Mines expect to see performance improvement from their newly installed Weba Chute Systems, but this needs to be measured. Fortunately Weba Chute Systems provides a scientific approach to measuring this which leaves no doubt in the customer’s mind, and provides assurance that their newly installed Weba Chute System will reduce total cost of ownership.
According to Izak Potgieter, ISO systems manager at Weba Chute Systems, the company conducts in-depth product measurements to make sure that its products are performing. In terms of dust management, for instance, this includes measuring dust levels of conventional chutes on the mine – even before the Weba product is installed.
“Our measuring procedures include a dust analysis programme that can compare a conventional chute with our custom-engineered product,” he says. “Our report to the customer sets out the details of our methodology, the results and the implications in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Act.”
Of particular importance is the exact quantity of smaller dust particles, in the size range below 0,3 microns, that are generated by material passing through the chute. Potgieter highlights that seeing the precise data from these scientific measuring techniques is an assurance to the customer of the value delivered by its chutes.
The importance that Weba Chute Systems places on detailed measurement is also applied in the maintenance of transfer points. In this field, over a year of intense research and development was invested in calculation methods to reliably model the accuracy of maintenance for individual applications.
“Our model tracks tonnages through the chute and the wear of vital components – among other factors – to calculate the wear life remaining,” he says. “This not only provides factual proof of the component lifespan that we predict to our customers, but also allows them to accurately plan their proactive maintenance – ensuring uptime and productivity.”
