TNT was responsible for the design and supply of the world's first mobile high-angle conveyor (MHAC) system, incorporating equipment and expertise from Continental Conveyor and Caterpillar.
This system elevated 2,500 t/h of primary crushed copper ore at the angle of repose to allow stacking a second, 30-m high lift at the Quebalix I low-grade heap leach operation. Conveyors along the pad's length were already in place, and TNT designed and built a system comprising an MHAC, corridor conveyor and rail-mounted overland tripper. TNT reduced the client’s capital costs by reusing many components from some of the obsolete equipment onsite, including idlers, truss sections and transformers.
TNT designed the system to change the stacking arrangement from an arc to a rectilinear design. Fed by the MHAC discharge, the corridor conveyor built a 100’ wide corridor in front of the stacking advance. When the corridor was sufficiently advanced, the conveyor was moved aside and the MHAC backed up to feed material to the bridge stacking conveyor. As the tripper passed along the face of the heap, it advanced along with the MHAC and mobile tripper. Production downtime was minimized during construction, and a smooth start-up was achieved.
