Problem
Altos Hornos de Mexico mine #7 started operating at only 15% of its operational capacity. As the capacity increased, the existing impact cradles started to fail. Conveyors 7BC1 and 7BC2 had Continental Conveyor impact cradles installed, but the customer was interested in changing them because they were not holding up to the extreme operational conditions. These impact cradles started having issues in the beginning when the operational capacity was only 15% and had already been fixed many times.
Solution
After a field inspection, Martin Engineering recommended installing heavy-duty Martin® Impact Cradles due to the extreme operating conditions and the application. Martin® Impact Cradles had been installed in other mines of Altos Hornos de Mexico so the customer was familiar with the product and knew these impact cradles would solve the problem. The cradles feature a top layer of slick UHMW molded to a base of impact-absorbing SBR Rubber. Each impact bar is then reinforced with a steel support structure. The cradles also incorporate the Martin® Trac-Mount™ design concept making replacing the bars easier.
Results
The customer was very satisfied with the impact cradle upgrade. The new impact cradles withstood the extreme operational conditions and they are easy to install and maintain, making things safer for employees. The mine is now running at 100% with no issues. The Martin® impact cradles continue to absorb the impact from the load zone and provide more life to the belt. In addition, the conveyor is operating at its most efficient capacity, making the customer pleased with the boosted productivity.
