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An unprecedented engineering achievement demonstrating advanced belt handling capabilities in one of the world’s most extreme mining environments.
Tasked with replacing a 13.3 kilometre ST 10,000 conveyor belt, the strongest belt system in the world, in Chile’s hostile Atacama Desert at 2,800 metres elevation. The extreme tension requirements, complex logistics, and challenging environment made this a project that few engineering firms would attempt, with a splice length of 11.5 meters far exceeding industry norms.
M Squared Engineering developed an innovative belt preparation methodology specifically for this extreme application. We designed custom equipment including heavy-duty clamps, belt pullers, and drive systems capable of handling unheard-of tensions. Our comprehensive engineering package included everything from flaking and layout procedures to custom machinery design and fabrication specifications.
The project team successfully completed Phase One, implementing our custom-designed preparation and belt-flaking approach that had never before been utilised in the Chilean market. Our engineering solutions enabled the safe handling of significant tensions while our field supervision assisted to ensure proper implementation of technical requirements. Phase Two of the project was successfully and safely completed with no loss-time injuries or incidents, showcasing our ability to combine advanced mechanical design with practical field execution in one of the world’s most challenging mining environments.
