Altos Hornos de Mexico mine #7 started operating in 2012 at only15% of its operational capacity. As the capacity increased, the impact cradles started to fail. Conveyors 7BC1 and 7BC2 had Continental Conveyor impact cradles installed (included in the initial project) but the customer was interested in changing them because they were not holding up to the extreme operational conditions. (material: coal, belt speed: 650fpm) These impact cradles started failing in the beginning when the operational capacity was only 15% and had already been fixed many times.

After a field inspection Martin Mexico recommended installing heavy duty Martin^® Impact Cradles due to the extreme operation conditions and the application. Martin^® Impact Cradles had been installed in other mines of Altos Hornos de Mexico so the customer was familiar with the product and knew these impact cradles would solve the problem. The impact cradles were installed by a crew from the MartinPLUS^® Service technicians. The Martin^® Impact Cradles bars feature a top layer of slick UHMW molded to a base of impact-absorbing SBR Rubber. Each impact bar is then reinforced with a steel support structure. The cradles also incorporate the Martin^® Trac-Mount™ design concept making replacing the bars easier.

The customer was very satisfied with the Martin^® Impact Cradles. They withstood the extreme operational conditions and they are easy to install and maintain, making it safer for employees. The mine is now running at 100% with no issues. The Martin^® Impact Cradles continue to absorb the impact from the load zone and providing more life to the belt. In addition, the conveyor is operating at its most efficient capacity making the customer very happy.