Providing fit-for-purpose conveyor solutions for bulk handling operations, the HDPE roller supplied by PROK is essential for high-volume and high-intensity operations.
The bulk handling industry has been pushing for a lighter and more durable conveyor roller as it looks to boost operational efficiency and the volume of materials being transported.
As an alternative to heavy metallic rollers, high-density polyethylene conveyor (HDPE) rollers are being used more in conveyor operations due to their low weight and ease with which they can be changed out.
Matching the needs and demands of the bulk transport industry, PROK has long provided a range of HDPE rollers to fulfil the bulk handling needs of mining operations.
Due to the number of rollers required in longer transport systems and the forces generated on them through constant movement, rollers need to be regularly replaced – a task that poses manual handling safety risks.
PROK engineering manager Ray Anderson said the HDPE rollers are becoming increasingly popular.
“We’ve seen an increasing demand from our customers and from the market to move towards a lighter weight roller,” Anderson told Australian Mining.
“Traditionally, mining companies would use steel rollers, which are quite heavy. And when you’re changing out rollers consistently throughout the day, you’re confronted with a manual handling safety issue.
“This is made worse with traditional heavy steel rollers. So there’s been demand from the market and the industry to move towards a composite lightweight material to reduce potential injury risks, which is what we have been providing with the PROK HDPE.”
PROK has facilities across the world, and the company’s strong client base enables insights into what customers look for in their conveyor solutions.
“Our engineering team has done a lot of research and development on this product over many, many years,” Anderson said.
“Before we launched the product we worked with the industry on various testing processes, with different loads and conditions in place to ensure the rollers performed the way they were supposed to once they hit the market.
“We have installations across the globe and while we started with predominantly iron ore, we’re starting to see our products used across many different commodities globally.”
Understanding that conveyor rollers need to be replaced over time as they experience wear, PROK has implemented a conveyor wear indicator in the HDPE rollers to limit the amount of downtime through unexpected failures and subsequent replacements.
The PROK HDPE yellow tube combines with a green inner layer to act as a visual wear indicator for maintenance teams. The co-extruded HDPE tube changes colour after 5mm of wear, allowing maintenance and scheduling teams the ability to identify worn rollers, localised wear and, in turn, upstream conveyor issues such as excessive carry-back or burden overflow contacting the roller.
As an Austmine member for many years, PROK has benefited from the events and connections the industry association offers, as PROK marketing manager Ryan Silvester explains.
“There’s many different channels and connections we have through our partnership with Austmine. They’ve been a great support,” Silvester said.
With reliability a key focus for PROK, the HDPE roller offers a lighter, safer and more efficient roller for conveyors in Australian mining.
This feature appeared in the October issue of Australian Mining.