What Can a Diverter Plow Be Used For?
A diverter plow (or diversion plough) is an apparatus that can be fitted to a conveyor to redirect or discharge the material at an alternative location between the tail and head end of the conveyor.
There are many different applications in which a diverter plow can be used. Each application calls for different features to be added or removed from the diverter plow design. We can custom design and engineer your diverter plow to suit your intended application.
Some applications include:
Material Flow Alteration
When the original discharge position on the conveyor is no longer needed, a diverter plow can be placed on the conveyor to transfer the material to another location.
Another common flow alteration application is to allow the material to bypass a crushing, screening or other mining process. This helps to avoid unneeded processing, or for operational reasons such as to remove contaminated or rejected materials.
Bin Maintenance and Emptying of Storage Bins
Scheduled maintenance shutdowns are a common time for a diverter plow to come into action. Material storage or surge bins need to be emptied in order for maintenance to take place on the liner plates.
A diverter plow will be placed on the crushing circuit feed conveyor. As the shutdown commences, the material flow into the material storage bins is halted.
At this point, the diverter plow is engaged, allowing the material from the bin to be discharged via the feed conveyor and diverted to a stockpile below the conveyor, thus clearing the crushing circuit of material without the need to wait for all the material to be run out and the circuit to be emptied. This allows a timely start to the shutdown, thus saving time and cost for employees and contractors alike.
De-Watering
De-watering is applied when substantial amounts of water from rain or the mining process has been accumulated on the conveyor and needs to be removed before the ore is placed onto the conveyor.
A typical example would be a train loading facility where it is not desirable to spill thousands of litres of water into the bin and cause the ore to become muddy. This may result in material flow issues or localised flooding from the water.
Material Separation
If the material being conveyed does not contain the desired element or is contaminated with foreign matter, a diverter plow can be used to remove the material until the correct product is placed on the conveyor.
Another application of material separation is a multi-material facility that runs different types of material on the same conveyor. A diverter plow is placed on the conveyor to separate the different materials or create different flow paths.
For more information on diverter plows, see our product page here.
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