With this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba placing partnerships at the centre of the industry’s growth narrative, the evolution of material transfer points illustrates how collaborative innovation is reshaping mining operations.

Once viewed simply as wear components, transfer points have become strategic assets that influence throughput, safety and sustainability.

Rising conveyor speeds, harder ores and tightening environmental, social and governance (ESG) pressures have driven this transformation to which Weba Chute Systems has responded by advancing its engineering, digital modelling and lifecycle support in partnership with mining operations across Africa, says MD Mark Baller.

“Ten years ago, most conversations were about stopping blockages and limiting wear,” he says, adding that today, mines want verifiable improvements in availability, energy use, dust emissions and safety, all while handling faster belts, larger ore volumes and more variable moisture content.

“Transfer points now sit at the centre of productivity and sustainability.”

Baller lists five notable trends that have reshaped the way mines approach transfer point design and performance.

Firstly, conveyor systems today run at significantly higher belt speeds and wider widths than a decade ago, as operators chase throughput gains.

“With increased tonnages and faster transfer rates, the forces exerted on chute liners and receiving belts are far greater,” he explains, adding that this makes controlled flow absolutely critical – if the material stream is not properly managed, surging, uneven loading and accelerated wear occur that can bring a plant to a standstill.

Secondly, the variability of the ore itself has increased. Mines are working deeper and often dealing with harder, more abrasive materials as well as frequent blend changes to maintain grade.

“The days of designing a chute for a single consistent feed are gone. We now design for variability – we use advanced modelling to simulate different particle sizes, moisture levels and flow behaviours to ensure the chute performs consistently across a wide range of conditions.”

Thirdly, the bar has been raised for safety and environmental compliance. Dust and noise emissions, once secondary considerations, are now closely monitored under tightening ESG frameworks.

“Enclosed chute designs, improved liners and engineered flow control all contribute to significant reductions in airborne dust. This not only improves working conditions but helps clients meet strict environmental obligations.”

Fourthly, maintenance philosophies have evolved.

“Mining operations are shifting from reactive to predictive and planned maintenance, enabled by sensors and digital data. We have aligned with that by designing chutes that allow easy inspection and modular liner replacement, and by incorporating smart monitoring that helps plan shutdowns before failures occur.”

Finally, Baller points out the growing emphasis on total cost of ownership.

“Customers no longer judge a chute purely on its purchase price. They look at how it impacts uptime, energy efficiency, wear life and maintenance intervals. Demonstrating quantifiable long-term value has become a key differentiator – and that’s where Weba Chute Systems’ engineering and simulation-led design delivers measurable results.”