
Scrapers being assembled in the workshop some initial problems they

CONVEYING
spillage and were seeking a

solution when I came across
the Dirtwhacker for the first
time,” recalls Lesley.
“I met Justin at a mining
expo, saw the product and
decided to give them a
chance to do a test trial on
our belt. It was the end of
our problems in terms of
spillage-related breakdowns
as well as excessive wear on
the belt and idlers. We never
looked back.”
Local sales
Today the Dirtwhacker is
established as a proven belt
cleaning solution on mines
across the globe with sales
steadily growing since Lesley
and Steve took over. “Overall
the business has grown by
The pneumatic system that controls pressure on the belt about 30%,” says Lesley.
“When we started, sales
No specially-trained technicians are required to were spilt at 60% export and 40% local sales, but
constantly adjust the scraper we’ve since grown to an equal split between local
had with the Dirtwhacker, as he was in charge of the installations and exporting the product.”
conveyor systems at the mine. “This mine has the The Dirtwhacker, which is known as the Scavenger
first man-riding conveyor system installed in South in the United States (nobody knows why?) has
Africa, but at the time we had huge problems with many unique features that has made it a cut above

CONVEYING
the rest. “One of the main

features is the fact that it is
a system that automatically
adjusts itself and therefore no
specially-trained technicians
are required to constantly
adjust the scraper,” explains
Lesley. “Pneumatic pres-
surisation of a rubber sleeve
alters the angles within
the parallelogram modules,
thereby providing precise
and uniform pressure on the
belt surface while the system
automatically compensates
for blade wear.
No-load
“The constant blade-to-belt
angle and the even blade-
to-belt pressure over the full
width of the belt are also
unique features,” explains
Lesley. “In addition the sys- The adjustable skirting board system
tem is very flexible in that
we can customise it to suit
different applications and
products being conveyed.
The system is fully com-
patible with a reverse belt
system and blade pressure
adjustments can be done
remotely if required.
“We also have an option
to fit a no-load sensoring
device to the system,” adds
Lesley. “When a belt is
running but not conveying
material, there is no reason
for the cleaning system to
be activated, particularly
with a fast running belt
as it causes unnecessary
mechanical and thermal
wear on both the belt and
the scraper blade. The no-
load ultrasonic sensor device
detects no-load conditions The Dirtwhacker installed on the end pulley
and simply reduces pres-
sure on the pressurised tube that holds the blade An easily-adjustable skirting board system that requires
in position, thereby moving the blade off the belt no special tools to adjust
for the duration of the dry run.”
tion line,” says Lesley in conclusion.
Constant watch
Although the design has proved itself, Technique “However, we’ve come up with some complementary
Avant Garde has regular technical meetings with new ideas such as an easily-adjustable skirting board
staff and customers to keep an eye on problems system that requires no special tools to adjust. As
that might crop up in terms of specific applica- we’re constantly on the look-out for anything that
tions. “Since we’ve taken over nothing has been makes the control of spillage easier, our customers
changed in the design as such, we’ve just improved can sleep peacefully every night.”
on material selection for some of the components Lesley Masilo, Technique Avant Garde, Tel: (011) 762-2560,
and are in the process of streamlining our produc- Email: lesley@Dirtwhacker.com

