There’s no shortage of theory in bulk solids handling, but straight talk about what actually works when things get messy on site is much harder to come by.
That’s where Bulk Expo is focusing its conference this year. The program for the event, which will take place from September 16-17, 2026, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, is curated by the Australian Society for Bulk Solids Handling (ASBSH). It is built around the issues operators keep running into, from stubborn dust to conveyors that don’t behave the way they should.
“We didn’t want a program that just talks at people,” said Siobhan Rocks, General Manager – Events at Prime Creative Media, the company behind the event.
“We wanted to put together a conference that gets into the detail of what’s actually going wrong on site and what’s working to fix it.”
The newly announced themes for the conference reflect that approach, with each session shaped by real operational pressure points. Take a look at the themes below.
Conveyors, Mechanical Handling & System Performance
Looking at belt and mechanical conveying from the inside out, this theme covers fire safety, fibre optic monitoring, wear resistance testing and the redesign of long-distance systems. It also digs into mechanical conveying through bucket elevator engineering and low-breakage transport, alongside real-world learnings from revisiting a 13-kilometre overland conveyor with modern technology.
Dust, Fire & Operational Risk
Dust remains one of the most persistent and dangerous challenges in bulk handling. This theme focuses on explosion protection in terminals, proactive conveyor belt fire safety and practical fixes that reduce dust leakage, including how small component changes can shift operations from downtime to uptime.
Storage, Stockpiles & Material Behaviour
From unpredictable loads during discharge to the stability of iron ore stockpiles, this theme gets into how bulk materials actually behave. It includes advanced storage systems, new approaches to bulk tonnage assessment and methods for tracking and maintaining material quality across the stockyard.
Monitoring, Measurement & Wear
This theme centres on visibility. Topics include live wear monitoring of wall liners, dynamic weighing in industrial bagging and systems that give operators a clearer read on performance, condition and accuracy across the entire handling chain.
Simulation, Design & Emerging Technologies
Focusing on what’s next, this theme explores fast coupled solid-fluid simulation tools, new deep mining concepts and the design of complex systems where modelling and engineering decisions carry major operational weight.
Together, these themes form a program grounded in real-world challenges and shaped by the people solving them.
Bulk Expo’s conference will bring engineers, operators and suppliers into the same room, focusing on what actually works when the system is under pressure.
Early bird tickets are still available for a limited time.
Get your hands on them at https://bulkhandlingexpo.com.au/attend/
