BRUKS: Leading the way in bulk material-handling systems

A global leader in mechanical engineering and equipment supply for bulk-storage facilities, BRUKS is an important vendor for Dome Technology projects in the biofuel realm, with multiple projects utilizing BRUKS equipment in its project portfolio.

BRUKS maintains a focus on customizing equipment for the needs of each customer. The company has extensive experience with wood-related products, and in recent years they’ve expanded their scope to include equipment for most bulk materials.

For dome projects BRUKS has provided two major components, the first and most common being equipment used to deliver material to or from the dome, especially in the form of ship loaders and unloaders. For these projects, BRUKS completes the engineering for their systems, which requires a thorough understanding of the machinery and the bulk product in question, said Dome Technology sales manager Lane Roberts. Most recently BRUKS supplied the ship loader downstream from the dome at the Port Allen Drax project.

Performing engineering for their equipment is critical and lends itself to a high-quality product and function for customers.

“Unlike the average consumer product, the machines utilized in our projects are typically highly specialized—in other words, there are usually variables within each project that are unlike any others. This could relate to the type of material being handled, the environmental conditions present (or) the type of operations being performed,” said BRUKS vice president of sales and marketing Ken Upchurch. Variables like these require careful review and engineering know-how to install machinery and make sure it operates properly.

The second major BRUKS contribution for projects is stacker reclaim systems for coal and similar products. In the case of the stacker reclaim system, which requires a long lead time for production, customers frequently contact BRUKS before a bulk-storage solution or provider has been selected; BRUKS company executives often contact Dome Technology with details on the project, giving them a chance to contact the customer sooner, Roberts said. The opposite is also true; as a preferred vendor, Dome Technology contacts BRUKS for equipment needs when a relevant project is in the works.

“BRUKS fully understands the value of the product provided by Dome Technology, and we do everything we can to position their company with developing projects,” Upchurch said. “BRUKS and Dome Technology complement one another very well.”