Extending Belt Cleaner Cushion Wear Life from Weeks to Years in Underground Conditions

Industry

Underground Mining

Application

Gold/Copper

Product

Two P-Type^® Secondary Belt Cleaners with Flextreme^® PXT Cushions

Objective

•    Match increased tonnages and shutdown cycles
•    Eliminate cushion delamination
•    Improve cleaning efficiency

Conveyor Detail

•    Belt Speed: 3.5 m/s
•    Belt Width: 1050mm
•    Belt Type: Steel Cord Belt

Problem: 

A copper-gold mine located in New South Wales, Australia was experiencing premature failure of belt cleaner cushioning systems on one of its underground transfer conveyors. Cushions on the site's existing standard P-Type style secondary cleaner were fatiguing and failing before the next scheduled 6-week shutdown. This resulted in reduced cleaning performance, inconsistent blade-to-belt contact, and repeated maintenance interventions between planned shutdowns. Because the cushions were not lasting a full shutdown cycle, the site was facing up to six belt cleaner rebuilds per year. With throughput planned to double the following year, minimising conveyor downtime became critical to operations. Increased belt speeds and material loads would further amplify the forces acting on the cleaner system. Under these conditions, standard cushions were unable to withstand the stress, leading to plate separation, accelerated fatigue, and reduced cleaning efficiency.

Solution: 

Flexco recommended a trial of its Flextreme^® PXT Cushion (PXTC) to address premature cushion fatigue and extend belt cleaner service life in demanding underground conditions. Two P-Type^® Secondary Belt Cleaners in the secondary and tertiary positions were upgraded with PXT cushions and 15 mm long-life tips, then installed on an underground transfer conveyor operating at 3.5 m/s with a 1050 mm wide steel cord belt. Designed for high-speed, heavy-duty applications, the PXTC distributes loads more evenly across the cushion and prevents separation between plates. The trial aimed to confirm whether the PXTC system could operate across multiple shutdown cycles without requiring cushion or tip replacements, while maintaining consistent blade-to-belt contact and reliable cleaning performance to support increased production targets.

Result:

Since installation, the PXTC cushions have been in continuous operation for over 2.5 years without failure or replacement and remain in service at the time of this story’s publication. The 15 mm long-life tungsten carbide tips were replaced only once at the 2-year mark. Compared to the previous system, which required up to 6 rebuilds per year, the PXTC has eliminated approximately 15 rebuilds over a 2.5-year period. What was once a 6-week failure cycle has been replaced by a multi-year continuous operation. Overall, the upgrade has significantly reduced maintenance time, labour exposure, and consumable costs, while providing consistent cleaning performance to support their increased production goals.