Smooth transport under harsh conditions

If you let your eyes wander, you see bouncing kangaroos. If you move closer, the harsh world of Australia’s third largest nickel mine opens up. Every year, 30,000 tonnes of nickel are mined here, a much sought-after raw material, for electromobility among other things. When looking for the perfect transport solution on the winding route from the mine to the production site, the global mining company First Quantum Minerals opted for Semperit’s Transevo energy-saving belts. “With Transevo, our R&D team managed to reduce rolling resistance by using a special rubber compound that saves up to 25 per cent energy compared to a standard compound,” says Alan D’Arcy, Head of Application Engineering & Global Service at Semperit, who works at the interface between technology, sales and R&D. After manufacturing the 18-kilometre-long belts at the Polish plant in Bełchatów and shipping them to Australia, D’Arcy and his team ensured, through close co-operation with a local partner, the smooth installation and splicing of the belts on site. Always with the aim of increasing the customer’s productivity: “Our conveyor belts not only save energy, they are also impact- and abrasion-resistant and therefore make a significant contribution to increased efficiency and safety when transporting raw materials. After all, the worst thing that can happen to our customer is that the conveyor system comes to a temporary standstill,” D'Arcy explains.

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Masterpieces of technology

These are arguments that have been convincing mining companies around the world of the innovations from Semperit R&D for many years. Whether it is the Flying Belt, which transports thousands of tonnes of limestone per hour at a height of up to 36 metres in the Brazilian mountains, or the overland conveyor systems of one of the world’s largest copper mines in Peru. There, too, steel cord conveyor belts from Semperit ensure reliable transport at maximum capacity, even under extreme conditions. “We are a manufacturer that can produce conveyor belts as complex as the Flying Belt. Customised solutions are our strength, and we truly support our customers right up to the last step. During the project in Peru, our service technicians ensured the perfect splicing of the conveyor belts on site on rough terrain at up to 4,000 metres above sea level,” D’Arcy says.

Solutions for tomorrow

Looking to the future, D’Arcy emphasises the increasing demand for mineral raw materials. After all, without copper or nickel, no electric car will drive off the lot. “We are realising more and more projects for copper and nickel mines, particularly in South America and Australia. These are tough processes. In copper mining in particular, the rock is sharp and heavy and can damage the conveyor belts. We have therefore developed our own rubber compound that is particularly abrasion-resistant, flexible, and strong in tension. This improves the performance of the conveyor systems and maximises our customers’ investment,” says the Head of Application Engineering. He spends four to five months a year travelling around the world: “Mining is a global business. We are wherever our projects are. That’s also what fascinates me about this job. The variety of tasks and the direct contact with our customers all over the world.” The team is always looking for ways to improve things and passes this feedback on to the R&D team. In this way, materials, manufacturing processes and product quality are constantly optimised for the benefit of Semperit’s customers – and this is how the limits of technical performance are constantly pushed forward.