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These salt tippers are in must i.n dition

5th May 1978, Page 55
5th May 1978
Page 55
Page 56
Page 55, 5th May 1978 — These salt tippers are in must i.n dition
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Two such operators are 3ritish Salt Ltd at Middlewich, ;heshire, and ICI, at Winsford, everal miles down the road. "wo different mining principles ire used and these have their ffect on transport.

British Salt drills holes down o the rock salt beds and pumps vater down into the seams. Irine is piped to the surface and ravels five miles by a network of ■ ipes to the process plant where ie brine is purified and the salt xtractecl for distribution mainly o food manufacturers and iater boards.

ICI, however, uses the more -aditional method of sinking a haft to the seam and using asic mining techniques of lechanical cutting and shot last. The rock salt is carried to le primary crusher by dump 'uck where it is crushed and rought to the surface by i.75-ton capacity aluminium kips which discharge onto. a onveyor belt running to the nal crushing and screening lent.

British Salt operates 32 vehicles of which all but two are bulk tankers. The majority are fitted with either low or highpressure discharge tipper tanks. The other vehicles are a conventional flat-bed and a sirle tipper with alloy sides.

Various manufacturers' chassis-cabs have been used but now British Salt has a selection of ERF, AEC, Seddon Atkinson and Foden vehicles plus one Ford.

Eric Latham, the transport manager, is adamant that it is more cost-effective to purchase quality vehicles, tanks and equipment and keep them in good working order for a number of years rather than purchase cheaper models, disposing of them when their condition has deteriorated beyond economic repair.

He says "I look for a vehicle that will last nine years and still have a resale value. It is an expensive exercise swopping over tanks and ancillary equipment. The H and J registered vehicles are still as good as new."' This is particularly relevant as salt has the relatively low bulk value of about £15 a ton. But, possibly more important, British Salt is carrying its own product, which, in refined form, is classified as a food. The vehicles must conform to the haulage of foodstuffs regulations.

A new chassis-cab is carefully prepared by first sandblasting the chassis, suspension, brake and steering systems to remove all traces of factory paintwork.

The bared metal is then coated with a special paint manufactured by Belzona. The outer skin hardens, leaving a soft layer underneath which has self-sealing properties as well as being neutral to the action of salt.

The use of grp cabs obviously has a major advantage over employment of the more conventional steel cab.

The latest Carmichael' aluminium tanks are specially constructed so that they can operate at a working pressure of 4.36101/sqm (30psi) in order that salt may be efficiently discharged into silos of all types.

The versatility of the vehicles is improved by the tanks having two separate .compartments so that a predetermined quantity of salt can be delivered to different customers on the same journey.

In order to overcome the problem of corrosion from salt the fittings on the tanks are made from aluminium or stainless steel, apart from the plastic hose ducts and wings. In other words no mild steel parts are used.

Where the tank is attached to the steel tipping equipment, a special protection material is used to prevent electrolytic action between the aluminium and the steel.

Wellworthy pumps are now being fitted to all new vehicles and the tipping rams are specially chromium plated to resist corrosion and increase seal life.

Vehicle servicing is of prime importance in keeping the fleet in prime condition. Every day each vehicle is thoroughly washed down and given a short check-over by the driver who has a personal interest in his vehicle. Most drivers have been with the company a long time and each one is allocated his own vehicle.

As a personal touch a driver is allowed to have a name of his choice painted on the front panel. The vehicle records use this name as a second identification to the registration number. The latest Fodens are called "Moody Blue" and "Flying Fish."

Every 20 days, irrespective of mileage, each vehicle is given a 60-item inspection which includes a corrosion check, particularly on the brakes, steering, suspension and electrical systems as well as the chassis and all bodywork.

Any corrosion found is immediately neutralised and the area repainted with the special paint.

Resulting from a satisfactory experiment, Nor& rear suspension units are now fitted where practicable to all new vehicles. Eric Latham anticipates that this will resolve many of the previous suspension problems. At £35,500 a time, it is necessary to ensure that each new vehicle remains in prime condition for many years to come.

This British Salt Plant has a capacity of 800,000 tons of refined salt a year.

Were there no clean and reliable transport system for the distribution of salt to the bulk buyers throughout the UK there would soon be big problems with our food supplies.

The ICI Meadow Bank rock salt mine at Winsford is over a century old and currently has an output of more than a million tons a year. It produces crushed rock salt—used by local authorities for clearing ice arid snow from the roads. A finer grade is also produced for industry and agriculture.

The working face is about 500ft down and as mining progressed, it was found necessary to use vehicles to carry the rough rock salt from the working face to the primary crusher located near to the bottom of the main shafts.

For this work Foden 35-tongross six-wheel dump trucks with Foden engines and 12speed gearboxes were specified. However, as entry to the mine workings is by shaft only with no ramps or tunnels to the surface, it was necessary to dismantle the vehicles and lower the parts down the shaft. The vehicles were then reassembled in the tunnels.

Like the pit ponies of olden times, these vehicles never see the light of day. But as working conditions are much better down below than they are above ground they have remained in excellent condition.

Salt corrosion does not present the same problems as with above-ground operation be

cause the atmosphere in tfl mine is dry; interaction betwee the salt and the metalwork of th vehicle is not so vicious.

When some earlier vehicl€ were brought to the surfao once exposed to a darn atmosphere, corrosion con menced immediately and eve steam cleaning did not con pletely cure the problem.

Maintenance staff go beloi ground regularly to service th vehicles and no seriou operational problems hay arisen, even though they at worked continuously.

Although both companies ar involved in carrying salt, eith€ above or below ground, the have found it necessary t purchase relatively expensiv vehicles and equipment to d the work. It is possible that the are proving it is sometime necessary to over-specify vehicle in order to obtain a goo return on capital.

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