As a Western Australia-based lithium project moves towards full operations, a robust and efficient above ground material handling system plays a crucial role in supporting its performance.
The project began nearly four years ago, when an Australian engineering and project management consultancy was awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract to deliver the processing plant. Part of the scope would require the implementation of a reliable conveyor system and as a result, the company turned to Bonfiglioli to deliver quality, fit-for-purpose drive solutions.
Now, as the mine works towards its target of full operations before the end of the year, Bonfiglioli’s solutions continue to support operational efficiency and reliability. Kris Jaryn, Bonfiglioli National Product Manager: Heavy Duty Products explains:
“There’s a real opportunity for Australia’s lithium sector to position itself as a key supplier to the rapidly expanding clean energy economy,” he says. “As a result, refineries and mines are ramping up their operations, investing in equipment and machinery that will improve processing efficiency, with reliable conveyor systems central to supporting the mission.”
Engineered for reliability in demanding mining conditions
For this project, Bonfiglioli supplied 12 conveyor drive assemblies, the majority of which featured the company’s popular heavy-duty HDO gear units fitted with 75kW and 110 kW motors.
“The HDO series is designed to deliver very high output torque and power density, making it ideal for heavy-duty conveyor and mining applications,” explains Kris. “It features a robust SG iron housing, enabling it to withstand harsh operating conditions such as vibration and shock loads”.
The strength of the housing allows the reducers to be fitted with close coupled flange mounted motors, via a custom designed motor adaptor – Bonfiglioli’s “Alignment-Free Drive” configuration. This offers a cost-effective solution as well as saving time during assembly, eliminating the need for laser alignment between the motor and gearbox shafts.
Engineered for continuous-duty use, the HDO ensures stable performance in critical systems like conveyors. “Customers also benefit from an extended service and operating life as well as reduced maintenance costs thanks to its optimised design. This is particularly valuable in harsh, demanding environments as found in this Western Australia lithium project,” adds Kris.
Customised drive solutions for efficient material handling
Speaking to this long-standing partnership and the ‘Bonfiglioli difference’, Kris says: “What sets Bonfiglioli’s solutions apart from other drives and gearboxes on the market is our high degree of customisability and low cost of ownership. This is all backed by dedicated engineering expertise and sales support throughout the product’s lifetime.”
Combining engineering expertise with application-specific solutions, Bonfiglioli is well positioned to support the next generation of high-performance mineral processing operations in Australia.
https://www.bonfiglioli.com/australia/en
