“We were able to save the coal wash plant a significant amount of cost after the second-hand gear box was sourced and fitted, which was a massive win for them,” says Michael Greelish when describing the outcome of an engineering solution for a customer.

Efficiency reigns supreme in the mining sector, where downtime is the enemy of profitability. Every moment of equipment failure is a missed opportunity to extract valuable resources and generate revenue. Consistent equipment breakdowns can take a toll on a mine’s bottom line over, eroding profit margins and jeopardising the success of the operation.

Motion’s team of engineering experts specialise in providing personalised solutions to meet the unique needs of individuals and businesses in the mining sector. As a full-service provider, the team is able to facilitate maintenance, refurbishment, repairs and overhauls through the entire life cycle of industry equipment and machinery.

“As an engineering team, we are able to do everything in house, from analysis to the repair stage of a job, we’re basically a one stop shop for all of our customer’s needs,” says Michael, who is the National Business Development Manager at Motion.

In April 2022, Michael was faced with a coal wash plant in Queensland that’s site had a failure on an old Morse worm geared drive off a conveyor. This conveyor fed directly on to the train load out conveyor which had a gearbox that was unrepairable.

“This was the main line that feeds the conveyor that goes on to the train load out – so if you can’t load coal on to the train, you’re not making any money, so that’s how critical it was,” Michael says.

Initially, the customer explored the possibility of replacing the entire gearbox. However, with wait times of up to 30 weeks, this was not a viable option. The unfortunate consequence of such a prolonged delay would have been a significant loss of productivity due to the conveyor being out of commission for an extended period.

“It was an old English made gear box, that they haven’t made for years, there were no replacements, no drop in ones, unless doing some major modifications.” Michael says.

Considering the circumstances, Michael and the CRAM team collaborated to devise a solution to restore the functionality of the conveyor. After much effort, the team successfully located a second-hand gearbox and promptly dispatched it to Mackay’s rebuild service centre. Bearings, seals, brake, and couplings were meticulously replaced, along with a new motor and couplings.

Upon completion, the refurbished gearbox was promptly delivered to the coal wash plant, where the CRAM team went and skilfully fitted it to the non-functional conveyor.

“We went out and aligned all the couplings on it, fitted it all, and as a result the conveyor was back up and running in about 3 weeks,” Michael says.

Motion’s workmanship resulted in a remarkable cost-saving of a significant amount for the coal wash plant, primarily by minimising the time required to replace the entire gearbox. It is worth noting that the conveyor is still performing exceptionally well and has planned to book in for a new gearbox replacement later in the year.

“It was a great outcome overall, the continuity we provide in our services means our customers only have to deal with the one group of people instead of out-sourcing multiple trades to do the job,” Michael says.

Motion’s engineering department is a powerhouse of expertise, specifically geared towards delivering exceptional outcomes in assessment, review, design, and analysis for the mining industry. Their proficiency extends to repairing, refurbishing, manufacturing, and assembling new mining equipment, alongside offering on-site services for installation, commissioning, and testing. As a one-stop-shop for all mining-related needs and concerns, Motion’s engineers play a pivotal role in the industry, contributing significantly to its growth and development.