High-Angle Conveyor with Truck/Dumper for Mining

High angle conveyors are indicated where the terrain is too steep to put in acceptable haul roads. For single lane traffic, a road should be 2-2.5 truck widths wide plus an appropriate berm of 1/2 wheel height of the largest equipment using the road. For two-way traffic, a road width of 3-4 truck widths plus berm is recommended.

In steep terrrain, building large roads can be very expensive and sometimes impossible. If the cost of a high angle conveyor can be offset against road building and hauling costs then the high angle conveyor is the way to go. A bonus is that for downhill transport a high angle conveyor can be set up as a regenerative system that produces power.

First, see if a haul road can be constructed. Cost out the construction. Do a haul simulation to estimate haulage costs and estimate hauling fleet size.

Next, select an alignment for the high-angle conveyor system. Cost out the conveyor. A good estimate for a high-angle rope conveyor is 3000 euro per meter installed. Do a haulage simulation to estimate the reduced fleet size and reduced costs.

Finally, see if the economics of the project supports either option. Pick the one that makes the most sense and happy mining!