Case Study: Centrax Trackers - Keep your belt on track

Introducing optimised belt tracking to a gold mine

• From daily spillages along the walkway to a safe & clean work area
• From regular maintenance & repairs to a belt that runs perfectly
• From frustrated to delighted in a conveyor accessory that delivers on its promises

The issue

A major Midwest WA mining client contacted Promet for a solution to fix a significant trough and return mistracking issue along their lifeline stockpile feed belt. The client told us that their personnel regularly spent downtime resetting limit switches and clearing spillage and debris from walkways.

The client indicated that they were beyond frustrated with the ongoing cost and unpredictability of the situation.

So, we sent one of our Conveyor Specialists to audit and inspect the conveyor belt from tail to head. A close look revealed that several issues were causing the mistracking, but the main reason was the existing tracking units –they were in poor condition (either seized or had broken components).

We also found that the wayward belt was causing significant structural damage to the integrity of the steelwork where the belt was contacting on the return side.

All these issues led to costly and unscheduled belt maintenance and repairs for the client.

The solution

To help our client, we recommended the installation of our Centrax Trackers on both the trough and return side of the belt at selected locations.

We recommended this solution to the client because the conical side rollers on the Centrax Trackers are highly effective at steering the tracker and, in turn, the belt, compared to traditional servo idlers used in many generic trackers, which aren’t always able to keep the belt on track and do not self-centre. In this case, the client was using a generic tracker before we engaged with them, and as described above, the tracker bearing seized, which resulted in damage to the belt's side wall.

The results

Our Technicians installed the Centrax Trackers during a one-day shutdown – since then, the belt has run perfectly. There is no need to reset limit switches and no spillages to clear from the walkways. The client said he had never seen the belt track so well.

The client was so impressed with the solution that the Centrax trackers have been installed as the standard across this site and all other sites owned by this client.

Are you interested in finding out more about our Centrax Trackers?