Mineral processing plants are reliant upon the consistent delivery of material (from bulk storage schemes to the plant and within the plant to the process) for their efficient operation. Problems arising from poorly configured conveying systems or process equipment that cannot discharge material in a reliable or consistent manner can range from unplanned downtime to energy inefficient operation of mills.
For most processes the need for uninterrupted operation and consistent material in-feed characteristics form a cornerstone for plant operating strategies at a time when markets are still in a state of flux.
However, for too many plants it can be an almost continual chore to maintain the flow of powders to processes such that they can be operated at something approaching their most efficient settings. It is not unknown for some processes to be operated at less than 60% efficiency simply because of flow bottle necks occurring in the powder...