Under-rail Samson^TM Feeder from B&W

One of the UK based B&W Mechanical Handling Limited’s latest orders is to supply a SUR rail-car unloading installation (Fig.) to the Russian cement manufacturer Suholozhskcement PJSC (Buzzi Unicem), located in the Sverdlovsk region of Ural Federal District.

Utilising their well-proven SUR under-rail system B&W are providing trouble free unloading for raw feed materials including gypsum, iron ore, and blastfurnace slag. The SUR system comprises a 15 metre long, heavy duty 1600 series Samson^TM apron belt style feeder located in a specially constructed shallow pit beneath the rails. This pit, typically with a depth of only 3.0 to 4.0 metres, provides major civil engineering cost savings when compared to a conventional ‘below rail’ hopper system that could be as deep as 15 metres, particularly when the steep valley angles necessary for reliable material flow have to be achieved. This smaller excavation is also an advantage for sites with a high ground water level or where hard rock is encountered close to the surface.

With a shallow pit the material free fall is minimised and, since the apron-belt of the Samson^TM feeder is wider than the typical rail-car discharge, the material flows outward reducing the velocity of the displaced air and thereby reducing dust generation.