Bulk material handling
conveyor automation technology

Conveyor roller automation monitoring could not be easier with wireless 24/7 conveyor roller reporting and an easy-to-use system.

When a conveyor roller bearing fails, a roller can overheat, seize or collapse. A failed roller can result in a safety hazard and serious damage to other parts of the conveyor, knowing when this is about to take place can preempt a significant safety hazard and save time and money.

Conveyor idler failure is the leading cause of belt damage and hazardous heating. Globally, idler failure is the primary ignition source in underground coalmine fires. This problem could be eliminated by conveyor automation Smart-Idler® technology. This technology improves productivity and personnel safety, while reducing downtime and excessive roller expenditure.

Smart-Idler® automates the roller management process by eliminating manual monitoring of conveyors and pre-empting roller faults before they occur.

Conveyor roller automation monitoring
The best way to improve your facility operates – to utilise the conveyor roller automation monitoring technology
Failing belt conveyor rollers
PRODUCTION DELAYS
IGNITION SOURCE FOR FIRES
NOISE POLLUTION
WASTEFULLY CHANGED OUT TOO EARLY
ELEVATED MANUAL HANDLING EXPOSURE FOR PERSONNEL
CAUSE MAJOR BELT DAMAGE
CAUSE BELT TRACKING ISSUES
PLUS MUCH MORE

Have you protected your conveyor belt yet?

The most costly component in the conveyor system is a belt.

Seized rollers can fail, producing the ‘potato peeler’ and ‘pizza cutter’ effects, cutting through the bottom cover and can heat up and cause fires as they grind to a halt. Watch for idlers that have come out of the frame, as they can damage and injure. Build-up of carry back on idlers will cause belt cover damage and can cause belt tracking. Spillage increases idler drag and energy consumption and is a cause of belt tracking. Idlers that are buried in spillage will fail early as the bearing seals are penetrated, as a result the shell of failed rollers can get worn out and cut the belt.

Conveyor automation by Smart-Idler®:

  • Avoid delays & increased maintenance
  • Improve personnel safety by limiting exposure – Quantifiable hazard exposure reduction.
Learn how technology works

Understand where your roller problems are

Which roller is causing the problem?

Rollers must be inspected whilst still rolling!! This is dangerous! And how will you get to the conveyor shuttle while operating?

A Common Scenario Example:

On key conveyors often batches or ‘zones’ of rollers are replaced all at the same time, when the fact is that only a handful of rollers actually require replacement.

Why?

Unnecessary number of rollers are replaced due to the FEAR of future failure events that stop production.

Result:

Adding a cost of unnecessary changed rollers and additional manual handling tasks for maintenance personnel exposed to associated injuries.

smart belt conveyor idler
Smart-idler installation
Changing Roller is
dangerous
expensive
stops production
unnecessary if done on a guess
using scarce labour
time consuming

THERE IS A BETTER WAY with conveyor automation by Smart-idler®

Plan your maintenance in advance accessing the data generated by Smart rollers, and change only the rollers with predicted failure. Your personnel will not waste a valuable time by walking along the operating conveyor, jeopardising their safety, and looking for roller failures. Follow the Smart roller’s data insights and head directly to failed or deteriorating rollers.

did you know?
Unmitigated risk is high?
Ship loader

Look what happened to the Ship loader at Vale iron ore terminal where The fire broke out on January 14, 2021.

Read Source

Mining

A deputy smelled and witnessed smoke coming down a drift in an underground coal mine and contacted the control room. A dolly car operator immediately started an inspection and identified a small flame and smoldering coal under the drift belt. The fire was immediately extinguished. An idler had collapsed, and the belt was rubbing on the frame. Excess coal around the roller had ignited.

 

Comments to industry: Workers conducting inspections on conveyors must diligently inspect for fire risks such as accumulation of coal, failing or collapsed idlers and contact between conveyor belts and fixed structures. Mine operators must have systems in place to assess issues and plan a response to avoid the risk of fire, including immediately stopping the conveyor when necessary. No worker should be hesitant to stop a conveyor if it poses a fire risk.

Read Source 

Сonveyor fire

Newmont Goldcorp says fire damage at Musselwhite mine to be fixed in 2020

Newmont Goldcorp Corp. is working toward resolving issues caused by a fire earlier in the year that damaged the conveyor system at its large Musselwhite mine in Ontario.

Read Source

Terminal fire

UK-Australian producer Rio Tinto's joint venture Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) has declared force majeure on its contracts following a fire at its Sept-Iles port facilities on 31 March, 2021.

Read Source

Regular catastrophic roller incidents happen globally!
Is your operation at risk?

WHAT WOULD A catastrophic failure cost your company?Click to open table
 
1 in 50 event annualised cost 1 in 100 event annualised cost
$20M incident $400,000 $200,000
$100M incident $2,000,000 $1,000,000

Smart-Idler® Return on Investment (ROI) is that you mitigate the risk of catastrophic roller failure. Along with saving you labour $ and Downtime $, you can be rest assured that your ‘hidden risk’ is mitigated.

What is your annualised cost of carrying this unmitigated risk?

Automation of bulk materials handling conveyor
Digitalise your maintenance insights in near real time!
The solution
Produce more tonnes
Optimise your maintenance workflow
Reduce your hazard exposure
  • Access the Smart-Idler® Data, streamed direct from your conveyor to your fingertips
  • Integrate with 3rd Party Systems / Software / Equipment on site
  • Better manage the deployment of your maintenance resources
  • Replace only the conveyor rollers that have the detected issues
So, if you knew there is a solution for all of above-mentioned issues and risks, would not you implement a Smart-Idler® technology?

Learn how Smart-Idler® technology works