Gates Australia, a belt solutions supplier for the quarrying and aggregate industries, has played an integral part in improving the performance of the pump drives at an Australian coal wash plant. The coal wash plant, using a medium density slurry pump, was operating a belt drive system with a total weight of 200kg (comprising eight SPC V-belts and eight groove pulleys). The 280kW Weir Warman slurry pump required four to six maintenance inspections per year to check tensions and replace components.
Gates? recommended solution was to use a 14MGT-3136-90 Poly Chain GT Carbon belt with a 56-tooth driver sprocket and 140-tooth driven sprocket. The total weight of the revised drive was 83kg, 59 per cent less than the old drive, resulting in lower overhung shaft loads and potential bearing wear. The width of the drive was reduced by 49 per cent from 213mm to 106mm, freeing up valuable work area. The more efficient drive also meant five per cent less power consumption, equating to a saving of $2000 per drive per annum.
{{image2-a:r-w:250}}This type of conversion is possible with the Gates synchronous belt that has the construction, capacity and strength necessary for such a tough application. The Poly Chain GT Carbon has unique carbon fibre cords that do not stretch and remove the need for tensioning, making them maintenance-free. In this application, the belt drive ran for 24 months without requiring maintenance.
The coal wash plant has 50 pump drives in operation and the overall savings from adopting the improved drive design and reduced maintenance schedule for all drives has been significant to the business. A spokesman for Gates Australia said that similar advantages could be gained by converting V-belt fan drives over to run the Poly Chain GT Carbon belt drive.
Gates argues that in comparison to roller chain drives, belts last three times longer and the sprockets ten times longer. The total cost of ownership for a belt drive is significantly less than a chain drive. The belt drive contains no stretch, no lubrication and no metal to metal part wear, thereby delivering a low maintenance drive. Hours spent lubricating and retensioning can be refocused on more critical tasks.
By investing in belt drives, Gates also states that production is less likely to be lost and less maintenance is required. The stronger than steel carbon fibre tensile cord construction also gives the drive high horsepower carrying capacity and compactness. The drive also is impervious to washdown, resisting moisture, chemicals and abrasion, again ideal in a washing plant environment.
?Improved reliability, reduced downtime, less maintenance and replacement costs ? these are only some of the benefits of Gates machinery,? the spokesman said. ?Gates has a number of case studies available on its website which illustrate how products have reduced costs ? both time and money – and increased uptime for plants, factories, mines and other facilities across the country.?
Source: Gates Australia
{{image3-a:c}}
.jpg){kind=small}
