Materials handling equipment specialist BLT WORLD’s Samson travelling Eco-Hoppers have an effective dust control system that minimises the escape of dust during the grab discharge cycle in bulk materials handling.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we all do business and will permanently alter how production plants operate and how all industries function. It has become critical – at a time when we are all susceptible to this highly contagious virus – that extra care is taken to protect people working in potentially dangerous environments and to make sure working distances are maintained,” says BLT WORLD MD Ken Mouritzen.

He notes that it is the responsibility of companies to minimise people’s exposure to environmental pollution, which is a major problem in dry bulk handling, caused by fugitive dust.

Eco-Hoppers are designed to suit the characteristics and flow properties of virtually any bulk material, including coal, iron-ore, gypsum, copper concentrates, soda ash and wood chips.

These robust grab unloading hoppers, which are manufactured to withstand tough conditions in bulk handling, offer handling rates of up to 5 000 t/h, depending on grab crane performance. This low-maintenance system also reduces capital equipment investment and minimises operating costs.

These hoppers have an upper and lower section, separated by a dust retention feature, the Flex-Flap. This divider, which comprises a series of pressed-steel sections and vertical rubber flaps, opens to allow the free flow of material into the hopper and closes to prevent the flow of air out of the hopper.

When bulk material is released by the grab, it falls through the Flex-Flap and accumulates in the inner hopper below. The hopper system automatically closes as a result of the newly created pressure differential between the hopper and the atmosphere, forming a seal to contain the dust contaminated air.

Integral reverse jet filters are positioned around the hopper inlet to extract and clean the dust laden air. Collected dust is then recycled into the mainstream of material.

The Flex-Flap feature reduces the volume of exhausted air necessary to control fugitive dust and requires the use of small, compact filters rather than a large de-dusting system.

Discharge of materials from the Eco-Hopper may be directed to a belt conveyor for a fixed installation. In this case, the bulk material is reclaimed by a gravity discharge unit which feeds the material onto the conveyor at the required output rate. By using a dust-controlled loading spout, the hopper can discharge directly to tipping trucks.

For handling difficult materials, one or multiple Samson feeder units can be integrated with the Eco-Hopper, to provide controlled rate feeding of virtually any material.

Eco-Hoppers can be rail mounted or bolted to suitable concrete foundations. For applications requiring a higher level of manoeuvrability, hoppers can be supported on solid rubber filled pneumatic tyres. The combination of fixed and steering axles provides the option of power travel.

Four Samson Eco-Hoppers, which were installed at Kenya’s Port of Mombasa a few years ago, have significantly improved port facilities, also minimising the environmental impact of bulk handling operations at the harbour.

These fully-mobile Samson hoppers, with powered travel and grabbing functionality for easy positioning alongside the vessel during unloading, can be manoeuvred off the quay, freeing up space when they are not in use.

BLT WORLD is the exclusive distributor in Africa for the Samson range of bulk handling equipment, which includes material and boom feeders for loading and high capacity stockpiling, mobile shiploaders and Eco-Hoppers.