Making (Digital) Waves in the Pilbara with New & Improved Belt Wear Monitoring Technology
Mobile BeltGauge, part of the iBelt technology suite made by the team at Fenner Conveyors, has received significant design improvements which are enhancing uptake at regional sites across Australia.
iBelt is Fenner Conveyors’ brand for intelligent conveying solutions; a suite of technology that seamlessly enhance conveyor systems by delivering streams of actionable data for mining operations.
The iBelt suite captures and translates data on conveyor system assets, to make predictions autonomously and empower clients to address issues before they arise - and with the latest development to mobile BeltGauge, intelligent conveying just got better!
The BeltGauge solution has always been offered in two formats: a fixed and mobile design. National Technical Manager, Alan Clout, explained how each option has its benefits.
“While our fixed mobile BeltGauge is ideal for 24/7 monitoring of key systems, it does require a larger capital investment. Whereas for customers wanting to monitor multiple system across a site (and without such a heavy investment), our mobile BeltGauge is recommended solution,” explained Clout.
“Mobile BeltGauge is a versatile, easy-to-install device that can be set up almost anywhere along a conveyor system. Its design allows for the scanning of multiple conveyors in a single shift, providing deeper insights into conveyor performance across your site.”
The original mobile BeltGauge design was launched to market in 2021 and since then has made strives with accessible belt wear monitoring, primarily at sites in Western Australia and New South Wales.
“Earlier this year we identified some areas our design could be enhanced, and so we got to work,” said Clout.
East Rockingham team with new mobile BeltGauge equipment.
Redesign of the mobile BeltGauge’s control box was managed and custom-built in-house at Fenner Conveyors’ East Rockingham workshop.
A standout feature of the new design is its re-engineering to optimise operational use. National Technical Manager, Alan Clout, said the new design is now reliable and durable for travel to and from site.
“It’s a better, more robust and compact design that’s ready to meet the challenges of site-based work, including quick response travel. This means we can react – if a site needs us, we can be on a flight in the morning.” explained Clout.
The new and improved mobile BeltGauge is already in use in the Pilbara of Western Australia. At one iron ore port facility, iBelt technicians have been flying in every two weeks for scans to monitor the wear profile on a stacker conveyor system.
Heatmap depicts the wear profile of 120m of conveyor belt when newly installed on a system, compared to nearing end of life.
“By monitoring cover thickness of conveyor belt we help sites to better plan maintenance schedules and avoid unforeseen downtime.”
All data captured in mobile BeltGauge scans is recorded in the DigitalHub portal, which is used to estimate asset life as well as recommended dates to retire assets.
Snapshot of mobile BeltGauge data transformed into asset life predictions in the DigitalHub portal.
Branch Manager, Matt Shilson, explained how the team drew on previous design expertise in the engineering of the new control system for mobile BeltGauge.
“As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), we utilised our latest build practices and hardware from a similar control box, enabling us to achieve a swift turnaround for product development, testing and launch to market.”
A revised control box design simplifies data collection even further, featuring a specialised sensor interface, which acts as a network block and connects to the ultrasonic sensors. These bocks allow the sensors to take 250 belt thickness measurements per second.
The control box now also includes a multi format pin connector that allows the sensor orientation to be reversed, it can be easily switched between the left and right sides of the conveyor system, allowing for efficient data collection without added time. This is particularly beneficial for conducting multiple scans during the one visit.
Mobile BeltGauge equipment testing at Fenner Conveyors’ East Rockingham workshop.
iBelt Solutions Coordinator, Steve Fidoe, commented on the successful commissioning of the control box, attributing it to strong collaboration between Fenner Conveyors’ electrical, mechanical, and diagnostic teams.
“It’s been a significant improvement to the control box of our mobile BeltGauge units that will provide clients with more reliable data and earlier warnings of deterioration before issues arise.”
“This advancement of our iBelt technology suite will enhance our Group’s value offering by supporting clients to achieve operational efficiencies and reduce unscheduled downtime,” said Fidoe.
Overall, the project exemplifies Fenner Conveyors' commitment to innovation and leading the industry in intelligent conveying solutions.
