Reclaim Systems For Large Stockpiles Reports Examples

Abstract

The Design and operation of reclaim systems for large stockpiles need proper designing to ensure that the companies deliver high-quality products to the customers. Additionally, the machines make work easier by performing tasks that could turn out strenuous to the workers. However, the large stockpiles require proper handling to avoid breakages and damages that could lead to massive financial losses. For this reason, the engineers designed the systems that would enable the handling of the stockpiles for efficacy purposes. On the other hand, the stockpile and the reclaim conveyors are found in different industries. they range from the mining industries, where they provide services such as; mining, crushing of the minerals and sorting them. Examples of such machines are the vibrating feeders that the industries use in the movement and processing of the bulk materials.
1.1 Introduction
The engineers designed the vibrating feeders to help in the control of the materials from the machines to their destinies through the help of the vibration produced by the machines. As a result, the name came from the mode used in the transportation of the materials. Nevertheless, the machines are affordable because the machine controllers could regulate the amount of power consumed in the manufacturing process, and it enhances the cost effectiveness in the firms thereby saving a lot of cash leading to an increased profitability level of the firms (BULLOCK& HUSTRULID, 2001, p. 121). Additionally, the bulk movement of the materials reduced the time spent because they would transport the materials at a faster rate. However, the engineers approximately estimated the speed of the transportation of the materials at around 100 feet per minute.
1.2 Uses
Nevertheless, the industries use the machines in control of the materials from bins, stockpiles, and hoppers. Additionally, the vibratory feeders vary in terms of the types and the sizes. For instance; there are Eriez’ vibratory feeders, tel smith feeders, and the carrier vibrating feeders, which use the natural energy. However, all of them entail the transportation of the bulk materials, but the carrier feeders are the most effective due to their affordability and the energy efficiency. The most available sizes entail; 25 feet in length and between 12 inches to 10 feet in breadth. As a result, the vibrator producers provide the companies with a wide range of options depending on the capital availability and the purchasing power. Furthermore, the machines are found in either fixed or variable rates where the workers have the option to regulate the rate used in transportation of the bulk materials (GY, 1992, p. 237). Nevertheless, before buying, the industries should ensure that they purchase durable machines that would serve them for long without often breaking down.
1.3 Options available
Consequently, the designer options available in the vibrator machines include; scalping or transmission of decks (SWAIN, et al., 2011, p. 337). Therefore, all the designs do not limit the firms, and they end up meet most of the customer preferences and the demands. The designs also meet the different tasks faced by the companies thereby improving the efficiency and the output produces. The designs help in the improved of the quality of the work done because the human labor faces a lot of challenges, for instance, long working hours hence exhaustion, low quality, and a slow transportation rate. However, the company managements place the machines in the strategic places that provide proper security of both the machines and the workers. As a result, the employees can opt to suspend the machines from above or below, but the engineers should support the machines with rubber isolation springs or a soft steel coil. However, the purpose of providing the support is to reduce the impact of the vibration and the vigorous reactions to the other immediate objects. In addition, the engineers had in mind the purpose of the vibrating feeders thereby equipped with the proper materials to sustain the pressure.
1.4 Types
Nonetheless, the design types of the vibrating feeders include; the direct force type, which the centrifugal counterbalances produce the forces used in the transportation, and they are mostly found in the fixed rate vibrators. Secondly, the indirect force types require variable forces and lastly the electromagnetic feeders. Nevertheless, some of the industries where one could find the vibrating feeders include; metal and glass industries, automotive, food processing productions, and the steel and plastics industries. All the above industries entail movement of bulk products, which would cost the companies huge expenses if they employed human capital.
