On the strength of its first transfer chute installation at Vedanta International Zinc’s Gamsberg mine in the Northern Cape, Weba Chute Systems has steadily expanded its footprint at this dynamic operation.

According to Arnold Archer, Regional Manager Northern Cape at Weba Chute Systems, the company’s involvement began early in the mine’s development with a custom-engineered chute to feed the semi-autogenous (SAG) mill.

“Over time, we collaborated closely with the mine to enhance the chute’s performance,” says Archer. “This included optimising the composition and thickness of the cast liners to extend their wear life.”

To simplify and speed up liner replacement during shutdowns, Weba Chute Systems redesigned the liner pattern on the spout. The company also introduced a standby spout system that could be swapped out through a simple bolt-off, bolt-on procedure - enabling maintenance to be done even outside of scheduled shutdowns.

“As we demonstrated our expertise and added value, the mine invited us to assess other transfer points where they were experiencing operational challenges,” Archer explains. “These included the jaw crusher feed chute and the apron feeder discharge chute, both of which handle large run-of-mine ore lumps up to 800–1200 mm.”

Material arriving at the jaw crusher was also moving at high velocity, leading to excessive wear and damage. After analysing the application, Weba Chute Systems proposed a solution.

“We replaced the existing jaw crusher feed chute with one of our custom-engineered designs incorporating swing doors to absorb the energy of incoming material, reducing impact and wear,” says Archer. “We later implemented the same swing door concept in the apron feeder discharge chute. Today, swing doors are also installed on the vibrating grizzly feeder and directly above the crusher – all effectively controlling flow and reducing wear.”

Weba Chute Systems went a step further by modifying the impact bed on the grizzly feeder. By raising the impact bed, incoming material begins to slow down before reaching the first swing door.

“These innovations made a significant difference, particularly in managing the impact from oversized lumps,” he notes. “We also finetuned door weights to optimise material flow, prevent build-up and reduce the risk of blockages.”

The mine also commissioned Weba Chute Systems to install a SAG mill discharge chute, which Archer reports has been operating “like clockwork” since commissioning. This chute accommodates a 4 m transfer height, tapering from a 2.4 m wide screen opening to a 600 mm wide conveyor belt.

“The success of this bespoke unit lies in the careful placement of dead boxes within the chute to promote material-on-material flow,” he explains. “It was equally important to manage the discharge speed to avoid damaging the conveyor belt.”

Archer credits the Gamsberg plant’s professional and solution-oriented culture where the emphasis is on resolving root causes rather than symptoms and on working collaboratively with trusted suppliers to overcome technical challenges.