CASE STUDY

Barrick Gold Corporation

Elko, Nevada
LOCATION
Metals Mining
INDUSTRY
CEMA E Idlers

The Challenge

Barrick Gold Corporation’s Goldstrike mine, one of the largest gold-producing operations in the United States, faced frequent maintenance issues with their conveyor idlers.

The mine processes over 12,000 tons of material daily from its gyrosphere and jaw crushing circuits. Due to the heavy load and impact from the minus-4 ½-inch ore, the traditional CEMA D idlers frequently failed, requiring shutdowns for replacement and leading to costly downtime.

The challenge was to find a more durable and reliable idler solution to minimize maintenance and increase uptime in their demanding environment.

“After upsizing idlers, our downtime has been eliminated and we're seeing tremendous wear life."

Mark Morfin
Maintenance Supervisor

The Solution

Barrick Goldstrike, with the help of Superior’s local conveyor components distributor, decided to upgrade from CEMA D idlers to Superior’s CEMA E idlers on a critical 60-inch by 150-foot-long belt conveyor.

The new CEMA E idlers, engineered with 40-millimeter precision-sealed ball bearings and SpinGuard® Bearing Seal Technology, were chosen for their superior durability and reduced maintenance requirements. These idlers are designed to handle higher loads and impacts, feature improved contamination resistance, and retrofit seamlessly with existing frames.

for Barrick Gold - Goldcorp_Penasquito Mine_Zacatecas MX_2009_017-1
Transition Point of Two Conveyors-1

The Results

The implementation of CEMA E idlers has significantly reduced maintenance downtime at the Goldstrike mine. Previously, the team faced weekly shutdowns to replace worn-out idlers, but the new idlers have eliminated this issue.

The upgraded idlers offer extended wear life, reduce maintenance labor, and eliminate grease expenditures. Morfin reports that the idlers perform reliably even under the heavy and abrasive conditions, achieving the desired longevity and efficiency.

The successful upgrade underscores the importance of selecting the right idler technology to enhance performance and reduce operational costs in high-impact environments.

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