Inner Mongolia Limestone Long-Distance Conveying Solution

A building materials factory in Inner Mongolia specializes in deep processing of limestone, with limestone (particle size 5-30mm, moisture content 2%-5%, high hardness and prone to dust generation in dry environments) as its core raw material. Previously, the factory relied entirely on heavy trucks for transporting limestone from the mine crushing area to the plant's raw material yard, with no fixed conveying chain. As production capacity expanded, the 4650-meter transport distance required frequent round trips, and trucks had to detour around hilly terrain to avoid natural bends, with each trip taking over 1 hour and resulting in extremely low actual transport efficiency. Inner Mongolia experiences significant temperature differences (as low as -25°C in winter and up to 38°C in summer), causing frequent failures in truck hydraulic systems due to low temperatures, and tire blowouts during prolonged driving in summer; annual downtime exceeded 80 hours. Open transportation led to dust emissions of 23mg/m³, far exceeding the 10mg/m³ limit in the "Comprehensive Emission Standard for Air Pollutants," prompting multiple rectification orders from local environmental authorities. During limestone loading and unloading, high hardness and lack of protective measures resulted in a material loss rate of 4.8%, with annual losses exceeding 550,000 tons and severe raw material waste.

To thoroughly address these issues, the factory decided to customize a dedicated long-distance limestone conveying system, requiring the supplier to provide full-process new construction services "from scheme design, equipment manufacturing to on-site operation and maintenance." The system must adapt to Inner Mongolia's terrain of flatlands interspersed with hills (including 6 natural bends), a 25-meter elevation gain, and extreme temperature differences, while meeting a processing capacity of 1200 tons/hour. ZOOMRY, leveraging local terrain, meteorological data, and limestone characteristics in Inner Mongolia, developed a full-chain customized solution centered on "long-distance curved belt conveyor + supporting pre-treatment equipment," achieving direct conveyance of limestone from the mine to the plant.

Project Overview

Core Requirements

• Basic Requirements: The new conveying system must cover a 4650-meter distance, with a belt width of 1200mm and processing capacity ≥1200 tons/hour, adapting to 6 horizontal curves (turning radii of 1000-1500 meters as determined by surveys), achieving a 25-meter elevation gain, and employing a head + tail dual-drive design to handle hilly terrain under heavy load;
• Environmental Adaptation Requirements: Equipment must withstand Inner Mongolia's extreme temperature range of -25°C to 38°C, with the conveyor belt featuring cold resistance, while adapting to dust control needs in the dry, low-rainfall environment; the frame must resist wind and sand erosion;
• Planning and Design: ZOOMRY is responsible for all aspects of the new construction, from route planning and equipment customization to on-site installation, with no reuse of existing equipment;
• After-Sales Service: Dust emissions ≤10mg/m³, equipment compliant with CEMA standards and domestic environmental regulations, core components (idlers, drums) with service life ≥50,000 hours, supported by domestic service network points for common spare parts response ≤7 days, and specialized training for operation and maintenance personnel.

Core Objectives

1. Efficiency Achievement: After construction from scratch, the 4650-meter conveying system achieves stable processing capacity ≥1200 tons/hour throughout, with no intermediate transfers, completely replacing truck transportation;
2. Environmental Adaptation: Equipment operates stably under Inner Mongolia's extreme temperature differences and hilly terrain, controlling dust emissions to below 8mg/m³, and reducing limestone loss rate to below 1%;
3. Controllable Operation and Maintenance: Equipment annual failure rate ≤0.8%, operation and maintenance team capable of independent operation after training, spare parts response cycle ≤7 days, reducing long-term operation and maintenance costs.

Limestone Long-Distance Conveying Solution

Core Equipment

To adapt to Inner Mongolia's 6 horizontal curves, 25-meter elevation gain, and extreme temperature differences, ZOOMRY customized a set of long-distance curved belt conveyor, with key designs optimized around the local environment:

