Unscheduled stops and shutdowns can cause major losses in productivity and income, and that makes keeping conveyor belts clean essential.
As a leader in manufacturing and supplying conveyor products, DYNA Engineering understands the ins and outs of the industry – and is across all of the details.
The company is acutely aware, for example, of the importance of utilising spray bars to ensure residue is not stuck to the belt surface.
Most material being transported along a conveyor belt is discharged at the head pulley, but a small amount, known as carryback, will stick to the belt surface.
This can lead to spillage along the return strand of the conveyor, which can quickly drop off and build up, potentially causing a variety of increasingly serious and expensive problems if left unchecked.
That’s why cleaning and maintaining a conveyor belt is so essential – and DYNA Engineering has a vast range of belt tools to help mining operations stay on top of the situation.
One of these tools is the company’s DYNAFastFit spray bar, which not only helps mine sites keep conveyor belts clean but also provides a number of operational and financial benefits.
A spray bar is a pipe arrangement with several spray nozzle fittings that are used to disperse a liquid (usually water) in a desired pattern to assist with cleaning the conveyor belt or suppressing dust particles.
“The DYNAFastFit spray bars are designed to be safer and easier to maintain,” DYNA Engineering general manager Thomas Greaves told Australian Mining.
“They have a unique design that employs a fully retractable bar, mounted in a stationary shaft to form a two-part assembly. This allows the bar to be safely removed and returned to its original position while the conveyor is running, without the need for highly skilled labour.
“When the spray bar is removed, maintenance can be performed in a safe and ergonomic location. This allows maintenance personnel to quickly remove any sediment build-up from the pipe and unblock any clogged nozzles.”
Stainless steel DYNAFastFit spray bars are configured to suit almost any function, so they can be used for a range of applications, flow rates and supply pressures.
The long-lasting nature of the stainless steel means mining operations won’t have to spend thousands to maintain or replace the spray bars.
Generally speaking, the sticky material caught on the conveyor hardens when it dries, clogging conventional spray bars. But the retractability of the DYNAFastFit spray bars changes that equation.
“A major bauxite miner in the south-west of Western Australia uses DYNAFastFit spray bars to effectively clean sticky carryback from their conveyor belts,” Greaves said.
“The miner was previously using conventional spray bars, but they were constantly clogging with the hardened material. This caused downtime and safety hazards, as ground operators had to climb onto the conveyor belt to clear the blockages.”
The DYNAFastFit spray bars’ unique design means ground operators can safely clear the blockages from a ground-level location without having to climb onto the conveyor belt.
“The (WA) miner has reported that the DYNAFastFit spray bars have significantly reduced downtime and improved safety,” Greaves said.
“They are also more effective at cleaning the conveyor belts, which has helped to extend the lifespan of the belts.”
The DYNAFastFit spray bars have received positive feedback from many customers.
“Customers have reported that the DYNAFastFit spray bars are more effective at cleaning conveyor belts than other spray bars, as they are made from high-quality materials and are designed to distribute water evenly across the width of the conveyor belt,” Greaves said. “The DYNAFastFit spray bars are designed to be safe and easy to maintain, which is in line with the overall focus of our DYNAFastFit range.”
This feature appeared in the October 2023 issue of Australian Mining.