Durban-based materials handling company Big Lift Trucks South Africa (BLT SA) delivered two Samson 85 t material feeders to Namibian diamond miner Namdeb Diamond Corporation’s mine in Oranjemund, Namibia, in March, with the machines being fully commissioned the same month.

BLT SA is the exclusive distributor in sub-Saharan Africa for Samson bulk materials handling equipment.

The mobile surface-material feeders, based on Samson’s MF 1610W series, were modified especially for Namdeb to efficiently handle bulk aggregates, including dune sand and rock, as well as desert sand, gravel and tailings.

“Samson’s automated handling systems, which require minimal civil works, are designed to join fixed and mobile equipment, providing a cost-efficient and highly productive alternative to fixed bulk handling installations,” says BLT SA marketing director Charity Gumede.

“These surface-material feeders, which receive materials directly from 40 t dump trucks, have a buffer holding capacity of up to 66.2 t of material. These feeders also have a regulated output feed-rate of 1 000 t/h, which goes directly to an ongoing conveyor system.”

Material is drawn from the tip-ping truck in a controlled stream, which means dust generation is significantly reduced, thereby also minimising environmental pollution.

Gumede notes that a special design feature of these units is a reject grille that prevents over-sized material being passed from the feeder onto the ongoing conveyor. The grilles are fully supported by the feeder and can be manu-ally adjusted for different lump sizes.

Further, each material feeder is mounted on a chassis with four pneumatic polyurethane-filled tyres and has a heavy-duty removable towing frame to allow for the repositioning of the feeder around the mining site.

The units have a deflected chassis design with an inclined discharge section to raise the material to the discharge height, providing simplified transfer for the conveyor system. A horizontal loading section enables the feeder to receive material directly from the tipping trucks. This design increases holding capacity and reduces vehicle access ramp requirements. The flared entry section increases volume entry, provid-ing reduced tipping time and greater flexibility in vehicle alignment.

Better Performance
For enhanced performance, the five-ply conveyor belts are supported by load-bearing double apron bars, trapezoidal in form and located on every pitch of the heavy-duty conveyor chain.

The electromechanical drives comprise a direct-coupled elec-tric motor, with shaft-mounted helical-bevel-type reduction gears at either side of the shaft. Each drive is controlled by a single alternating current inverter for soft starting and variable belt speed.

Levelling blade output controllers provide a regulated volumetric discharge for the conveyor, proportional to the belt speed.

Instrumentation for the enhanced performance and protection of equipment includes tail shaft rotator sensors and control units, head chute blockage detectors and lockable emergency-stop switches.

These material feeders were manufactured in Vredendal, in the Western Cape, according to stringent UK engineering specifications using original Samson components. They were transported more than 500 km by road to Namibia.

Samson fixed and mobile conveying equipment is designed for use in diverse sectors, including mining, agriculture, shipping, transport, power and general industry. The range covers link con-veyors, grab hoppers, material feeders, radial boom stackers and mobile shiploaders.

BLT SA supports the Samson range with a technical advisory, parts and maintenance service, as well as operator training.