TMSA – Bulk Handling Technology S/A is the biggest Latin American manufacturer of bulk solid material handling equipment, especially to port terminals, including shiploaders and high-capacity, heavy-duty and long-distance conveyors.
Founded in 1966, the company designs, engineers and fabricates tailor-made equipment for agriculture and minerals commodities, according to each customer’s specific requirements and needs. Its product portfolio has been constantly improved and includes the latest innovative solutions of dedusting systems and IoT (Internet of Things) data management applied to shiploading units.
With more than five decades in the business, three of them manufacturing shiploaders, TMSA has supplied and commissioned almost 100 units globally, and has been recognized for its continuous operation design, easy maintenance and very low downtime, all under ISO 9001 standards.
Some of TMSA’s major projects include:
* Corporación Navíos Shiploader, Nueva Palmira — Uruguay (see picture above): travelling shiploader capable of handling iron ore at 3,900tph (tonnes per hour) or grains at 2,400tph. These are two completely different commodities, and operations take place in an environment-controlled facility very close to a populated area. The shiploader’s 260° slewing boom loads 150,000dwt Baby Capesize vessels on the west side of the pier or 80,000dwt Panamaxes on the east side. This machine was designed and built following high-class standards, being audited and approved by an international accredited company. .
* IoT — TMSA shiploaders: the use of the IoT-embedded concept allows the customer to make a real-time analysis of the shiploader’s operation at the touch of a monitor or cellphone screen. This innovative solution can predict and prevent losses and damages, providing alerts for maintenance stops based on historical data and analysis reports, processing information from sensors or from the PLC system, including total time in operation, drive usage, wind speed, temperature, number of cycles, among others.
* ADM shiploaders, Santos-Brazil: each of these two slewing boom shiploaders loads soybean and meal at rates of up 2,000tph. The new concept aims to take into account the stringent environmental restrictions on the emission of fine particulates into the air. This aspect is especially critical in Santos port, due to its proximity to the city. TMSA designed and engineered enclosed belt conveyors that reduce dust emissions to the vicinity. This new approach demanded a shiploader capable of combining the high operating design loads in a lighter machine to be installed on an old pre-existing pier. Due to these requirements, finite element method and analysis has been widely used in all structural elements of this shiploader, focusing on optimization of the weight in the main structural elements.
* Dust suppression, retrofitting: port terminals are being much stricter in terms of environmental protection, which is intended to reduce the impact of the loading operation on the surrounding area. The most recent port authorities’ restrictions regarding the emission of particulates to the air has led equipment companies to research new solutions. Recently TMSA developed the telescopic tube with dust suppression system, a speed reducer coupled in a flow centralizer device. Additionally, four emergency panels open in case of overload or plugging. This device was especially designed to retrofit existing shiploaders with load restrictions in the boom.
* AGP shiploader — Aberdeen, USA: TMSA supplied a 1,500tph soybean shiploader to a US customer, which has now been in service for the last 15 years operating under harsh environmental conditions, such as seismic zone, storm winds and heavy snow during the winter season.
The global population is growing fast, as is the demand for food and commodities, so the frequency of the ship voyages has increased significantly in the last years, as well as shorter loading times. This requires more from the shiploaders in terms of capacity, availability, durability and dust suppression.
TMSA offers different solutions for the conveying of bulk materials in general. Its wide technological portfolio also includes belt conveyors that can be conventionally, covered or totally enclosed belt conveyor, with high capacities up to 20,000tph. TMSA has the knowledge and experience to propose an ideal design for the conveying facility, which will fit with the load restrictions, environmental requests, general needs and the budget of the customer.