Clydeport choose Smiley Monroe

CLYDEPORT have chosen Smiley Monroe as their preferred supplier for the procurement of two sectional vulcanizing presses to service their Hunterston deep-water port facility in Scotland.

Clydeport’s Hunterston dry-bulk terminal is part of Britain’s second largest group of ports, Peel Ports, which handles a broad spectrum of international trade amounting to more than 65 million tonnes of cargo a year.

The Hunterston facility offers a depth of water up to 26m, allowing ships up to 350,000 tonnes to berth at all states of the tide to discharge coal, which is transported by a mile-long conveyor to a highly mechanized, 120-acre stockyard.

As preferred supplier, Smiley Monroe will deliver two bespoke, Canadian-made Shaw Almex SVP sectional vulcanizing presses to Clydeport Hunterston.

With a maximum operating pressure of 175psi, the SVPs will be suitable for both steel cord and fabric conveyor belting up to 1,600mm in width, while their rugged aluminium alloy construction, combined with a versatile split-platen arrangement, means they will safely meet all vulcanizing requirements across the Hunterston site for many years to come.

According to Des Friel, Smiley Monroe’s site service manager, an important advantage of Shaw Almex vulcanizing presses stems from their special design feature – an air bag/water system that delivers even pressure across the entire joint area, ensuring a consistent vulcanized joint every time.

Smiley Monroe will also provide a spares package and tool kits suitable for all vulcanizing operations, together with initial training for the vulcanizing teams at Hunterston and on-going training and support as required.

Barry Carson, purchasing manager with Clydeport Operations Ltd, said that as well as meeting all of the required equipment specifications, Smiley Monroe had been able to deliver the equipment within a tight schedule, allowing on-the-job training to be conducted during the summer period, in preparation for the busy winter period at Hunterston.