Details

The company says that the new unit is low-noise, low-vibration, corrosion-resistant and maintenance-free.

The Sandvik MEC roller range, which is being manufactured in the companys Mackay facility, is the result of extensive research and development by Sandviks conveyor component R&D team in Australia.

According to Chris Mitchell, Sandvik Mining and Constructions product line manager for conveyor components, the MECs construction and manufacture incorporates a number of unique features resulting in significant improvements over traditional rollers.

This new range is ideally suited for applications requiring a corrosion-resistant roller that has low noise characteristics, he said. Typical applications include ports, coal handling prep plants and installations located close to populated areas or that operate in corrosive environments.

Key features of the MEC range include:
- A roller tube mechanically located and fixed to the end cap, eliminating the risk of separation of the end cap from the tube.
- Proven Sandvik sealing system to provide years of trouble-free operation with low roller drag.
- Non-metallic end cap resistant to corrosion and weathering.
- Lightweight aluminium tubing option, offering reduced manual handling risks.
- Dimensionally identical to standard rollers of the same diameter/bearing combination.
- Shell-to-end cap transition design which provides additional protection for the belting.

Our MEC range is designed to withstand the most arduous of applications, said Mitchell. Sandviks extensive finite element analysis (FEA) and testing has ensured that the finished roller is able to withstand all of the loads and stresses that are experienced with traditional welded steel rollers. In addition, the end cap is manufactured from a material that has exceptional mechanical and fatigue life characteristics, and which is UV and ozone resistant so it can withstand years of service in the harshest of environments.

He said that the primary aim in developing this new range was to achieve a significant reduction in conveyor noise the majority of which is generated by the interaction of the conveyor belt and the surface of the roller.

Our MEC range, with its unique design and manufacturing process, provides an excellent low-noise roller without the need for machining or dynamic balancing, said Mitchell. Additional noise and vibration reduction has been achieved by using Sandviks high quality conveyor tube, with its exacting dimensional accuracy, especially in the areas of wall thickness, roundness and straightness.

The non-metallic end cap provides additional dampening of vibration which further reduces roller noise.

Sandvik says it has also put considerable research into developing a significantly lighter conveyor roller, providing significant manual handling and operational benefits. An aluminium MEC can provide weight reductions of up to 37% when compared with a traditional steel roller, while in weight-critical applications, a hollow shaft option of the MEC range, combined with an aluminium shell, offers up to a 44% weight reduction compared with standard steel rollers.

Our standard aluminium MEC can provide a reduction in rotational mass of up to 58%, resulting in significant reduction in the power required to start and stop a belt conveyor, said Mitchell. And our ultra-lightweight hollow-shaft aluminium rollers are ideal for self-supported structures such as stackers, reclaimers and shiploaders.

The aluminium shell options also provide enhanced corrosion resistance in applications such as ports, coal handling preparation plants and corrosive materials handling applications (such as salt).

Sandvik is a global industrial group with about 42,000 employees and representation in 130 countries. The Sandvik Mining and Construction division is a supplier of machinery, cemented-carbide tools, service and technical solutions for the excavation of rock and minerals in the mining and construction industries. It has around 12,200 employees.