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The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the safety performance measurement of belt conveyor systems.

A structural methodology of graph theory and matrix approach is used for developing a framework for safety performance measurement of belt conveyor systems.

The development of a framework for safety performance measurement of belt conveyor systems is essential for ensuring plant safety. For this, safety performance factors, including design and operating contextual factors of belt conveyor systems, are identified. The factors along with their interrelations are modeled using digraph. An equivalent matrix of the digraph provided safety performance function (SPF) of belt conveyor systems, leading to the development of a safety performance index (SPI).

The developed framework will enable the designers for evaluating and comparing alternative designs of conveyor systems from the safety viewpoint. The plant operators can make inferences from the SPI to identify the weak contextual factors in the plant and develop action plans for its mitigation.

The paper is novel and employs graph theory and matrix approach for safety performance measurement. The methodology helps in the quantitative evaluation of the safety performance of belt conveyor systems.

There is an increasing trend of outsourcing maintenance activities of heavy equipment, including belt conveyor installations. However, there are numerous challenges in maintenance outsourcing. This paper aims to identify and analyze various challenges of outsourcing maintenance activities associated with belt conveyor installations.

This paper identifies maintenance outsourcing challenges of belt conveyor installations through literature review, field visits and expert opinion. An integrated structural hierarchical framework of the identified challenges is developed through analytic hierarchy process and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory.

The paper has identified eight challenges, namely, attainment of organizational strength by contractors, legal and financial challenges for contractors, attainment of necessary technician skills by contractors, maintenance data acquisition and analysis challenges, facilitation with modern equipment, gadgets and instrumentation, service quality challenges, health, safety and environment-related challenges and spares supply chain management challenges. The segregation of driver and dependent challenges, including their hierarchical framework had been established in this work.

A comprehensive list of challenges and their prioritization in maintenance outsourcing of belt conveyor installations had been established. This will help the organizations who own and operate these installations to make judicious decisions regarding outsourcing maintenance.

This paper significantly contributes to the literature on maintenance outsourcing of heavy machinery installations like a belt conveyor system based on the input of different stakeholders. This study will lead to the development of frameworks for maintenance contractor selection for such installations.

July 29, 1971 Docks — Port Talbot — “Dock estate” — Meaning — New harbour and jetty built adjacent to old harbour — Whether part of port of Port Talbot — “Dock work” — “Discharging from ship” — Discharging ore involving work with unloaders and belt conveyor system — “Cargo” — Meaning — Dock Labour Scheme for the South Wales Ports (1942) App. (4) — Port of Port Talbot Registration Amended Scheme (1943) Sch. para. l(l)(a) — Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. VI, c.22), s. 6 — Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) (Amendment) Order, 1967 (S. 1. 1967, No. 1252), Sch. 2, App. 1M(4).

The purpose of this paper is to provide a minimum time algorithm to intercept an object on a conveyor belt by a robotic manipulator. The goal is that the robot is able to intercept objects on a conveyor line moving at a given speed in minimum time.

In order to formulate the problem, the robot and object‐arrival time functions were introduced, and conclude that the optimal point occurs at the intersection of these two functions. The search algorithm for finding the intersection point between the robot and object arrival time functions are also presented to find the optimal point in real‐time.

Simulation results show that the presented algorithm is well established for various initial robot positions.

A trapezoidal velocity profile was employed which is used in many industrial robots currently in use. Thus, it is believed that robot travel time algorithm is readily implemented for any commercially available robots.

The paper considers exhaustive cases where robot travel time functions are dependent upon initial positions of robotic end‐effectors. Also presented is a fast converging search algorithm so that real time application is more feasible in many cases.

December 13, 1972 Docks — Port Talbot — “Dock estate” — Meaning — New harbour and jetty built adjacent to old harbour — Whether part of port of Port Talbot — “Dock work” — Discharging ore involving work with unloaders and belt conveyor system — Work not previously performed by registered dock workers — “Cargo” — “Discharging from ship” — Meanings — Dock Labour Scheme for the South Wales Ports (1942) App. (4) — Port of Port Talbot Registration Amended Scheme (1943) Sch. para. 1(1)(a) — Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. VI, c.22), s. 6 — Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) (Amendment) Order, 1967 (S. 1. 1967, No. 1252), Sch. 2, App. 1M(4).

