Abstract
The paper summarizes the benefits of using a pipe conveyor to convey ore from a mine site to the plant or port. Pipe conveyors are closed belt conveyors that reliably transport products that must be protected from external influences during transport – or transport products when the environment must be protected from dust. Depending on the requirements, a pipe conveyor can transport products downhill and convey different materials in the upper and lower strands. If there are limitations to the minimum lump size of the material, a U-shaped conveyor, an innovative variation of pipe conveyors, can be utilized. The carry-side belt is formed to a "U-Shape" to allow for larger lump sizes and capacity rating than traditional conveyors.
The ability of the pipe conveyor to negotiate both horizontal and vertical curves also eliminates the need for transfer points associated with using conventional conveyors. This provides both environmental and economic advantages to the operating mine. With minimal data input, a Pipe Conveyor (or a U-Shaped Conveyor) can be 3-D visualized during the early design phases of feasibility study. The session will conclude with a case study of world's largest capacity Pipe Conveyor carrying Iron Ore from Chinese port of Langshan to the steelmaker Shandong Steel Group & Rizhao Steel Group.