Established by belt conveyor experts William Zimmerman and Mark Alspaugh in 1993, the company has grown to an association of professionals with that same background who say they’re committed to the design, engineering and troubleshooting of the lines using an integrated systems approach.

Beyond what could be considered the traditional modeling and design techniques, however, lies OCC’s technological forte – the development of and training for their own conveyor belt software. They offer three main programs for individuals in the mining and bulk materials transport industries that can allow students to benefit firsthand from Zimmerman and Alspaugh’s extensive knowledge and experience in the sector.

The first is Belt Analyst, which is available in four specialty level packages for service providers, operators and conveyor engineers/designers. Those developing smaller systems will use the standard; Pro- is designed for larger conveyors; overland conveyors with horizontal curves will benefit most from Pro+; and Dynamic, according to Alspaugh, can simulate the “elastic” response of a belt system that occurs through starting and stopping.

Because no other such program existed prior to 1997, the company said its Chute Analyst Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation tool went through a lot of development and trial and error before it became available for public use. It is primarily utilized to model flow through a belt conveyor transfer.

Third and last is its newest, the Bulk Flow Analyst DEM simulation tool. It can be used to model the flow and behavior of the conveyed product in any application.

“Both visual and empirical data to evaluate material velocity, forces, stresses or wear can be developed and used to optimize equipment design,” Alspaugh said of Bulk Flow Analyst. “This tool can be used for a multitude of applications, from coke kilns to vibrating screens to continuous miners.”

The use of software and computer simulation tools, according to OCC, is not only part of the technological wave but also provides economic, logistical time efficiency and future design advantages.

“Our equipment is getting so big, it is very difficult or impossible to fully test in a laboratory or testing facility,” he said of the increasing space traditional design and training techniques takes up. “A good numerical simulation program can provide a ‘virtual testing’ platform to optimize design.

“These tools can also greatly accelerate the development process by weeding out poor designs and selecting the best design options prior to building the prototype for field testing. If ‘virtual testing’ tools are reliable, manufacturers will be able to customize equipment for specific mining needs.”

Even though it’s staying a step ahead of the needs of engineers, designers, operators and manufacturers, OCC has no intention of letting its ideas and plans become stagnant.

“The mining industry is only scratching the surface of what is possible with the newest 3D design and simulation technologies. The future goal is to deliver new equipment that meets user expectations right out of the box,” said Alspaugh, adding that the company is “constantly improving and developing and expanding” its program line-up.

In fact, he said the Belt Analyst line of programs has seen an upgrade with the addition of dynamic simulations. While dynamic analysis has been a part of the company’s repertoire for more than a decade, the users of the program can now produce their own special simulations for starting a stopping a belt.

“This is a significant step for the industry, as up until now, perhaps only four or five consulting companies were able to run their own dynamic analysis,” explained Alspaugh, who said those techniques typically only applied to larger conveyors. “As this technology becomes more available via software, more belt conveyors will be designed properly and we can expect less problematic equipment.”

Another advance during early 2007 is the addition of Bulk Flow Analyst, which took the successes of the company’s Chute Analyst and compiled them into an offering for other equipment designers. “The ability to ‘virtually test’ a product or equipment prior to building it will have significant impact on our industry,” he said.

Because OCC uses all of its software programs as consulting tools for its own clients first, Alspaugh said their own staff is the primary provider of feedback for improvements. The development ideas, he added, were often the culmination of many years of experience on the part of the entire group.

Initially, that was how the products were going to be utilized – for their own internal projects. But once it was discovered the industry was seeking a better and more interactive method to design, the company decided to market their systems.

Once an individual, group or operator purchases a product, maintenance, enhancements and support is available for one year with extensions available for a nominal cost. Additionally, the company offers training at its Colorado offices and encourages attendance to get the most from the software; classes range from one day to one week.

Alspaugh said trends in the conveyor sector are taken into account when the company looks at the elements of its programs, including its complexity and the increased need for calculation method accuracy.

The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) published its latest design manual in 2005, which introduced a new power calculation method OCC engineers helped develop. “It is the first new method published in the USA in 50 years,” he said. “And for the first time, a computer is necessary to properly analyze an application – it is so complex it can no longer be done by hand.”