Your hopper requires a feeder unit on it's outlet to control the rate of feed to your belt conveyor. Then your spillage problems will be solved, or at least this spillage problem. ■

Originally Posted by pmprakash

We have installed a Standby Hopper which is to be used when the 600 TPH Bucket Wheel Reclaimer is under breakdown . While operating the machine we have found number of deficiencies which is limiting the Rate of Bauxite feeding to the silos resulting in loss of production.

We have noticed that there is lot of spillage of material resulting in repeated requirements for cleaning the spillage bauxite since it has adverse effect on the return belt of the reclaiming conveyor. The bauxite fed to the hopper is not able to be controlled since it is fed by a payloader & therefore the Rate of Loading depends on the skill of the Operator .We have also noticed that the belt gets damaged due to quick wear out of the Rubber Belt and sometimes longtitudinal cuts are observed as the Belt is just below the Hopper which gets filled up too much in case the operator fills it too fast.

In order to address these problems and to realize the requirement of 600TPH we would like to know whether any party can take up this job of modifying the machine by possibly replacing the existing conveyor by apron feeder or any other modification that can be offered to make the machine more reliable and able to deliver 600TPH on continuous basis without requiring repeated cleaning.The parties who may be preferably from India since the job is not very big & may require personal visit , can furnish their contact addresses in the Forum.

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As you are currently operating you have no control of the mass flooding off the hopper.

The spillage is easily controlled when the hopper has three higher sides= meaning hopper extensions on the side and rear to stop spillovers a hopper extension could be made quickly by the hopper builder etc.

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Or: option 2

Installing a grizzly in the top of the hopper will work as well to slow down the bauxite ore as it enters the hopper prior to falling on the belt and using a smaller loader period as the smaller loader will not flood the hopper something in the two to three yard class would be fine for your application and there will be no worries about your feeder belt as it will not be flooded.

Having a grizzly fabricated with 3 inch by 3 inch square openings and mounted on the hopper top edge will reduce the mass flow problem as it will be slowed down because of the coverage of the grizzly over the hopper.

Or: option three is to rent a smaller loader for a day to see if you would be happy with it as a smaller loader bucket as mentioned above will not flood the base of the hopper.

Your larger loader is flooding the hopper with bauxite hence the belt damage and shoveling from overloading and belt tripping off.

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If it were me:

I would rent a smaller loader with a bucket size smaller than the hopper capacity for a day use it to see if I would be happy with it as all you are doing is loading a silo.

As long as the loader bucket capacity is much smaller than the hopper you will always be waiting on the loader operator which is the way it should be to avoid flooding by mass flow, belt tripping off, and belt carcass damage.

Then decide if you want a grizzly on the hopper throat to slow the ore down which is something you should have anyway.

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The much smaller loader is the better option simply due to the hopper size as the loader you have now is too large.

A loader with a smaller bucket size that will fit inside the width and length of the hopper and a grizzly along with hopper extensions is what is needed.

A grizzly with smaller spacing will allow the material to fall through quickly while waiting for the next load.

One question though: prior to installing the hopper were any impact idlers installed under the belt section of where the hopper is to absorb the shock loading of the ore?, one idler per foot-3 impact idlers per meter under that short section of belt; if not done already-be sure to remove the existing idlers prior to installing the impact idlers.

lzaharis ■