Local manufacturer supplies apron feeders to DRC mine

16th July 2021 By: Schalk Burger - Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Local manufacturer supplies apron feeders to DRC mine

FEEDER TRUCK The apron feeders on a truck to the DRC

Mining equipment manufacturer Takraf has supplied two apron feeder machines to a leading copper/cobalt producer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The apron feeders, which are being installed in two new crushing stations at the mine, are 1.83 m wide, 11.2 m long (180º incline) and feed copper/cobalt ore at 1 200 t/h from a truck tipping point to grizzly feeders, which, in turn, feed jaw crushers. The feeders are designed to handle up to 950-mm-diameter lumps, Takraf said in a statement released in June.

The order was carried out during challenging Covid-19 pandemic conditions, with installation and commissioning assistance provided remotely, owing to travel restrictions.

“Takraf apron feeders are increasingly in demand from projects across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for challenging and abrasive materials handling work where they are preferable to belt feeders, which tend to tear in such applications.”

The feeders combine robust, heavy-duty frames with standard chains and rugged pans to provide extremely long service life. They can feed and discharge big lump sizes, as well as hard and/or abrasive materials.

With minimal maintenance requirements, they are installed below dump hoppers and at material storage or transfer facilities and can be used with the feeder slope inclined up to 220º.

“For example, in earlier orders, Takraf South Africa supplied three apron feeders to a gold project in Guinea, and five apron feeders to an iron-ore project on the West Coast of South Africa. At 2.184 m long and 1.83 m wide, the apron feeders for the iron-ore project were designed as extractable feeders to facilitate maintenance, as they can be individually removed and taken to surface while the others continue operating,” the company said.

The company has also received orders for a further apron feeder for a major copper mine in South Africa, which already has two such feeders installed underground.