FUTRAN SYSTEM TRACK Futran is a locally developed and manufactured rail transport bogie that has been mounted on an elevated rail transportation track system
Local transport technology company Milotek’s Futran system is “truly revolutionary”, as it provides a new method of transporting commodities and, potentially, also people, claims Milotek CEO Andries Louw.
Louw was speaking at black-owned training and conferencing company Intelligence Transfer Centre’s second yearly Coal Transportation Africa summit, held in Johannesburg last month.
Futran is a locally developed and manufactured rail transport bogie that has been mounted on an elevated rail transportation track system.
“Owing to the system being mounted above ground level, it can be built without having to demolish existing infrastructure,” said Louw.
Support pillars for the system can in theory be built at the side of existing roads and the transportation track can be built above the roads, thus the system does not have any negative impact on existing infrastructure.
The Futran weighs 35 kg/m and it can carry up to 2 t/m at a speed of 70 km/h.
“This equates to the system having the capability to transport 50 000 t/h of bulk materials,” he stated.
Louw noted that large multinational companies generally developed other advanced transportation systems, particularly bulk transportation systems. Subsequently, maintaining or repairing the system required that highly skilled overseas engineers often be flown in.
He said that what was therefore required, particularly in Africa, was a system that could be easily maintained using only local skills sets.
“The entire Futran system can be serviced and repaired using just a No 8 Allen key.”
The system consists of a set of three steel wheels, with a track that fits between the wheels; a battery system, which can be substituted with solar-powered panels; a control box; and a breaking system.
The track’s modular design and the fact that it consisted of only six parts allowed for easy on-site assembly, while its highly robust Hardox wear plate steel, in conjunction with its high-strength wear liners that significantly reduced the wearing of the track, and guaranteed long-lasting use, Louw stated.
He said the company was developing the fourth version of the system. The third version was being trialled at a pilot site, in Midrand, where the newest version would also be trialled once it was completed later this month.
Futran Features
The Futran track is 9 m high, with support structures that are 18 m apart from one another. The system also does not have any length limitation constraints.
The double-track system can be run forwards and backwards, as well as horizontally and vertically.
The Futran’s buckets can each carry up to 20 t of bulk materials. The system also has minitrains, with buckets that can carry between 2 t and 3 t of materials and are automatically filled by hoppers.
Further, as the system could be adapted to a mine’s loading system, it did not require any alteration to such a system, noted Louw.
He added that a single motorised unit pulled the system’s lightweight containers and that the Futran’s narrow counterbalance bogie assisted in ensuring a low-cost track structure.
Additionally, Louw pointed out that the system was virtually maintenance free.
He added that the Futran’s buckets were fully enclosed, thus preventing fugitive dust from escaping, compared with conveyors that were open and could create a negative environmental impact through the release of dust particulates.
“It will also significantly reduce transportation distances, as ground conditions or any other natural obstacles that usually impede other transportation systems have no impact on the system’s routing. Futran’s weight-to-load ratio is less than 10%, or half that of a truck or train, thereby ensuring significantly cheaper operating costs.”
Louw also emphasised that the system was not affected by gradient constraints or cost and distance limitations associated with conveyor belts systems.
The Futran’s openpit-mine processing system enabled automated haulage of run-of-mine production, overburden, waste material and all bulk materials, he highlighted.
Spreading the load across multiple bogies allowed for the transportation of larger loads, such as shipping containers, Louw added.
“Therefore, the Futran can also be used for long-distance bulk material, freight and containerised transit haulage,” he concluded.