Renowned supplier of mobile port loading and unloading
equipment B&W Mechanical Handling Limited has delivered
the first of its new, patented design, port-side mobile unloading
Eco Hoppers. The unit is so called because of its specific
ability to enable virtually dust free unloading of bulk materials
on the quayside.
The first order was placed by Brazilian company Cimento
Apodi via the B&W sister company Aumund do Brazil Limited.
Cimento Apodi has invested in the unloading facility as part of
its new project to build a 30,000-tonnes-per-month cement
milling facility located adjacent to the port. Apodi plans to
initially invest $60 million during the first phase of the cement
unit project.
B&W Mechanical Handling Ltd based in Ely, UK, is fully
integrated into the substantial and respected International
Aumund Group with strategically placed offices in more than
10 countries and representatives in over 40.
Installed during July 2010 at the port of Pecem, the Eco
Hopper is ready to receive an initial 71,000 tonnes of
imported material; 50,000 tonnes of slag and 21,000 tonnes of
clinker purchased from China. The Eco Hopper is loaded from
vessels via 20m3-capacity crane grabs. The materials are then
transported by truck to the new grinding plant. The unit has a
working volume of approximately 70 cubic metres and is
capable of discharging at rates up to 700 tonnes per hour. The
key to this new and patented design is the integration of
purpose built dust filter units incorporated into the structural
element of the hopper from the outset. This approach enables
B&W to provide almost 60% more filtration media surface
area when compared to competitors and therefore higher air
throughputs at lower velocities. This improves operational
efficiency and reduces the overall size of the hopper. The
unique filter configuration is complemented by the B&W Flex
Flaps system at the hopper mouth which eliminates fugitive dust release at the point of grab discharge. The new Eco Hopper is truly a major benefit for port operators when it comes to the vitally important area of dust control.
The fabricated steel chassis which carries all elements of the operation is designed to allow through-passage of vehicles under the hopper and beneath the loading spout while travelling parallel to the quay edge and discharge of materials from the unit is into trucks.
To ensure that this is also a dust free operation an additional filter unit has been mounted to the high level framework to service the Aumund loading chute. This telescopic loading chute includes powered raise and lower functions with local manual control allowing an operator, positioned on a working platform above the truck, to control precisely the position of the spout relative to the truck body.
This particular Eco Hopper has to be moved some 1.6km from its storage zone to the quayside for deployment. To facilitate this B&W has provided a robust wheel and towing system comprising aircraft rubber tyres, one rigid axle and one steering axle including a demountable Ackermann steering system designed to operate with a suitable towing tractor or loading shovel.
This Eco Hopper, a model 7.5, is one of a new design range which includes several hopper sizes and covers a band of material bulk densities. Three hopper sizes are available, namely 6m2, 7.5m2 and 9m2
and the structures are graded as medium, heavy and very heavy duty
according to material densities ranging from 0.8 to 3.0 tonnes per
cubic metre.
In addition to these options, hopper valley angles are selected
according to material flow characteristics and customers have the
choice of hopper extensions to increase hopper volume and top
shrouds to improve side wind protection. Mobility configurations
include fixed feet, towable and self-propelled wheels and the equivalent
rail-mounted versions. On-board power can be easily achieved with the
provision of machine mounted generators and compressors.
This new range of port side unloading equipment is designed in the
UK by B&W but can be supplied with local manufacturing content
anywhere in the world through the extensive Aumund network of
manufacturing.