Challenges abound as osborn ships R20 million order
to Turkish power station

March 2008

Reflecting its extensive reputation as a supplier of robust, high quality materials handling and minerals processing equipment, Osborn has shipped six machines to a remote site in the west of Turkey. Challenges abounded on this R20-million export order, reports marketing director Martin Botha, not least of which was the shipping of the 330 tons of equipment to the Turkish port of Mersin.

The order, for new customer Turco, comprised a 4,2m x 9m Hadfields Rotary Breaker, 42 x 48 Jaw Crusher, 1,5m x 4,2m Obex Pan Feeder, 2,0m x 4,6m IFE Grizzly Feeder, AC72HBG American Rolling Ring Crusher and a 1,8m x 17,0m D7F Apron Feeder. The machines will be commissioned in June this year at Turkey’s Kangal Power Station, which is being extended to increase its capacity.

Osborn’s tough, reliable machines are perfected suited to the power station’s coal processing application, Botha notes.

“These machines were selected after showing the client their very successful operation at coal mines in South Africa. In Turkey, they will be used to process the primary ROM coal of minus 1 m at a rate of 1 500 tph. The final product required is minus 30 mm.

“This is an immensely challenging application,” Botha elaborates. “Depending on the season, this coal is either wet and frozen or dry and dusty. The wet, frozen coal is extremely sticky, but Osborn’s apron feeders are ideally suited to these testing operating conditions. The rotary breaker is a very heavy-duty unit designed to accept the feed size of 1 000 mm and produce a product of 200 mm. This material is fed to the ultra-reliable Rolling Ring Crusher to produce –30 mm. These Rolling Ring Crushers are used widely in coal operations in South Africa, and Osborn has previously shipped two of these units for a power station in Turkey.”

Careful planning and liaison with shipping agents, the client and packaging company was required for the shipping of Osborn’s most recent, immense export order to Turkey. “Our team had to comply with strict deadlines to ensure that the stipulated completion dates were achieved. We also had to fit in a sufficient lead time to ensure efficient lifting, packaging and loading of the machines,” Botha says. “Careful and thorough planning of lifting operations was called for due to the unusual shape and size of the components. The apron feeder was 19 m long, and if lifted incorrectly it could have been damaged. Careful partial lifts were also required, to enable the complete packaging of the machines.”

Osborn’s Elandsfontein yard was a bustle of activity during the loading. Botha elaborates: “We co-ordinated a 250 ton crane and trucks to receive the machines for delivery to Richards Bay harbour. The trucks had to be loaded in just one day to meet the ship’s deadline. Various scenarios were planned for, including inclement weather, since we had just experienced two weeks’ of heavy rainfall in Gauteng.”

Outlining the complex packaging process for the order, Botha says that all timber used had to conform to the ISPM 15 standards. “All break bulk pieces were wrapped using 2 x 250 micron plastic, which was then shrink wrapped,” he continues. “Strapping was also used to prevent the plastic from tearing. VCI powder was used inside the packaging to create a controlled environment, thus reducing possible corrosion.”

Botha reports that the machines arrived on schedule at Turkey’s Mersin Port. Due to the vast size of the load, particularly the rotary breaker, an Osborn technician travelled to Turkey and was on hand to assist with the offloading of the equipment. “Osborn’s reputation for exceptional after-sales service is as widespread as the reputation of our robust machines,” Botha concludes.