TRANSFER CHUTE DESIGN / PLACEMENT IS KEY IN PLANT PLANNING
When a new plant is being planned , considerable care must be taken in the design and placement of the transfer chutes , argues Mark Baller , managing director of Weba Chute Systems .
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT •
“ In our experience , there has been considerable disruption caused to plant operations by transfer chutes which are not optimally designed or properly located in the flowsheet ,” says Baller . “ This is a concern , as this disruption can cause financial loss that is not commensurate with the value of the equipment .”
He says the relatively low cost of a chute compared to the high value items like crushers and screens may be one reason why they are not taken as seriously as they should be . For example , the chute supplier is often engaged quite late in the plant design process .
“ The plant layout has then already been decided , and the chutes are just expected to be slotted in as and where the space is available ,” he says . “ We request our clients to talk to us earlier , so that we can give the necessary valuable input on where chutes would be best placed . It is costly and time consuming to try and adjust plant designs further down the line .”
Weba stacker chute onto boom conveyor .
Photos by Weba Chute Systems & Solutions
It is even more costly to make changes after the plant is built and is then found to experience challenges at the transfer points . This may even require complex modifications such as moving the head pulley or changing structures and flows to allow for a different flow path .
“ Nonetheless , we have developed a reputation for success even in these difficult situations ,” he says . “ We helped an Australian iron ore mine which was having to shut its plant down every six weeks due to problems with its transfer chutes .”
Conveyor feeding material to a Weba cascade head chute .
The mine needed to extend its chute maintenance window from six to eight weeks , so Weba Chute Systems engineered a solution for their challenging ore – which was sticky when wet . This was achieved , with the maintenance interval in fact being lengthened from six to 12 weeks .
“ Our improvements meant that the transfer chutes were lasting longer than the other equipment and were no longer an obstacle in the mine ’ s strategy to reduce the number of shutdowns each year ,” he says . •
It is even more costly to make changes after the plant is built and is then found to experience challenges at the transfer points .
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African Mining • May 2023 • 37 |