Correctly designed and engineered transfer chutes form an integral part of all Bulk Materials handling systems. Their function has often been viewed simplistically by designers and in many material handling schemes they do not receive the attention they require as a key item of plant. The result of such thinking is degradation of material, increased spillage at the loading points, and generation of dust, increased wear on conveyor belts and components and increased power consumption. Additional costs may include cleaning of spillage, demurrage, increased costs for maintenance and repair together with increased risks of fire due to airborne dust and spillage.

The use of swinging chutes provides greater flexibility and enables the chute to be moved to another receiving conveyor without interrupting material flow. The maintenance problems of sticking diverter doors are eliminated and the availability of the system is greatly increased.

By maintaining optimum chute angles we promote flow and centralise the material within the chute delivering the stream of material centrally and at the same speed and direction as the receiving belt. This eliminates the need for costly impact sections and the profile of the material delivered by the half round construction gives increased belt edge clearances and with the use of correctly designed receiving sections eliminates spillage and fugitive dust.

The trajectories of the material can be plotted using conventional methods of calculation and the use of Discreet Modeling Analysis shows in detail the flow paths of conveyed material allowing the chute to be designed to:

• Turn the material stream in a controlled manner keeping potential fugitive material within the main stream
• The use of half round construction eliminates dead corner areas where material starts to build up causing blockages

Benefits derived from our chute designs include:

• Substantial increases in belt and component life
• Reduction of downtime and costly maintenance
• Can be lined with a variety of materials including ceramics for enhanced life expectancy

At GMH we offer our customers a unique service including conceptual studies that take account of environmental issues and the need to reduce spillage and dust. Supplementing this we will produce fully detailed drawings for manufacture and fabrication in our own modern manufacturing facility based at Woodville, in the United Kingdom. The lining of the chutes will be undertaken by our specialized team either at site or in factory conditions. Each section of the chutes are then bolted together to ensure there are no gaps in the lining. The chutes following final inspection are transported to site and are installed and commissioned by our own team of skilled time served personnel. At all stages we work closely with the client to ensure that the expectations are achieved, or exceeded.

An animated presentation CD is available on request showing the benefits of combining modern CFD techniques with design know how gained from many years experience at GMH.