Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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JANUARY 2017 • E&MJ; 49 www.e-mj.com SUPPLIERS REPORT delivered and installed direct from the factory, with no wasted shelf time. "Although many conveyor users proba- bly don't realize it, product freshness is a significant issue for urethane belt clean- ers," explained Chris Schmelzer, director of the Wear Components Business Group. "Because urethane is a hygroscopic ma- terial, it tends to absorb moisture from the ambient air over time, which causes a degradation of physical properties. The process gradually decreases the cleaning performance and shortens wear life. "Most manufacturers produce their cleaners in large lots, based on project- ed sales volumes," Schmelzer continued. "They often sit in inventory for a lengthy period of time. Many suppliers also sell their products through distribution, which can extend the shelf time even more. The result is a component with a degraded life expectancy, one that often delivers reduced performance, particularly if the customer is also stocking the replacement blades. In our experience, the usable period is about two years, and after that point, the blade's phys- ical properties are likely to be affected." Martin Engineering said it is able to guar- antee product freshness as a result of its custom-designed urethane molding cells, which enable just-in- time manufacturing of its belt cleaners to deliver blades within the shortest possible lead time, without the need to carry aging inventory in its warehouses. The technology is cur- rently in use at Mar- tin business units on three continents, and plans are already set to place the modular work cells in additional manufacturing facil- ities. The company said it believes it is the only belt cleaner supplier that has designed its own process and equipment to produce molded blades, drastically reducing the lag time between manufacturing and use. Also included are regularly scheduled inspections, adjustment and blade re- placement as required on all Martin belt cleaning systems, as well as the compa- ny's 18-point Walk-the-Belt audits em- phasizing worldwide best practices from the new Foundations for Conveyor Safety book. All services are covered in the blade pricing, with no contract required. As part of the new program, the com- pany will maintain an electronic record of operating conditions on all conveyors using its equipment. This data will be updated regularly, providing management with an operational assessment of vital components, including recommendations for avoiding costly failures and system downtime. Further, U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)-certified Martin service technicians will adjust, repair or replace the main frame and ten- sioner of any belt cleaner at no charge, for as long as the customer maintains a "Mr. Blade" service relationship. BCI Engineering is a global contract manufacturer serving the Mining, Aggregate and Bulk Material Industries. We are your trusted supply chain partner, with manufacturing capability in all the competitive industrial manufacturing regions in the world. BCI Engineering manufactures castings, forgings, structural and mechanical fabrications. This includes the manufacture of capital equipment, machines, and wear parts for major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across North America and worldwide. PRODUCTS INCLUDE • Steel Fabrications • Extrusions • Weldments • Fasteners • Castings • Forgings • Machine Parts • Gearing • Mechanical Assemblies www.bci-engineering.com sales@bci-engineering.com +1 (724) 689-8532 Vans carry a fresh supply of 8-ft blade lengths and are equipped with all tools re- quired to achieve a custom fit. Martin Engineering says the vans are already servicing routes in the U.S., and it plans to expand the service to other global business units.