Cutting conveyor chute buildup

New dribble chutes have been launched to prevent buildup in conveyor discharge chutes.

Martin, a global bulk materials handling business, has developed a new solution to prevent carryback released by secondary conveyor belt conveyors from sticking to the rear slope of the discharge chute.

Typically, if left to build up, material can compress on secondary cleaners and deposit carryback on the return side of the belt, fouling and causing accelerate wear on idlers and pulleys, as well as mistracking and belt slippage.

This not only caused a productivity issue, but also created a safety one, as it often required workers to reach into – or even enter – the chute to clear the blockage.

Martin has created a vibrating dribble chute which uses material disruption to cause tacky sludge and fines to fall from the chute wall and back into the main discharge flow.

“By addressing these issues, operators can experience a reduction in maintenance house, equipment replacement, and downtime, lowering the overall cost of operation,” Martin stated.

It was developed after engineers noted that majority of the buildup released by secondary cleaners collected at the rear of the chute mouth, where a sloped surface could trap carryback.