Industrial

Aluminium and Steel Platform Design

Platforms can provide easy access to equipment for maintenance purposes, which can reduce downtime/shutdown costs. There are several different types of custom made platforms to suit a range of requirements: Maintenance platforms are permanently located around large critical equipment to provide continual access; for a smaller application or one with restricted access, Access Platforms may be the answer to access work areas; if you only need a temporary platform, which can be moved into and out of position, there is a lightweight, movable platform that will suit your need; for equipment, which requires frequent inspection, a mobile platform or stairways provides the means to perform maintenance at an elevated location, typically made of Aluminium, it is very lightweight; and if you are after a more robust mobile platform, please look at the steel portable platforms. Dynamic Engineering Consultants can help you with the design of a platform, which will suit your specific needs.

Maintenance Platforms

Maintenance platforms adjacent to the equipment they belong to can provide significant savings in terms of maintenance downtime and other costs. This is especially true for large equipment like Gyratory Crusher main shaft assemblies and Flotation Mixer. These platforms can be custom made for most equipment and installations. Below is a couple of examples of large maintenance platforms designed by Dynamic Engineering Consultants.

Gyratory crusher mainshaft maintenance platform: 3D model and actual platform

Flotation cell rotor stand: 3D model and actual platform

Crusher access platform

Access Platforms

Occasionally mining operations require tailor made engineering solutions due to space and operational constraints. Below is an example where Dynamic Engineering provided designs for such an access platform extension. The platform is suspended from the “back” of the portal and is furthermore connected to an existing platform.

Underground platform: 3D model and actual platform

Lightweight, Movable platform

When performing maintenance, lightweight platforms can easily access equipment. Dynamic Engineering can design custom maintenance platforms to suit specific needs. One of our recent projects were to design and analyse a lightweight ball mill inspection platform. This project was recently completed and the maintenance platform used during the shutdown is shown below:

Inspection platform: 3d model and actual platform

Mobile Aluminium Platform and Stairway Design

Dynamic Engineering Consultants designs movable/transportable aluminium access platforms/stairways.

Mobile platforms and stairways offer a safe way of doing maintenance at elevated positions. This type of platform is made from Aluminium and can be easily moved into place. Further safety features include a self-closing and lockable wheels. In addition, jacks can be added to raise the platform to ensure the correct height every time. Below are some examples of recent completed designs, Dynamic Engineering Consultants can design mobile platforms to suit your specific needs.

CAT 995 platform set: This is a set of 3 platforms that is used for a CAT front end loader. All the platforms are movable by forklift and the whole assembly fits around the loader.

CAT955 Platform set

These steps were designed to comply with the principles of AS1657 and have been stress checked at a load of 250kg – resulting in safety factors exceeding 4:

2.8m high movable steps with stabilizing jacks and swing gate

Cantilevered platforms

Double stair platform

Completed access stairways and platforms

Steel Portable Platform

Dynamic Engineering Consultants has completed several portable steel platform designs, which are used for inspections. These platforms are used in the mining industry to inspect, amongst others, excavator buckets and truck trays. The platforms are moved into position with a forklift and are then adjusted and levelled by means of adjustable jacks.

This specific design is certified for 500kg load but can be tailored to the client’s requirements.

Portable 830E platform: 3D model and actual platform

Occasionally mining operations require tailor made engineering solutions due to space and operational constraints. Below is an example where Dynamic Engineering provided designs for such an access platform extension. The platform is suspended from the “back” of the portal and is furthermore connected to an existing platform.

3D model of underground platform

Installed underground platform

Looking for something similar? Contact us today to see how we can help you.

Specialised Lifting Equipment Design and Certification

Dynamic Engineering’s capabilities include specialised lifting equipment design and certification to suit our client’s requirements. These specialised lifting equipment is designed based on Australian Standards AS1418 and AS4991. Following are some examples of previously completed projects:

An example of a 5T capacity coil lifter is given below. This design enables the lifter to “fold inwards” when the coil is engaged, and then by lifting on the outside “ears” the lifter kicks out to enable the lifter to lift the coil vertically. The design was built and tested and is currently in daily use.

5T coil lifter: 3D model and actual lifting in action

Another example of specialised lifting equipment is a 12T magnet spreader beam that was recently designed. This spreader beam has the capability of lifting 12T via 4 magnets. 4 Lifting points were used to improve stability.

Below is an example of a purpose built lifting beam, used to remove a broken sheave assembly

35T lifting beam: 3D model and actual beam in operation

Below a stress plot is shown of an articulated alternator lifter along with the actual lifter, awaiting delivery.

5T articulated alternator lifter: stress plot and actual lifter

Another example of specialised lifting equipment is a 12T magnet spreader beam that was recently designed. This spreader beam has the capability of lifting 12T via 4 magnets. 4 Lifting points were used to improve stability.

