Maximising Brute Force Feeder Capacity in Quarry and Mining

March 30, 2018

Brute force feeders are shaped as massive alloy-toughened troughs. The design has to be simple because a “less is more” maxim suits heavy industrial equipment. When it comes to mining and quarrying applications that rule really exerts a major influence on these feeder solutions, for heavy granular cuts flow here, right into their gaping steel maws. With that said, how do we maximize the capacity of this coarse material eater?

Incorporate a Vibratory System

Bolted to the trough, a single-mass mechanism adds the familiar form of a heavy-duty motor to the trough. It’s now a flat-edged bucket on one side, a sloping surface is funnelling the heavy granular load, and a compact cylindrical housing is fastened against that squarish form factor. Inside the trough, rotating weights and aggressively profiled assemblies deliver contra-rotating impact. This particular equipment station already operates like a workhorse. A second motor adds two-mass power to the feeder bucket. There are, of course, other ways to maximize feeder capacity.

Capacity Maximizing Strategies

The two-mass system is crunching its way through granite and shale. However, quarry or mine, the operation is looking for new ways to streamline the feeders. While the two drive systems utilize uneven wheel loads and contra-rotating weights, the process is passing more material, so the material transport train is operating well above earlier capacity estimations. All that’s left to do is a little fine-tuning. One way to push that figure higher is to increase the slope, to adjust the higher end of the brute force feeder so that the particulate matter moves faster. This gravity feed factor accelerates granular velocity, so the steel-reinforced trough can accept more raw material.

The Bigger is Better Approach

Simplicity is still the active thread running through this post. Upgrade the bucket size if the excavated stream is arriving at the feeder threshold as a high-volume load. The pan, bottom of the trough, needs plenty of width and length to facilitate a full mineral masticating cycle. Furthermore, the feeder walls surrounding that processing tray need height, enough rise to handle the ricocheting material as it approaches trough escape velocity.

Knock-on equipment alterations are the last matter under consideration today. If that steel bucket grows in size, its mass expands. Heavier shock-absorbing springs act as a force dampening mechanism when this upgrade is undertaken. Larger horsepower motors are also recommended, although a switch to a two-mass system may make more sense. Lastly, make sure the rest of the mining or quarrying transport train can cope with an accelerated mineral stream when the trough bed angle is altered.

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