Conveyor News

Robson dry sand handling system at WBB Minerals

Materials handling specialists Geo Robson Conveyors has recently won a contract to supply and install a new dry sand handling system at WBB Minerals’ Kings Lynn site. The contract is intended to further enhance WBB Minerals’ Norfolk operations and eliminate costly spillages.

Investment in the new system is designed to increase throughput at the plant, eventually reducing the time it takes to fill a delivery. WBB Minerals provides an extensive range of high purity silica and cristobalite sands and flours for many specialist uses such as the production of flat and container glass. The company also holds a leading position in the global ceramics industry via its range of clays, and also in the UK sports and leisure market, producing sand-soil mixes used in the construction of playing surfaces. With such a diverse market spectrum an efficient handling and distribution system can only help to increase WBB Minerals' competitiveness in these industries.

The contract with Robson will involve the removal of two old belt conveyors fed by single storage silos to be replaced by a single new catenary belt conveyor of 26 metres in length and 800mm wide, able to carry 540 tonnes per hour.

The catenary belt is unusual due to its shape, which unlike conventional belt conveyors is concave. The radius of this conveyor has to be exact so as to avoid sagging on the belt, if this is achieved then the belt is a safe and efficient way to transport material, reducing the chance of spillage through centrifugal stabilisation.

The plant’s rotary dryer belt feed conveyor will also be replaced. The new belt feed conveyor, which is 10 metres long, 800mm wide and able to carry 100 tonnes of sand per hour, will be fed by the existing hopper with an extra feed point being added to the rear of the conveyor to give feed options. A further three existing conveyors will have their drives upgraded to handle 540 tonnes per hour.

In addition, Robson will be supplying two tipping boot conveyors at nine metres long, 1050mm wide and able to handle 500 tonnes of sand per hour. A hopper, fed by a bucket feed truck, will receive sand and meter it onto a drag belt conveyor located underneath the hopper to get a controlled feed to the other areas of the plant.

WBB Minerals chose Robson to fulfil the contract due to its expertise in this area and the excellent reputation and quality of its equipment. Having had Robson machinery at the plant prior to this contract, WBB Minerals is only too aware of the many benefits a quality handling system will provide.

"The main aim of this project is to increase throughput to the railhead, with reductions in spillage playing a major part in achieving that", said John Bennett of WBB Minerals. "We needed a design and product quality that would allow us to do just that, so we could continue to meet and exceed the demands of the markets we work in. Robson was able to provide a very real solution and its experience of the industry really showed."

As standard Robson will provide on site training at the point of commission and issue WBB Minerals with a comprehensive operation and maintenance manual to guide employees in the effective running of machinery.

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