Iron

Introduction

With over 725 chutes installed in the Iron sector across the globe, the Weba Chute team has extensive experience in engineering solutions that can reduce production losses related to blockages, eliminate spillage, and achieve an 80% maintenance-free transfer point. During the design phase, one of our primary objectives in this sector is ensuring that the angle of material flow within the chute does not choke or block the transfer points.

Each of our chute systems is custom-designed for a specific application and considers factors such as belt width, belt speed, material sizes and shape and throughput. We achieve the optimum design configuration with the best belt cleaning arrangement and optimum selection of belt type and size with every installation.

Overview

The primary application requirement on some of our previous projects was to cater to the material’s extreme stickiness, which is prone to choking and blocking in transfer points.

Although we have extensive experience with the type of material being handled at this operation, the application presented particular challenges due to the super fines being transferred from conveyor to conveyor.

These particle sizes range downwards from 2 mm to micron proportions, and the material is very abrasive and sticky. Therefore, our design has incorporated 20 mm high alumina ceramic engineered tiles to facilitate the necessary level of abrasion resistance and the free flow of the sticky material.

Our designs allow for easy access for inspection and maintenance purposes, and the system does not require ongoing supervision, again representing a saving in the workforce and related costs. If the project scope allows, we can provide spare chutes to be swapped into the system while maintenance is performed on the original chutes. This provision will eliminate downtime and ensure optimum productivity.

Installations in the Iron Sector

Client Mine Number of
installed chutes
Country
Anglo American Sishen 73 RSA
Assore Beeshoek 211 RSA
Assore Khumani 400 RSA
Evraz Mapochs 9 RSA
Transnet Portnet Saldanha 25 RSAC
Rio Tinto Paraburdoo 5 Australia
BHP Billiton Mt Whale Back 2 Australia