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Award win for innovative quarry plant design

The National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) recently presented Melbourne-based engineering firm Gordyn & Palmer with the 2015 Victorian Excellence Award for the industrial medium project category.

The awards are said to recognise electrical and communications contractors that are leaders in their field, with technical innovation, adherence to safety, and on-time and on-budget project delivery among the criteria against which entrants are considered.

Gordyn & Palmer received the accolade for a crushing and processing plant it designed and built for Barro Group’s Mountain View Quarries site, located in Point Wilson, Victoria.

The plant featured new technology from fellow industrial automation solutions provider Rockwell Automation, including the ControlLogix control system and the E300 electronic overload relay system.

These “intelligent” motor control systems were connected over an Ethernet communications network to facilitate the conversion of real-time diagnostics into actionable information, enabling preventative maintenance and thus minimising plant downtime.

The new technology additionally allowed the operator to access and configure the motors remotely via both the plant network and a web interface, eliminating the need for manual testing and configuration.

Forefront of technology

Commenting on the project, Gordyn & Palmer managing director Terry Hickey said, “Our biggest accomplishment was bringing the latest technology in motor control to the forefront of the quarry industry while still maintaining a simple and intuitive user interface to allow operators to run the plant to its maximum potential.

“The extensive electrical and software development completed in-house has resulted in a completely integrated system which is robust enough for the harsh environment it operates in and will serve the client for many years to come.”

Gordyn & Palmer was said to be the first company in Australia to utilise the new E300 electronic overload relay system, and Rockwell Automation OEM account manager Rob Campbell congratulated the company on being “early adopters … at the forefront of the latest advances in technology”.

“This project is an excellent example of how a completely integrated intelligent motor control system can deliver flexibility, reliability and maximised uptime,” Campbell stated.

Barro Group project engineer Ivo Rigoni also commended Gordyn & Palmer, saying the project had been well planned and managed from the design and supply phase through to installation and safety management.

“Their [Gordyn & Palmer’s] experience with the requirements of a modern, large-scale quarry crushing plant has enabled them to deliver a plant that they should be very proud of,” Rigoni said. “We have no doubt that as the end user, we will continue to appreciate the systems that have been put in place to assist with achieving maximum plant throughput with minimal downtime.”

The award-winning plant is currently in operation at the Mountain View Quarries site, producing more than 600 tonnes per hour.

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