Pit & Quarry, October 2015
CONVEYING AND MATERIAL HANDLING Zip on over A Minnesota producer opts for a new quick to install modular overland conveying system designed to make material handling reconfiguration easy D akota Aggregates LLC which is in its second season operating a brand new processing plant mines on 1722 acres within the University of Minnesota Outreach Research and Education UMore Park The mine is located in Rosemount Minn within reach of the Twin Cities metro area The operation was designed with innovation in mind particularly where material handling is concerned The site spans three miles from north to south and a mile and a half from east to west Overland conveyor systems were chosen to efficiently transfer material from the face to the processing facility while eliminating the use of loaders and haul trucks The conveyors are reportedly quiet while minimizing energy use and lowering operating costs per ton Initially the challenge for Dakota Aggregates was finding a lower cost overland alternative versus that of custom engineered conventional overland systems and most importantly one that would allow the company to easily and quickly reconfigure their overland systems to accommodate changing mining requirements each season Dakota Aggregates has a substantial 40 year lease on the university owned land where melting glaciers left behind a thick blanket of sand and gravel thousands of years ago Mining this deposit is part of the overall sustainability focus of UMore Park Win win There are major benefits of this initiative according to stakeholders The local region taps into the cost efficiencies of a valuable and nearby source of aggregate products while the university realizes an additional long term revenue source And for every ton of gravel mined a portion of the profit goes into a scholarship fund for geology and civil engineering students at the university Dakota Aggregates approached the sites material handling challenges by consulting with Superior Industries the Morris Minn based manufacturer of bulk material processing and handling equipment Superior recently launched its Zipline conveyor a pre engineered modular overland conveying system designed for quick and almost tool free installation Dakota Aggregates is one of the BY CAROL WASSON For every ton of gravel mined a portion of the profit goes into a scholarship fund for geology and civil engineering students at the university Its a win win deal for all and an example of innovation at its best 38 PIT QUARRY October 2015 www pitandquarry com
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