Port of Visotskiy Buys Additional B&W Lancaster Loaders

Following years of successful operation of two Lancaster loaders at the Russian Port of Visotskiy, the customer has recently installed and commissioned two more units from U.K. manufacturer B&W Mechanical Handling Ltd, based in Ely. B&W enjoys the benefits of being fully integrated into the substantial and respected International Aumund Group with strategically placed offices in more than 10 countries and representatives in over 40.

Port Visotskiy, located in the Leningrad region in Russia is a major center for exporting coal to several European countries and coal arrives at the facility by rail. The problem for the port is that the run of mine coal can contain considerable levels of tramp metal picked up during the mining operation itself, clearly an undesirable characteristic for the ongoing shippers and end users. The Lancaster loader has a long pedigree and has been a part of B&W’s portfolio since 1986. Its primary function here is as a hopper fed, inclined belt, stockpile loading machine but there are many other installations around the world where it is employed for loading smaller ships and river barges. By combining the robustly constructed mobile loader with a permanent magnet system the Port has perfected a methodology for tramp iron removal whilst forming a stockpile.

The systems are working 24 hours a day at loading rates of 600 tn/hr. To ensure the machine can operate reliably at winter temperatures as low as -30ºC, B&W fitted specialist oil heaters to the hydraulic power pack. Two sets of interchangeable hopper liners are supplied; steel for the summer and plastic to facilitate the loading of frozen coal in the winter. The flow of difficult-to-handle coals is also aided by the inclusion of two external hopper-mounted vibrator motors. The 25-m-long boom has variable inclination from 10 to 30 degrees that, together with a chevron cleated belt, allows maximization of the stock pile area.

This recent addition adds to a ‘fleet’ of B&W mobile loading plant at site including two mobile ship loaders combined with Independent Mobile Samson apron belt feeders. For more information, visit www.aumund.de/intro_DE.html.