Standardized equipment built for mining environments and materials can shrink maintenance expenses and improve production
By Andrew Parker
Mining operations strive to be safe, efficient, and productive, but they often allocate up to 50 per cent of their annual budget to equipment maintenance just to keep things running.
How can operations run smoothly to actualize lofty production goals if you’re constantly throwing money at repairs?
Considering the constant dust, heat, toxic substances, and crowded spaces at mining sites, operating conditions pose a significant challenge, including the performance of your equipment. In an industry where consistently moving bulk material is paramount, unplanned downtime because of malfunctioning equipment is costly and potentially catastrophic for an operation.
“It is an unforgiving work environment,” said Jay Houghton, vice-president of engineering at CDM Systems, Inc. “Conditions at mining sites are often extreme and always brutal on your machines. The constant battering at high volumes leads to failed components and costly production disruptions, and it becomes an expensive hurdle.”
If your site moves large quantities of key mined materials such as nickel, lithium, and iron ore over long distances in difficult environments, the financial hit from poor equipment extends beyond the frequent maintenance bills. For example, the average cost of unplanned downtime in mining operations is about $180,000 per incident. That’s in addition to wages and other operational and intangible costs.
The takeaway: Mining sites can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars per day from unplanned equipment downtime.
Reducing maintenance costs through equipment standardization
For mining engineers, maintenance managers, and operations managers, there is constant pressure to keep material moving consistently, but still keep the site safe.
Additionally, teams must strike a balance between:
- Equipment maintenance and performance
- Minimizing production losses while navigating increasingly higher output goals
- Ensuring strict compliance with OSHA, MSHA, and other regulations while answering increased demand
Considering operational factors such as these, scalable equipment that can handle large and expanding capacities of rough materials with minimal maintenance can be money-makers in a mining operation.
“If conveyors, bucket elevators, or stacker-reclaimers are constantly out of commission, operations can’t move material in the needed quantities, or sometimes even at all,” Houghton said. “That is in addition to having to deal with daily operational costs, rising maintenance expenses, scarce parts availability, and unrealized output goals.”
What is a good way to mitigate this? Standardize your equipment.
The takeaway: Mining operations already juggle daily resource allocation, regulations, and production expenses. Avoidable equipment issues only make it worse.
Cheap equipment creates more problems down the road
Sometimes maintenance managers and engineers look for cheap equipment replacements from a mishmash of manufacturers. The danger with that approach is, best-case scenario, it becomes just a replacement, rather than an improvement. You can expect the same problems at some point. And the same expenses.
The harsh reality is that cheaper equipment may lead to even more maintenance issues, especially if the equipment is an off-the-shelf option, piecemealed together, or misapplied to the specific material and conditions.
Instead, a more efficient strategy for upgrades or replacements would be to standardize the equipment. Maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) procedures become more effective when utilizing heavy-duty machines from the same manufacturer, streamlining the maintenance process and improving output. This means more revenue in your pocket because less time and resources are spent on maintenance and repairs.
“Standardizing your conveyors and other bulk material transfer equipment speeds things up for maintenance teams and can have a significant impact on production,” Houghton said.
The takeaway: Cheaper, mismatched equipment is rarely, if ever, an improvement. Standardizing with quality equipment decreases maintenance time and costs.
Vetting manufacturers for the right material transfer equipment
The key to improving productivity and saving on potentially avoidable maintenance expenses is to invest in the right material-handling equipment from the start. That means bulk material handling equipment specifically designed for the material characteristics and quantities required for your site.
Because of the critical demand for reliable capital equipment, look for the following characteristics from a manufacturer:
A proven track record: Prioritize manufacturers with a demonstrated history of supplying reliable equipment that meets the application’s requirements. References from other operations are invaluable.
Durable components: The durability of every component is important – motors, gearboxes, bearings, troughs, and much more – in extending the equipment’s lifespan and minimizing its maintenance.
Expert consultation and engineering: Although it may cost more upfront, custom-made equipment for your site offers better lifetime value. Find a manufacturer that helps you through the spec process and doesn’t tighten a single bolt until they know precisely what you need the machine to do.
Designed for maintainability (DFM): The equipment should be designed with scalability and ease of maintenance in mind. This means easy access to lubrication points, replaceable wear parts that can be quickly swapped out, and standardized components.
The takeaway: Your choice of manufacturer can play a big role in lowering maintenance costs and improving the efficiency of your mining site.
Conclusion
Mining companies often spend 30 to 50 per cent of their annual budgets on equipment maintenance, underscoring the need for reliable, durable material handling equipment to minimize downtime and expensive repairs.
One way operations can mitigate high maintenance costs is by standardizing their heavy-duty equipment, such as conveyors, bucket elevators, and stacker-reclaimers. These pieces of capital equipment are the primary drivers of productivity in mining operations and are costly when they are forced to shut down.
Working with a reputable manufacturer to design and build bulk material-handling equipment tailored to your specific material and jobsite conditions can go a long way in helping to reduce maintenance costs and improve production in the long run.
Andrew Parker is president of CDM Systems, Inc. He has more than 20 years of experience in the bulk material-handling industry. He oversees operations, including conveyor design and development. He can be reached at Andrew@cdmsys.com. To learn more, visit CDM Systems, Inc.
Sidebar:
A quick reference guide to custom heavy-duty mining equipment
From initial extraction to outbound transfer, mining sites require dependable, heavy-duty equipment to transport bulk minerals without stoppages.
Matching the right equipment to the right job will enable you to improve production, minimize unplanned downtime, and reduce your annual maintenance costs. Here’s a rundown and the key features to consider that will help move mining material with greater efficiency and reliability.
Drag chain conveyors
- Superior handling of abrasive materials in severe environments
- Most efficient bulk material-handling equipment for high volumes
- Engineered for 24/7 operation, and to minimize carryback and overload
Screw conveyors
- Single- or multiple-screw configuration, depending on feed rate and hopper design
- Handles semi-fluid, dry, sluggish or free-flowing material consistencies
- Application-specific builds provide reduced maintenance and optimized transfer points
- Fully enclosed product transfer to minimize hazards
Bucket elevators
- Needed for a high volume of vertical lifting
- Designed to carry iron ore or other abrasive, heavy and dry materials
- Centrifugal or continuous discharge
- Belt or chain configuration based on specific application
Stacker-Reclaimers
- Can stack and retrieve up to five-million cubic feet of material storage
- Built for large piles of iron ore and other heavy metals and minerals
- Circular or linear stackers customized to the site and application
