High Value Solutions

OVERLAND CONVEYOR ASSEMBLY

In addition to the splicing and repair services offered by TTM Chile, our clients sometimes require more complete assembly services which include the maneuvers necessary for connecting the sections of the overland conveyor to be installed, their haulage by the transportation system and the final connection, among others.

Since 1996, TTM Chile has been responsible for assembly in Minera Escondida, Zaldívar, El Abra and Codelco Norte, Collahuasi and Cerro Colorado. These clients have placed their trust in TTM Chile due to our experience, professionalism and knowledge of the discipline.

It is common knowledge that splices are the weakest points (“the weakest link”) in an installed overland conveyor.  With good splicing, one can usually achieve 100% nominal (static) resistance to tearing of the belt in the splicing zone.  But the challenge lies in the fact that splices, like the belt, are subjected not only to work stresses but also to the start-up stresses of the transportation systems (dynamic resistance), whose resistance to tearing does not usually surpass 50%.

At the same time, there are several factors that affect the quality of a splice that must be painstakingly controlled: contamination by moist or oily substances, particles (dust), vulcanizing time, pressure and temperature, among others.

In order to optimize dynamic resistance to tearing and achieve the maximum possible quality in splices, one must employ specialized personnel and procedures based on the strictest international standards (the DIN 22 101Standard for textile belts and the DIN 22 131 Standard for steel cable belts).  This is why our mining clients always choose TTM Chile for executing this delicate high-value service.

We are backed by:

ASSEMBLY ENGINEERING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The assembly of Conveyor systems is one of the different stages necessary for the start-up of a mining endeavor.  This stage is of vital importance for mining companies since these systems are the backbone of ore flow in the mining process.

Ever since conveyor belts were invented, no other more efficient way of transporting ore has been found, given the precision and efficiency they offer.  However, correct design and assembly of the components of transportation systems are necessary for their proper functioning, understanding “assembly” to be all the actions necessary for ensuring the correct future functioning of the systems.

Based on our experience in ore transportation, the mere execution of the connections in the assembly of conveyor belts does not guarantee the much-desired reliability of the transportation systems. 

Hence, connections must be executed by qualified personnel with vast experience in the discipline; the organization responsible for the services must be capable of working with the construction company in a responsible manner for optimizing its schedules and satisfying quality expectations; and the procedures must be based on clear international standards that ensure quality and the safety of the human group involved in the project and its subsequent operation.

MAINTENANCE AUDITING

Transportation systems, which consist of a large variety of components and are subject to strictly specific operating conditions, are particularly specialized assets whose control tends to slip through the hands of the companies that use them.  Furthermore, the operation and maintenance of these systems require time and resources form these companies that are as valuable as they are scarce.

In general, the transportation systems of mining companies are in precarious and critical conditions.  There are only a few cases in which the maintenance of these systems is carried out in accordance with the industry’s best practices and their current status matches the original design.  If these conditions do not prevail, maintenance costs increase, the useful life of the different conveyor components decreases and the investment necessary for keeping the system running increases, to the detriment of plant availability, since more unscheduled maintenance is required.

TTM offers a group of solutions that combine our vast experience and innovative capacity with the participation of our clients’ maintenance personnel: a unique solution in the market – Maintenance Auditing.
Our proposal, based on the client’s requirements, could include the following items:

MAINTAINABILITY STUDIES

Being absolutely certain that the design of the transportation system, its components and spare parts is suitable for a specific application and that the components and spare parts are compatible between one another is as important as taking the measures that will ensure effective maintenance during operation.    This is critical, since the task forces in charge of projects are not the same as the ones that manage the operation.

This division generates a gap between the scope of each team, giving rise to incorrect estimates of spare parts inventories (quality and quantity) and inappropriate designs of parts of the transportation system, among others.  This eventually translates into emergency purchases, more extensive plant downtime and a higher rate of component and spare part changes.
Continuing along the lines of becoming a partner for its clients, TTM has created Maintainability Studies, another of its High-Value Services.  Through this service, the client will obtain: