Engineering innovation at scale: How Innovative Mining Services is redefining safety, productivity and reliability in materials handling
The global mining sector is in the midst of profound change. As ore bodies become deeper and more complex, operators face rising expectations to improve safety, cut downtime and operate more efficiently in an increasingly competitive market.
Nowhere is this more pressing than in the materials handling process, where even small inefficiencies can compound into significant costs.
From automated washdown systems, removing the risks and inefficiencies of manual hosing, through to advanced conveyor tracking technologies, such as manual and automatic tracking units which detect and correct belt drift before it becomes a costly downtime event, Innovative Mining Services (IMS) is helping operators tackle these challenges head-on.
IMS, an Australian-owned provider of end-to-end material processing solutions, is rapidly emerging as a critical partner to mine operators seeking measurable improvements. Backed by engineering expertise, a culture of innovation and a sharp focus on safety, IMS does more than solve conveyor challenges.
The company partners with clients to develop, design and manufacture tailored technologies across the entire processing chain, transforming high-risk, manual tasks into automated systems and delivering smarter, more reliable operations from concept to commissioning.
This approach is not theoretical. Across Australia and now increasingly on the global stage, IMS solutions are already transforming operations, reducing downtime, cutting costs and extending the life of mining assets.
IMS’s promise is simple — deliver safe, practical and innovative solutions for the mining industry. With more 30 years of experience, the company designs products that solve real problems, reducing waste, improving efficiency and prioritising safety at every site.
IMS thinks differently. Its boots-on-the-ground team brings deep industry insight and a mindset focused on eliminating risk and inefficiency. They work side-by-side with clients to validate outcomes and adapt cutting-edge technologies to mining environments.
This approach has led to patented innovations and proven solutions that address on-site challenges head-on. At its core, the company provides smart engineering controls to complex mining problems, safely, efficiently and effectively.
Safety as the starting point: partnering with QAL
One of the clearest demonstrations of IMS’s approach to innovation through collaboration can be seen in its work with Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL), one of the world’s largest alumina refineries. Like many operators, QAL faced persistent challenges in a critical part of its processing chain — the cleaning process of Kelly Filter Presses.
These presses, vital for filtering impurities, had traditionally been cleaned manually.
For a refinery processing vast volumes of bauxite daily, the scale of the issue was substantial, not only in risk exposure but in the inefficiencies embedded in such a manual system.
In October 2022, QAL approached IMS to explore a better way forward. What followed was a process of deep collaboration that culminated in the Automated Kelly Filter Press Wash System. This world-first initiative represents far more than an incremental upgrade. It has transformed a challenging, labour-intensive process into a streamlined, semi-automated sequence that eliminates operator exposure while improving cleaning performance and reducing operating costs.
The system operates during the 15-minute cooling phase after shell retraction, applying a controlled wash of a sodium hydroxide solution at a temperature and pressure that is difficult to manage consistently through manual methods. The wash process is now semi-automated, remotely operated, and enclosed, protecting both workers and the surrounding environment.
For QAL, the results are clear — safer people, optimised cleaning cycles and a system that can be scaled or retrofitted across multiple presses.
But the broader significance for the industry is the proof that even entrenched manual tasks in mineral processing can be reimagined through engineering innovation.
This project exemplifies the IMS ethos — start with the safety challenge, engineer a smart solution and deliver operational gains as a natural extension.
The hidden cost of conveyor misalignment
While washdown automation tackles the visible problem of spillage, IMS has also turned its engineering lens to the causes of downtime in conveyor operations. One of the most overlooked yet costly issues in bulk materials handling is belt misalignment.
A misaligned belt may appear trivial at first, but left unchecked, it can create a cascade of problems including excessive wear to idlers, structures and the belt itself, uneven loading that reduces throughput, emergency stops and production interruptions and safety risks when spillage obstructs walkways or equipment access.
Research indicates that conveyor downtime can cost major operations tens of thousands of dollars per hour. For a system moving thousands of tonnes of ore daily, even short stoppages translate into significant revenue losses. The indirect costs, such as increased maintenance budgets, higher consumable usage and lost opportunities in production schedules, compound the financial impact.
IMS’s Track Straight Automatic Conveyor Tracking System was designed specifically to address this pain point. Using sensor feedback and precision-engineered frames, Track Straight detects belt drift in real time and makes incremental adjustments automatically. Unlike manual interventions, which are reactive and temporary, Track Straight keeps conveyors aligned continuously, even under variable loads and changing conditions.
The result for operators is immediate and tangible with fewer stoppages, longer belt and component life, reduced maintenance callouts and safer conditions around the conveyor line.
It moves misalignment from a recurring operational headache to a solved problem.
By focusing on the root cause rather than the symptom, IMS is helping mines achieve step-change improvements in both cost efficiency and reliability.
Scaling for growth: a major facility expansion
Behind these innovations lies more than clever engineering, they are supported by a business determined to invest in capacity and scale. To meet rising demand across Australia and international markets, IMS has completed a significant expansion of its Perth headquarters and workshop.
The new facility is not simply about size. It has been deliberately designed as an innovation hub, where design, prototyping and R&D sit side by side — accelerating the journey from concept to field-ready solution. Expanded fabrication and assembly lines enable IMS to manufacture complex systems at scale without compromising on quality, while dedicated testing and demonstration facilities allow clients to validate solutions before site deployment.
Equally important is the facility’s role in international expansion. With strengthened logistics and export pathways, IMS can now support clients not just across Australia, but across Canada, South America, Africa and Asia, regions facing the same spillage, misalignment and downtime challenges as their Australian counterparts.
This investment shifts IMS’s position in the market. It is no longer just a supplier of individual products, but a strategic partner with the scale and expertise to deliver fully integrated solutions tailored to the unique operational demands of every site.
Integration: the future of smart materials handling
Perhaps the most significant advantage IMS brings to the sector is the ability to integrate multiple technologies into a single, cohesive system. Mining challenges rarely exist in isolation. A misaligned belt can trigger spillage which leads to clean-up and clean-up exposes workers to risk and diverts resources away from productive tasks.
IMS addresses these interconnections head-on with its Guardian Washdown Systems that prevent and manage spillage beneath conveyors. Track Straight Conveyor Tracking eliminates the root cause of belt drift and misalignment. Spillage prevention and transfer technologies reduce material loss at chutes and loading points and custom engineering ensures that every solution is calibrated to the specific ore body, throughput requirement and environmental condition.
By deploying these technologies in unison, operators achieve something greater than the sum of the parts — a safer, cleaner, more reliable processing environment. The outcome is not only extended asset life but also reduced total cost of ownership and greater confidence in meeting production targets shift after shift.
Looking ahead: global ambition, local expertise
While IMS is proud of its Australian roots, its ambitions are global. The challenges of spillage, misalignment and downtime are not unique to Australian mines. Across continents, operators face the same imperative — keep workers safe, keep assets online and keep costs down.
IMS’s international strategy is built on three foundations.
First, technology transfer, taking proven systems like washdown and conveyor tracking solutions into new jurisdictions.
Second, partnership, working with in-country distributors and service providers to ensure local knowledge and rapid support.
Third, ongoing innovation, ensuring that solutions continue to evolve with regulatory requirements, such as tightening standards around dust, water use and energy efficiency.
For operators, this means access to world-class technologies backed by a company that understands the practical realities of mining environments. It also means working with a partner that views innovation not as a buzzword, but as a commitment to safety, to performance and to the long-term success of its clients.
Making materials handling safer, smarter and more reliable
In an industry where downtime is measured in thousands of dollars per minute and safety is the foundation of every decision, Innovative Mining Services has shown that engineering-led innovation can deliver transformative results.
From pioneering world-first systems at QAL, to solving entrenched issues like conveyor misalignment, to investing in the capacity required for global delivery, IMS has demonstrated what it means to be more than a vendor.
For mining leaders navigating an increasingly complex future, IMS offers a clear value proposition — one partner, one integrated approach and one shared goal, to make materials handling safer, smarter and more reliable than ever before.
Innovative Mining Services
P: 1300 64 64 64
E: info@innovativemining.com.au
