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DigitalHub in Iron Ore Mining

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DigitalHub is Fenner Conveyors’ cloud-based monitoring platform that centralises inspection data and conveyor performance insights in real time. For the client, it streamlined over 400 monthly inspections into one 24/7 accessible system, enabling teams to identify and address more than 300 damage events efficiently.

The Challenge

Our client based in the Pilbara, Western Australia is a large producer of iron ore.

Previously inspections were being completed on paper and for a period of time Auditor inspections were implemented, which was in a question and answer format.

Although it allowed for inspections to be digitised, the digital copies of the inspection were only saved on the device the inspection was completed on. Keeping full records of completed inspections weren’t possible, and changes needed weren’t implemented.

The client was seeking a monitoring system that allowed the team to monitor belt wear through a web application portal, keep full records of inspections, and track conveyor performance data in real-time.

The Solution

Fenner Conveyors’ iBelt team set up the client in the DigitalHub platform in May 2024.

DigitalHub is a user-friendly online application, accessible through a web browser. It provides current and historical data for intelligent planning. To make the conveyor inspections even easier, they can be done via customer iPads and through the DigitalHub app on crew member mobile phones.

All 57 conveyor systems were successfully mapped. Online and offline inpection templates were create for each conveyor system.

DigitalHub Inspections automatically raises events in the online management system.

To make sure that the data collected during inspections was actioned, automated texts and emails were set up in DigitalHub to send out to nominated on-site personnel. This streamlined the process and reduced admin for site as notifications were triggered as inspections were being conducted.

The Results

The site was able to complete 400 full conveyor system inspections per month for all conveyor systems on site.

As of September 2024, over 300 damage events had been identified and raised. These events are now tracked and changes implemented.

Predictive maintenance: Damage events were analysed and categorised to show individual components (e.g. belt damage, roller replacement, or all event types raised) and corresponding severity level. This enabled site planning teams to predict maintenance before becoming critical and prioritise tasks within shut schedules based on urgency and impact.


Efficient Supply Chain Management: Forecasting belt replacements and roller usage helped manage supply chains and inventory more efficiently.

Real-Time Monitoring: Site was able to analyse real-time data on conveyor performance in DigitalHub, allowing maintenance crews to quickly address issues as they arise, rather than reacting to failures after they occur.