CT Systems - Safety Onboard and Belt Protection Systems

Experience accumulated over years in the bulk material handling field has given CT Systems the tools to become a leader in safety onboard and belt protection systems.

CT Systems is a South African company with a nationwide network of distributors and agents overseas. Since its inception, it has manufactured and installed safety onboard systems and belt protection devices on belt conveyors ranging in length from 50m to 18,000m with an accumulated total of over 1,000,000,000m. Among CT Systems’ main customers are BHP Billiton, Secunda Collieries, Sigma Collieries, Anglo American, Eskom and De Beers.

CT Systems has been awarded the coveted International Standards Organisation (ISO) 9001:2000 emblem from the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

Head end control units

CT Systems offers intelligent, programmable control panels, with a built-in facility for fault diagnostics. These head end control units control, monitor and supervise the long line protection system and provide the following facilities:

• Interface via a 15in LCD panel
• Up to 48VDC line voltage for single supply use in long line applications, up to 6.5km on a single supply
• Short circuit proof line supply, with auto reset
• Communication with new type intelligent pull-key with auxiliary input
• A system core running on dual AVR risk processors
• History logging in Excel format to SD type multimedia card with real time
• Pull-key beep if tripped facility (menu selectable)
• Audio test of intelligent pull-key buzzers
• Transmission of information to the CCR via mod-bus RTU RS 232/485
• Optional RTU to Ethernet or Ethernet to fibre converter
• Electrical fail-safe to interlock to switch gear which overrides software

Units are housed in a flameproof enclosure for use in hazardous areas. The fault diagnostic facility allows maintenance personnel to locate the fault area quickly and efficiently, minimizing downtime of conveyors.

Conveyor belt speed switches

CT Systems' belt speed switches detect belt movements using a spring-loaded revolving roller mounted underneath the toughing belt.

The enclosure consists of a resin-coated PC board populated with a lightning protection network. Spring-loaded terminals and compression glands for cable parts and the electronic system are completely isolated via the epoxy sealed speed sensor, thus maintaining the galvanic isolation of the unit from the conveyor structure.

Doppler non-contact speed detector

The CT Systems doppler non-contact speed detector does not require contact with the conveyor and offers belt slip and under-speed monitoring with a 4mA - 20mA scaled output, as well as a dynamic mode for start-up monitoring and slip detection. 110VAC / 220VAC input voltages are available. The menu interface is user friendly and fully configurable to suit any under speed requirement.

Belt protection units

The CTS 9000 belt rip detector is an electronic device consisting of a network of sensing beams, mounted beneath the toughing belt, immediately after the chute. Should a foreign object penetrate the belt it will cause the unit to trip and the conveyor to stop.

The unit allows the operator to wipe the sensing beam's cover without stopping the conveyor. The wash cycle will allow the operator five minutes to clear the lens and automatically the unit will return on line.

Conveyor misalign detectors

CT Systems alignment sensors send a narrow beam towards the belting and measure the reflected signal. Should the belt run off, the resulting signal will trigger an alarm that gives a visual indication via an LED. Should the duration of the misalignment exceed a pre-determined period, the conveyor will stop.

Conveyor trip switch

CT Systems' CTS 300 PSW/DC conveyor trip switch is an emergency stop switch, which provides the facility to stop the conveyor electrically at any point. The switch can be operated manually or via a pulling mechanism. Once the switch has been operated, it latches in “off" position and requires manual reset. The pulling mechanism has been designed to compensate for temperature drifts, thus preventing unnecessary trips.

The conveyor trip switch consists of two enclosures made of high impact UV stabilized polycarbonate. The bottom enclosure includes a talk speech communication unit that enables operators and maintenance personnel to communicate from any point alongside the conveyor. The CTS 300 PSW/DC can be used only in a complete safety on board system, which is controlled via the head end control unit.