1.5 Advantages
Conversely, there exist both advantages and the disadvantages of using the vibrating feeders. Therefore, there is need to evaluate the impact of the machine usage in the industry to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks. Therefore, the companies should adopt the use of machines where the benefits outweigh the drawbacks (RILEY, 1996, p. 109). Some of the advantages include; they warrant the free flow of the materials in the transportation process. Therefore, the companies provide the materials on a timely basis to meet the daily demands of the customers. In addition, it reduces the expenses incurred from loss of customers’ loyalty that is brought about by the constant failure to provide the materials in time leading to frustration in the customers.
Additionally, they also help in the rejection of the requirement for the bin vibrators. As a result, they help in the sorting of the materials thereby ensuring the maintenance of high-quality materials. Another advantage of the vibrating feeders is the reduction of the spanning of the transportation process. Therefore, the machines transport the bulk materials at a go thereby avoiding the time lapse that would occur if the process is done manually. The machines help in the saving of many costs due to the elimination of some processes. However, the machines help in saving the energy costs because the machine operators can regulate the amount of the energy used.
1.6 Disadvantages
Nevertheless, some of the disadvantages of the vibrating feeders include; cost implications. It is where the firms must part with some amounts of cash in order to acquire the machines. In addition, the machines also incur the maintenance costs that that enhance their proper maintenance to avoid breakages thereby affecting the transportation of the bulk materials. Therefore, the small-sized companied face financial constraints due to the high costs of the machines (SWAIN, et al., 2011, p. 258). On the other hand, the machines also require skilled manpower to operate. For this reason, the company should employ skilled personnel or train its employees to handle the machines as required. Therefore, it comes with its expenses, from acquisition to its operation. However, the machines led to increased rates of redundancy in the workplaces because it performed tasks, earlier performed by humans thereby leading low living standards. Lastly, the machines require power and energy to operate thereby discriminating the companies that have a limited source of power.
1.7 Applications
Nonetheless, some of the application of the machines include; the crusher feeder, where they provide support to the crusher feeders. As a result, they warrant flexibility of the crushers through provision of constant distribution for efficacy purposes. Additionally, they also lengthen the life span of the hammers found in the crushers. As a result, they contribute to the savings of the company because the managements do not have to repair the hammers frequently. However, the companies could also apply the use of the vibrating feeders in the track hopper reclaim. Nevertheless, the works of the vibrating feeders ensure an undeviating supply of the materials to the track hopper reclaim (SHOEMAKER, 2002, p. 384). As a result, the constant supply of the bulk materials to the reclaim belt conveyors ensures maximum utilization of the resources and time. The reclaim belt conveyors help in transportation systems. Therefore, the vibrating feeders warrant that the conveyors get enough of what they should carry. For this reason, they eradicate the under loading or overloading element. In all, companies should ensure maximum utilization of resources to avoid over-exploitation that leads to exhaustion of the resources or under exploitation, which leads to loss of profits.
1.8 Example of where they are used
Therefore, for example in the milk processing industries, they use the vibrating feeders in the movement of the already manufactured milk, which in most cases, the employees pack them in packets. As a result, the machines transport bulk packets of the milk up to their destined places. In addition, they have helped to maintain the quality of the products because the machines ensure proper handling of the packets, hence avoiding the spillages. On the other hand, the machines also reduce the number of stoppages and exchanges that would take place if they were transported manually. In most cases, the manually transported products end up having issues with the quality and the packaging.
1.9 New developments
However, there are new developments in feeders, where the engineers aim at improving their efficacy in the task performance. Therefore, the developments would entail changing of the parts and systems that reduce the transportation rate. First, the engineers have contemplated on developing a combination of the activator and feeders into a single system. However, the engineers aim is to do away with the compacting of the materials, which at times interfere with the quality. As a result, the combination of the two would increase the volume of the materials transported due to the large vibrating opening leading to a reduction in the long run costs incurred in the transportation. The engineers also aim at eradicating the belt tracking glitches, which are most common in the conveyors. In addition, the incorporation of both systems would ensure that only a few parts move leading to easy and reduced maintenance costs of the machines. For this reason, the firms experience high profitability levels due to cutting down of the expenses. Therefore, the materials in this system move in a horizontal direction with the help of the natural frequency thereby reducing and saving the energy costs.
