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The company designs panels to optimise screening efficiency through a mix of aperture shape, open area and material mix.
A combination of an express tooling service and a state of the art injection moulding process ensures fast turnaround for new panels and replacements. Conscious of the need to respond rapidly to site requirements, Locker Group offers a rapid replacement for emergency breakdowns, if required.
In 2013, Locker Group partnered with key personnel at a major Victorian regional quarry to look for mutually beneficial screening options for the site. The site was utilising rubber panels sourced directly from the US and although it was content with the quality and wear rates of the panels, overseas sourcing meant lead times of up to 12 weeks and a requirement for extensive stockholdings to protect the operation from emergency breakdowns.
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Locker Group?s technical representative Steve Petruzalek worked closely with the quarry operator?s regional and site maintenance staff who were naturally cautious about making a change, given the strategic importance of reliable screening media.
Locker Group visited the site on numerous occasions, taking technical experts along to ensure a good understanding of the site conditions, the aggregate size and requirements. Focusing on one screen deck at a time, Locker Group was able to offer alternative solutions before deciding on the perfect panel configuration.
The team assessed both polyurethane and rubber panel options. Locker Group?s technical design and manufacturing expertise extends to both materials, providing the business with the flexibility of choice. The quarry operator chose to stick with the rubber substrate because the extra flexibility provided the secondary vibration required to reduce pegging issues.
Following the testing phase, Locker Group created a tool and produced rubber panels to meet the exacting requirements of the site, matching current efficiency rates. Local and internally managed tool design and panel manufacture allowed Locker Group?s technical team to adjust open area rates and experiment with different rubber grades until the perfect mix was achieved.
Based on the success of the first screen, Petruzalek and the deck maintenance personnel were able to focus on further decks, one at a time.
?Each deck was assessed on its own merits, working on the right mix of open area and material consistency to match the run rates and aggregate materials,? Petruzalek said.
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Locker Group is now supplying panels for several of the site?s screens. The benefits flow beyond screening efficiency. As part of the service offering for this major customer, Locker Group is able to meet lead times of two to three weeks, four times faster than it was previously enduring.
In addition, the quarry operator no longer bears the capital cost of extensive stockholdings. Site management has been able to free up working capital through holding minimal spares, comfortable in the knowledge that Locker Group can support them with fast delivery, even in the case of an emergency breakdown.
As part of its focus on the quarry market, Locker Group seeks to partner with individual sites for mutual benefit. As the regional sales team develops an understanding of the site conditions and requirements, it is better able to identify the potential for new products or screen adjustments that will offer efficiency improvements. ?
Source: The Locker Group