Do you have conveyors that spill material? Are you experiencing airborne dust? Is your belt damaged? Do your transfer points need attention? Are your crews continuously cleaning up fugitive material? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you can relate to the torment this operation was going through.
Since Halloween is this week, I interrupt our normal blog-style posts to bring you this spooky story. Enjoy...or else! 🎃
Problem
This operation was experiencing dangerous spillage at the loading zone of its tower-mounted conveyor (the tower of terror - not the Disney World ride). Despite installing equipment from a previous supplier, workers found that dust filled the tower (it looked like Casper and his family surrounding the tower 👻) and chunks of raw material 2 to 3 inches in diameter gushed from the transfer chute onto the stairs, partially blocking access to the area and creating a potential workplace threat.
Twice a month, operations would be killed for 12 to 24 hours so that a 4-5 person skeleton crew 💀could recover spillage and return it to the cargo flow. Increased cleanup and downtime raised the cost of operation and slashed efficiency.
Solution
And then...(insert scary music here) all of the sudden on the abandoned, dark conveyor, they saw a Martin Engineering rep "walking the belt" (with appropriate PPE and a flashlight of course).
After an extensive review of the entire conveyor system, Martin technicians devised a plan of attack that would address and solve all areas of concern in the bulk material handling process.
- Properly guide the cargo through the transfer chute to ensure centered material loading
- Keep the conveyor belt aligned to prevent edge damage and reduce spillage
- Adequately support the belt to absorb the force of falling material and reduce fugitive material & dust
- Maintain an effective seal to keep material on the belt
- Capture dust and return material to the cargo stream
Results
Following installation, fugitive material was significantly reduced and spillage no longer cut off the access area. The air around the transfer point and throughout the tower is much cleaner. “We no longer need to allocate staff for cleaning during scheduled shutdowns,” said an operational manager. “We’re very happy with the work done by Martin Engineering.” The customer cited the expert service, a thorough understanding of the mine’s needs, and the quality of the equipment for why they chose Martin.
We were thrilled to get this operation out of a terrifying and treacherous situation. Day-to-day operations should not be frightening and warning signs should not be overlooked or ignored as they can lead to terror.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, what is your next step? "Who ya gonna call?" (Ghostbusters! 👻) You can call us too, we might not be as kooky but we can certainly help get you on the path to a 
operation.
To get in the Halloween spirit, I dressed up today. Any guesses what I am? Comment below with your answer for a chance to win a Martin Treat. Also, feel free to let me know what you, your kids, pets, and/or family members are dressing up as. 🎃
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