The launch of IPS 3030 demonstrates Guduza’s dedication to create practical products that can increase conveyor safety through continuous research and development. It is the latest version of previous pullkey models – Guduza Bulldog Pullkey System, IPS 1000, IPS 2000 and IPS3000. One would appreciate the lengths Guduza goes to improve efficiency of the pullkey system by looking at the phases of product development in the past 25 years.
Designed to be fully intelligent, the first product, Guduza Bulldog pullkey system, was used in the field for many years before it was retired. Later, a major mining group in South Africa had briefed Guduza’s engineering team about the need to minimise down time on their conveyor belts. And to achieve this, Guduza reduced the electronic complexity by design, which resulted in the IPS 1000, a semi intelligent system coming into being. The more complex the electronics (more components,) the lower the reliability.
In addition, the new design also catered for less problems caused by voltage surges and better coped with lightning strikes. The requirement for an intrinsically safe version, initiated the design of the IPS 2000. Nonetheless, this system could not handle long distances, as this was not the general requirement at the time.
As the requirement for longer I.S conveyor belts became more prevalent, the client needed a pullkey system that could reach 4 km. Guduza directed its design efforts into upgrading the IPS 3000 to the IPS 3030 to cater for extra longer I.S belts and simultaneously also up designed to a fully intelligent system. Finished in the desired time, the design exceeded the client’s requirement and achieved a 5 km distance only using a single power supply unit.