The U-shape conveyor of Beumer Group enables environmentally friendly and efficient operation in port terminals. It allows the implementation of narrower curve radii than a troughed belt conveyor and higher mass flows than a pipe conveyor with an extremely dust-free transport. U-shape conveyors are therefore a safe investment, which can be easily integrated in an existing infrastructure.
The demand for bulk goods such as cement is increasing worldwide. And even the demand for coal is increasing, at least in the short term, but probably decreasing in the long term. This means that bulk terminals at ports are in a constant state of flux. In order to handle these volumes efficiently, port terminals must be able to expand again and again.
This means that operators are faced with the challenge of integrating new storage areas, which are not always located in the immediate vicinity of the port. Trucks are often used for transport. They can be used flexibly depending on demand. However, the environmental impact and the operating costs for maintenance and fuel, for example, are significant. The more material that needs to be transported, the more trips are required.
Belt Conveying Systems
An ecological and environmentally friendly alternative to truck transport is represented by belt conveying systems. Owners can automate processes and thus relieve personnel from manual work. This solution also reduces the consumption of energy. A further advantage is that a belt conveyor enables the transport of very different materials to and from the port.
Beumer Group offers different solutions depending on the application. The troughed belt conveyors allow high mass flows even in case of heavy and robust materials. Their open design makes them suitable for coarse materials and very large volumes. The pipe conveyors on the contrary present other specific advantages.
The idlers form the belt to a closed tube protecting the material transported against external influences and the environment from emissions such as material loss, dust or odors. Partition plates with hexagonal cuts and idlers in staggered arrangement keep the tube shape closed. The pipe conveyors allow the implementation of narrower curve radii and larger angles of inclination than open troughed belt conveyors.
Requirements Increasing
However, requirements are continuously increasing: On the one hand, the quantities of bulk materials are growing and on the other hand, for environmental reasons, they have to reach their destination with little dust and noise. In addition, there is often a complex routing.
Beumer Group has developed the U-shape conveyor for this purpose. In this solution, a special idler configuration brings the belt in a u-shape. Thus, the bulk material reaches the discharge station.
An idler configuration similar to that for the troughed belt conveyor is used for opening the belt. Unique feature of this solution: It brings together the advantages of open troughed belt conveyors and closed pipe conveyors. The material conveyed is protected against external influences such as wind, rain or snow and the environment against possible material loss and dust.
This conveying solution is suitable for coarse but also for very fine material. Beumer Group is thus expanding the options for offering the best solution for bulk material transport, depending on the project.
Robust Palletizers Offers Advantages
The Beumer Group has also completely redesigned and overhauled its paletpac range of robust palletizers. The modular machines now have identical or similar components and modules and – wherever possible – are based on the same design.
The total number of components has been reduced and faster deliveries are possible. If replacement parts are later needed, this will also go faster. Beumer configures the modules according to each customer’s requirements, tests them in-house and installs them on the customer’s premises, saving time and money.
Beumer offers highly efficient palletizers that deliver many years of service even under tough conditions, the company said. “Our paletpac series is keyed to the characteristics of the packaged goods and complies with the customers’ requirements for packing patterns and pallet dimensions,” said Kay Wieczorek, divisional director of product business at Beumer. The systems gently handle packaging units of all kinds.
“We’ve redesigned our Beumer paletpac and given it a modular structure,” said Wieczorek. “This has a number of big advantages for our customers.” For example, the performance of the machines can be modified at a later time if necessary, and if there is ever a need for retrofitting or repairs, the new design saves a lot of time.
Simpler Installation
The new model range not only makes configuration easier, it also simplifies installation. “Previously, it was necessary to use forklifts with a capacity of up to eight tons,” said Wieczorek. “Now a capacity of five tons is sufficient.”
The modules are designed so that they can be picked up from two different sides. This simplifies assembly in confined spaces. Customers formerly received two large modules; now they get three that are more compact, which makes handling simpler.
“We now only need standard shipping containers,” said Wieczorek. In view of the container crisis caused by the pandemic, this is a real advantage.
Optimized Components
Beumer has redesigned all the modules in its paletpac series in terms of function and utility. It has optimized the motors and drives in the belts and streamlined the design at transfer points, making transport processes much gentler. The size of the assemblies has also been modified for greater efficiency, boosting the performance of certain modules.
The new Beumer paletpac has been equipped with a larger deposit table. With maximum layer dimensions of 1,500 x 1,300 mm, it can accept bags filled with bulk materials on euro pallets or pallets with other formats.
The developers have also redesigned the pusher, which is used in all Beumer paletpac models. The undercarriage is the same for both single and double pushers, enabling users to increase the performance of the system at a later time without making big adjustments to the modules.
“Different packing patterns are also possible,” said Wieczorek. “This starts at the layer preparation level. The machine places the bags on the lifting gear in alternation. If the material in the goods is nevertheless unevenly distributed and cannot be equalized when the bags are fed, the Beumer paletpac can be supplied with a turning device in the lifting gear. Rotation of the bags by 180 degrees prevents uneven stacking.
When they modernized the paletpac, Beumer’s developers also improved its footprint. The control cabinet bays have a standard configuration, but a space-saving offset arrangement is also possible if required by the customer. The enclosure for the lifting gear also saves space.
“We gave this series a slim design,” explained Wieczorek. The Human Machine Interface (HMI) is located on the maintenance platform at the layer preparation level. If the operator needs to make adjustments, he or she can see the whole machine at once. Additional control units, for example in the area of the lifting gear, can optionally be installed for even greater convenience.
Focus on Energy Efficiency
For drive technology, the BEUMER paletpac relies on the MOVI-C modular automation system from SEW. This centralized approach requires less space in the control cabinet and reduces the number of components in the bay. Energy savings of 20% to 30% can be achieved by means of a common DC link in the frequency converters and optimized motion sequences. Energy storage units are another option: “These are an efficient means of eliminating peak loads. They also cut operating costs for users and reduce the carbon footprint,” said Wieczorek.
Beumer said it has gone to great lengths to ensure reliable operation of the new paletpac generation. One such measure was to subject the palletizers to tough endurance tests. Service technicians now have it much easier if modules have to be serviced or components replaced. For example, belt changes take much less time thanks to better accessibility.
The Beumer paletpac range continues to offer a wide range of models at different capacity levels. Machines in the low-throughput range stack up to 1,800 bags per hour. Those in the medium and high-throughput ranges stack up to 3,200 and 6,000 bags per hour, respectively.
Beumer, www.beumer.com
