2018
BULK HANDLING
Werner Baller
erner Baller is the founder and Chief
Executive Officer of South African
based WEBA Chute Systems. This
leading global producer of customised bulk
material transfer chutes serves hundreds of
clients in more than 15 countries worldwide.
He was born in 1940 in Brotdhof in then West
Germany, studied a National Diploma: Ceramic
Engineering at Koblens/Rhein, Hoergrenshausen
in 1964, and came to South Africa in 1965.
In 1983, he purchased a small mining supply
firm, M&J Engineering, that specialised in
underground coal mining equipment, laying the
foundation for the establishment of WEBA.
Recognising a need in the mining and
material handling industries, Baller was a true
visionary who steered the company to
specialise in bulk material transfer and
transformed it to become what it is today:
renowned as a producer of “the best quality
transfer chutes in the world.”
With more than 27 years' experience in
transfer chute systems and over 45 years total
experience in the mining and engineering
industries, Baller has developed nine patented
products including the WEBA Chute System.
It was during the early 1990s, that the
company conducted a comprehensive study into
the negative and cost incurring aspects of
conventional chute design and then set about
designing a transfer chute which would
eliminate these problems.
The result led to the birth of the WEBA Chute
System – a patented, streamlined, scientific
approach to the dynamics of bulk materials
handling at transfer points.
The WEBA brand is derived from the first
name and surname of Werner Baller. The WEBA
Chute System was patented in 1991.
A program of continuous development and
improvement has seen various other patents
being lodged over the years, the latest of which
is the WEBA Swing Chute, Patent 2013/09648.
The current Managing Director of WEBA
Chute Systems is the founder’s son, Mark Baller,
who in his own right has over 20 years’
experience in the mining industry, in
manufacturing and project management. He
studied Mechanical Engineering at the Vaal
Triangle Technikon in South Africa before
completing his national service and joining the
family business in 1990.
Initially working on the ground floor doing
installation and fabrication management, Mark
Baller then spent two years in Australia, first at
the University of New South Wales and then in
W
The Weba Chute System is a custom engineered
transfer point solution designed to address the
numerous issues plants face with material
movement
Perth where he completed several courses in
material handling. On his return to WEBA Chute
Systems, he first assumed the position of
Production Manager and later became
Managing Director.
He is supported by Alwin Nienaber, Technical
Director at WEBA Chute Systems, who has over
23 years’ experience, and this team is
considered the perfect succession plan for the
business.
Weba Chute Systems pioneered the
engineered transfer point and it was through
the company’s ability to view it in a completely
different way that industry is today able to
control the flow of material with all the benefits
that this brings WEBA Chute Systems should
not be compared to conventional chute systems
as these South African engineered and
manufactured systems adopt a completely
different approach to the control and handling
of bulk materials. These are considered by
industry as an improved alternative to
traditional chute systems.
The WEBA Chute System is based on the
lined ‘super tube’ or cascade system, whereby
much of the material runs on material always.
The bottom layer of particles in the product
stream moves in a tumbling motion and
subsequently does not slide down the chute.
This not only reduces the wear significantly, but
in many cases the lip remains completely covered
by material and never needs replacement.
Control of material from the transfer point is
critical to optimise belt life
The WEBA Chute System
takes this means of
controlling material
movement a step further by
designing the internal angle
of the transfer chute to
match the product
discharge velocity with the
belt speed, which eliminates or greatly reduces
spillage. Extensive experience and technical
expertise, coupled with applications knowledge,
has positioned WEBA Chute Systems as the
leader in its field.
Each WEBA Chute System is custom designed
for a specific application, considering factors
such as belt width, belt speed, material size and
shape, as well as throughput. When applied to a
greenfield project, this transfer system achieves
the optimum design configuration for a specific
application.
Both retrofit and greenfield projects using
Weba Chute Systems & Solutions can realise an
80% reduction in material degradation as well
as greatly reduced dust and noise levels. Other
benefits include reduced production losses due
to less blockages, significantly reduced spillage
and vastly improved safety levels. Inspection
and maintenance are facilitated by easy access,
while the system does not require ongoing
supervision, which translates into reduced
labour and related costs.
The cost of replacing a conveyor belt, not to
mention the downtime associated with belt
maintenance and replacement, makes it worth
looking more closely at any measures that will
extend the conveyor's life. Typically, conveyors
such as feeders, crushers, hoppers and screens
are selected to match certain operational
requirements, but there is little emphasis on the
design of the chutes that transfer materials
between elements.
WEBA Chute Systems has always maintained
that this is a mistake as chutes are essential
elements in a bulk solids handling plant and are
also subject to operational characteristics and
physical constraints.
While conventional chute design often allows
the uncontrolled discharge of bulk materials,
WEBA Chute Systems embraces a holistic
design focusing not only on the entry
and exit points, but also controlling the
flow, volume and velocity of the material
being transferred.
A primary aim for the WEBA Chute
Systems engineers is to achieve
controlled transfer of material onto the
conveyor belt, reducing wear and tear on
belts while also minimising the impact
that creates dust. The results are cost
savings for customers and better occupational
health and safety compliance.
Supplement International Mining | JUNE 2019 HoF 9