New VPlow Prevents Conveyor Belt Damage
Products Used VPlow HD
Product Types Used Transfer Point Solutions , Tail Protection
Industry Mining
Customer Luminant Sandow, Rockdale, TX

Problem

BEFORE: The original VPlow was attached at only one point and dug into the belt, causing damage.

Luminant Sandow handles 31,200 tons of lignite per month, not leaving much time for downtime due to belt damage. The plant had an existing VPlow installed, but only at one point, which allowed the nose of the plow to dip down from wear or belt slack. When the nose would dip, the plow would dig into the belt, causing belt damage and even ripping of the belt. Previously, Luminant Sandow had tried to have a person physically hold up the nose of the VPlow while the tension was put back on the belt but that method failed as well. This problem cost the plant $26,000 plus labor.

Solution

AFTER: The Martin® VPlow HD has 2 hinge points for support.

The plant decided to install a Martin® VPlow HD with 2 hinge-points for support. The Martin® VPlow HD effectively removes material before the conveyor enters the tail pulley, with a simple yet secure mounting that protects both the plow and the pulley. The sturdy 80 Shore A Durometer Nitrile rubber blade provides two inches (50 mm) of wear life at service temperatures up to 250°F (121°C) and belt speeds up to 900 fpm (4.6 m/sec).

Results

Martin® VPlow is an economical solution for tail pulley protection in light- to moderate-duty applications.

Luminant Sandow was satisfied with the installation of the Martin® VPlow HD because it eliminated the risk of someone forgetting to manually support the old plow. It also prevented the plant from having to make costly repairs to the belt and/or replace the belt. Without having to worry about downtime, Luminant Shadow is now able to focus on production.

Resources

PDF - Printable Version of Case Study Download
Brochure - Mining Industry Download
Brochure - Transfer Point Solutions Download
Brochure - Martin Engineering Corporate Profile Download

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