2010 Lifting Guide
T
“Bulk Handling Today”, will be publishing the first ever he guide will advise industry users
LIFTING GUIDE in July 2010. The guide will be distributed on how to choose, use and maintain
together with the July 2010 edition of “Bulk Handling Today”, lifting equipment that is ‘tailor-made’
from our stand at Electra Mining in October 2010 and at vari- for their specific needs and appli-
ous seminars and conferences throughout the year. We are of- cations. Generic type of cranes and their
fering you a golden opportunity to put your product or service specifications are discussed in detail, along
on the map. with other useful information such as chains,
hoists, slings, etc.
But any machine is only as good as the per-
son who operates it, so we will also discuss
driver training, proper maintenance, health
and safety requirements, inspections and
much more.
The publication is endorsed by: LEEASA
(Lifting Equipment Engineering Association
of SA); CMA (Conveyor Manufacturers As-
sociation); SAIMechE (SA Institution of Me-
chanical Engineering), SAIMH (SA Institute
of Material Handling), and the RFA (Road
Freight Association).
If you would like your product or service to
feature in this definitive lifting guide, I will be
happy to provide you with further information
so please do not hesitate to contact me.
Make sure you’re in this comprehensive refer-
ence publication!
Kind regards,
Surita Marx, Advertising Sales Consultant, Bulk
Handling Today, Tel: (011) 781- 1401 / 083 281
5761, E-mail: bulkhandling@promech.co.za
Surita Marx

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
Tracked screeners rebranded Technological enhancements include improved bearing qual-

Coinciding with the relocation of Metso Minerals’ mobile ity and remote greasing. Additional protection is now also
screening factory to the company’s existing crusher plant provided for the hopper skirts to improve skirt life; whilst a
in Tampere, Finland, is the 2010 launch of the re-branded revised adjustable covered discharge chute design further
Lokotrack ST track mounted screen series, which comes with increases material flow efficiencies. On the main and fines
a host of new technological enhancements. conveyors, additional rollers have been added to reduce the
risk of spillage to a minimum.
Within the southern African market, the new ST range will
complement a growing population of Metso Minerals mobile Barloworld Equipment, Tel: (011) 929-000, Website: www.barloworld-
units already performing sterling service on mining, quar- equipment.com
rying and construction sites across the region. Locally, the
Metso mobile range is sold and supported by Barloworld
Equipment, which is also the exclusive southern African
Caterpillar distributor.
“One of the major new developments on the ST range is Metso
Minerals’ decision to fit Caterpillar C4.4 Tier 3 engines as a
standard OEM item across the series,” explains Trevor Garden,
general manager: Metso, at Barloworld Equipment. High-lift crane leader
Condra has reported recent deliveries of four high-lift hoists
The well-proven Metso ST358 and ST458 models have now
to local customers, one of them an articulated machine with
been re-named as the ST3.8 and ST4.8, which best describes
a capacity of 45-tons, another with a very high lift of 112
the tasks which these machines are designed to perform. For
metres. The company has received enquiries for similar
example, on the ST3.8, ‘S’ stands for Screen, ‘T’ for tracked,
equipment from two neighbouring states.
‘3’ indicates the number of discharge conveyors, and ‘8’ the
area in square metres to the nearest whole number. The modular design of Condra’s K-Series allows rapid modifi-

Market Forum
variable speed control levels on the drives to enable
precise load positioning even on lifts of 100 metres
and more. Hoist speeds of between zero and 18
metres per minute, and travel speeds of between
zero and 200 metres per minute, are possible.
The company has in the past manufactured mine
headgear maintenance cranes with lift heights in ex-
cess of 80 metres, more than three times the 25-metres
classified by international standards as very high.
Hoists above 2-tons are manufactured in Gauteng, at the
Typical Condra company’s custom made premises in Raceway Industrial Park.
K-Series hoist For lift applications below 2-tons, Condra serves as the sole
South African distributor of Hitachi electric chain hoists.
Josef Kleiner, Condra (Pty) Ltd, Tel: (011) 021-3712, Fax: 086-669-
2372, Email: condra@mweb.co.za
cation to specific high-lift application requirements, resulting Line of cone crushers

in delivery times that are usually the shortest available. With the Nordberg MP1250cone crusher Metso is provid-
ing up to 30% increase in capacity as a result of advanced
Competitive prices are the result of long production runs of
crushing dynamics, while increasing the horsepower to 1250
standard parts.
HP. All of this, with an installation that uses the same foot-
Condra uses silumin rotor cores to enhance K-Series mo- print as the MP1000, means greater productivity without
tor-starting torque in the high-lift role, and has developed additional expense.