Adjustable magnet lifting spreader beam

Crane Attachment Design

DEC recently completed a specialized crane attachment design that addressed the end client’s need for restricted height and specific access angles. The attachment was designed taking into consideration safety requirements and was analysed with Finite Element Analysis to ensure adherence to the Australian Standards AS1418. Afterwards it was manufactured, load tested and is now in use by the client. Reports form our client indicate that this attachment improved their maintenance procedures by reducing maintenance time and also made the whole process safer. Efficiency and safety improvements are a core value at Dynamic Engineering Consultants.

Design of crane attachment, shown connected to the boom

Fabricated crane attachment fitted onto boom

Designing for impact damage and wear of a cyclone barrel

A cyclone barrel’s 3D model was analysed with Finite Element Analysis and CFD to determine if it would be structurally adequate to resist the impact force associated with the air stream and ore particles in accordance with AS3990. By calculating a bulk density for the flow stream (which includes the air and the ore particles), the force acting on the plate was calculated. This force was then applied to the 3D model and FEA was used to evaluate the stresses and deflections.

Falied cyclone barrel clamp

Flow distribution inside barrel

FEA model of cyclone barrel

Plate racks

Dynamic Engineering has designed and built several vertical and horizontal plate racks. These racks are available in either either welded or bolted configurations – depending on the client requirements.

The plate rack is also equipped with lifting lugs for easy loading and unloading for transport purposes.

An example of a welded horizontal plate rack are given below. This rack had a 10T capacity, but designs can be tailored to the client requirements.

Fabricated plate rack

Horizontal plate rack

Safety Related Equipment Design

At Dynamic Engineering Consultants we can design, certify and supply specialised safety equipment that is tailored to the client’s specific requirements. This will ensure that no compromises would have to be made in the implementation of safety related/critical processes and procedures. Below are some examples of recent safety equipment design that we did: a drill cradle, scissor lift, tyre cage and cement kibble.

A drill cradle is used to hold the drill head in place (avoid damage and injuries associated with drill head coming loose).

Drill cradle

This scissor lift was designed to improve access to dump truck rim parts.

Scissor lift

A tyre cage was modelled and analysed with non-linear Finite Element Analysis to see if it would be able to withstand a tyre burst event.

Tyre cage

A cement kibble was modelled and analysed to see if it would safely lift 1T. In addition the kibble also comes equipped with forklift guides.

Cement kibble

During up-hole drilling, a centraliser, using hydraulic force, holds the rod while the next drill rod is being inserted. It is very important that the rod doesn’t slip as it can cause serious damage to the drilling equipment or injury to the operator. To protect the equipment and operator, a sliding plate drill rod fall protection system could be installed as a fail-safe. The sliding plate assembly has to withstand the weight of the rod string including a safety factor. One such sliding plate was designed by Dynamic Engineering in conjunction with the client. The analysis was done to check that it complies with the Australian standard and is strong enough for the weight of the rod string.

Sliding plate assembly

ROPS and FOPS Testing and Certification

Dynamic Engineering also performs ROPS/FOPS testing certification in accordance with AS2294 / ISO3449 / ISO3471. Note that we do not have our own testing facility – we generally use our client’s facilities. We can also design a dedicated test bed for our clients – if required.

Some examples are shown below:

ROPS

Before

Testing

Transport and Support Frame Design

Modified Transport Frame

Stress plot of the frame during turning

This container frame is used to suspend chemical containers like cyanide. It comes equipped with ISO container mounts and is of a very heavy construction.

Container frame

Other examples include adjustable engine support frames as well as jigs used for the rotation of equipment during repairs.

Welding Rotation Jig 7.5T

Completed weld jig

Universal engine frame

Forklift Attachment Design

Maintenance forklift attachments used to remove track wheels

DEC also has the capability to design and certify forklift attachments in accordance with worksafe requirements. The analysis includes strength as well as stability considerations.

The attachments shown above are used to remove load rollers as per the photo below:

Typical use for forklift attachments

Forklift attachment being used

We are also able to provide details required by the Australian Standards like lost load, centre of gravity etc.

Forklift attachment

Centre of mass

Special projects

Because engineering principles can be applied to a variety of problems, we sometimes get involved in projects that are a bit out of the ordinary. The example below is just one such a project.

Have you got a project that are special or in some way different to the norm? We may be able to help.

In response to problems encountered with a competitor designed water tank, Dynamic Engineering Consultants was contracted to design a new water tank for one of our international clients. With the help of FEA we were able to fine tune the design to achieve acceptable material strength while minimising construction costs. We were also able to predict deflection due to hydrostatic forces very accurately, making sure that the problems experienced on earlier (competitor) designs did not re-surface.

A stress and deflection plot of the design is given below:

Stress plot of the tank under hydrostatic pressure

The actual training watertank

Front Underrun Protection Devices

DEC has recently completed deflection testing on several FUPD’s (Front Underrun Protection Devices) for K Craft products. The testing was done in accordance with United Nations ECE Reg 93.

An example of the 3D model is given below:

3D model (rear view) of Bullbar

Deflection plot for load at high position

Testing