Investigation to determine the feasibility of salvaging surplus conveyor drive systems

Surplus equipment is sometimes offered as an alternative to reduce capital costs on industrial projects. An opportunity to determine the feasibility of surplus equipment to reduce costs occurred during the design of 850 hp, 4160 V conveyor drive systems for an oil sands mine in Northern Alberta. This paper which developed from a field investigation is a case study that identifies many of the technical and economic factors that must be considered when planning to incorporate surplus equipment into project designs. The results of this case study recommended using the surplus mechanical components of the conveyor drive systems but not the electrical components. The paper shows that when performing a feasibility study, surplus equipment must first be evaluated technically to determine technical suitability and to identify all of the costs. Total cost will determine the feasibility of using surplus equipment