BULK MATERIAL HANDLING DESIGN

The handling of bulk materials is a critical part of your operations. Done improperly, there are countless hidden costs that can drive up operating expenses. Optimizing the material handling process through effective design is our specialty. At St. Lawrence, we utilize our 60 years of industry knowledge to provide the best solutions for your material handling systems.

Bulk Material Handling Design

LOWER YOUR TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP WITH ST. LAWRENCE STEEL

Our material handling designs are engineered to solve your toughest operational challenges. The best tried and true design concepts paired with our high quality materials deliver wear resistant solutions that address:

Reduced Overhead: Eliminate costs from spillage, high abrasive wear, and wasted labor.

Simplified Maintenance: Designs that bypass the need for burn permits and confined space procedures.

Maximum Productivity: Metal fabrication services that focus on equipment uptime and long-term reliability.

Material Handling Challenges

  • Maintenance costs
  • Performance & capacity issues
  • High abrasive wear
  • Impact issues
  • Material adhesion (sticking/clogging)
  • Spillage
  • Dust development
  • Maintenance access
  • Confined space requirements
  • Burn permit requirements

COMMON MATERIAL HANDLING APPLICATIONS

  • Point to point transfers
  • Diversion transfers
  • Feeder loading & discharge
  • Crusher feed & discharge
  • Stacking & reclaim operations
  • Material storage
  • Tripper & cascade chutes
  • Rail & river unloading

FUNCTIONAL SIMPLICITY

In today’s environment of “space age chute designs” that overpromise and underdeliver, St. Lawrence chooses performance over complexity. We focus on perfecting tried-and-true material handling concepts that deliver consistent results in the toughest environments.

Start a design project

The Modern-Day Approach to Chute Design

Flawed Modeling

Modern “fancy” designs often rely on over-engineered models that only account for a single set of material parameters.

Operational Risk

Chutes designed for single conditions fail when real-world variables, like particle size, moisture, or density, inevitably change.

Material Volatility

Variations in flow characteristics (such as velocity or shear stress) can render highly specific designs ineffective.

Requirement for Versatility

For an efficient material handling system, transfer points must be engineered to accommodate diverse materials from blended sources.

The St. Lawrence Approach

At St. Lawrence Steel, we don’t just design chutes, we solve operational challenges. Our design philosophy bridges the gap between field-proven reliability and modern innovation, ensuring optimum balance of performance and efficiency.

While bulk materials remain constant, safety and environmental regulations, and labor costs continue to evolve. Our solutions account for rising costs and environmental compliance, delivering wear solutions that work in the field as on paper.

Material Handling Design Ideologies

Our designs incorporate the following ideologies:

  • Traditional square chute designs that offer quick, simple and easy maintenance.
  • Flanged construction that allows maintenance and liner changes without the need for confined space procedures.
  • Chute maintenance and liner replacements designed for fast removal without the need for burn permits.
  • Chute liners designed to optimize weight and ensure personnel safety.
  • Diverters designed for quick gate maintenance and removal.
  • Reduction of material sticking through material choice and unique shape designs.
  • Use of highest grades of abrasion and impact resistant materials.
Material Chute Design
Material Chute
Material Bin

Common Design Options

  • Flanged chute construction
  • Removable chute panels
  • Convenient access points
  • Replaceable maintenance friendly diverter gates
  • Controlled flow for dust reduction & improved performance
  • Improved flow designs for reduced sticking & plugging
  • Material spreaders to disperse wear
  • Safety weight liners for safety & ergonomics
  • Designs that eliminate confined space requirements

We can help with the handling of any bulk materials including:

  • Alumina
  • Ash
  • Bauxite
  • Carbon
  • Clinker
  • Coal
  • Coke
  • Cullet
  • Gypsum
  • Iron Ore
  • Limestone
  • Sand
  • Scale
  • Silica
  • Solid Waste
  • Stone
  • Wood Chip

Design Control

chute design step one

PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Define resources including all organizational and technical interfaces. Determine design inputs Customer input On-site evaluation Functional and performance requirements Historical information with previous design and performance considerations Other relevant requirements or considerations Determine design outputs that must: Be suitable for verification against the design Meet the input requirements Provide appropriate information for purchase and production Contain or reference product acceptance criteria Establish the necessary review, verification and validation criteria.
design process step 2

REVIEW & APPROVE

- Verify design inputs for accuracy - Evaluate the ability of the results to meet requirements - Identify problems & propose any necessary actions -Design inputs, design outputs, verification & validation to be approved by the identified responsible stakeholders
bulk material design step 3

VALIDATION

To be performed in accordance with the approved design plan. Assure that resulting product is capable of meeting the specified.

ENSURING EXCELLENCE

Our stringent design control process involves all stakeholders and is a valuable tool for optimized designs that are based on the unique needs of each customer and situation. Managed by our experienced engineering department, every project must adhere to our thorough design control processes.

Start a design project