CART and Fenner Dunlop Receive "Innovation Award"

5 June 2009

(Bluefield)—By developing a “smart system” that anticipates failures and pinpoints problem locations within a conveyor belt system, Fenner Dunlop and the Center for Applied Research & Technology (CART) @ Bluefield State College were named recipients of the “Innovation Award” at the recent Southwestern Virginia Technology Council’s (SWVTC) 10th annual gala, tech expo and awards ceremony.  Lyn McDermid, Senior VP and Chief Information Officer for Dominion Resources, was the featured speaker at this year’s program hosted by Virginia Highlands Community College.

CART and Fenner Dunlop have collaborated for several months at their location in the Bluestone Business and Technology Park to develop the smart conveyor belt system.  The technology permits belt operators to plan repairs rather than just react to failures, saving business owners a substantial amount of money by preventing unscheduled down-time due to unanticipated belt breakage.  “Conveyor belt systems are primarily utilized in this region by the coal industry,” explained Bruce Mutter, CART CEO.  “A single broken belt can result in a production loss of more than $250,000 per day.”

At the Bluestone Business and Technology Park, Fenner Dunlop and CART are working together on the product manufacturing process and they anticipate the start of production later this summer.  Fenner Dunlop has received approximately 50 orders prior to product completion, and a full scale belt is in place at their facility, while the technology continues to be refined and augmented on a daily basis.

In accepting the award on behalf of Fenner Dunlop, their Bluefield, Virginia research team, and CART, Mutter and Mick Twigger, Senior Electrical Engineer, Fenner Dunlop, thanked the SWVTC and Tazewell County officials Sam Wolford and Jim Spencer.  “There is abundant literature suggesting that southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia are difficult regions from which to create technology innovations,” Mutter said.  “However, our specific experience proves positively different.  We think the uncommon decency, pride, diversity, resourcefulness, adaptability, persistence, resilience, and good common sense of our people has been an excellent foundation for developing quality technology products.”

The Southwestern Virginia Technology Council was organized in 1999 and exists to lead the region’s residents in addressing technology issues for business, education, and government with the purpose of enhancing the vitality and social well-being of Southwestern Virginia.