Martin In The Press

Martin Engineering is very involved in the industries we serve and is often featured in their related publications. Some of those stories are compiled here.

Ten common mistakes in conveyor specification and design

Conveyor systems are the lifeblood of a wide range of bulk material handling operations, including mining, coal and ore processing, aggregate, and cement manufacturing. Modern systems are being tasked with moving greater volumes of cargo - at higher speeds - than ever before, yet the common practices in conveyor specification and design are out of date compared to the current expectations of users for the safe, serviceable, and reliable conveyance of bulk solids that minimizes fugitive material. This article shows avoidable problems including recommendations for problem-solving.

Air cannon innovations in preheater towers

An essential part of the cement production process is the consistent flow of bulk materials, as poor material flow can put a stranglehold on a plant’s profitability, writes Brad Pronschinske, Director of Air Cannons Business Group/Martin Engineering. Air cannons have a long history of resolving material flow issues associated with bulk handling. Also known as air blasters, they are employed in a number of applications in cement production, from unclogging hoppers to moving super-heated material through the cooling process. Recent innovations in the engineering, installation, assembly and design of air cannons have been particularly effective in maintaining safe, efficient flow in preheater towers

Down The Rathole - World Cement Article

Although technology for industrial concrete production has made great strides, the hopper's basic funnel design still tends to accumulate buildup in cement manufacturing operations, which can eventually lead to clogging and process downtime. This was the problem CRH Roadstone Limited, a cement and concrete block production firm, was experiencing.

Avoiding Accumulation - World Cement Article

Drake Cement is one of the newest cement companies in America's southwest, with operations beginning in 2011. Located at the site of an old rail town, the facility includes a state-of-the-art, six-stage in-line calciner with a rated capacity of 660,000 tpa of clinker. Some of their operating and pollution controls are so advanced that they are found in only a few other facilities throughout the world.

Dust and Air: The Facts - World Coal Article

Dust has been an issue of concern and research ever since bulk solids were first transported by conveyor belt. Airborne dust travels in the air currents created by the handling of bulk solids. Extensive research has been conducted to determine the quantity of air created at a transfer point, resulting in three different methodologies to predict the amount of air generated.

Septuagenarian Success - World Coal Article

Martin Engineering has come a long way in its 70 years of business. From its origins in rural Illinois, the company now offers its bulk material handling solutions around the world. But despite this long history, the company remains clear about where it came from - and that story still drives its vision today. So where did it all begin?

Maintaining The Standard - World Coal Article

Few would argue with the assertion that even one serious conveyor accident can cost more money than virtually any safety programme. Employees in conveyor-related industries also deserve to have the safest workplace that is reasonably possible. Yet as downsizing trends advance and the economy stagnates, there is temptation to postpone maintenance and safety upgrades.

Investigating Carryback - World Coal Article

Ineffective conveyor belt cleaning can result in carryback (material that clings to the return side of the belt after the cargo has been discharged), leading to the accumulation of dust and spillage along the length of the conveyor structure. This accumulation interferes with plant operations and exposes personnel to unnecessary safety risks when cleaning up the material.

Hurricane Season - ZKG Article

A cement plant located in the West of Istanbul, Turkey, and has a production capacity of 5,900 tons of clinker per day. It’s one of the largest producers in Turkey’s busy cement industry, supplying 10% of the country’s total demand and 12.5% of the nation’s total cement and clinker exports. Originally built in 1967, the facility has three clinker production kilns.

Making the Right Choice - World Coal Article

A central dust collector consists of a single assembly containing all fans, filters, and a collection hopper. As the name implies, this assembly is located at a central point and connected to all the individual collection points by means of sealed ductwork. This type of filtration system would handle all the dust extracted from the entire conveyor system.

Time For An Upgrade - World Coal Article

The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) is one of the largest publicly owned electric utilities in the US. As part of OPPD's commitment to best practices for environmental stewardship, the North Omaha power plant was converted to burn cleaner, lower-sulfur coal from the Power River Basin (PRB). In switching to the cleaner fuel, the plant faced some challenges.

Reducing the Cost of Dust Collection - Cement International Article

Fugitive material has been an issue in bulk material handling for as long as conveyors have been in use. Dust and spillage create a variety of potential hazards and waste valuable resources. Consequences of regulatory violations can range from simple warnings to massive fines. A proactive approach is to eliminate the root cause, typically through the use of dust collectors to gather and filter dust-laden air.

