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Beetle Engineering & Automation
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Industries / Ports & Materials Handling
QueenslandWestern AustraliaInternational

Electrical & Automation Engineering for Ports and Materials Handling

Beetle Engineering supports ports, bulk terminals, and bulk materials handling operations across Australia and internationally with electrical engineering, PLC programming, conveyor control systems, and fault finding. We work on the automation and control systems that move bulk commodities from receival through to ship loading, and the plant that keeps that movement running continuously.

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Ports & Materials Handling
What we see on ports & materials handling sites
  • Complex conveyor interlock systems where a single protection trip cascades across multiple machines, and finding the root cause quickly under operational pressure is critical.
  • Continuous throughput requirements where unplanned downtime on conveyor, stacker, reclaimer, or shiploader has an immediate and measurable cost per hour.
  • Aging conveyor control systems with limited spare parts, incomplete documentation, and control logic that has been modified in the field without records.
  • Dust, vibration, and weather exposure that accelerates wear on electrical and control equipment across large outdoor installations.
  • Integration between bulk handling equipment from multiple OEMs - conveyors, stackers, reclaimers, shiploaders, and weighing systems - that do not always communicate cleanly.
  • Belt weigher, level measurement, and instrumentation systems that require calibration and maintenance to maintain accurate commodity tracking and loading data.
  • Complex yard machine interlock logic - stackers, reclaimers, shiploaders, and conveyor systems from multiple OEMs that need to be commissioned, integrated, and maintained as a single system.
  • Stacker-reclaimer automation requiring positioning system integration, drive configuration (AB 755 VVVF series, Danfoss), and safety interlock design for high-value rotating equipment.
  • Shiploader positioning and luffing controls, including integration with vessel planning and loading management systems.
How we help

Engineering for bulk handling reliability

Dennis Murphy has more project hours on port and bulk terminal equipment than almost any other engineering domain. From 2005 through to 2021 his career included sustained engagement at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT), the largest coal export terminal in Queensland, progressing from commissioning engineer on the Out-Loading 3 expansion through to lead control systems engineer on the ThyssenKrupp RL3 bucket wheel reclaimer installation - one of the most technically complex bulk materials handling commissioning projects in the Bowen Basin during that period.

Beyond DBCT, his ports and bulk handling work spans iron ore export at FMG Port Hedland (present for first ore on ship at Fortescue’s inaugural export shipment), iron ore stackers at BHP Newman Hub in Western Australia, Sandvik yard machine commissioning at Rio Tinto Cape Lambert Port B, Assmang Khumani Iron Ore in South Africa, CPM Sino Iron Project at Karratha WA, and ongoing support at DBCT across stacker-reclaimer upgrades, mooring hook systems, and belt weigher integration.

What we do in ports and materials handling

Our work in ports and bulk terminals covers PLC programming and upgrades on conveyor and bulk handling systems, SCADA for terminal-wide monitoring and control, fault finding and support, and shutdown work for planned maintenance and upgrade periods.

Conveyor control upgrades are a significant part of our work. Replacing aging relay logic, obsolete PLCs, or end-of-life hardware with modern control systems requires careful engineering - the interlock logic has to be understood completely before it is rewritten, and the cutover from old to new has to be managed without creating new risk. We approach these projects systematically and test thoroughly before handing over to operations.

Shiploader automation is a specialist area within our ports work. Positioning systems, drive controls, load rate management, and integration with vessel planning and loading management systems require specific knowledge of the equipment and the operational process. We have experience across multiple shiploader platforms and control system generations.

Reclaimer commissioning

Reclaimers are one of the most mechanically and electrically complex machines in a bulk terminal, and commissioning them is a discipline on its own. Dennis Murphy has lead engineer experience commissioning bucket wheel reclaimers, slew-bearing reclaimers, and stacker-reclaimers across coal, iron ore, and bulk commodity terminals in Queensland, Western Australia, and South Africa.

Reclaimer commissioning involves a systematic sequence: drive commissioning (slew, boom, bucket wheel, travel), limit switch and interlock verification, positioning system calibration, anti-collision and proximity system setup, functional testing across all operating modes, load testing, and performance verification against design parameters. The interactions between machine motion axes, field instruments, PLC interlocks, and the drive system all need to be understood and verified. One incorrectly set limit or trip level can cause a serious incident on high-inertia rotating equipment.

Project experience includes:

  • RL3 Bucket Wheel Reclaimer: DBCT (Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal): Lead commissioning engineer on ThyssenKrupp’s RL3 bucket wheel reclaimer installation, one of the largest and most technically complex reclaimer commissioning projects at DBCT.
  • SR6 Stacker-Reclaimer: DBCT: Stacker-reclaimer recommissioning following slew bearing replacement.
  • Assmang Khumani Iron Ore: South Africa: Port machine commissioning on iron ore export terminal equipment.
  • FMG Port Hedland: WA: Present for first ore on ship at Fortescue’s inaugural iron ore export shipment.
  • Rio Tinto Cape Lambert Port B: WA: Sandvik yard machine commissioning.
  • CPM Sino Iron: Karratha WA: Port machine commissioning on the Sino Iron project.

Integration across OEM equipment

Bulk handling terminals typically include equipment from multiple manufacturers - conveyors from one supplier, a stacker-reclaimer from another, a shiploader from a third. Getting these systems to communicate cleanly, share interlocks, and present a coherent picture to the SCADA operator requires integration work that OEM commissioning teams do not always complete.

We design and implement integration between disparate systems using industrial communications protocols - Ethernet/IP, Modbus, Profibus, and OPC-UA - and ensure that the integrated system behaves correctly across all operating modes, including fault conditions and equipment transitions.

Platforms found across ports & materials handling sites

Platforms we work with

Rockwell Automation
Emerson
Schneider Electric
AVEVA
Ignition
FAQ

Common questions about our ports & materials handling work.

Yes. Conveyor control upgrades - from aging relay logic or obsolete PLCs to modern ControlLogix or S7 systems - are a regular part of our work. We design the replacement system, write the control logic, manage the installation and cutover, and commission and test through the full range of operating conditions before handing over to site operations.
Yes. We respond to unplanned faults on bulk handling equipment. A conveyor that will not start after a protection trip, a PLC that has lost its program, a communications failure between the control system and the shiploader - these are faults we diagnose and resolve. We mobilise to port and terminal sites across Queensland and interstate where the project requires it.
Yes. Shiploader control and automation - including positioning, slewing and luffing drives, load rate control, and integration with vessel planning and loading management systems - is within our scope. We work on both fault diagnosis and modification of existing systems, and design of new or replacement automation for shiploader upgrades.
Yes. Accurate commodity tracking through a bulk terminal depends on calibrated instrumentation and control systems that capture, record, and report weigher data correctly. We work on belt weigher integration into PLC and SCADA systems, instrument calibration support, and data reporting that meets port and shipping requirements.
Yes. DBCT has been the site of multiple projects across over a decade, including Out-Loading 3 commissioning, SR6 stacker-reclaimer recommissioning, SR3A slew bearing upgrade, RL3 bucket wheel reclaimer commissioning (lead engineer, ThyssenKrupp, 2013-14), and Hay Point Berth 1 and 2 mooring hook and man overboard system upgrades.
We have. Project experience includes FMG Pilbara iron ore port (Port Hedland, WA), Assmang Khumani Iron Ore port machines (South Africa), Rio Tinto Cape Lambert (WA), and CPM Sino Iron (Karratha, WA).

Working in ports & materials handling? Let's talk.

We support ports & materials handling operations across Queensland. Get in touch to discuss your project.

Get a quote → 0428 500 880