June 8, 1970 Docks — Port Talbot — “Dock estate” — Meaning — New harbour and jetty built adjacent to old harbour — Whether part of port of Port Talbot — “Dock work” — “Discharging from ship” — Discharging ore in continuous operation involving work with unloaders, belt conveyor system and primary boomstacker in stockyard — Stacking in stockyard — Whether dock work ordinarily performed by dock workers at Port Talbot — Dock Labour Scheme for South Wales Ports (1942) App. (4) — Port of Port Talbot Registration Amended Scheme (1943) Sch. para. I (1) (a) — Dock Workers (Registration of Employment) Act, 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. VI, c. 22), s. 2(5)(6) — Dock Workers (Registration of Employment) (Amendment) Order, 1967 (S.I. 1967,No. 1252), Sch. 2, App. I M. (4).

Large-scale belt-conveyor systems are extensively used in open mines to continuously transport bulk material. Conveyor pulleys are critical components and failures have significant financial consequences due to extended downtime. Aiming at increasing their durability, two critical spots are identified: the drum and the welds between end-plates and drum. Alternative designs have been evaluated. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Loads on the driving drum are determined from measurements of the bearing force and the motor power. The friction interaction between belt and drum is described by the creep model and its impact is evaluated by comparing the results obtained for low and typical values of friction coefficient. Alternative designs are analysed using finite element method with optimised variable density mesh. The stress field and the deformations are calculated and evaluated.

Friction affects the torque transmission capacity and force distribution, but it is shown that in this case it has almost no impact on the maximum von Mises stress which occurs on the inside surface of the drum; therefore fatigue cracks initiated there, cannot be visually detected. A reinforcing diaphragm is added at the mid-plane to reduce the stress. A new, improved design is proposed to eliminate welds between the end-plates and the drum.

The new proposed design has to be tested in the field to ultimately validate its higher durability.

The impact of the friction of the belt on the drum is demonstrated. The reinforcement resulting from a mid-plane diaphragm is quantitatively evaluated and assessed. A new improved pulley design is proposed aiming at significantly increased operational life compared to the one of the current design.

This paper aims to present the results that can be achieved using continuous three-dimensional (3D) printing technology.

In the first section, conventional additive manufacturing and continuous 3D-printing are described and compared against each other. Essential is the new approach to coat the particulate material and to print it on a tilted surface. For this special setup, theoretical considerations for sources of distortions are given. These considerations define the design of the test parts. For the evaluation of a tilted setup a prototype using large dimensions is shown. Of special interest is the exact transportation using a large mass of particulate material.

The 3D-printing principle is suitable for tilted surfaces, making production without any downtime possible. The parts produced using the prototype continuous 3D-printer have sufficient accuracy for foundry use, although various considerations and the setup show that angular deflections can be caused by inaccuracies in the feeding system.

The parts’ accuracy is additionally affected by the thickness of unbound particle material under the building area. The amount of unbound particle material is of a constructive nature. Thus, the setup is limiting the investigations. Using the current material system, the printing should take place as near to the conveyor belt as possible.

This paper outlines which kind of parts can be manufactured using continuous 3D-printing.

This article shows a first evaluation of parts printed using continuous 3D-printing. It gives a perspective on future designs from rapid prototyping machines based on these principles and shows the possible benefits. The change over from rapid prototyping to rapid manufacturing will be strongly accelerated by said machine design.

The development of a generic flexible assembly system involves the design, selection and integration of a number of different mechanical systems in order to develop an assembly system, which is capable of assembling a wide variety of products having an unknown specification. A specific system configuration being dependent on a variety of factors such as, product size, weight, component insertion direction, and manipulator geometry. This paper examines each of the factors that should be considered when designing a generic flexible assembly system and presents a novel generic flexible assembly system design.

‘FOG in Channel: Continent isolated!’ Those were once the headlines in a national newspaper which thus succinctly, although with unintentional irony, expressed the British sense of complacency. Making allowance for an element of exaggeration, the incident contained enough truth to make its point. The new alignments of industry and commerce which are now taking place mean that this country cannot afford to retain even a vestige of such an attitude.