PROBLEM
The plant handles 1,000,000 tons of PRB coal per year and was experiencing carryback and belt wander on the rail unloading belt feeders. The carryback was reducing efficiency and profitability and increasing maintenance and cleanup expenses. The buildup of material on rolling components was also contributing to increased power consumption and the wandering belt. Unsafe working conditions were a concern due to material accumulation on floors and walkways, creating slip/trip hazards along with fire hazards.
SOLUTION
After analyzing results from the Martin® Walk the Belt™ , a detailed inspection of the entire conveyor system, Martin recommended upgrading the existing belt cleaners to properly remove carryback and installing lower trackers to resolve the belt tracking issues. Martin provided two primary belt cleaners, the Martin® QC1+™ Cleaner XHD, and two heavy-duty lower Martin® Trackers™.
RESULTS
In addition to resolving the carryback and belt tracking issues, Martin Engineering's upgrades improved maintenance planning and conveyor availability as emergency outages and unscheduled downtime were drastically reduced. Therefore, maintenance expenses were reduced, and working conditions and plant safety were improved as well.