Market Forum
The MP1250 has nearly a dozen key features and benefits and monitor; fewer adjustment motors to service; and faster
that include a redesigned mainframe for improved durability; bowl removal.
a new eccentric design that provides improved surface fin- Improved eccentric design reduces bushing wear during re-
ish and protects the eccentric in the event of overload; and duced feed conditions. Robust design of the fully-machined
a new head bushing design that further reduces head spin sleeved eccentric provides less wear and more protection
during no-load operation without the need for a mechanical in overload conditions. A new tramp system provides better
clutch assembly. protection from mechanical overload, and new drive ring
Design improvements in the mantle locknut make mainte- pads provide longer life.
nance quicker and easier, and there are also upgrades in If you are an existing MP1000 cone crusher user, you can
the hydraulic tramp protection system, bowl adjustment expect the same results by using Metso’s MP1250 retrofit
and removal, and faster hydraulic re-pressurization times. kit for upgrading to high-throw and high pivot point. The kit
Together with the new gradation auto-sizing automation includes a new sleeved, high-throw eccentric; large counter-
system, these improvements make the MP1250 a formidable weight with bolt-on guard; upper head bushing; head ball;
addition to Metso’s well-established line of cone crushers. and socket liner.
Many of the select upgrade features are also available as
individual components. Metso is a global supplier of sustainable technology and
services for mining, construction, power generation, automa-
tion, recycling and the pulp and paper industries. We have
over 28,000 employees in more than 50 countries. www.
metso.com
Darryl Moss, Metso Minerals, Tel: (011) 961-4000, Fax: (011) 397-
5084, Email: darryl.moss@metso.com
Work harder or not

NewElec’s 330 Series low voltage electronic motor protec-
tion relay is designed to protect wound rotor motors used
on winches or overhead cranes.
The motor duty class, starting class, cyclic duration factor,
power and load current value are of fundamental importance
and permit accurate full load protection and adjustment. The
inverse thermal curve caters for a cyclic duration factor that
offers both stator and rotor protection. This allows the motor
to be used to its full duty class and CDF, but still maintain
accurate, repeatable protection on small or marginal loads.
Maximum load threshold is adjustable between 30% and
100% of the CT primary current.
A higher fulcrum point and increased throw mean more work

per cycle. An increased power rating of 1250 HP translates
into a 30% potential increase in capacity. Higher power-to-
production ratio means more efficient use of energy.
An advanced Gradation Auto-Setting System eliminates
the need for frequent calibration and continually monitors
product size for more consistent crushing and output. It also
automatically adjusts the crusher setting.
Easier maintenance is achievable with bolt-on counterweight
liners; a new head-nut or locknut that only requires com-
mon hand tools to replace; fewer accumulators to charge

Market Forum
Latched trip LEDs indicate overload and unbalance detection says Branch Manager, Michele Coetzee.
and trip, with a separate trip and thermal lock-out period “The phenomenal success that followed these measures
in process indication. necessitated further expansion and we recently added
When the 330 Series relay is placed in the crane operator’s another SKF core technology, power transmission, to our
cabin, this will provide him with a visual display of the op- product and service offering. Everything is now in place to
erational state of his crane motor in terms of workload. He deliver an expanded product range and services to existing
will be able to see whether or not he can work the crane and potential customers across industry”.
harder or whether he needs to reduce speed. Michele, who was appointed Bearing Services Springs Branch
Luc Dutrieux, NewElec, Tel: (012) 327-1729, Fax: (012) 327-1733, Manager in October 2005, had been with SKF South Africa
E-mail: sales@newelec.co.za, Web: www.
newelec.co.za
Now in springs
Bearing Services Springs, a division
of Bearing Services Africa (Pty) Ltd,
the only authorised distributor of SKF
products and services for the Springs
and surrounding areas, is proud to be
the first authorised SKF Distributor to
introduce a SISI (Stock it – Sell it) order
system comprising SKF branded power
transmission products to deliver value
added service to their customers.
“When Bearing Services Africa acquired
the SKF Springs branch in August 2005,
we consolidated the basics by increasing
and expanding the stockholding and by
putting the right staff mix into place to
be able to offer exceptional customer Michele Coetzee, Bearing Services Springs Branch Manager supplying SKF branded
service and a full range of SKF products”, power transmission products

