TUNRA Bulk Solids

What TUNRA Bulk Solids does

TUNRA Bulk Solids (TBS) is an Australian specialized engineering consultancy and laboratory testing firm focused on bulk solid materials handling, transportation, and storage. Founded in 1975 by Alan Roberts and operating as a division of The University of Newcastle Research Associates Limited (TUNRA), the firm is headquartered at the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) in Shortland, Newcastle. TBS provides 14 distinct services spanning flow properties testing (Jenike style shear testing), Discrete Element Modelling with CFD/FEA coupling, transfer chute design, conveyor belt and idler testing, bin and hopper design, hydraulic and pneumatic conveying, mechanical and portable testing, transport load-out systems, feeder optimisation, stockpile design, dust testing, and wear/attrition testing. Its triple ISO-certified (ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001) laboratory underwrites technical credibility for industrial engagements.

TBS operates a professional services business model: engagements are quoted per project, executed by a small team of specialized engineers (11-50 employees), and delivered directly to enterprise industrial clients. The firm completes 200-250 major industrial consultancy projects per year, generating revenue across three streams: professional consulting, laboratory testing, and industrial training courses. Customers reach TBS through website enquiries, contact forms, and direct outreach. Its primary verticals are mining and minerals (iron ore, coal, gold, nickel, bauxite, lithium), cement and chemical processing, ports and rail, agriculture and food, with secondary exposure to energy/power and pharmaceuticals. The firm claims a global footprint with multilingual website support targeting mining-heavy emerging markets.

Name

TUNRA Bulk Solids

Legal name

TUNRA Bulk Solids Handling Research Associates (a division of The University of Newcastle Research Associates Limited (TUNRA))

Website

https://bulksolids.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TUNRA Bulk Solids is an Australian engineering consultancy and ISO-certified laboratory providing specialized testing, DEM simulation, and design services for bulk materials handling across mining, cement, ports, agriculture, energy, and pharmaceutical industries globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Consulting & Materials Testing

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Solids Handling & Processing Equipment (Conveying, Silo, Feeders) (IMAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bulk Material Handling Systems (Belt Conveyors, Feeders, Stackers, Reclaimers) (IMAHABAH)

Keywords

• Bulk materials handling
• Flow properties testing
• Discrete element modelling
• Conveyor belt testing
• Bulk solids engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandgate

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Engineering consultancy services for bulk materials handling and storage applications. TBS is highly respected nationally and internationally for professional consulting services, providing conceptual solutions for handling problems and design of new systems.
2. Laboratory Testing Services: Comprehensive laboratory testing including flow properties testing, conveyor belt testing, wear testing, dust testing, and other material characterization services. ISO9001, ISO14001, and ISO45001 certified facilities.
3. Industrial Training Courses: TBS offers industrial courses and training covering all relevant aspects of bulk material handling for industry professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TUNRA Bulk Solids provides engineering consulting and ISO-certified laboratory testing services for bulk solids handling and storage. The firm delivers 14 distinct service offerings spanning material characterization (Jenike shear testing, wear and attrition testing, dust testing), simulation (Discrete Element Modelling coupled with CFD/FEA), and engineering design (transfer chutes, bins, hoppers, stockpiles, conveyors, feeders, hydraulic and pneumatic conveying systems). It serves industrial clients across mining, cement, ports, rail, agriculture, food, energy and pharmaceutical sectors, completing 200-250 major consultancy projects per year.

