More than a decade after installation, the custom engineered transfer chutes supplied by Weba Chute Systems to Palabora Copper Mine (PMC) continue to operate with virtually no maintenance – a testament to the power of purpose-built design and engineering precision in demanding underground environments.
Located in Limpopo Province, South Africa, PMC’s underground block-cave operation required a specialised approach to materials handling. The original scope of supply saw Weba Chute Systems design and install transfer chute systems capable of handling coarse copper ore – up to 220 mm after crushing – within a high capacity conveyor network operating at belt speeds of 3 to 4 metres per second. The systems were specified for a throughput of around 5,000 tonnes per hour, servicing 20 production cross-cuts and 320 drawpoints in a compact mining footprint 650 metres below surface.
The Weba Chute Systems solution was unique due to its alignment with the site’s operating realities. “We didn’t just supply chutes,” Mark Baller, Managing Director at Weba Chute Systems, says. “We delivered engineered flow control solution.,”
“We carefully analysed the fragmentation profile, belt speeds, spatial constraints and impact zones, and designed systems that optimised flow while protecting infrastructure,” he explains.