{"id":6148,"date":"2017-10-06T01:00:40","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T17:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/conveyor-belt-tech-potential-revolutionise-age-old-system\/"},"modified":"2022-12-07T13:08:03","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T05:08:03","slug":"conveyor-belt-tech-potential-revolutionise-age-old-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/conveyor-belt-tech-potential-revolutionise-age-old-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Conveyor belt tech has the potential to revolutionise an age-old system"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever since the first conveyor system was developed in the 18th<\/sup> century and consisted of a leather belt and hand cranked wooden pulleys, engineers have been refining the device to maximise its operation and efficiency in transporting goods and resources.<\/p>\n

Ahmad Fleyfel, Curtin alumnus and Technical Manager of Conveyor Products and Solutions (CPS) in Perth, Western Australia, has engineered a new drive system for conveyors typically used in the iron ore industry or other bulk material handling applications. The system can add power to the belt at any point along its length, effectively optimising plant power and infrastructure on mine sites.<\/p>\n

Traditional conveyor systems have a single drive unit and input power at only one point along the conveyor. This results in high belt tension which is usually counteracted by a thicker, heavier belt. This in turn requires larger pulleys, which then demands solid surrounding structures and components. Ultimately, many conveyor systems are large, unwieldy structures that are expensive to operate and maintain.<\/p>\n

By adding power to the belt at any location along its length using individual drive units, Fleyfel\u2019s innovation allows for a much more efficient and economical conveyor system, and also enables conveyors to be upgraded rather than fully replaced.<\/p>\n

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The drive can be added to the belt anywhere along its length. Photo credit: BHP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe distributed drive technology has a variety of benefits \u2013 but at the core of it all, it adds options, both to the conveyor itself, and to the surrounding infrastructure and mine,\u201d says Fleyfel.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn a new conveyor system, the technology can reduce the capital outlay and operational expense of the conveyor and surrounding plant through reduction in component specifications and new opportunities in plant layout \u2013 the driven units can assist the belt in tracking more tightly around bends, for example.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn existing conveyors, it can be used to cheaply retrofit power without needing to upgrade other components, or to change distributions of tension throughout the belt in order to solve conveyor belt tracking, liftoff or other operational issues. The key is that the technology provides new solutions to a broad range of issues that previously had to be worked around.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe distributed drive system is made up of a series of anywhere from individual, to dozens or hundreds of drive units, depending on power requirements. Typical drive units are in the area of 5-30kW. Installations can be hundreds or thousands of kW,\u201d explains Fleyfel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe individual drive units are simple pulleys with minimal angle of wrap, that fit between and replace existing conveyor rollers. They are run by a standard induction motor, and are equipped with a traction control system enabled by variable speed drives. They are controlled by a higher level power distribution controller, which distributes torque in order to reach target conveyor speeds and other requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The individual drive units are simple pulleys that fit between and replace existing conveyor rollers. Photo credit BHP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Did you know?<\/h3>\n