Martin Engineering, a global leader in bulk handling equipment solutions, has launched the N2 remote monitoring system for conveyor belt cleaners in countries across Africa, Europe, Middle East, and South Asia
Designed for any belt cleaner using a polyurethane blade, the N2 Position Indicator (PI) system tracks belt cleaner performance and tells users when servicing is required via an intuitive cloud-based mobile app or desktop dashboard.
The N2 PI allows maintenance managers to keep on top of belt cleaner performance, eliminating needless inspection visits, reducing human exposure to moving conveyors and helping to increase production uptime.
Robert Whetstone, vice president for Martin Engineering’s EMEAI region, commented, “Our new N2 system is a game-changer that combines tried and tested technologies into one easy-to-use package so users can monitor their conveyor belt cleaners remotely. With this smart yet simple upgrade, the technology does the legwork, providing real-time data on each belt cleaner blade to give an early indication of when servicing is needed. In the meantime, plant managers can be confident that material carryback, spillage and build-up is being controlled by the belt cleaner so they can keep the plant running to maximise productivity.”
By tracking the individual performance and status of each belt cleaner, N2 PI delivers continuous, real-time feedback and eliminates guesswork. The detailed historic data also provides a maintenance log so service dates can be tracked and wear rates calculated.
The N2 PI can be retro-fitted to most conveyor belt cleaner mainframes that use polyurethane belt cleaner blades, or it can be introduced as part of a new installation. The battery-powered device feeds data about the performance and condition of conveyor belt cleaners to a central cellular ‘gateway’ unit. The gateway then sends the information to a cloud-based server, which delivers it to Martin’s dedicated mobile app and desktop dashboard on a computer.
Supporting Martin Engineering on the technology side are two trusted ‘Internet of Things’ partners. The result is a fully automated, seamlessly integrated and secure cloud-based system that delivers super-reliable connectivity.
The patented technology is being trialled across African countries and is already proving successful. Desmond McLellan, development manager for Martin Engineering Africa, remarked, “The N2 innovative PI system fits right into our customers’ desire for more automation, especially because of the scale and remoteness of many mining and material processing plants in Africa. The simplicity of the solution, and enabling us to assist our customers remotely to inspect and evaluate belt cleaner performance, is hugely beneficial for productivity and plant efficiency.”
