Time:2025-09-23 16:55:53 Number of Clicks:
In the transfer of bulk materials in mines, multiple problems are often encountered: open-pit mines have complex terrains such as steep slopes and gullies, making it difficult for a single conveying path to cover the entire process from the mining point to the stockyard; underground mines or small and medium-sized mines are limited by space, requiring multiple transfers of materials but lacking stable connection equipment; at the same time, mines generally face the contradiction between "high production demand and low transfer efficiency" — relying on single-equipment conveying easily leads to material accumulation due to insufficient handling capacity and limited conveying distance; adopting traditional modes also requires dealing with high transportation costs and difficulties in environmental compliance.
Specifically, the handling capacity (most conventional models are less than 300 TPH) and conveying radius (usually ≤ 15 meters) of a single hopper feeder cannot meet the daily material transfer demand of thousands of tons in medium and large mines, nor can they adapt to the decentralized operation layout of multiple mining faces and multiple stockpiling points. Relying solely on a single piece of equipment can easily cause a disconnection problem of "front-end mining stagnation and back-end conveying interruption". Although mobile stackers have stockpiling functions, their core positioning is "centralized material stacking", lacking continuous and stable material feeding capacity. They cannot connect feeding equipment such as excavators and loaders with conveying equipment such as belt conveyors, making it difficult to solve the source connection problem in the "mining-conveying" link. Truck transportation has more obvious limitations: not only do fuel and labor costs remain high, but also transportation efficiency fluctuates greatly due to muddy and steep mine terrains (traffic efficiency can drop by more than 40% on rainy days). At the same time, exhaust emissions and dust pollution from heavy-duty trucks make it difficult to meet the strict environmental regulations of most overseas countries, and 24/7 continuous conveying cannot be realized. Therefore, mines adopting a cascading conveying system centered on the ZR120D Hopper Feeder can effectively adapt to complex terrains, connect multiple pieces of equipment, balance efficiency and compliance, and solve most problems.
Essentially, cascading of hopper feeders is a collaborative conveying system formed based on the needs of mine bulk material conveying, with multiple hopper feeders as core power units, equipped with auxiliary equipment such as belt conveyors and transfer hoppers, following the logic of "previous feeding - subsequent transfer". Simply put, it breaks the limitations of a single hopper feeder (such as limited coverage range and single handling capacity) through the orderly connection of multiple pieces of equipment — for example, the previous hopper feeder receives materials from the mine's mining point, transfers the materials to the next hopper feeder adapted to different heights or distances via a conveyor belt, and then the subsequent equipment transfers the materials to the stockyard or processing link, forming a "relay-style" conveying chain.
The core purpose of the hopper feeder cascading mode is to adapt to the needs of mines such as complex terrains (e.g., steep slopes, gullies), decentralized mining points, and large-capacity transfer. At the same time, through flow matching and power coordination between equipment, it ensures continuous and stable conveying of materials from the starting point to the end point, avoiding conveying disconnection caused by insufficient distance, height, or handling capacity of a single piece of equipment, and providing basic logical support for the specific design of subsequent mine cascading conveying solutions.
The ZR120D is the flagship model of ZOOMRY's crawler-type hopper feeders, specially designed for bulk material handling scenarios in medium and large mines, providing stable power output for the collaborative operation of multiple pieces of equipment.
The performance indicators of the ZR120D Hopper Feeder fully consider the continuity and efficiency requirements of mine cascading conveying: the handling capacity can reach 550 TPH, which can meet the material supply demand of a single conveying line in medium and large mines; the conveyor belt speed is 2.5 m/s, which forms a scientific matching with the speed parameters of subsequent equipment such as belt conveyors, avoiding material accumulation or supply interruption; the equipment length can be customized within the range of 15-25 meters, and with a fixed inclination angle of 18 degrees and a stockpiling height of 6.5-8.0 meters, it can be flexibly integrated into cascading layouts with different height differences.
In terms of power configuration, the ZR120D Hopper Feeder adopts a dual-power design with 37 KW conveyor belt power and 15 KW chassis power, supporting dual-mode switching between diesel and electric power. Even in remote mine areas without electricity, it can achieve continuous operation through its built-in generator set, solving the power guarantee problem of the cascading conveying system.
In response to complex mine working conditions, the ZR120D Hopper Feeder has undergone multiple special structural designs: the crawler chassis adopts a high-strength carbon steel frame and a lattice structure, with an industry-leading strength-to-weight ratio, which can easily cope with the uneven and variable hardness terrain environments in mines, providing stable support for the movement and positioning of equipment in cascading conveying.
The width of the ultra-low receiving hopper equipped with the equipment can be customized, which can perfectly adapt to common mine feeding equipment such as wheel loaders and excavators. Combined with the rubber skirt sealing design and primary surface scraper, it can effectively reduce material spillage and belt adhesion, and lower material loss during cascading conveying. The foldable conveyor arm design greatly reduces the transportation and storage space of the equipment, which is especially suitable for the cascading layout needs of mines with limited space.