Market Forum
for 20 years. “For most of my long career with SKF South 30 pallet show trailer which weighed in at an impressive 8
Africa, I worked in the Springs area so I am well versed 380kg’s including the cooler unit. This weight saving will
with the market and the environment. I know the custom- deliver a reduction over a seven-year period of 37 tons in CO2
ers well and I think I can confidently say that they trust my emissions and a reduction of 0,81 litres of fuel per 100km
commitment to them.” in comparison to a standard trailer with single tyres. This
Springs is considered to be one of Gauteng’s major industrial amount increases to a 58,9-ton saving in CO2 emissions
sites, housing some of South Africa’s main players in pulp and a 1,27 litre saving in fuel per 100km when compared
and paper, food and beverage, mining and other industries. with a trailer with dual tyres.
“Stocking industrial power transmission products was simply In a recent survey, it was found that almost a quarter of
a logical step”, says Michele. vehicles inspected had under inflated tyres which increase
“When our technicians do testing on belt tensioning and fuel consumption and emissions. In this respect Serco have
identify worn belts, we can now also supply the required item introduced the ‘P-eye’ tyre pressure sensors as a simple but
off the shelf. This not only makes good business sense but effective way to remedy this problem while saving on tyre
more importantly, we are adding value for our customers; by wear and fuel at the same time.
including the SKF core technologies, we have the products Maintaining the thermal efficiency of the body is paramount
to satisfy virtually every diverse application requirement.” to reduce fuel consumption of the fridge motor. Prompt at-
Michele says that, cost consideration aside, customers demand tention to attend to damage to the body will help reduce
professional after sales service and product availability. water ingress. Door seals and heat bridges will also impact
Samantha Joubert, MarComm Assistant, SKF South Africa (Pty) on the thermal efficiency of the body.
Ltd, Tel: (011)821-3500, Fax: (011)821-
3501, Email: samantha.joubert@skf.com,
Web: www.skf.co.za
Sound economic sense

Reducing vehicle tare weight reduces
rolling resistance and therefore CO2
emissions.
Serco’s Super Reefer Lite, launched in
2009 achieves a substantial weight
saving against the standard trailer of
up to 1000kg’s. The ultra lightweight

Market Forum
The type of refrigerant used is also a major factor. Certain CFC deal with client assets to the value of millions of Rands, where
refrigerants have now been banned and we are seeing more each failure is disruptive to production and very costly. At
efficient motors which use less fuel being introduced. the same time, they adhere to stringent occupational health,
Numerous other aspects can be considered when making safety and environmental regulations.
the choice to be responsible. It is however; clear that going The main objective of implementing an Enterprise Asset Man-
green can also make sound economic sense. agement is to strike an optimal balance between maximising
Serco (Pty) Ltd, Clinton Holcroft Tel: (031) 508-1000 Overall Asset Productivity (OAP) and minimising Total Cost
of Ownership (TCO) and Maximizing ROI.
Rema decided on a software solution that is much more
than computerised maintenance management software
(CMMS), which captures only standard transaction main-
tenance metrics.
The EAM software solution addresses; scheduled mainte-
Organisation-wide impact nance; reliability and risk management; strategic planning
Historically Rema Tip Top South Africa, like many other —increase visibility into asset performance management to
companies, ran on reactive (run-to-failure) service models, better align these resources with corporate goals and inven-
but the company now beginning to embrace a TCO model tory and warranty —optimise inventory and purchasing to
(Total Cost of Ownership), complete life cycle management, save money.
planning and costing, planned maintenance and best prac- Uptime —forecast likely failure points and the causes to
tices that sets their focus to proactive maintenance rather improve uptime.
than reactive.
Adslen Exall Rema Tip Top South Africa, Tel: (011) 813-2223, Fax:
By managing the assets across their own as well as their (011) 817-2227, Email: adslen@rematiptop.co.za, Web: www.rema-
client facilities, Rema Tip Top is out to improve utilisation tiptop.com
and performance, reduce costs, extend asset life and improve
ROI (Return On Investment) and ROA (Return on Assets).
Providing services and solutions in the bulk material handling
and processing industry, Rema Tip Top, also faces the harsh
realities of operating in this highly competitive market. They
Oil renewal system

