Today, making the decision to invest in a harbour hopper means that the hopper should meet the following criteria:
* the hopper should satisfy all latest environmental standards;
* it should be easy to deliver and commission, particularly in developing countries;
* it should be suitable for use with a range of bulk products;
* it should be easy to use, but still robust;
* the delay between placing the order and the commissioning of the hopper should be as short as possible; and
* the investment cost should be reduced, with a fast ROI (return on investment) as markets are shorter.
RBL-REI aims to meet all the above requirements, to satisfy its customers. It has therefore developed its Stand Hop™, a dedusted hopper for port applications that can be used with a variety of bulk materials, including cement.
With experience gained delivered nearly 30 wharf hoppers worldwide, as well as responding to previous requests, RBL-REI designed its Stand Hop™ to have the following characteristics:
* conical hopper, so there is no retention of product;
* cone and structure are completely covered with a hot galvanizing, providing better resistance than a coat of paint;
* the possibility to mount up to eight bag filters on the first model, and 12 bag filters on the second model;
* the hopper is totally containerizable in 40ft, containers, which can be delivered almost anywhere in the world;
* the hopper is fully boltable, with no welding required on site;
* the hopper is delivered as a kit, which can be assembled directly by the customer, either under the supervision of RBL-REI or without.
A number of options are available to customize the Stand Hop™ to adapt it to the specific requirements of the customer. These are:
* cone with two exits;
* spraying and not bag filters;
* extraction by belt conveyor or clamshell — if by clamshell, it is possible to adapt a telescopic chute;
* fixed or mobile — if mobile, can be on wheels or on bogies;
* access by ladder or staircase;
* power supply by hose reels or by power generator; and
* cover for cones.
Orders placed/completed
The first two Stand Hop™ hoppers were commissioned in Ghana for CBI last September.
A completely autonomous Stand Hop™ has just been commissioned in France for Cem’In’Log.
Two others are being erected for Lafarge Holcim in Cameroon.
Finally, three hoppers are being studied for Albioma in Guadeloupe.
About RBL-REI
RBL-REI maintains a close relationship with its clients and its partners throughout a project, from the very early stages to the final commissioning.
It has decades of experience and unique skills, allowing it to design innovative bulk handling solutions.
The company has used its skills on specific product ranges, such as:
* Curvoduc™, an engineering technology dedicated to overland curved conveyors;
* Stand Hop™, the dedusted hoppers for port applications;
* ZZ Belt™, an engineering technology dedicated to mount bulk vertically with two belts; and
* extendable conveyors for TBM application; Pile stocking stackers; Weighing towers and automatic train loading, and so forth.
RBL-REI’s equipment can be used to handle any kind of bulk materials including cereals, cement, fertilizers, clinker, aggregates, coal, pellets and more.