Mine conveying systems that are poorly designed and engineered may generate massive amounts of fugitive material (spillage and carry back). It is not uncommon for an inadequate conveying system to generate 1% to 3% fugitive material, resulting in unnecessary manual labor and clean up expense.

Spillage

Carry back

Impact of the Problem

Fugitive material damages conveyor components, increasing the need for maintenance. It also results in the need for manual material handling for clean up.

Conveyor maintenance can involve the heavy lifting of conveyor component parts, while clean up involves repetitive motion and heavy lifting (shoveling).

Solution to the Problem

Use the best available control technology when first installing a mine conveying systems. Designs are available for systems that generate less than 0.5% fugitive material. Also, the cost per foot to rebuild a conveyor system can be as much as 10 time the cost to install one originally.

Impact of the Solution

By some estimates 85% of conveyor maintenance is the result of fugitive material. A spillage and carry back reduction from 3% to 1% translates to a 67% cost reduction for conveyor maintenance due to fugitive material. It also translates to 67% fewer hours required for clean up around transfer points and carry back drop off areas. Less maintenance and clean up means less manual material handling.
 

Transfer Point Example

The design changes shown in the photos below have produced dramatic results. Nearly all the spillage at this transfer point has been eliminated. The cost of the improvements was approximately $39,000.

Before		After
(Photo Courtesy of Martin Engineering)		(Photo Courtesy of Martin Engineering)

If we assume that it took only one person one hour per shift to clean up the spillage at the transfer point in the "before" photo, the improvements pay for themselves in only three years:

Just as importantly, 1560 hours of repetitive manual material handling will be eliminated over the three year period, and that translates into fewer injuries and worker's compensation costs. Additional cost reductions will result from reduced conveyor maintenance. And these savings are for a single transfer point!