Designed to help lower greenhouse gas emissions, Caterpillar’s
Oil Renewal System (or ORS) provides a new, cost-effective
and environmentally-friendly way of managing oil usage,
its maintenance and disposal on Cat’s 3500B off-highway
truck engine series.
“By injecting controlled amounts of used oil from the crankcase
into the engine’s fuel return line, ORS burns off waste oil as
This Cat 785C automatically burns waste oil during its daily production
tasks thanks to the fitment of Caterpillar’s Oil Renewal System

Market Forum
the machine operates,”
explains Wally Parsons,
senior product manager:
after-sales at Barloworld
Equipment, the exclusive
Caterpillar dealer in south-
ern Africa.
With the addition of re-
placement oil at strategic
intervals, ORS dramati-
cally extends the period
between oil changes;
reduces servicing time;
and cuts both the costs
and environmental im-
pacts of handling waste
engine oil.
During day-to-day opera-
tions, ORS activates auto-
matically when operating
parameters, such as opti-
mal engine temperature,
are reached. Measured in
five minute intervals, the
amount of oil injected var-
ies according to the rate
of fuel consumed and the
load factor.
“The ratio of oil to fuel
can also be adjusted to suit specific job site conditions and tive ITOY logos appear on the doors, along with the ‘edition
applications by using Cat’s Electronic Technician (Cat ET) number’. The wheels and fuel tanks are polished alloy, and
service tool, says Wally. the nose has a dark chrome Swedish bull bar with four Bosch
spotlights, complete with griffin imprinted lens covers. There’s
Initially, ORS has been approved for use on the Cat 777D,
a chromed high-rise exhaust pipe behind the cab.
785C, 789C, 793C, 797 and 797B.
Wally Parsons, After-sales, Tel: (011)-929-0000, E-mail: wparsons@
The interior is spectacular, with a two-tone leather covered
barloworld-equipment.com. Alastair Currie, Media Relations Man- steering wheel, luxury leather seats with embossed griffin
ager, Barloworld Equipment, Tel: (011)-929-0000, E-mail: acurrie@ logos and integral armrests, and three-tone leather and
barloworld-equipment.com fabric upholstery with leather window sill elbow pads. The
New R-Series ‘Bling’ V8

Scania Southern Africa launched
the new R-Series truck range in
April only months after the it won
the International Truck of the Year
Award last December. Scania is
offering diehard V8 customers the
new R580 V8 6x4 Highline tractor
in a stunning Limited Edition ‘bling’
version.
The truck features a stunning ‘liquid
gold’ colour scheme with matching
bumpers, mirrors and roof deflector,
and large, stylised griffin decals on
each side of the cab. Commemora-