Another development in the vibrating feeders is found in totally enclosed feeders. The feeders would comprise of a flat trough where the workers put the materials for transportation. Therefore, the troughs provide wider transportation base thereby leading to increased volumes in the transportation. To achieve it, the engineers need to install the stationary skirts that would connect both the storage opening and the feeder trough. However, the design has faced a lot of challenges, which made it difficult to implement the development. For instance, the engineers found it impossible to provide the seals in the stationary skirts. As a result, failure to provide the seals would lead to ineffectiveness of the machines. However, the designers opted to try for the use of the stationery skirts on the sides instead of putting them in the storage opening and the feeder trough. Therefore, they eradicated spillages, which lead to losses because customers do not purchase the defect products.
Consequently, the reclaim systems eradicate the manual manipulation of the material transportation. They also provide proper storage services to the transported materials to avoid loss of value, wastage or destruction. The workers could either store the materials in silos, the burn type storages or windrows. Additionally, the reclaim systems improved the efficacy of the vibrating feeders because they put away dust, water or any other contamination from the transported materials. Therefore, they help in the maintenance of the quality of the transported items thereby maintaining their value.
However, in a windrow reclaim, the engineers arrange the feeders in the reclaim to ensure proper coverage. Therefore, covering the feeders totally eradicates the dust from the industry. Moreover, it also helps in the maintenance of the feeders because they do not attract so much dust as compared to when exposed to the surrounding. The windrow reclaims help in saving storage costs because it only requires a small space. The burn-type storage entails the arrangement of the vibrating feeders and the conveyors in the V-shaped container. They also reduce the maintenance costs of the feeders thereby becoming cost effective.
On the other hand, the silos provide storage facilities for the materials thereby improving the efficacy of the transportation. In most cases, the transportation delays due to lack of the storage facilities. Therefore, the company managements should provide for adequate and proper storage facilities to ensure the free flow of the materials. Therefore, the silos provide a wider storage area thereby reducing the number of the storage equipment required in a firm. For this reason, the firm saves on the costs, which they could either plough it back to the industry or use it to improve the employees’ living standards, for instance by providing the fringe benefits. Additionally, the storages should use the smallest space possible in order to give room for expansion of more structures. As a result, it leads to high recognition of revenues in the industries and at the same time maintaining efficiency in the production.
2.0 CONCLUSION
In summation, the vibrating feeders have contributed positively to the movement of bulk goods in industries. For this reason, the government and the other relevant bodies should also provide incentives to the engineers to help them engage in more research that would help in the improvement of the machines. Additionally, the engineers would also use the funds provided in purchasing quality materials required in the assembling of the machines. Nevertheless, people should learn to appreciate the good things by purchasing them because it encourages and motivates the engineers to improve on the machines.

References

BULLOCK, R. C., & HUSTRULID, W. A. (2001). Underground mining methods: engineering
fundamentals and international case studies. Littleton, Colo, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration.
GY, P. (1992). Sampling of heterogeneous and dynamic material systems theories of
heterogeneity, sampling, and homogenizing. Amsterdam, Elsevier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk& N=240131.
HONGLER, M.-O. (1994). Chaotic and stochastic behaviour in automatic production lines.
Berlin [u.a.], Springer.
KULWIEC, R. A. (1985). Materials handling handbook. New York, Wiley.
RILEY, F. J. (1996). Assembly automation: a management handbook. New York, N.Y.,
Industrial Press.
SHOEMAKER, R. S. (2002). The circulating load: practical mineral processing plant design by
an old-time ore dresser. Littleton, Colo, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration.
SWAIN, A. K., PATRA, H., & ROY, G. K. (2011). Mechanical operations. New Delhi, Tata
McGraw Hill.