ZOOMRY implements strict quality control on the core components of the ZR120D Hopper Feeder, laying a foundation for the long-term stable operation of cascading conveying. The equipment is equipped with self-branded idlers with radial runout ≤ 0.4 mm (better than the national standard of 0.5 mm), axial displacement < 0.4 mm, rotational resistance ≤ 2 N under 250 N radial pressure, and operating noise controlled between 40-45 dB, far exceeding the industry's conventional level. The rollers are made of high-quality 40Cr steel, with a diameter adapted to the width of the conveyor belt. After CNC four-roll bending processing and ultrasonic flaw detection, combined with stress relief tempering treatment, their service life can reach more than 50,000 hours.
In the initial stage of solution design, three core technical studies need to be completed: first, terrain survey and path planning — drawing on ZOOMRY's experience in handling complex terrains accumulated in long-distance belt conveyor projects, determining the arrangement spacing and height difference between the ZR120D Hopper Feeder and subsequent conveying equipment based on the characteristics of the mine such as steep slopes, gullies, and rock stratum distribution; second, material characteristic analysis — adjusting the conveyor belt inclination angle, speed, and hopper protection configuration of the ZR120D according to parameters such as the particle size, specific gravity, and humidity of the ore; third, production capacity matching calculation — determining the operating parameters of the ZR120D and the quantity ratio of cascading equipment based on the mine's daily handling capacity. All design processes comply with international standards such as CEMA and ISO to ensure the solution meets the technical specifications and industry requirements of different countries around the world.
During the layout design, the maintenance space and safety distance of the equipment must be considered simultaneously. All ZR120D units are reserved with double-sided maintenance channels to ensure convenient later operation and maintenance.
The collaborative operation of the ZR120D Hopper Feeder and cascading equipment relies on three key technologies: first, flow balance control technology — through the PLC control system equipped on the ZR120D, real-time monitoring of the material inventory in the hopper is conducted, and the conveyor belt speed is automatically adjusted to ensure stable material flow into the next-level equipment, avoiding overload or flow interruption; second, linked start-stop system — adopting plug-and-socket electrical connection technology to realize sequential start-stop control of the ZR120D, belt conveyors, and stackers, reducing equipment impact loss; third, status feedback mechanism — the HMI touchscreen centrally displays the operating parameters of each piece of equipment (such as rotational speed, temperature, load), and abnormal conditions can trigger linked shutdown to improve system safety.
The ZR120D Hopper Feeder adopts a highly modular design, with the main structure pre-assembled before delivery. On-site, only simple processes such as conveyor belt connection and hydraulic system debugging are required. ZOOMRY provides two installation support modes: for customers with basic installation capabilities, detailed graphic manuals and video guides are provided; for complex solutions, senior engineers are dispatched to conduct on-site supervision. With the support of specialized installation tools, the installation cycle of a single piece of equipment can be controlled within 10-20 days.
The commissioning stage adopts the process of "segmented testing - linked trial operation": first, verify the single-equipment performance of the ZR120D Hopper Feeder (such as no-load operation, load testing, steering flexibility, etc.), then conduct linked testing of the cascading system, focusing on debugging flow matching and start-stop coordination to ensure all technical indicators meet the design requirements.
To reduce the operation and maintenance difficulty of mines, the ZR120D Hopper Feeder cascading system is equipped with comprehensive intelligent operation and maintenance functions: the equipment is equipped with vibration sensors and temperature monitoring modules, which can capture the operating status of key components such as idlers and rollers in real time, and early warn of potential faults through data analysis; the PLC control system has a fault self-diagnosis function, which can quickly locate problem points and generate solutions, and send them to the customer terminal through the remote communication module.
ZOOMRY has established a global spare parts supply system. Common parts (such as idlers, scrapers, seals, etc.) are kept in sufficient inventory and can be quickly delivered from nearby warehouses. Combined with the 5-year warranty service for core components, the risk of equipment downtime is greatly reduced.
In response to the strict environmental and safety regulations of overseas mines, compliance considerations are integrated into the solution from the design stage: the ZR120D Hopper Feeder is equipped with polyurethane (PU) cleaning scrapers and dust-proof chutes, which can control the material residue rate at an extremely low level. Combined with passive dust removal devices, it effectively reduces dust emission; the operating noise of the equipment is below 45 dB, meeting the industrial noise standards of most countries.
In terms of safety protection, the system is configured with a triple protection mechanism: belt deviation switches can timely correct the deviation of the conveyor belt; the automatic locking function of the hydraulic winch can instantly lock the conveyor arm in case of power failure or steel rope breakage; double mechanical limit devices further prevent accidental falling of the equipment. All equipment has obtained international certifications such as CE and EAC, fully meeting the safety compliance requirements of different countries.
The ZR120D Hopper Feeder cascading conveying solution can create three core values for mine customers: in terms of economic benefits, it reduces initial investment and operating costs by reducing truck purchases and fuel consumption, while improving conveying efficiency and material recovery rate, shortening the investment payback period; in terms of operational benefits, the intelligent control system and high-quality components reduce the demand for manual operation and maintenance and downtime, increasing the comprehensive equipment utilization rate to more than 90%; in terms of compliance benefits, the environmental and safety configurations fully conform to the regulatory requirements of overseas markets, helping customers avoid compliance risks and expand operational space.
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