Market Forum
door panels feature leather upholstery also with beautifully
embossed griffin motifs. Subscription
“The new Limited Edition R580 is the ultimate Scania V8
for all our die-hard V8 customers,” says Alec Mack, Scania’s Please fax us if you wish to subscribe to “Bulk Handling Today” at
National Sales Director. “The new R-Series introduces a R400,00 (incl postage and VAT) per year; R945,00 per year for Af-
new dimension in safety, fuel efficiency and driver comfort
rica/Overseas. We will post you an invoice on receipt of your fax.
to trucking in South Africa, and we are thrilled to be able to
offer it to our customers,” concludes Mack. PROMECH PUBLISHING Fax No: (011) 781-1403
The #1 Limited Edition V8 was handed over to Time Link Email: editorial@promech.co.za
Cargo at the official R-Series launch event in April.
Scania South Africa, Tel: (011) 661-9600, www.scania.co.za From:.........................................................................................
(insert your name)
Title: ..........................................................................................
Company: .................................................................................
Address: ..................................................................................
Touch industries
Instrotech’s range of rotary incremental encoders have been
sold in their thousands for use in the toughest environments ....................................................................................................
where precision is required under high mechanical stress.
......................................................................Code: ..................
Known for durability due to a heavy duty zinc die cast housing
with waterproof connector, the encoders are available in both
through hollow shaft and solid shaft. An ideal application Telephone: (.......) ....................................................................
is for belt weigher’s with pulley and counter weight to run
under the belt. Both single channel (for speed measurement) Fax: (.......) ................................................................................
or dual channel
with reference Email: .......................................................................................
pulse (for
quadrature
positioning)
are avail-
able. Index to Advertisers
AMD Rotolok 36
AST Outside / Inside Front Cover
Brelko 37
Chorus Call 23
Resolution
Clyde Materials Handling 10
is a maximum
1024 pulses/ Engineer Placements 23
revolution and JIP 12
the encoder Joy Mining Machinery Outside Back Cover
provides vari-
Martin Engineering 12, 28
ous electronic
outputs such as Quadrant 30
PP, LD, LD24 and RFA Inside Back Cover
OC to ensure compat- Rula 8
ibility with connecting
devices. Sapics 24
Scania 14
The Siko model 1G07 has through hollow shaft diameters
of up to 20mm, while the IG17 solid shaft unit diameters Technique Avant Garde 16
are up to 16mm and also offered in an IP68 version as an ThyssenKrupp 34, 35
option. Wilec 13
Pieter Deysel, Instrotech (Pty) Ltd, Tel: (011) 462-1920, Fax: (011) Waloni Industries/Sureguide 32
462-1958, Email: info@instrotech.co.za

RFA
Convention 2010
Shift into Overdrive
Sunday 22 August to Tuesday 24 August 2010
Wild Coast Sun

WITHOUT TRUCKS, SOUTH AFRICA STOPS!
The Scania R-series.
International Truck of the year.
Scania. Destined to Lead. Scania Southern Africa

Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia
South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

BHT: May 2010

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BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 

 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

Featured on the cover: Contents

The monthly circulation Proprietor and Publisher: Advertising Sales:

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 

From the Secretary’s Desk

CMA Members List as at May 2010

 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

Act Now For

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 

 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

Hooking the Truckers

I converted the barracks so

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 

the women were in a state of undress.

The driver and one of the women were

So the tenant concluded: “There is something new

 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 

on every model in the new F-Series which will

10 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 11

System (RTMS). Not only does this deal with

A number of operators have ordered

12 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

sibility from consignors as well as truckers.

The operator doesn’t necessarily know what

“When it comes to sealed containers, if the manifest

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 13

Most Productive Equipment www.joy.com

Zero Harm Mentality South Africa Operations

14 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

from any third parties.

Winning Trailer Design

The trailers will not only

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 15

directly from a vessel onto the old trailers

16 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

High Speed Conveying

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 17

Cost comparison of capital cost vs. belt speed (cost in R1000’s)

18 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 19

Figure 4: Pre-Cast Module for 1200mm wide belts

20 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

excitation or idler induced

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 21

into the conical section

22 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

High speed conveying is shown to be a more cost effective

This paper has been condensed due to space constraints. The

Don’t Miss the first ever

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 23

The SAPICS Annual Conference is the Leading

32nd Annual Conference & Exhibition

T 011 023 6707, F 086 575 2979 or

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 25

safety and serviceability. Wear liner

26 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

Fighting Belt Spillage

It was the end of our problems in terms

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010 27

spillage and were seeking a

28 BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY May 2010