Challenge

In mining and bulk materials handling operations, tramp metal, such as bucket teeth, drill bits, ground‑engaging tools and other steel objects, can inadvertently enter the material stream. Once carried into primary crushers, conveyors or apron feeders, these objects can cause severe equipment damage, unplanned downtime and dangerous recovery tasks for personnel. 

Conventional metal detection systems are typically installed downstream on conveyors and are ineffective at the critical point where material is first collected. For front‑end loaders and excavators, the bucket represents a blind spot where tramp metal can go completely undetected until it is too late.

Solutions

“Uncrushables” is a novel tramp‑metal detection system designed to address this gap. The system embeds a rugged metal‑detection sensor directly into the bucket of a front‑end loader or similar digging equipment. As material is picked up, the system continuously monitors for metallic objects entering the bucket. 

If tramp metal is detected, the operator receives an immediate alert in the cab, allowing the load to be diverted, quarantined or managed before it reaches crushers or other vulnerable equipment. The technology combines specialised hardware with advanced signal processing to reliably detect relatively small metal items despite entering a large steel structure. 

In addition to loader buckets, Uncrushables has also been successfully demonstrated on conveyors and apron feeders, highlighting its adaptability across the materials handling chain.  

Benefits and impact 

Uncrushables delivers value across safety, productivity and asset protection:

• Reduced equipment damage by preventing tramp metal from entering crushers and downstream systems

• Improved operational safety, minimising the need for high‑risk manual recovery of lodged metal

• Lower unplanned downtime and associated production losses

• Early‑point detection, enabling proactive decision‑making at the moment material is handled

• Versatile deployment, with proven application on loader buckets, conveyors and apron feeders

By moving tramp‑metal detection upstream to where material is first collected, Uncrushables could offer a practical and scalable way to protect critical assets and improve the resilience of mining operations. 

Note: The Uncrushables technology has been tested in a limited capacity on a mine site and, as such, is at a relatively low technology readiness level (TRL). We are seeking interested parties to support the continued development and testing of this technology.