• Curve and Terrain Adaptation: Employing "multi-segment curved gradient tension control technology," for the 6 horizontal curves with radii of 1000-1500 meters, equipped with ZOOMRY's proprietary "friction self-aligning idler group" (diameter 133mm, suitable for 1200mm belt width), radial runout ≤0.4mm (superior to national standard 0.5mm), water ingress ≤95g after 72-hour immersion test (adapting to occasional rainfall in Inner Mongolia), capable of automatically correcting belt deviation to prevent limestone spillage at turns; for the 25-meter elevation gain, designed with "gentle gradient slope" (maximum slope ≤5.5%), paired with customized cold-resistant steel cord conveyor belt (ST2500 cold-resistant model, tensile strength ≥2500N/mm, surface wear-resistant layer thickness 15mm, maintaining good flexibility at -25°C), ensuring no slippage under heavy load elevation; the belt's 120mm overlap sealed structure further blocks dust escape.
• Dual-Drive Power Configuration: Adopting "head + tail dual-drive" design, total power 1200kW (head 630kW + tail 570kW variable frequency motors, protection class IP55), paired with hardened gear reducers (transmission efficiency ≥96%), motors adjustable in real-time based on limestone conveying volume to avoid overload; belt speed set at 3.0m/s, with PLC-linked feeding system for precise feed rate control, ensuring stable 1200 tons/hour processing capacity; drive drums made of 40Cr forged material (diameter 500mm), with diamond-pattern rubber lagging (friction coefficient ≥0.45, wear resistance improved by 60%), subjected to ultrasonic flaw detection and stress-relief tempering, free of internal cracks, service life exceeding 50,000 hours to meet high-wear demands of limestone.
• Extreme Temperature Protection: Conveyor frame uses hot-dip galvanizing + anti-wind-sand coating process (anti-corrosion grade reaching Zn12 level in GB/T 13912-2002), enhancing wind and sand erosion resistance by 70% in Inner Mongolia; hydraulic tensioning device equipped with intelligent oil temperature control system, automatically adjusting oil temperature in -25°C to 38°C range to prevent low-temperature oil solidification or high-temperature oil degradation; insulation cotton layer added below the conveyor belt to reduce low-temperature impact on belt flexibility in winter, avoiding cracking.

Supporting Pre-Treatment Equipment

To achieve seamless connection from trucks to the conveyor for limestone, two types of supporting equipment are customized simultaneously, all newly manufactured by ZOOMRY:

• ZRLS-TU1400 Mobile Truck Unloader: Installed near the mine crushing area in a new receiving zone, belt width 1400mm, processing capacity 200-1000 tons/hour, suitable for the factory's common 40-ton dump trucks. Equipped with 2 hydraulic adjustable ramps (slope 6.7°, compliant with Inner Mongolia hilly terrain truck climbing capability), trucks can drive directly onto the unloader without reversing; double-layer rubber sealed skirts at ramp bottom reduce dust; vibration feeder adjusts unloading speed in real-time based on conveyor operation, preventing limestone accumulation in the receiving area, forming a new "unloading-conveying" connection chain.
• ZR Series Hopper Feeder: Installed on a new transfer platform between the unloader and conveyor, using a standard 10cbm receiving hopper (standard configuration for ZOOMRY hopper feeders, optional larger capacity), equipped with 18.5kW variable frequency motor for real-time feed rate adjustment (1000-1200 tons/hour), ensuring uniform limestone flow into the conveyor to avoid overload or underload; hopper inner walls lined with 12mm thick wear-resistant ceramic plates to counter limestone abrasion, top fitted with dust hood to reduce dust dispersion in Inner Mongolia's dry environment, while preventing occasional rain from entering and causing limestone caking.

Core Components

All key components are customized by ZOOMRY for the Inner Mongolia environment, with performance exceeding national standards and CEMA standards, supporting the long-term stability of the new system:

• Idlers and Drums: Straight sections use cold-resistant quiet idlers (diameter 133mm), rotational resistance ≤2N (superior to national standard 3N), operating noise ≤45dB, no degradation in rotational flexibility at -25°C; redirect drums made of 40Cr seamless steel tube (diameter 450mm), surface thermal sprayed with tungsten carbide for wear resistance (improved by 80%), ovality <1.5mm, ensuring smooth belt operation in curves and elevation sections;
• Cleaning and Safety Components: One set each of cold-resistant PU material cleaning scrapers at head and tail (non-hardening at -25°C), with ≥98% adhesion to belt, effectively removing residual limestone particles; equipped with "triple safety protection"—belt misalignment switch (automatic alarm if deviation >5mm), emergency rope break system (shutdown within 0.01 seconds upon steel wire rope breakage), overload protection device (automatic power cut upon motor overload), compliant with international safety standards; discharge end fitted with powerless dust settling chute (built-in airflow buffer chamber) to further reduce dust emissions at unloading.

Project Implementation

Preliminary Survey

ZOOMRY dispatched a 6-person technical team to the Inner Mongolia building materials factory, spending 12 days on foundational planning for the new project: Using drone aerial photography and total station surveying, a 3D terrain model of the 4650-meter route was constructed, precisely marking the center points, turning radii of the 6 horizontal curves, and slope distribution of the 25-meter elevation section, determining installation heights and foundation positions for the new conveyor frame to avoid soft soil in hilly areas; limestone samples were collected and tested for flowability, abrasiveness, and moisture content, combined with Inner Mongolia's meteorological data over the past 5 years (extreme temperature differences, rainfall, windy and sandy days), to determine idler spacing (1.2 meters), belt tension (20kN), and insulation protection schemes; route alignment was confirmed jointly with the factory to avoid ecologically sensitive areas and high wind-sand road sections.

