Modern Mining June 2025

CRUSHING & SCREENING

identify potential problems before they result in costly breakdowns and unscheduled downtime, thus reducing costs, increasing productivity and maximising plant uptime,” he says. Through these audits, operations can implement timely remedial action. Prioritising safety through hazard awareness is essential for a secure workplace. Leveraging data from the digital Conveyor Audit reporting system, Tru-Trac audits further help clients with stock control, ensuring that the right products are available at the right time, thus preventing disruptions to production. Technology to the fore With the advent of cutting-edge monitoring technology, Tru-Trac audits are evolving at a rapid pace. The integration of the Tru-Trac Rip Prevent+ system, an advanced monitoring technology that analyses data from the conveyor belt using artificial intelligence (AI)-based models and algorithms, presents an exciting prospect for the audit process. The system’s added functionalities beyond rip detection, such as energy efficiency analysis and mass flow calculation, enhance conveyor system availability and provide additional process information. “We are particularly excited about the new gearbox monitoring functionality, which affords real-time monitoring and analysis of gearbox health, offering crucial insights into performance and potential issues,” he says. The arrival of yet another Tru-Trac innovation, the newly launched intelligent belt scale, which made its debut at bauma 2025, further provides another important technological tool to the auditing process. “Integrating AI-driven continuous calibration check and real-time load cell monitoring, amongst other functions, the new intelligent belt scale not only accurately measures and detects tonnes per hour but also provides advanced conveyor belt monitoring by integrating AI-driven analytics with traditional belt scales. The future of our Tru-Trac conveyor solutions audits is definitely exciting,” concludes Van Eyssen. n

Tru-Trac’s Rip Prevent+ monitoring system uses AI to detect anomalies before they escalate, enhancing safety and reliability.

Spillage in belt conveyors stems from various issues, including belt misalignment, mistracking and poor maintenance of load zone components. “Poor sealing at loading points is another major cause of spillage, which leads to material loss and reduced production. Higher manual cleaning needs not only present unnecessary costs, but also safety concerns,” explains Van Eyssen. Benefits of regular audits Regular holistic conveyor systems’ audits therefore offer insulation against these common conveyor system problems, allowing customers to reduce downtime, improve safety outcomes, enhance operational efficiency and extend conveyor system lifespan. In an ideal world, operations can get up to ten years out of a conveyor belt depending on application, material and other factors. Due to poor maintenance practices and a lack of operational insights, says Van Eyssen, many operations often do not realise the expected lifespan of a conveyor belt. “Our regular holistic audits provide companies with data on the health of their conveyor systems. Access to historical data helps with the formulation of predictive maintenance regimes. This helps

26  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | JUNE 2025