Martin Engineering

Posted on September 6, 2016 in Mechanical Conveyors Other Equipment

Specifications

Main Category Engineering and Equipment

Services Mechanical Conveyors, Other Equipment

Description

Martin Engineering was founded in 1944 by Edwin F. Peterson, a foundry pattern maker in a small Illinois town. The company’s first patented product was the Vibrolator^® Industrial Vibrator, which uses the rotation of a steel ball in a hardened steel raceway to facilitate bulk material flow. Even today, nearly 80 years later, it remains one of the world’s most accepted solutions for facilitating the movement of bulk solids.

After the development of a number of successful industrial vibrator designs during the company’s first two decades, management made a decision in the 1960s to begin developing high-performance products for conveyor applications. That business has grown into a rich product line of belt cleaners, dust containment products, transfer point solutions, safety components, flow aids and many other innovations to make bulk material handling cleaner, safer and more productive.

Another milestone was the decision to grow the company into a truly global enterprise, with a goal of establishing business units that could deliver manufacturing, sales and service to virtually any location in the world. This has led to an expanding network of Martin Engineering facilities, currently numbering business units in 16 different countries.

Industrial vibrators are key to bulk material

The Martin product line includes complete transfer point solutions.

A Martin primary conveyor belt cleaner at an aggregate processing plant.

A Martin secondary belt cleaner

The firm’s subsequent commitment to invest heavily in conveyor education and training was also a defining moment, based on a growing sense of responsibility for raising levels of performance and safety across all bulk handling industries. That commitment has turned into a cornerstone of the company’s mission.

Several elements helped establish the firm as a globally respected brand. One was the growing recognition of the expertise employees brought to these regions. Another was the extensive programs for education and training that helped customers improve their levels of safety and productivity. Perhaps the most critical factor was the company’s proven reputation for supplying heavy-duty products that withstand the rigors of the mining environment, and the fact that they carry an absolutely-no-excuses guarantee.

Safety has always been one of the driving forces behind Martin Engineering’s business, as exemplified in its products, services and training. It was one of the motivations for the company’s very first commercial products, and remains a key element of every design. Some products are developed specifically to meet safety objectives, such as conveyor guards, safety shields, roller guards and inspection doors. But in all cases, whenever a new product design is being considered, safety and ease of service are among the foremost considerations. Some companies talk about “designing-in” safety, but Martin truly integrates and embraces the concept.

As conveyor systems continue to get larger, longer and faster, the importance of safety training escalates significantly in order to avoid the catastrophic consequences of unwise actions around a conveyor. The initial volume of the company’s Foundations™ series of reference books was published in 1991 as a practical resource for helping bulk materials handlers operate more safely and efficiently. Now in its fourth edition, the book has become a vital component of the international training programs developed by Martin Engineering, which include on-site workshops, online courses and certification.

Industrial vibrators being assembled at the Martin Engineering plant in China.

A worker inspects a freshly molded conveyor belt cleaner

Martin offers an extensive array of online and in-person training options.

Whenever a new product design is considered, safety and ease of service are among the primary considerations.

Martin Engineering has historically been at the forefront of new technology to improve both efficiency and safety of bulk handling operations. In the past, most of those advancements have been mechanical in nature: better designs, more durable construction and reduced hazards. But in the early 2000s the company began developing components that integrated new and emerging technologies for the brutal service conditions in mines, quarries, material processing and other applications.

The firm has since introduced a number of advancements, including a patent-pending device that automatically monitors conveyor belt cleaner blades, tracking and reporting remaining service life without having to physically inspect the units. The intuitive Martin N2^® Position Indicator (PI) notifies Martin service technicians and plant operations personnel when re-tensioning or replacement is required and/or when abnormal conditions occur. Managers and service technicians can quickly access info on any networked cleaner via mobile device. The result is a significant time savings and safety improvement from minimizing staff presence around moving conveyors. The PI is just one component of the company’s decades-long push to develop new & and evolving technologies to improve bulk material handling and reduce the associated hazards.

In the future, Martin Engineering management envisions a rise in the trend of global information sharing, with its Center for Innovation as an institution growing beyond the walls of the actual facility, collecting and disseminating information, creating new designs and developing new ideas. The company will also continue encouraging students in the study of engineering, collaborating with universities and offering internships that help build and strengthen its global team.