Effective transfer of materials in chutes has become a pressing issue for all mines. With the spotlight firmly on increasing productivity, through more effective discharge of materials, coupled with minimising downtime and maintenance, solutions are critical to sustainability. Weba Chute Systems & Solutions has more than 3,500 transfer chute installations in place in South Africa, in many African countries and in several other parts of the world. The company is also ISO 9001:2008 certified. “We believe that by adopting a streamlined and scientific approach to the dynamics of bulk materials handling at transfer points, we can provide the industry with a multitude of benefits. It must be stressed that it is necessary to consider customisation at the design phase in order to fully appreciate these benefits.
“We can cite reduced maintenance requirements, improved transfer conditions, longer conveyor belt life and higher throughput as classic examples of matching the product to the application from the outset,” Mark Baller, Managing Director of Weba Chute Systems, says.
Baller points out that the success of each project can be attributed to the hands-on approach adopted by the engineering team, together with their ability to leverage many years of field experience. “A site visit forms the first step in the design process. Our experienced team is able to identify transfer issues and collaborates closely with the client to develop a tailor-made solution that will increase the return on investment in a short space of time.”
Weba’s chute systems are the result of extensive research into the controlled transfer of material onto the conveyor belt. “The aim is to eliminate a high proportion of wear and tear and minimise the rebound that traditionally sends clouds of dust into the air. The results are increased cost saving advantages for customers and an increase in occupational health and safety compliance,” Baller says.
The company’s system uses a ‘supertube’ effect with a cascade lining system. “The design results in 95% of the material running on material at all times. The bottom layer of particles in the product stream moves in a tumbling motion as opposed to sliding down the chute. This means that wear is significantly reduced and in, many cases, the lips remain completely covered by material providing a longer life span,” Baller says.
Baller says that this ‘super flow effect’ is achieved by using sound engineering principles and a sophisticated 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) program. “We also use Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulation as a verification tool. The intellectual property of our engineers remains the crux of our design ideas and concepts but we do believe in complementing our practical knowledge with DEM, to provide customers with best practice in chute solutions.”
In addition to continued development of the existing range of products, the company is also developing an innovative new quick release cast modular chute lip system, the introduction of which to the industry is planned for early 2014. “In response to customer requests, we have developed this new product over the past few years. The quick release cast chute lip will result in a much faster change out period for mine personnel,” Baller adds.
In addition the product features a visual wear indicator that displays the percentage of wear on the lip, as well as the optional addition of a probe in the centre of the lip that reads the exact percentage of wear. “We anticipate that the probe will become a vital element in remote monitoring activities on the local PLC, or an off-site monitoring system,” he continues.
Baller explains that the company currently services four different continents, mainly from its local base in South Africa, with distributors and agents on two other continents. “However, in line with our strategic growth plans, we have decided that the time is optimal for us to consider global expansion. The most logical first step is for us to grow into the African continent.”
He points out that Africa is a natural choice for the company since it is a very resource-rich continent, centred on extensive development. “We are in a very strong position as we can utilise our knowledge and experience on a number of mines to create innovative solutions for new clients. We are constantly driven to improve our products and find increasingly effective ways of helping our clients to manage their production costs and achieve their budgetary goals through the implementation of well-engineered transfer chute systems.
“Close communication with the client and their agents forms the basis of a successful transfer point outcome. The emphasis here is on customised conceptualisation and design, which allows us to produce transfer points that are ensured to provide maximised uptime and transfer of the products in an expeditious and cost-effective manner,” Baller concludes.
