Cutting Carryback by 80% at a Gold-Copper Mine

Industry

Underground Hard Rock 

Application

Gold and Copper

Product

CBS^® Continuous Blade Secondary^® Cleaners with EZ-Air Kit Tensioning System

Objective

•    Reduce carryback
•    Improve belt cleaning efficiency
•    Simplify maintenance

Conveyor Detail

•    Belt Width: 1600mm

Problem: 

A gold-copper mine in the Central West of New South Wales was experiencing significant carryback on a surface belt conveyor. The existing competitor P-Type secondary belt cleaner with bolt tensioning was delivering poor cleaning performance, resulting in frequent material buildup and ongoing manual cleanup. The site was spending approximately 30 hours per week removing carryback, often requiring a vacuum truck to clear walkways for the workforce. Carryback was also causing premature idler damage, leading to frequent roller replacements and increased maintenance costs. To maintain proper blade contact, technicians had to regularly adjust the bolt tension, but limited technician availability made these adjustments difficult, increasing downtime and reducing maintenance efficiency.

Solution: 

Flexco's local Territory Manager worked closely with the mine team to assess the site's carryback levels, material characteristics, and conveyor specifications. Based on the findings, Flexco recommended a stainless-steel CBS® Continuous Blade Secondary® (CBS®) Belt Cleaner paired with the EZ-Air Kit (EZK) tensioning system. Engineered for tough mining conditions, the CBS® pairs an unsegmented polyurethane blade with a carbide leading edge for the durability this application demands. The EZK addresses the tensioning challenge directly, holding constant blade-to-belt contact without site air or portable tanks and letting the crew make adjustments quickly and safely from the side of the conveyor using a handheld compressor.

Result:

The CBS® cleaner delivered a significant improvement in belt cleaning performance, reducing carryback and eliminating the need for frequent vacuum truck usage. Cleaning crew requirements dropped from 30 hours per week to 6 hours per week, an 80% reduction in carryback maintenance. Improved cleaning performance also led to a 60% reduction in roller replacements, lowering spare parts consumption and maintenance labour. Following positive site feedback, the operation has since upgraded multiple conveyors across the site to the same belt cleaning configuration.