It will cause very serious belt breakage accidents during the transportation in coal roadway due to all kinds of hidden defects such as splice twitch, broken cord, and serious corrosion…etc. To effectively solve this type of potential security risks, we have started the joint research and development of the “Steel Cord Conveyor Belt Real-time Monitoring System” from 2008 with TCK Wire Rope Inspection Technology Co., Ltd with a totally RMB798,000.00. In April 2009, the system has been finished and put into the application in the 1011 main mine conveyor belt in Chengzhuang Cola Mine.

TCK real-time online automatic inspection system adopts the patented leading edge weak magnetic inspection technology and will be equipped with modular inspection unit, multi-function data acquisition conversion, sound/light warning and terminal station…etc. In addition, the system realizes the online real-time monitoring for various hidden risks like splice twitch, broken cord, and serious corrosion according to high-level security management needs of 24 hours continuously operation, explosion-proof, remote monitoring, and real-time early warning.

The advanced nature, reliability and economy of the system have been sufficiently validated through one year trial run in Chengzhuang Coal Mine. Indications are that it can not only overcome the disadvantages in various traditional testing methods, which being an important safeguards for the key production equipments; but help enterprises to make the prominent effect in promoting production, improving efficiency, saving energy, optimizing the cost and achieve remarkable success of creating very substantial economic benefits. They are mainly reflected in the following four aspects of the objective data: “improving operating efficiency”, “reducing routine maintenance cost”, “saving equipment cost”, and economizing security investment”.

1、Improve operating efficiency

According to MT654-1997 “Safety Standards for Coal Mine Conveyor Belt” and 5.3.4 in latest national standard “GB22340-2008 “Safety Norms for Coal Mine Conveyor Belt”, they state that: all the parts in conveyor belt should be inspected and calibrated periodically to ensure the reliability of their working. Chengzhuang Coal Mine regulates the full inspection once a day according to the requirement. At present, the laying length of 1011 conveyor belt is 2670m, the total length of belt reaches 5400 including top and bottom belt, and the belt speed during daily work is 3.6m/s. In the past, whether through manual method or X-ray imaging instrument to detect the conveyor belt, the running speed must be controlled of 0.5m/s, and the monthly inspection should take 48 hours when stop the conveyor belt to start the inspecting, and only check all the splices for one time.

The application of TCK Real-time Online Automatic Inspection System combines the transport and detection into one process, which completes the conveyor belt testing during the transporting. The past monthly detection time has been used into the present production, and can really carry out the daily inspection. In addition, the inspection time will be 0.5 hour longer than maintenance time, and twice inspection per week according to the regulation will need more than 4 hours in the maintenance. After the application of the system, the monthly production time will be increased into 4 hours, and yearly will be increased into 48 hours, which will enhance the coal production 1400t/h×48h=67200t.

Take Jincheng Coal Mine for example, according to the integrated prices 518.68RMB/ton and annual production of 67,200.00 ton in 2009, Chengzhuang coal mine newly added output value due to the application of TCK Real-time Online Automatic Inspection System will reach RMB34,855,300.00.

2、Reduce routine maintenance cost

The power energy consumption generated during conveyor belt inspection includes operation energy consumption and use-cost of testing equipment.

（1）Operation energy consumption during daily inspection

1011 conveyor belt in Chengzhuang Coal Mine has 3 drive motors, each of whose rated power is 900kw. Through the site measurement of technical staff, the total no-load load of three drive motors is 750kw, and the actual electricity consumption was 43.2 million kwh in the annual 576 hours for checkout. However, the local industrial electricity price is 0.53RMB/degree, and their effective working days throughout the year is      , which means there are RMB228,960.00 per year on the routine inspection of 1011 conveyor belt.

The application of TCK Real-time Online Automatic Inspection System basically eliminates the no-load detection time of 1011 conveyor belt. All the running times are effective operation time, which greatly enhances the continuity of equipment operation. It can not only avoid idling power consumption, but reduce the starting and braking times of conveyor belt, which will also significantly longer the service life.

（2）Use-cost of testing equipment

The application of TCK Real-time Online Automatic Inspection System reduces the electricity expenditure which is limited to the fees caused by monitoring system. As the detection front-end and communication systems are all weak current, and the control station is industrial computer whose power consumption ≤200W, thus the annual electricity expense is almost negligible.

3、Extend service life and save equipment cost

As the TCK Real-time Online Automatic Inspection System can implement the early diagnosis of potential belt breakage dangers, the application can help us take the in-time maintenance for the splice problems, which ensures the present conveyor belt status is better than that in the past. Thus its service life has been extended. In view of present application cycle being a little short, and the time assess of service life is lack of specific data, thus the saving equipment cost is also part of a hidden economic benefits.

4、Inspector’s health benefits

Chengzhuang Coal Mine usually adopted manual methods to inspect the conveyor belt, at the same took the X-ray Imager as an auxiliary tool to test every splice. They planed to take the inspection twice a week for 5 to 6 splices, so every month they would complete a total of 22 splices as a cycle. This use of X-ray machine will take a certain radiation for the health of inspectors. After the application of TCK Real-time Online Automatic Inspection System, the inspection times by X-ray reduce a lot and this will improve the health condition of inspectors.

Anyway, after the application of this system, Chengzhuang Coal Mine not only put their actual technical performance get into a high level, but creates an effective economic benefit for their company, which shows an excellent result between equipment investment and benefit output.

General economic data are as follows: Total project funds: 798,000.00RMB; System cost and installation fees: 300,000.00RMB; Dominant economic benefits after the application of the system (do not include safety cost effectiveness): 25,084,300.00RMB. The input-output ratio of this project is 1:117, and it takes a prominent effect for the mine safety production, and has a significant application and promotion value. So that it is an excellent solution for the conveyor belt safety inspection.