Carrying the Bulk Load - Dry Cargo International Article

Few would argue with the assertion that a single serious conveyor accident can cost more than virtually any safety programme. Most people would also agree that employees in conveyor-relayed industries deserve to have the safest workplace that is reasonably possible. Yet there is a temptation to postpone maintenance activities and safety upgrades in an effort to preserve profitability.

A Need for Speed - World Coal Article

As coal mining and processing operations continue the ongoing search for ways to increase production volumes, one area of focus has been the conveyor systems that carry massive amounts of bulk material over long distances at high speeds. One sign of this is the increasing use of wider conveyors that are able to handle larger loads.

Solving Flow Problems - Bulk Handling Today Article

The efficiency of any bulk material handling process depends on consistent material flow throughout the system. Any build-up of material in chutes, hoppers, silos, and loading staiths cause a bottleneck-effect, eventually halting the flow completely, bringing the entire system to a complete standstill as manual clearing takes place.

Handling PRB Coal - Power Engineering Article

In the 1980s, OPPD was converted to burn cleaner, lower sulfur coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin (PRB), as part of their commitment to best environmental stewardship practices. The North Omaha Power Station, a 646 MW coal fired power plant located on the Missouri River north of the city, was constructed over 50 years ago and was originally constructed to burn high sulfur coal.

New Tricks For The Old Dogs - Power Engineering Article

The efficient handling of coal on belt conveyors is essential to coal-fired power plants. The conveying of coal is prone to problems including the escape of spillage and airborne dust. These are typical problems, common problems, problems of long-standing, problems that continue to make the handling of coal a dirty, inefficient, unpleasant, high maintenance, low reward job—a “dog” of a job.

How Science Is Improving Power Plant Coal Handling - World Coal Article

One of the greatest advancements in the engineering of coal handling systems is the increased use of bulk material science. This field is focused on the testing and analysis of both the bulk solid and the construction materials that the bulk solids will move on, over, or through. Bulk material science is an interdisciplinary field.

Leading With Service - Business Excellence Article

Neponset, Illinois is an unlikely place to find an equipment manufacturer that does the most rugged type of material handling anyone could imagine. The problem Martin Engineering solved then was just the same as anyone faces today if they are handling materials that won’t pour easily – what do you do to empty your hopper, clear your truck bed or get the cement out of a mixer?

Multi Port Air Cannon Technology in the Cement Industry - International Cement Review Article

Material flow problems in cement manufacturing are an industry-wide issue. No matter how well-designed, almost any process can experience conditions that contribute to accumulations, which have a significant impact on output and profitability. Build-ups can occur in many places, including dry material being processed, ash that adheres to boiler tubes and walls, or in kilns and coolers.

MartinPLUS^® Silo Cleaning - World Cement Article

Most cement plants have a bank of storage silos to hold finished cement in inventory until required for packaging or bulk shipping. Storage silos allow cement plants to stockpile inventory until needed. Buildups on the vessel walls can rob plants of the storage systems in which they have already invested. These buildups slow material and decrease the "live" capacity of the vessel.

Clearing The Clouds - World Coal Article

Seward, Alaska, is a century old shipping town that has recently become a primary cruise ship port. Because the new cruise ship dock is adjacent to the older coal trans-loading terminal, image conscious community members have grown increasingly concerned about the stark incongruity between the bay's natural beauty and the vital industrial activity of the port.

Success as a Scavenger - World Coal Article

Belt cleaners are installed to remove material that sticks to a conveyor past the nominal discharge point. The cleaners are generally installed at the discharge, usually at the head pulley, because this position allows the fines and slime removed from the belt to be returned to the main material stream. Typically, dual cleaners are installed - a primary precleaner and a secondary belt cleaner.

Keeping Your Belts Up and Your Costs Down - Energy-Tech Article

If the turbine is the heart of the coal-fired power plant, the boiler/furnace is the stomach, and the belt conveyors are the esophagus, keeping the power source well supplied. Without the belt conveyor system, the fuel does not get where it needs to go, when it needs to get there. And of course, if the systems are not working as they should, there are consequences in production output and cost.

Making Money From Thin Air - World Cement Article

Advances in valve technology allow air cannons to operate with lower volumes of compressed air. Adoption of this technology results in an attractive return on investment based on reduced operating costs. Applications for air cannons range from emptying stagnant bulk material from storage vessels to cleaning high-temperature gas ducts.

Martin In The Press

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