Stieber Custom FA Series Backstops for Coal Mine Conveyors

A major energy company in Australia needed reliable replacement low-speed backstops (LSBs) for use on six incline conveyors that move coal out of a mine to an adjacent power station. The existing LSBs were being removed every two years for inspection and often needed to be replaced due to premature failure. With approximately 20 LSBs on site, costs and downtime – including labor, large crane requirements plus the new backstops – associated with the frequent replacements were beginning to grow significantly.

The customer ultimately decided to work with Stieber after consulting with several clutch OEMs. One of the main requirements was that the new backstops had to fit in the same envelope and use the same mounting and anchor points as the existing competitor units.

The Stieber engineering team, working closely with the customer, developed a cost-saving, drop-in replacement backstop solution that was able to utilize most parts of the existing torque arm arrangement. The new, extremely reliable backstops will require an initial inspection after a full five years of service... a major cost benefit compared to the twoyear inspection schedule needed for the competitor units. The unique Stieber backstop is designed to be easily and cost-effectively overhauled at least four times, yielding an estimated service life of 20-25 years.

After discussions with the customer’s service team, Stieber also added some access points for an on-site condition monitoring system and changed the breather threading so that existing air filters could be installed without an adapter.