Dear Mr Zhong Xiaohui,

I have read with interest your mails regarding clarifications for a stacker reclaimer proposed to be tendered by you. My response to the two areas are as below

a) Use of vibrating feeder

From your mail it is not clear which area of the machine you are referring to for installing the vibrating feeder. I presume it is the central chute inside the revolving frame and portal.

Without a detailed analysis of the characteristics of the different types of iron ore to be handled and also the nature of the monsoon in the locality, it is difficult to predict whether proper evacuation of the material will take place.

I would, however, add that normally for iron ore applications if the chutes and transfer areas are designed carefully with appropriate lining material, we have not come across problems of choking even with high moisture or under Indian heavy monsoon conditions. Vibrating feeders have not been provided in any of the machines.

b) Under carriage design

In our opinion, the three-point three-leg design, with the slew centre and yard conveyor located at one third of the track gauge, results in a slightly more compact and economical machine compared to the three-point four-leg (with cross balancer) design with the yard conveyor at the centre of the track gauge.

The dead stock of material left behind in the stockpiles will be higher on one side and lower on the other in the case of the three-leg machine, whereas it will be identical on both sides in the case of the four leg machine. However, the total dead stock works out to be almost same in the two cases.

Both the designs are widely used and depending on your stockyard layout you may select either of the options or could leave the option open to the bidders for your tender.

I hope the above information will be of assistance to you.

Kind regards,

A K Sinha

TRF Limited, Kolkata, India

aks@pye.trfltd.com ■