A systems approach to bulk solids handling design is necessary to prevent some of the most recurrent problems on transfer chutes, which include spills, blockages, wear and tear and degradation of the material being transferred, says transfer chute designer Weba Chute Systems.

“It is essential to ensure that operational characteristics are matched throughout a plant to prevent excessive dust generation, noise and misplacement of the receiving conveyor belt owing to unbalanced loading from the transfer chute, among other issues,” says Weba Chute Systems MD Mark Baller.

He adds that a systems approach to bulk solids handling design also ensures that the flow of materials through the plant runs smoothly. This must be done in conjunction with ensuring that conveyors, feeders, crushers, hoppers and screens are carefully selected, depending on how the chutes transferring materials between the different elements are designed.

Chutes are essential elements in a bulk solids handling plant, but are also subject to operational characteristics and physical constraints. The optimisation of chute performance is a process of defining the geometry of the chute to reliably convey material from one point to another.

“The complexity of chute performance means that chute design should be carried out at the plant design stage and not added as a conveyance method to transfer material from one point to another at a later stage,” says Baller.

He adds that the expertise of a chute manufacturer is useful during the design stages of a project to eliminate potential flow and maintenance problems at a later stage.

He adds that transfer points can contribute to some of the highest maintenance costs on a mine, which is why engineers need to view transfer systems as a critical element of the minerals processing system.

“Weba Chute Systems believes that transfer points, by their nature, should be accorded the same level of importance as any other machine unit in the minerals processing cycle. It would be foolhardy to neglect considering the cost of replacing a conveyor belt, and the downtime associated with maintenance and belt replacement,” he says.

Weba Chute Systems believes it has the experience, technical expertise and broad application knowledge to position itself as one of the leaders in this field. Baller says the design of its systems is undertaken using sophisticated three-dimensional computer software.

He adds that the company’s technical personnel are in a position to make cost-saving recommendations to the customer in terms of the products and systems to use and how to design their plants.

He further stresses that manufacturing high-quality products is an important part of the process and performance guarantees that accompany all Weba Chute’s products.

Baller tells Mining Weekly that each Weba Chute system is custom-designed for each transfer point and is configured to control the direction, flow and velocity of the calculated volume and type of material processed for a particular application.

“If one considers that a conveyor belt can account for up to 60% of the capital cost of a bulk materials handling plant, the cost implications of constantly replacing the belt as a result of wear and tear can become significantly higher than the original capital investment,” says Baller.

He adds that the innovative way in which Weba Chute Systems arranges transfer points can help clients substantially reduce maintenance expenditure in the minerals processing environment.