Advanced Chain Technologies - Conveyor Chains and Lifting Chains

Advanced Chain Technologies aims to supply world-class longwall conveyor chains and associated connectors, and lifting chain and fittings, at a reasonable price, and to provide support, loyalty and continuous product development for our customers.

Advanced Chain Technologies incorporates three companies; ACTE (Advanced Chain Technologies Europe), ACTA (Advanced Chain Technologies Australia) and ACTL (Lifting Australia).

LONGWALL CONVEYOR CHAINS

ACT are Australian and United Kingdom agents for JDT (Germany) the world leading manufacturer of highly optimised (HO) ranges of longwall conveyor chain, associated connectors and Enorm grade 100 lifting chain and fittings.

BEAM STAGE LOADERS FOR LONGWALL COAL MINING

ACT has extensive expertise in the technical and operational aspects of armoured face conveyors and beam stage loaders for longwall coal mining, particularly in Australia, enabling them to provide the optimum chain selection from the JDT range. This includes supply of fully assembled longwall conveyor chains.

FORGED AND CAST FLIGHT BARS

ACTA are also manufacturers of forged and cast flight bars for armoured face conveyors and beam stage loaders for longwall mining. By controlling all aspects of supply, including design, material specification, forging, casting, heat treatment, machining and assembly, they ensure the highest quality and service life for their customers.

CABLE HANDLING SYSTEMS

In December 2000 ACT was successful in the purchase of the Scorpion cable handling product and all its intellectual property. This opportunity created the need for a second organisation known as ACTE (Advanced Chain Technologies - Europe).ACTE division designs and manufactures the Scorpion range of longwall shearer cable handling (Bretby) systems.

These systems are universally acknowledged as the world standard and since their initial introduction into the Australian market now claim over 80% total market share with further growth forecast. Scorpion cable handling systems also enjoy the predominant market share in South Africa, the United Kingdom and China.

LONGWALL CHAIN AND FLIGHT BAR MANUFACTURING FACILITIES

The success of Scorpion necessitated the construction of a new manufacturing facility in the UK in 2004 to cater for the worldwide increased demand. This facility provides in-house sheet metal pressing, CNC fastener manufacture and nylon injection moulding facilities. The decision taken by the owner Peter Howard to reverse the trend of sub-contracting back to in-house manufacture has resulted in quicker developments, higher quality, lower prices, quicker delivery and greater control all to the benefit of our customers.

Because the markets with future high potential, including China, the USA and Eastern Europe, are making greater demands on this facility, it is being further extended to house more in-house manufacturing equipment and be able to assemble the longwall chain and flight bars for UK and worldwide use by Joy UK the global longwall OEM supplier. ACTE also supply the UK with JDT longwall chains and like the Australian division offer complete longwall chain dismantling, overhaul and assembly service.

ENORM GRADE 100 LIFTING CHAIN AND COMPONENTS

ACTL in Australia supplies the JDT range of Enorm grade 100 lifting chain and components to A Noble and Son as their exclusive Australian distributors. Enorm is the only true grade 100 chain conforming fully to the EN818 standard according to weight and operation at elevated temperatures. It has also been certified by Lloyds British as the only grade 100 system approved for offshore use.

CONVEYOR CHAIN SERVICE AND INSPECTION

The foundation of the success of the ACT group was initially based on the Australian company providing regular monitoring of their products by inspection and reports at regular intervals carried out at the longwall coal face. This enables their customers to safely extract the maximum service from their cable handler and longwall conveyors.