Article published by Australian Mining

Fenner Dunlop explains how its iBelt technology solutions such as BeltGauge and Digital Hub are helping mining companies to take earlier action to prevent conveyor belt damage and access monitoring results in real time.

When a Pilbara iron ore producer experienced abnormal wear to one of its conveyor belts, it approached Fenner Dunlop to find a better solution than conducting thickness testing every 12 weeks during planned maintenance shutdowns.

The belt, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, should have an expected life of two years, but because of the rate of abnormal damage, it was looking like barely reaching half that.

Article published by Australian Bulk Handling Review

British mathematician Clive Humby was quoted in 2006 to have said “data is the new oil”. While that fragment may have caught on, Humby elaborated, saying that data, like oil, is valuable but if unrefined, cannot really be used.

Since 1987, Statewide Belting, part of the Fenner Dunlop group of companies, has been specialists in the provision of belting products, accessories and installation services to the mining, quarrying and manufacturing industries in Tasmania.

The Tasmanian Team have invested in new, more extensive facilities and extra equipment to build upon and improve their services to support the local customers with their unique requirements. The new service centre is part of the company strategy to maintain high standards and to improve the level of service.

Article published by Safe to Work

Although already a key priority, Fenner Dunlop has continued to broaden its focus on health and safety, continuously striving towards an injury free workplace across its Australian operations.

While Fenner Dunlop’s previous work to underline the importance of and improve its safety procedures often concentrated on operations and equipment, its latest initiative aims to put people at the forefront of implementing safe practice, from upper management through to its workforce.

The Blue Tree Project began in Western Australia and encourages people to paint a dead tree that needs a 'blue lease on life'. It acts as a visual reminder to encourage people to talk about mental health, check in with their loved ones and friends, and speak up when battling mental health concerns.

Giving the project its own twist, the Team in Kwinana have engineered and manufactured a 3.5 metres tree out of steel as there was no access to a dead tree to paint. The tree has solar lights so that it can also be visible at night.

The final stage of a formalised Mechanical Technician career pathway is now complete. Our Mechanical Technician development program is designed for both New Entrant and Existing Workers encompassing national qualifications.

Earlier this year, Rio Tinto awarded Mondium all engineering and design as well as procurement and construction works associated with the development of the process plant, overland conveyor and non-process infrastructure as part of the Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 (WTS2) project.

Article published by Australian Mining

The mining industry’s increasing demand for efficient conveyor belt solutions has driven conveyor belt manufacturer, Fenner Dunlop, to expand its Western Australia manufacturing facility to keep up.

While many Australian manufacturers have seen a slowdown in business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, conveyor company Fenner Dunlop is defying this trend by investing in more production capacity.

Article published by Australian Bulk Handling Review

With two Fenner Dunlop facilities reaching their one-year milestone, Managers Dan Luther and Ross Vandyke explain how the branches have rapidly and safely expanded.

Fenner Dunlop takes pride in its close proximity to its customers. The conveyor manufacturer’s mission is to keep its resources near those that need them. As such, it began looking at regions across Australia where it could expand.

In 2019, the company’s fast-paced growth strategy saw two new branches set up from scratch, one in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales and one in Karratha, Western Australia.

Fenner Dunlop ACE has been contracted to deliver an overland conveyor system for Anglo American’s Aquila project. 

Anglo American is a leading global mining company, with significant investments in Australia and particularly in Queensland. Aquila is an underground hard coking coal mine near Middlemount, which will extend the life of Anglo American’s existing Capcoal underground operations.

Fenner Dunlop ACE in Mackay is always looking out for the next generation of expert Engineers. The team is committed to assisting the new entrants to succeed, offering multiple programs designed to advance and enhance the holistic work experience.

Combining theoretical tutoring with practical activities is by far, the most effective way of learning. “We work together with our customers to offer our undergraduates practical experience working on real-world projects” explains Mark Wilcock, Branch Manager ACE QLD. Two employees stand out from the crowd in the team, both started with ACE in their second year of university studies and now are key personnel in our business.

In 2009, Fenner Dunlop opened a $70 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kwinana, Western Australia, specifically built to produce steel cord belting. At the time, it represented the largest investment in conveyor belting manufacturer ever made in Australia by any company. 

In 2013 an additional $20 million was invested to install a second press line to double the plant’s production capacity and increase the Kwinana workforce by 30%. 

Australian Conveyor Engineering (ACE) has successfully fulfilled the requirements of the ISO standard and earned the respected ISO 9001-2015 certification effective from July 2020.

The ISO 9001:2015 certification indicates that ACE can consistently provide products and services through a risk-based approach that meets customer and regulatory requirements. ACE pursued this certification to provide customers with increased confidence in their quality processes, products, and services. 

The last 365 days have been filled with passion and hard work! As our Hunter branch turns one, we're looking back and celebrating the milestones that happened along the way. 

Our journey started in July 2019 with the establishment of the branch in Beresfield. Since then, we have followed an aggressive growth strategy, extended the branch network to Muswellbrook, doubled the size of the team and the service capacity. This growth is the result of consistent investment in training and developing our staff and adapting to the market demands.  

Our Workshop and Service Centre in Karratha turns one in July marking our successful expansion into Regional Western Australia.

The vision for the branch was to be a part of the local economy and to create opportunities for the community. To achieve this Fenner Dunlop set out to create a sustainable workshop that attracted a residential workforce and provided a training ground for new local employees. The invaluable partnership of our local maintenance contracts has helped us achieve this goal. 

Fenner Dunlop's Hunter branch celebrates one year without a recordable injury.

The last 365 days have been filled with passion and hard work for the team at Fenner Dunlop’s Hunter branch. As they celebrate a successful first year, it’s also a time to reflect on the milestones along the way.

It began in July 2019, with the opening of the new branch in Beresfield and it’s been full steam ahead since then. The team has gone from 3 to 44 enabling them to increase their service capacity twofold. They also have extended the branch network to include Muswellbrook and further strengthen their ties to the Hunter region.

Located in Somersby, New South Wales, the ACE branch is Fenner Dunlop’s Electrical engineering centre of excellence. 

Conscious of their energy usage and looking for a solution to reduce their carbon footprint, ACE decided to install a 82 kWh solar power system on their premises.

Article published by Australian Mining

Fenner Dunlop is a valued supplier of materials handling, mechanical and electrical services for many Australian mining companies. However, the company considers itself to be more of a partner than supplier.

Since acquiring Australian Conveyor Engineering (ACE) in 2012, Fenner Dunlop has become recognised for a service portfolio that includes ACE’s 25-plus years of experience in conveyor design, manufacturing and installation abilities.

Fenner Dunlop Australia continues monitoring and preparing for the impact of COVID-19 on this country. This action has been undertaken by the Management teams of Fenner Dunlop since early February 2020 and includes the establishment of a Crisis Management Team (CMT) to oversee and manage this ever-evolving crisis. The CMT is currently meeting daily to ensure compliance with the measures outlined below and to consider whether further actions are required. 

The purpose of this document is to provide customers with an understanding of the business risks for Fenner Dunlop supply associated with COVID-19 and how they are being managed.

One of the largest underground longwall coal producers in NSW required a new trunk conveyor to extend the mine. The project was to design a 3.2 km long trunk conveyor system inclusive of all the terminal equipment, from the transfer and impact station through to the drive head, loop take-up, belt maintenance and boot end.