Product overview

TUNRA Bulk Solids is a consulting and testing services company that operates as a single integrated offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company provides comprehensive bulk materials handling services organized into 14 distinct service offerings: Flow Properties Testing, DEM and Calibration Services, Transfer Chute Design, Conveyor Belt and Conveyor Accessories Testing, Conveyor Idler Rolls, Bin and Hopper Design, Hydraulic Conveying, Pneumatic Conveying Equipment and Testing Services, Mechanical and Portable Testing Services, Transport Load-Out Systems, Feeder Optimisation and Design, Stockpile Design, Dust (Environmental) Testing, and Wear and Attrition Testing. These services are complemented by laboratory test facilities and address industries dealing with bulk materials including mining, cement, agriculture, food, pharmaceutical, ports and rail, and energy sectors. The services cover the entire spectrum of bulk materials handling and storage applications, from fundamental material characterization to development of optimal designs and technical criteria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flow Properties Testing Laboratory testing service that determines the behavior and flow properties of bulk solids under operating conditions, including loading, consolidation, temperature, moisture, and humidity factors. Uses Jenike style shear testing for materials up to -4mm size fraction, covering low/high consolidation, wall friction, time consolidation, and particle size distribution.
• DEM and Calibration Services Discrete Element Modelling service for analyzing and optimizing particulate flow in bulk material processing and handling operations, with coupling to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Outputs include flow observations, material trajectories, velocity profiles, chute liner wear predictions, belt loading, and particle degradation assessment.
• Transfer Chute Design Design service for transfer chutes including troubleshooting, design audits, wear liner selection, and development of concept designs and technical specifications, offered to industrial clients handling bulk materials.
• Conveyor Belt and Conveyor Accessories Testing Comprehensive testing services for conveyor belts and accessories including indentation rolling resistance, motion resistance, pulley lagging, and belt cleaning systems, tested according to Australian Standards (AS1333, AS1334).
• Conveyor Idler Rolls Testing Testing services for conveyor idler rolls including rolling resistance (rim drag), break-away force, Maximum Indicated Slope (MIS), Total Indicator Runout (TIR), and operating noise output testing according to CEMA, DIN, ISO and SANS standards.
• Bin and Hopper Design Design service for bins and hoppers including flow properties testing, effective hopper geometry design, multi-outlet bins, investigation of potential silo quaking, and wall pressure determination.
• Hydraulic Conveying Services Services for hydraulic transport of solids including feasibility studies, slurry and paste testing, commissioning, and technical support for high concentration slurry and paste pumping disposal systems.
• Pneumatic Conveying Equipment and Testing Services Design and testing services for pneumatic conveying systems including determination of conveying characteristics, scale-up procedures, feeding and separating device selection, and minimum transport condition testing.
• Mechanical and Portable Testing Services Mechanical testing equipment including hydraulic universal test machines (5-35 tonne capacity), DMA machine for viscoelastic materials, and portable testing services such as ultrasound, infrared, XRF, pressure mapping, and laser scanning.
• Transport Load-Out Systems Design services for transport load-out systems including train load-out bins, wagon unloading systems, and self-unloading barges, supported by scale modelling and DEM analysis capabilities.
• Feeder Optimisation and Design Service for feeder design and optimization including screw feeder design advice, hopper design for mass flow, feeder interfacing optimization, and load calculations.
• Stockpile Design Design service for gravity reclaim stockpiles including material characterization, draw-down modelling, live capacity calculations, and conceptual design for optimum feeder interface and hopper geometry.
• Dust (Environmental) Testing Dust testing services including Dust Extinction Moisture (DEM) testing and wind tunnel dust testing for investigating lift-off behavior of particulates on conveyors and during stockpiling.
• Wear and Attrition Testing Testing services for wear and attrition including wall liner abrasive wear testing, impact wear testing, slurry wear testing, and particle attrition analysis using drop tests and SEM.
• Industrial Training Courses Industrial training courses and training programs covering all relevant aspects of bulk material handling, delivered to industry professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200-250 major industrial consultancy projects completed annually

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ajax Equipment: UK-based specialist in bulk solids handling equipment design, particularly screw feeders, conveyors, and mixers for difficult-to-handle materials. Comparable niche engineering consultancy serving overlapping industries (mining, chemicals, food, pharma) with similar project-based delivery model.
• Jenike & Johanson: Founded by the creator of the Jenike shear testing methodology, J&J provides specialized bulk solids flow testing, bin/hopper design, and pneumatic conveying consulting. Closest direct peer to TBS given overlapping methodologies (Jenike testing, flow property characterization) and identical customer base in mining, chemical, food, and pharma.
• Jenike Direct (South Africa): South Africa-based bulk solids handling consultancy providing flow testing, bin/hopper design, and conveyor/feeder engineering. Direct peer operating in the Africa-Australia resource corridor with the same Jenike testing heritage as TBS.
• Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling (University of Greenwich): UK-based university research centre offering bulk solids handling testing, DEM modeling, and engineering consultancy. Directly comparable to TBS as a university-affiliated specialist offering Jenike-style flow testing, pneumatic conveying, and chute/hopper design services globally.

Broad incumbents

• Metso: Global leader in mining and aggregates processing equipment, with significant bulk material handling capabilities. Incumbent serving TBS's mining clients with broader plant and equipment offerings rather than specialist consultancy.
• BEUMER Group: Global manufacturer and systems integrator of conveying, loading, and bulk material handling systems. Adjacent competitor that operates in TBS's customer industries (mining, cement, ports) as a full equipment supplier rather than specialist consultancy.
• Hatch: Global engineering consultancy with deep mining and bulk materials handling practices. Broader incumbent offering that competes with TBS on large mining and metals projects but lacks TBS's specialist pure-play bulk solids positioning.
• TAKRAF (Tenova): Global supplier of integrated bulk material handling systems including conveyors, stackers, reclaimers, and ship loaders. Competes for design-stage engineering and consulting work within the mining and port sectors TBS serves.
• Worley: Australia-headquartered global engineering services firm serving mining, energy, and chemicals. Provides bulk materials handling as part of larger EPC and consulting engagements, competing for the same mining/port clients but at much broader scale.
• FLSmidth: Global cement and mining engineering and equipment supplier with bulk materials handling expertise. Competes for cement industry bulk solids consulting and design work, with broader product portfolio than TBS.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tunra-bulk-solids

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TUNRA Bulk Solids