CONVEYORS
Fixing the flaws of poorly designed transfer points Poorly designed conveyor transfer points can lead to spillage, tracking issues and expensive clean up. Kinder Australia aims to overhaul these dusty hazards with its Essential Seal suite. TRANSFER POINTS PLAY A VITAL role in conveying systems, allowing material to pass from one conveyor to another. However, if they are poorly designed, it can lead to significant issues. Spillage is a common side effect of poor transfer point design. Material flows onto the wrong part of the belt below, spilling onto the surrounding components or escaping the system entirely. This can lead to build-up on the rollers and belt, which can then lead to issues with carryback. Carryback can cause all sorts of problems in a materials handling operation. As material sticks to componentry not designed for it, different forces can lead to tracking difficulties, which can even lead to structural or belt damage. These problems can be expensive to fix, and if the root problem isn’t addressed, can continue to build up. Charles Pratt, Operations Manager at Kinder Australia, says spillage also creates some of the worst jobs in the bulk
handling industry. “Cleaning up spilt material is a terrible task. Nobody wants to do it and it means your employees are doing dull, tedious busywork,” he says. “Spillage creates dust, meaning if it falls to the ground the environment can become hazardous. “Clean-up costs are also expensive, with specialised contractors costing producers potentially thousands of dollars an hour.” Supressing dust particles around high pressure transfer points is one of Kinder Australia’s specialties. The company provides several products as part of its Essential Seal package to help improve transfer points, making an operation significantly safer and cleaner. For example, the K-Sure Belt Support System solves belt sag problems where there are too few idlers installed at the
Spillage is a common side effect of poor transfer point design.
42 І Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2021
loading point. The K-Dynamic Impact Belt Support System also improves material containment at the conveyor’s transfer point using anti-vibration mounts. The K-Containment Seal enhances the success of the outer seal by reducing the high internal pressure experienced inside the chute and protects the vulnerable chute edges from damage. In addition, the K-AllShelter Capotex Conveyor Belt Covers offer a protective barrier, aiding airborne dust reduction, and protection from extreme environmental elements. Pratt says the company is always looking to expand and improve its offering, which is why it keeps an eye on global innovations. “The Airscrape contactless conveyor belt skirting system is something I have personally been watching for the past three to four years,” he says. “After seeing its success elsewhere, Dust can be hazardous to workers and the environment.
