A properly designed en-masse conveyor will minimize material waste, enhance efficiency and increase ROI. By Andrew Parker, President, CDM Systems, Inc. Introduction The North American industrial and manufacturing sectors represent some of the most competitive operations in the world. With the global demand for products escalating each year, these sectors continually search for new ways to innovate existing processes in […]
Mitigating conveyor corrosion starts with identifying causes and designing the most durable piece of equipment. By Andrew Parker, President, CDM Systems, Inc. Introduction The industrial sector is one of the largest and most important drivers of global economic growth and stability. Whether it is mining, paper & pulp, fertilizer or utilities, the impact of the billions of dollars at stake […]
Employing this conveyor design throughout an operation achieves the added benefit of increased productivity. By Andrew Parker, President, CDM Systems, Inc. Introduction According to data from the World Monetary Fund, the annual cost to U.S. businesses due to lost time from workplace injuries exceeds the gross domestic product (GDP) of 91 countries worldwide1. Injuries and illness caused by working conditions […]
There are many similarities between a pickup truck and a high-performance sports car. Both have engines, both have four wheels, and both can go 100 miles per hour. The biggest difference between them is this: one can reach and maintain that speed easily, while the other will eventually break down because it’s not designed and built for the task. Similar […]
It should come as no surprise that fires and explosions cost companies billions of dollars each year. Lost productivity, the cost of repairing or replacing damaged or destroyed equipment, settling lawsuits originating from employee injuries or deaths – it all contributes to the total. Industrial operations that handle materials such as grain, sulfur, oil and gas, biomass, and wood pellets […]
In a previous blog, we discussed the Turtle Philosophy as it applies to CDM’s exclusive conveyor chain formula, which combines a case-hardened exterior with a malleable core to create the strongest, longest-wearing chain in the industry. This time we’ll reference a notable literary turtle as we analyze the issue of material degradation. In Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare,” […]
An article in the June 2017 edition of Engineering and Mining Journal stated that the mining industry has had to adapt to stay competitive due to declining material grade and low commodity prices, among other factors. Typically, when someone uses the word “adapt” in a business context, they follow it with “or die.” That’s a rather draconian way of saying […]
If you’re moving material in the pulp and paper industry, you’re all too familiar with corrosion. That’s the deterioration of a metal as a result of chemical reactions between it and the surrounding environment. Unfortunately, keeping corrosion in your conveyors to a minimum isn’t as simple as applying a highly corrosive-resistant surface to everything and calling it a day. A […]
“I walked 20 miles to school, uphill, both ways, in the snow.” “l used to carry 50 pound bags of ice up six flights of stairs.” In a casual conversation, statements like these are great for impressing other people with feats of strength and a capacity for physical exertion. In a heavy-industrial operation, manual labor is not only outdated and […]
A global fiberglass insulation manufacturer was having issues with misapplied conveyors for handling glass cullet. The issues caused increased housekeeping and maintenance problems, while reducing production output. The manufacturer was using belt conveyors for material that had to move greater than 30 feet, and a screw conveyor for shorter distances. The highly abrasive nature of the material was hard on […]
