100,000dwt bulker returns to service

The Yeoman Bontrup bulk transport ship has been re-launched to perform a transport and delivery service for granite aggregates supplied from Glensanda Quarry in Scotland. The 100,000dwt self-discharging vessel is back in service after a £35 million rebuild which included key material handling equipment such as transfer chutes being removed, rebuilt and re-installed. In order to enhance the performance of this equipment, wear protection specialist Kingfisher was called in to incorporate its technology to enhance the performance and service longevity of the chutes due to detrimental effects of handling hard granite stone.
The 21-month planning, engineering and rebuild process was triggered by fire damage caused while in berth at the Glensanda super quarry in Morvern, north-west Scotland during July 2010. The damage to the structure of the vessel along with its materials handling equipment required Kingfisher to carry out lining work using its specialist wear- and abrasion-resistant K-ALOX lining system while in dry-dock in Poland. The installation was carried out by Kingfisher’s experienced international team of fitters who travel around the globe providing repairs and wear protection for ships, ports, power stations, mining and aggregate processing sites.
Now, following the rebuild, the Yeoman Bontrup has resumed
its dedicated shuttle duties transporting high-quality crushed granite aggregates from Glensanda to markets across northern Europe. The re-launch comes at a time when major investment is taking place atYeoman Glensanda on the Morvern Peninsula including the relocation of the primary crusher and mobile plant workshop removing the primary crusher and conveyor from the skyline.
Darren Loftas,Yeoman Glensanda works manager, was reported as saying of the project:“It’s great news for both Yeoman Glensanda and the local community that we are able to make this investment in our business. In times of continued global economic uncertainty, this significant investment demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to both the quarry and the community.”
Commenting Kingfisher MD John Connolly said.“We have served the marine, bulk cargo ports and quarrying industries for many years and with the knowledge gained along with utilization of our range of ceramic, metallic and polymer protection systems we have a good understanding of what works where and what doesn’t.
The reasoning behind the use of our 92P K-ALOX ceramic liners on this application takes in to account both its previous track record of success and its excellent rating for resistance to all forms of abrasion; it is one of the few protection systems that can cater for the constant abrasion that occurs when handling hard granite aggregates.
The primary material used for the manufacture of Kingfisher’s K-ALOX components is calcined alumina at over 90% purity. In order to achieve its fine molecular structure it is milled and dried to create a near submicron powder. It can then either be pressed or slip cast into almost any form and kiln hardened in a controlled process of heat treatment reaching temperatures of 1,600°C which results in a material with characteristics of extreme abrasion, impact and heat resistance.
The primary use of the K-ALOX material is for the protection of plant against abrasion and erosion when bulk solids or by-products are being conveyed or processed by mechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic means. With a hardness rating of 9 on the MOHS harness scale, K-ALOX is ideally suited
to counter both impact and sliding abrasion and erosion within the bulk solids handling or processing applications, making it ideal for bulk import or export terminals along with protecting the transfer systems on self unloading vessels carrying hard aggregate such as crushed granite.
As operational uptime is becoming more critical in determining the success or failure of manufacturing, processing and logistics operations, the need for high plant availability, extended service life and trouble free operation is key. Plant owners and operators alike are seeking to offset the risk of supply chain failure and this is resulting in increasing demand for design, engineering, fabrication and installation work, in addition to providing wear protection solutions. By having our dedicated expert teams on hand, we can also take responsibility for delivering turnkey projects on time and ensure quality, cost, delivery schedules and employee safety requirements are all achieved.”