Page 43 - Hub-4 Magazine Issue 74

Hillhead 2022
Preview
Automated Monitoring and Reporting System for Conveyor Belt Cleaners
In a move to continue its leadership in the development and implementation of advanced technologies for conveyors and other bulk material handling applications, Martin Engineering has announced a conveyor belt cleaner position indicator that monitors the blade, tracking and reporting remaining service life. The intuitive Martin N2® Position Indicator (PI) monitors primary belt cleaner blades, notifying Martin service technicians and plant operations personnel when re-tensioning or replacement is required and/or when abnormal conditions occur. The PI can be part of a new installation or directly retrofitted to existing mainframes that use the company’s replacement blades. Managers and service technicians can quickly access info on any networked cleaner via cell phone.
With approximately 1000 operating systems currently in service and installations continuing daily, the technology has been embraced by bulk material handlers in a wide range of industries and applications. Designed in-house by the engineering team at Martin’s Center for Innovation (CFI), the N2 Position Indicator is produced solely in company-owned facilities to ensure the highest standards for quality control. In fact, the firm also engineered and built the proprietary equipment used to manufacture the new devices.
Martin offers the equipment, monitoring service and batteries free of charge to qualifying customers. The company will also support the PI components and provide customer alerts without cost as needed, with mainframes and tensioners replaced free for users of Martin belt cleaner blades.
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The N2 PI notifies service personnel when a cleaner requires re-tensioning or replacement.
“There are no annual maintenance fees, and no add-on charges for cell phone access,” confirmed Martin Engineering Global Marketing Director Brad Pronschinske. “Most customers using our cleaner blades can take advantage of this technology.”
Position indicators can be mounted anywhere from 3-800 meters (10-2,625 feet) from the cellular gateway, and the robust, sealed construction means it is virtually immune from damage. Up to 50 units can be monitored by a single gateway connecting to the Internet, usually located at the highest point in the plant, where the cell signal is strongest. The system does not require a cellular line for each PI, instead communicating via radio frequency from each sensor to the gateway.
Operating independently of any plant communications infrastructure, the small physical size and low power requirements deliver a projected battery life of two years. The self-contained model was developed by Martin in order to minimize the dependency on in-plant resources. Only the gateway requires a constant 110V power point.
The device eliminates the need for manual inspections by giving technicians precise information, delivering critical real- time intelligence and reducing exposure to moving conveyors, improving both efficiency and safety. Maintenance planning is simplified by having detailed information available on demand, allowing service personnel to deliver and install replacement wear parts during scheduled outages.
The result is an improved return on belt cleaner investments. Replacement parts can be scheduled for just-in-time delivery, and installation can occur during planned downtime instead of emergency stoppages. “By monitoring the rotation of the belt cleaner mainframe, the N2 Position Indicator helps managers plan tensioner adjustments and blade replacements during scheduled outages,” Pronschinske added.
Employees and service technicians can quickly access info on any networked cleaner via cell phone.
www.hub-4.com May-June 22 - Issue 74
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