Any overrun during installation would have meant a production cost impact for the mine and the customer was concerned as some non-FLSmidth parts may have been out of tolerance and could create issues when installed to the machine. 

 To allay the customer’s concerns and ensure the lowest possible risk of overrunning on plant shutdown, FLSmidth engineers took a proactive approach – to complete as much work as possible in advance of the shutdown and to perform visual inspections of all components, non-destructive testing of critical components, preassembly of components and measurement of the bucket wheel run out all at the Perth Supercenter.  

“The key to reducing risk in any plant shutdown, is to complete as much as possible in advance, in a controlled workshop environment”

ALEX BOZWARD Regional Product Line Manager, Materials Handling
As an experienced global stockyard machine provider with over 200 machines in Australia alone, the FLSmidth team was confident this solution would be successful in meeting the requirements of this complex installation. They were also confident it would be completed to the highest safety standards, on time and at a reasonable cost. 

In meeting the customer requirements, FLSmidth’s ability to complete inhouse engineering work to design and assess a support structure for the assembly of the components was a big advantage. All work was completed inhouse by FLSmidth apart from the fabrication of the frame, outsourced to MPI Engineering and specialist assembly work on the bearings which was completed by SKF on our behalf. In this way, we ensured that a high-quality solution could be delivered.  
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Our regional engineering team designed and structurally assessed a run-out frame to measure the fabrication tolerances of the bucket wheel
Even though the timeframe was a challenge, the project was aided by the fact that no major defects were found in the fabrication by the FLSmidth team – something which would have meant a repair stage and delayed implementation. 

After we proposed the full solution and the industry norms for assessment of the bucket wheel, everything was managed and delivered locally. The delivery included: mechanical design, structural assessment and certification, fabrication (outsourced), visual inspection, non-destructive testing, weld repair and painting, assembly, measurement and analysis, disassembly and package for return delivery. Assembly to the reclaimer on the customer site has now been successfully completed. 

Regular communication between the customer and FLSmidth and tight collaboration between product line management, regional engineering, site services, the workshop team and sub suppliers resulted in the entire process taking approximately 16 weeks from the customer agreement date. 
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Contact

      Alex Bozward

      Regional Product Line Manager
      Material Handling
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