This underground rail car transfer point for Sub-Bituminous Coal was failing due to poor design and inferior components, leading to major dust and spillage.

Problem:

The existing 54”wide conveyor transfer point located under a rail car unloader
was causing excessive dust, spillage and conveyor belt cover wear due to the
poor design, chute liner wear and corrosion. The extremely volatile nature of
sub-bituminous coal/PRB presents a fire and explosion hazard when there
is airborne dust and spilled coal in the area.  The existing transfer point being
located underground in a tunnel made the cleanup of spilled coal difficult as
well as creating an explosion hazard due to the dusting.

Solution:

ASGCO^® technicians thoroughly inspected the failing system and proposed
a redesign of the existing transfer chute using advanced Flo-Control™ technology.
This design is computer modeled to yield the most efficient method to minimize
the impact of 3000 tons of coal per hour onto the receiving belt. In addition,
the material flow will be precisely coordinated to match the speed and direction
of the receiving belt. ASGCO^® Modular Impact Cradle Beds™, Slide-N-Roll™
and Slide-Lers™, in conjunction with Double Handled Stainless Steel
Clamp-Mount^® Skirtboard Sealing System and Dust Control Curtains were
also installed to control spillage and air borne dust.

Result:

As illustrated in the photos below it’s clear that the installation of the redesigned
ASGCO^® Flo-Control™ transfer chute in combination with the modular belt
support impact system and the Clamp-Mount^® skirt sealing system has completely
stopped all material leakage and reduced airborne dusting to below OSHA standards.
The replaceable, standard sized wear liner system can now be easily maintained
and the skirting seals can be adjusted without tools when necessary.  The clean-up
and explosion hazard has been eliminated.

ASGCO^®’s 3-DEM™ Complete Transfer Point Design and Fabrication is a revolutionary way
to handle granular and particulate material handling problems through computer simulation
and 3-D CAD. Combined with our conveyor and material handling knowledge, engineering
capabilities we are able to make transfer point problems a thing of the past.

Benefits:

•     Increase Production Capabilities
•     Optimize Life on Conveyor Belt and Components
•     Minimize Material Spillage
•     Reduce the Need for Dust Control and Suppression