About the client:
The client wanted to understand the compaction technology landscape from adjacent industries to identify potential improvements to be made to their processes or to implement new ones. In addition, they were looking for technologies that used non-binder additives and quality control integration.
Challenge:
The client engaged PreScouter in this ongoing Research Support Service License to help them identify innovations that could be applied to different areas of the compaction process to improve compaction or machine efficiencies, as well as monitor and control product quality.
A key aspect of the project was to find appropriate novel technologies from the mining or adjacent industries that could be customized to the client’s existing machines.
Approach:
PreScouter identified and profiled 24 companies and 27 lower TRL studies covering recent innovations used to improve the compaction process. A Subject Matter Expert was also consulted to fill in gaps in information about the latest innovations in the compaction industry.
The team identified 22 vendors of wear-resistant coatings that could be applied to compaction rollers and reached out to 14 targets to obtain further information and quotations.
Outcome:
PreScouter recommended prioritized vendors for automatic process, quality, and skew control systems, as well as alternate designs, to the client. Three wear-resistant coating vendors were recommended based on the outreach and quotations received.
Impact of PreScouter’s work:
The client reached out to one of the vendors for further pilot testing. Six lower TRL studies were prioritized as high-interest studies by the client for further probing by their teams and potential extension to application in their roller compactors.
A downloadable version of this case study is available here.
