Faced with a shortened deadline for a pulley with a custom bearing housing, CPS pivoted, brought the housing fabrication in house and turned around the full build in 6.5 weeks.

Background

This case study highlights how CPS’s responsiveness and internal capacity enabled the successful, on-time delivery of a critical pulley for Hancock Iron Ore — despite tight deadlines and component constraints.

A week after the conveyor pulley request was received, the project was upgraded to high priority, requiring an expedited manufacturing and delivery timeline. The component design included a custom THDD bearing housing - for which the typically long-lead time posed a major risk to project delivery.

As part of CPS’s commitment to agile, reliable supply for Australian mining operations, our team is continually improving in-house manufacturing capabilities to reduce reliance on long-lead external suppliers. Where possible we also love to assist Hancock Iron Ore’s ongoing support of breast cancer awareness by brightening our conveyor components in the synonymous pink hue.

The Solution

When faced with potential delays CPS pivoted and leveraged its in-house machining and heavy fabrication capabilities to bypass the delay. The team:

• Procured two billets of 350-grade steel (2 x 1.1 tonne)
• Machined the custom THDD bearing housings in-house
• Completed the full pulley build

This internal approach enabled the team to control quality, manage risk, and maintain project momentum without relying on external fabrication timelines

The Results

• Project delivered in 6.5 weeks
• Significant cost saving on the bearing housings compared to external supply
• Timeline reduced by more than 50%, enabling Hancock Iron Ore to avoid significant downtime risk

And, of course, the bearing housings were finished in pink, supporting Hancock Iron Ore’s ongoing Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives — a continuation of CPS’s and Fenner Conveyors proud participation in projects like a pink belt winder manufactured in 2024 and pink conveyor roller flingers across HIO sites.

This case study showcases CPS’s value as a true manufacturing partner — equipped to move quickly, solve complex problems in-house, and support client initiatives that go beyond the technical brief.

• A previously challenging process is now a simple routine job.
• No injuries, incidents or delays.
• Rated and tested equipment is now the standard across an entire conveyor system.
• The client is confident and competent in using the equipment.