Problem
Luminant Sandow handles 31,200 tons of lignite per month, leaving little time for downtime due to belt damage. The plant had an existing VPlow installed, but only at one point, which allowed the nose of the plow to dip down from wear or belt slack. When the nose would dip, the plow would dig into the belt, causing belt damage and even ripping the belt. Previously, Luminant Sandow had tried to have a person physically hold up the nose of the VPlow while the tension was put back on the belt, but that method failed as well. This problem cost the plant $26,000 plus labor.
Solution
The plant decided to install a Martin® VPlow HD with 2 hinge-points for support. The Martin® VPlow HD effectively removes material before the conveyor enters the tail pulley, with a simple yet secure mounting that protects both the plow and the pulley. The sturdy 80 Shore A Durometer Nitrile rubber blade provides two inches (50 mm) of wear life at service temperatures up to 250°F (121°C) and belt speeds up to 900 fpm (4.6 m/sec).
Results
Luminant Sandow was satisfied with the installation of the Martin® VPlow HD because it eliminated the risk of someone forgetting to manually support the old plow. It also prevented the plant from having to make costly repairs to the belt and/or replace the belt. Without having to worry about downtime, Luminant Shadow is now able to focus on production.
