Services
Upgrades
Critical Asset Decisions
We understand the complexity when it comes to decisions regarding the future of your aging bulk materials handling assets. What is the remaining reliable lifetime of equipment? Can more capacity or outreach be obtained from the existing machinery? What is the commercial value of my assets and where can I obtain the best return for my investment?
ALPINE can help you answer these questions and make objective choices regarding the future of your assets and operations by employing a phase-gate approach that minimizes your investment in the early stages and provides necessary information at every
gate to enable informed decisions.
Our Refurbishment, Upgrade, and Lifetime Extension (LTE) Program combines our vast engineering expertise and experience with your future needs, to arrive at a fully optimized solution, in terms of both the technical and commercial criteria. The phase-gate process is tailor-made to your specific needs, but typically consists of the following steps:
Phase 1
Initial audit and data collection, to determine
the overall condition of the equipment and objectives, recommendations for Phase 2.
Phase 2
Engineering study, including detailed audit and structural analysis to determine condition of the steel structure and components to be
reused, recommendations for Phase 3.
Phase 3
Refurbishment/Upgrade/ Lifetime Extension study focused on engineering tasks to determine commercial feasibility, work method, & execution schedule, preparation for Phase 4.
Phase 4
Preparation, planning and execution of any equipment refurbishment, upgrade, lifetime extension, or deconstruction project.
Our goal is always to maximize the value of your existing assets by extending their life, if at all technically and commercially feasible.
Lifetime Extension & Refurbishment
Our Refurbishment, Overhaul, Modernization, and Lifetime Extension Services are aimed to bring your equipment to near-new condition with modern electrical and control systems, maximizing the safety, reliability, and value of your assets over their lifetime.
LTE service is designed to prolong useful remaining equipment life for a reasonable investment. Steel structures of most bulk materials handling machines are generally designed for 25-year life (per standard fatigue design requirements of ISO and FEM standards).
When steel structure reaches the end of life, the machine is typically beyond the commercially feasible repair. ALPINE executed many
LTE studies and upgrades that typically follow a standardized process:
- Detailed machine inspection to determine the classification (load cycles) and stress concentration factors (in as-built condition) that need to be considered.
- Perform structural fatigue calculations based on applicable standards (FEM 2131/2132, ISO 5049, or AS 4324.1).
- Load cycle evaluation (elapsed vs. remaining).
- Determine engineer and execute required structural reinforcements to extend lifetime as required or feasible.
Upgrade
Our Upgrade solutions are tailor made to provide enhanced machine capabilities, or improved safety and reliability. Typically, upgrade studies require complete load study, stability, and rebalancing calculations, and remaining lifetime analysis. Some examples of upgrades include:
- Increased machine capacity and/or motion speeds, to eliminate a bottleneck and increase production or loading speed.
- Increased outreach to improve vessel range or loading time and trimming in shiploading or reduce dozing in stockyards and improve life capacity.
- Addition of redundant systems and components (brakes, hydraulics, etc.) to improve equipment safety, reliability, and availability.
- Ability to handle additional products, considering different volumetric and flow properties, environmental and product contamination requirements, etc.
Upgrade
Our Upgrade solutions are tailor made to provide enhanced machine capabilities, or improved safety and reliability. Typically, upgrade studies require complete load study, stability, and rebalancing calculations, and remaining lifetime analysis. Some examples of upgrades include:
- Increased machine capacity and/or motion speeds, to eliminate a bottleneck and increase production or loading speed.
- Increased outreach to improve vessel range or loading time and trimming in shiploading or reduce dozinf in stockyards and improve life capacity.
- Addition of redundant systems and components (brakes, hydraulics, etc.) to improve equipment safety, reliability, and availability.
- Ability to handle additional products, considering different volumetric and flow properties, environmental and product contamination requirements, etc.
Appraisal
If professional financial appraisal of bulk materials handling and/or continuous mining equipment or systems is required, ALPINE experts have the expertise to provide you with an accurate, unbiased estimate, based on past usage (remaining lifetime) and present condition of equipment. Additional service can be preformed to develop an estimate of necessary work to improve condition of equipment and develop reassessment of improved asset (NPV, CAPEX, OPEX).
Deconstruction
When your bulk materials handling and continuous mining assets
have reached the end of their useful life, it is time to plan for replacement. Efficient and safe deconstruction of large and structurally complex equipment requires proper engineering, planning, and
execution. ALPINE can assist you will all these steps, utilizing vast experience in executing similar projects.
When it comes to deconstruction of old equipment, do not leave
anything to chance. Rely on the ALPINE team to manage the process for you safely and efficiently.
- Cost and time effective deconstruction planning and execution.
- Coordination between deconstruction of old and installation of new equipment.
- Engineered heavy lifts and complete HAZOP.
- Disposal of old equipment, with optional salvage of reusable components.
