Horizon give a lift to conveyor operators
Horizon Conveyor Equipment have introduced a new range of hydraulic and manual belt lifters designed to improve the health and safety of operatives tasked with changing conveyor rollers and maintaining other conveyor equipment. The lifters are also said to increase efficiency and reduce critical downtime during breakdowns and routine maintenance.
‘The criteria we used for the lifter design was simple; it had to be strong, lightweight, portable and compact enough to fit into tight spaces,’ said Alan Bowler, managing director of Horizon Conveyor Equipment.
‘After we had designed the hydraulic belt lifter for large-capacity conveyors, such as the belts used by Associated British Ports at Immingham Dock, we recognized the need to design a manual version for smaller belt widths ranging from 600mm to 1,800mm. The manual lifter can be operated independently from both sides of the conveyor if there are walkways all around, or the unit can be connected to safely operate from one side only.’
The effectiveness of the Horizon belt lifter has already been proven at Immingham Dock in North-East Lincolnshire. Steve Smith, senior engineering planner for Associated British Ports at Immingham, said the opening of the dock’s £59.5 million Humber International Terminal 2 (HINT2) dedicated coal facility in May 2006, introduced much heavier-duty equipment than the dock was traditionally used to working with.
‘Manual handling and safety issues were a concern so we wanted to simplify and make safe, the way we replace our rollers. Horizon’s belt lifter has enabled us to work more efficiently and reduce critical downtime in breakdown situations,’ he explained.
In total there are 17 conveyors at HINT2, ranging from 40m hopper feeder belts to 1,560m field belts. The belts vary in width from 1,800mm to 2,200mm and are used to transfer various grades of coal from the ship to the stockyard and on to the rail load-out facility. The number of rollers fitted to these conveyors is in excess of 30,000.
Mr Smith added: ‘We now have a dedicated piece of equipment to carry out our roller replacement without the need to carry numerous different items of lifting tackle, allowing us to standardize our method-of-work procedures.
‘Unplanned downtime is a major concern to our operations department as ships demurrage costs have gone through the roof, so it is vital we can react quickly when a roller collapses or seizes. The belt lifter allows us to hydraulically lift the belt in a safe and speedy manner without the need for cranes and lifting tackle. It works well for both top and bottom return rollers and multiple roller changes are attainable in one lift.’
Mr Smith also believes improvements to safety and efficiency levels are helped by the simplicity of the new system. ‘All our staff are time-served tradesmen, so additional training was not required. Once the equipment is set up in position, it is very easy to use and, more importantly, control. If required, I believe a novice could be trained within the hour,’ he said.
For more information call Horizon Conveyor Equipment on tel: (01384) 566204; email: alan@horizon-conveyors.co.uk; or visit: www.horizon-conveyors.co.uk
‘The criteria we used for the lifter design was simple; it had to be strong, lightweight, portable and compact enough to fit into tight spaces,’ said Alan Bowler, managing director of Horizon Conveyor Equipment.
‘After we had designed the hydraulic belt lifter for large-capacity conveyors, such as the belts used by Associated British Ports at Immingham Dock, we recognized the need to design a manual version for smaller belt widths ranging from 600mm to 1,800mm. The manual lifter can be operated independently from both sides of the conveyor if there are walkways all around, or the unit can be connected to safely operate from one side only.’
The effectiveness of the Horizon belt lifter has already been proven at Immingham Dock in North-East Lincolnshire. Steve Smith, senior engineering planner for Associated British Ports at Immingham, said the opening of the dock’s £59.5 million Humber International Terminal 2 (HINT2) dedicated coal facility in May 2006, introduced much heavier-duty equipment than the dock was traditionally used to working with.
‘Manual handling and safety issues were a concern so we wanted to simplify and make safe, the way we replace our rollers. Horizon’s belt lifter has enabled us to work more efficiently and reduce critical downtime in breakdown situations,’ he explained.
In total there are 17 conveyors at HINT2, ranging from 40m hopper feeder belts to 1,560m field belts. The belts vary in width from 1,800mm to 2,200mm and are used to transfer various grades of coal from the ship to the stockyard and on to the rail load-out facility. The number of rollers fitted to these conveyors is in excess of 30,000.
Mr Smith added: ‘We now have a dedicated piece of equipment to carry out our roller replacement without the need to carry numerous different items of lifting tackle, allowing us to standardize our method-of-work procedures.
‘Unplanned downtime is a major concern to our operations department as ships demurrage costs have gone through the roof, so it is vital we can react quickly when a roller collapses or seizes. The belt lifter allows us to hydraulically lift the belt in a safe and speedy manner without the need for cranes and lifting tackle. It works well for both top and bottom return rollers and multiple roller changes are attainable in one lift.’
Mr Smith also believes improvements to safety and efficiency levels are helped by the simplicity of the new system. ‘All our staff are time-served tradesmen, so additional training was not required. Once the equipment is set up in position, it is very easy to use and, more importantly, control. If required, I believe a novice could be trained within the hour,’ he said.
For more information call Horizon Conveyor Equipment on tel: (01384) 566204; email: alan@horizon-conveyors.co.uk; or visit: www.horizon-conveyors.co.uk