Customized Manufacturing

All equipment and components were manufactured at ZOOMRY's Hebei factory according to customized parameters, fully incorporated into ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 systems: Long-distance curved belt conveyor drive drums passed 24-hour 1.2x rated load static testing; cold-resistant conveyor belts completed -25°C low-temperature flexibility testing and 38°C high-temperature aging testing; idlers underwent 1000-hour no-load operation testing (simulating Inner Mongolia temperature difference environment) to verify sealing and rotational resistance; factory representatives from the Inner Mongolia building materials factory conducted on-site acceptance, with all customized equipment meeting technical requirements and excellent extreme environment adaptability test results.

On-Site Installation

ZOOMRY dispatched a 10-person installation team to Inner Mongolia, employing a "modular splicing" approach for new construction: The 4650-meter conveyor was divided into 23 segments (200-210 meters each), pre-assembled at the factory and requiring only bolt connections and belt vulcanization on-site, completing all installation in 40 days (industry average 60 days); temporary wind shelters were erected during installation to avoid wind-sand impact on precision; commissioning proceeded in three steps: single equipment no-load testing (verifying motor and idler operation under low temperatures), system linkage testing (unloader-feeder-conveyor coordination), and 72-hour full-load trial run (simulating Inner Mongolia day-night temperature differences and continuous limestone conveying), optimizing PLC programs to stabilize conveyor processing capacity at 1250 tons/hour, with the new system fully compliant.

Operation and Maintenance Training

Specialized 15-day training was provided to 8 operation and maintenance personnel from the building materials factory, designed around equipment maintenance under Inner Mongolia conditions: Covering daily inspections of new equipment (idler rotation status, hydraulic oil levels, anti-wind-sand coating integrity), winter low-temperature startup techniques (hydraulic system preheating steps), summer overload prevention measures (motor heat dissipation checks), and common fault handling (manual belt deviation correction, scraper replacement); bilingual Chinese-English operation manuals provided; leveraging ZOOMRY's extensive domestic service network, an Inner Mongolia regional spare parts distribution channel was established for common spares response ≤7 days, with a 24-hour multilingual technical hotline ensuring timely response to maintenance needs.

Project Achievements

After the project was completed and put into operation, all indicators of the Inner Mongolia building materials factory's limestone conveying chain exceeded expectations:

• Significant Efficiency Improvement: 4650-meter end-to-end conveying with no intermediate transfers, conveyor processing capacity stably at 1250 tons/hour, fully matching the factory's production needs; conveying cycle shortened from 1 hour for truck transport to 1.8 hours, reducing annual production downtime due to transport inefficiency by about 60 hours; smooth adaptation to 6 horizontal curves saved investment in 2 intermediate transfer stations, limestone loss rate dropped from 4.8% to 0.7%, saving 528,000 tons annually in losses based on yearly conveyance volume, greatly improving raw material utilization.
• Strong Environmental Adaptability: Full-system sealed design reduced dust emissions to 7.2mg/m³, meeting Inner Mongolia environmental requirements, with no further environmental complaints or rectification notices to the factory; customized cold-resistant conveyor belts and oil temperature control systems ensured stable operation in -25°C to 38°C extreme temperatures, reducing winter hydraulic system failure rate from 30% to 2%, completely resolving summer motor overload issues, and cutting annual downtime from 80 hours to 20 hours.
• Reduced Operation and Maintenance Costs: Core components (idlers, drums, conveyor belts) operated over 30,000 hours without major replacements, annual maintenance frequency dropped from 12 times in the truck transport era to 3 times, cutting maintenance costs by 45%; efficient domestic spare parts response shortened fault resolution cycles, further minimizing economic losses from downtime.

The project leader of the Inner Mongolia building materials factory stated: "Before building this conveying line from scratch, we were most worried that Inner Mongolia's temperature differences and hilly turns would affect equipment stability. Unexpectedly, ZOOMRY's customized solution fit our needs so well—belts don't crack in winter, motors don't overheat in summer, and dust is well controlled. Now limestone conveying no longer relies on trucks detouring, efficiency is up, environmental compliance is achieved, and ZOOMRY's customized solution far exceeded our expectations."

ZOOMRY's Core Advantages

1. Customization Capability: Tailored to Inner Mongolia's extreme temperature differences, hilly curves, and other special needs, leveraging proprietary "cold-resistant conveyor belt technology" and "curved tension control algorithm," the full solution was customized in just 2.5 months, 40% shorter than the industry average, ensuring equipment fits actual project conditions from the design stage;
2. Delivery Capability: Providing EPC full-process services from preliminary survey planning, equipment customization and manufacturing to on-site installation and commissioning, all equipment and components newly customized with no reuse of old parts, ensuring consistency and reliability of the new system while avoiding compatibility risks in retrofit projects;
3. Localized Operation and Maintenance Support: Relying on an extensive domestic service network and spare parts warehouses, achieving common spare parts response within 7 days and 24-hour multilingual technical hotline for quick resolution of Inner Mongolia on-site issues, completely eliminating long waits for imported spares and adapting to the long-term maintenance needs of new projects.