At a glance
The existing reclaimer, which picked up and moved product in Yara’s urea silos in Sluiskil (NL), needed replacement after decades of loyal service. The new unit needed to handle higher flow rates and operate more energy-efficiently.
Lybover BULK quickly came up with a substantiated proposal that convinced Yara.
After a detailed 3D measurement of the silo, Lybover BULK built the necessary components for the new reclaimer: an intake hopper with crusher, extraction conveyor, elevator (lift) and discharge conveyor. Lybover INSTALLATION assembled the machine on site. The silo itself was revamped and fitted with a new floor, access doors, LED lighting and wall cladding. Thanks to pleasant and constructive contacts between Lybover’s project engineers and Yara’s team, this project went smoothly.
Yara, a global player in nitrogen-based fertilisers and industrial chemicals, was looking to replace an old reclaimer that collects urea in silos for further transport. Lybover BULK managed to quickly come up with a technically sound proposal for a reclaimer that works more efficiently than the old one – and to build that machine.
New reclaimer for more volume
Yara is a Norwegian company that supplies nutrients to the food chain and operates globally. It specialises in nitrogen-based fertilisers and industrial chemicals such as AdBlue and CO² used for the bubbles in soft drinks and beer. Yara’s production site in Sluiskil (NL) is the largest fertiliser plant in Europe.
There is a double silo on the site in which urea pellets are deposited by conveyor belts. The pellets are made at the various plants on the site. Inside the silos, a reclaimer runs on rails. That machine collects the urea pellets and carries them by elevator to the conveyor belts at the top of the silo, after which the pellets end up in the screening and unloading plant to be loaded into trucks or ships. The reclaimer can operate in both silos. The existing reclaimer dated from the 1960s and was in need of replacement. Not only because of wear and tear caused by urea salts, but also because the machine no longer met current standards in terms of flow rate and energy efficiency. ‘The old reclaimer moved 180 tonnes of product per hour. The new machine should be able to handle a flow rate of 200 to 500 tonnes. This allows Yara to load more urea faster with the same amount of energy,’ says Tom Devriendt, Sales Engineer at Lybover BULK.
Substantiated offer convinces
Yara invited several suppliers to propose a solution.‘We worked out a preliminary design at short notice in which, among other things, we determined speeds and bandwidths based on the required flow rates. Since we were already sizing components during this preliminary study, we were also able to request quotations immediately and incorporate them into our proposal. Our quick and substantiated proposal convinced the customer and was most decisive in the award process. It also meant that we could quickly submit a detailed quotation and schedule, after which Yara gave us the confidence,’ says Tom Devriendt.
‘One of the requirements in this project was linked to the limited current of 120 A available to feed the plant. We determined the gearboxes to operate initially at a lower flow rate. Currently, the flow rate is 200 to 300 tonnes per hour. Later, when Yara has more amperage available, the motors in the new reduction gearboxes can easily be replaced with more powerful ones, without having to remove the entire cabinet.’
The power of in-house production
Lybover BULK went to work to build the new plant. ‘This type of project is an excellent example of how we work as a machine builder. First, we made a 3D scan of the environment to determine exactly where the reclaimer should eject the product. Then we designed a machine from scratch with all the necessary components, such as an intake hopper with crusher to prevent clumping of the product (urea is hygroscopic and forms clumps quickly, called cacking), as well as the extraction belt, elevator and discharge belt. All this is on a driven chassis with corresponding controls ’, Tom Devriendt explains.
After a factory acceptance test of the extraction belt and hopper with agitator, Lybover INSTALLATION ensured flawless assembly of all components. The silo for the new reclaimer was thoroughly cleaned and received a completely new floor, among other things. The rails were also renewed after an accurate 3D measurement of the existing situation. Indeed, both the floor and the rails had deteriorated due to decades of continuous exposure to urea. “In a next phase, the other silo, where the old machine is currently running, will also get a new reclaimer. There, we have already renewed the rails. The new machine will also fit on those rails. So eventually there will no longer be one reclaimer running from one silo to the other, but two can work side by side,’ Tom Devriendt continued.
Good communication, successful result
This project shows how good, close communication between supplier and customer is crucial for a successful implementation. Tom Devriendt: ‘The whole process, from quotation and design phase to delivery, was very constructive. We held weekly online meetings and also met in Bruges and Sluiskil. Thanks to the good and pleasant contacts between the project engineer and the Yara team, there were no real issues or discussions during the project. In any case, we look forward to assisting Yara with further upgrades to its urea silos.’