Ace Conveyors launch AceCMS
Ace Conveyors used the recent Hillhead 2007 exhibition to launch AceCMS, an online resource for the management of technical and performance data for industrial belt conveyors. The conveyor management system has been designed to support Ace Conveyors’ developing range of proactive conveyor maintenance contracts and provides a wide range of functions for both the company and its customers, who can log in using their username and password to obtain access to conveyor data 24h a day, seven days a week.
Detailed technical information about the conveyor and its associated components is stored in a logical and intuitive database, allowing users to enter, update and subsequently access information in a clear, precise and secure format. When conveyor system inspections are carried out a condition survey is generated for each reportable item, noting the severity of the issue and detailing recommended actions to rectify the issue with minimum impact to the business. Service events, such as conveyor belt repairs, conveyor drum or scraper blade replacements, can then be planned in advance, reducing the chances of a serious breakdown and associated plant downtime.
Service information is entered into the system such that each new component is added to the database with a date and time stamp. Over the course of time, use of the system allows Ace Conveyors and the client to track the performance of the complete range of conveyor components, essentially benchmarking conveyor component performance. This in turn allows Ace and the client to assess the information to set maintenance budgets and realize the lowest cost of reliable operation of the conveyor system.
While at Hillhead 2007, Ace Conveyors also received a Highly Commended award from the judges of the Designing for Safety competition for their ‘Working Safely On and Around Conveyors’ training course. The competition – a joint initiative between The Institute of Quarrying and the Quarry Products Association – aims to encourage the industry to maintain the trend towards zero incidents and injuries as part of the Hard Targets initiative.
Ace Conveyor’s award-winning course was initially designed as an in-house training programme for the company’s own teams of conveyor service engineers, who conduct a wide variety of tasks on sites using industrial conveyor systems throughout the UK. In 2005 the training course was accredited by EPIC, the training organization for the extractive and mineral-processing industries, which allowed Ace Conveyors to offer an assessed and certificated two-day training programme to industry. The course has proved highly popular with more than 300 operators benefiting from the training to date.
The content of the course is continually updated to reflect legislative changes and to keep abreast of best practice, and the course has recently been reviewed and accredited by EAL, the leading awarding body for engineering and technology vocational qualifications.
Sue Drohan, course developer and human resources director with Ace Conveyors, said: ‘Having signed the HSE Hard Target pledge in 2006, we were determined to continue to invest in our commitment to reduce incidents and injuries by developing new courses and updating our existing portfolio. Our industry is now realizing that health and safety training is an investment that improves workforce competence and has a positive impact on the bottom line too. Reducing the number of incidents and injuries helps companies become more efficient, as well as attracting and retaining high-calibre people.’
The course can be delivered at Ace’s purpose-built training facility near Doncaster, or at the customer’s own location, and is both classroom and site based. In addition, Ace Conveyors have recently become an IOSH-approved training centre for the delivery of two new courses entitled ‘Managing Safely’ and ‘Working Safely’. For more information, contact Sue Drohan on tel: (01302) 711233 or email: [email protected]
