Case Study: Asset Lifecycle Cost Improvement (Chute & Bin Liners)Bulk handling port - WA, Australia

Summary

EnterpriseIS partnered with a Western Australian bulk handling iron ore facility to reduce lifecycle costs across 99 high‑wear chutes and deflectors. Through targeted wear analysis and supply chain optimisation, the site achieved a minimum 52‑week asset life and $8 million in projected annual savings.

The Challenge

Our client’s Asset is a bulk handling facility that handles up to 165 mtpa of Iron Ore.

The site engineering team had been tasked with delivering sustained wear management and lifecycle cost improvements to the 99 chutes and deflectors across the facility.

The ultimate challenge was to achieve a chute/deflector life of 52 weeks (minimum), as this was believed to be a benchmark for the iron ore industry.

The Solution

Through detailed analysis of wear zones and inventory requirements the team were able to identify a number of improvements to the current process for managing the chutes.

A number of initiatives were introduced during the process that assisted in the overall results including:

Establishment of a dedicated wear management team
Advise on modifying liner arrangements, specifications and chute design to improve performance and service life
Improved inventory management including introduction of alternate suppliers
In-house rebuilds
Online/gap inspections to provide current conditions.

By using a collaborative approach with all stakeholders throughout the project the solution was sustainable and exceeded expectations.