Press release

Pipe conveyors transport bulk material efficiently across long distances:

For the challenging tasks

Pipe conveyors have been in use in Europe since the early 1980s. They are
becoming a highly recognised and accepted solution for a number of
applications and now represent the state of the art in conveying technology.
However, the application potential is far from exhausted, because the
possibilities and advantages of this system are still largely unknown to many
potential users and in various industries and countries. On-going
development is continually expanding the limitations of use. However, not
every supplier of pipe conveyors has the expertise necessary to fully exhaust
the potential – unlike the specialists in the BEUMER Group.

The range of products offered by BEUMER, a family business headquartered in

Beckum, is divided into three fields: conveying and loading technology, palletising
and packaging technology and sortation and distribution systems. Conveying and
loading technology includes, for example, pipe conveyors, troughed belt conveyors,
apron conveyors and bucket elevators. The acquisition of KOCH Holding Czech
Republic, bulk material handling specialists, has incorporated additional expertise
and years of experience with pipe conveyors into BEUMER's portfolio. Both
companies have extensive experience and references in the development, planning
and implementation of pipe conveyors, which are now united as the "Best of both
worlds".

Design, features and applications

To receive material, the belt is open like a conventional belt conveyor in the feeding
area of the pipe conveyor. After a certain distance, which depends on the pipe
diameter or belt width, special belt forming rollers mould the belt into the desired
closed shape. The rollers smoothly roll in the belt, avoiding friction between the belt
surfaces. From this point on, the closed belt runs along the entire conveying
distance, through what are known as panels and partition plates. Six rollers are
installed in a staggered arrangement on each of these panels for the upper and
lower strands.

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The tubular shape of the belt makes it possible to manoeuvre horizontal and vertical
curves without additional transfer stations. This increases operational reliability. At
the end of the conveying line, the belt opens on its own and discharges the material
like a conventional troughed belt conveyor. In the return strand, the belt is rolled
back into its tubular shape, using the same method as in the upper strand.

Fundamental design characteristics

One of the fundamental design characteristics of the pipe conveyor is its tubular
shape. There are two variations on this shape: the oval and the circular pipe. Each
shape has its advantages. For example, an oval shape allows the belt overlap to
seal more tightly, because the overlap is flatter than on a circular pipe. When it
comes to belt tracking and torsion on straight sections, this shape is more stable –
particularly on long conveyors. Due to the lower overall height, the contact surface is
smaller, thus reducing the impact of wind on the system. In contrast, the circular
shape requires less steel, and the cross section of the steel construction allows for
favourable structural stability. These characteristics enable lower costs, decreased
load on the lower idlers and increased service life of the system.

There is enough flexibility for pipe conveyors to be individually tailored to the various
needs of the customer. The belt overlap creates a closed conveying system. The
belt quality is selected depending on the application, conveying capacity and length.
For instance, a differentiation is made between normal, heat resistant or non-
abrasive rubber qualities. Steel cables or textile fabric can be used as the traction
element, depending on the required belt strength. The whole cross section is not
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Media contact: Agency:

BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG a1kommunikation Schweizer GmbH

Oelder Str. 40 Oberdorfstr. 31A
D-59269 Beckum D-70794 Filderstadt

Regina Schnathmann Dr. Matthias Schweizer

Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24381 Tel. + 49 (0) 711 9454161 0
Regina.Schnathmann@BEUMER.com Fax + 49 (0) 711 9454161 9

Verena Breuer
Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24317 info@a1kommunikation.de
Verena.Breuer@BEUMER.com www.a1kommunikation.de

www.BEUMER.com Reprinting free - copy requested

used to transport material. The degree of filling is typically limited to approximately
75 percent, depending on the material to be transported. This figure is a safety
factor that allows the system to handle any short-term increases in capacity.

Even though the pipe conveyor is establishing itself more and more, the troughed
belt conveyor will continue to have its use. Which conveyor is more suitable
depends on the respective application and local conditions.

Features of a pipe conveyor

The inherent features of a pipe conveyor facilitate transportation solutions that are
either impossible with other conveying systems or that can only be implemented
with significant limitations or additional costs. The enclosed design of the pipe
conveyor protects the material from the elements, and the elements from the
material. Therefore, the system helps meet environmental protection goals and fulfil
official requirements. Tight curve radii and large inclines can be navigated. This
facilitates flexible routing and provides the opportunity to go around existing
obstacles, making a number of solutions possible that allow existing terrain and
structures to remain intact. Depending on the application, the capital costs of the
conveyor itself might be higher in certain cases for a pipe conveyor over a
conventional troughed belt conveyor. However, these additional costs are put into
perspective when the pipe conveyor is able to make full use of its advantages. Once
transfer points, modifications to plant equipment, excavation work or costly dust or
noise pollution measures can be avoided, the savings for the customer greatly
outweigh the extra costs for the optimal conveying system.

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Media contact: Agency:

BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG a1kommunikation Schweizer GmbH

Oelder Str. 40 Oberdorfstr. 31A
D-59269 Beckum D-70794 Filderstadt

Regina Schnathmann Dr. Matthias Schweizer

Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24381 Tel. + 49 (0) 711 9454161 0
Regina.Schnathmann@BEUMER.com Fax + 49 (0) 711 9454161 9

Verena Breuer
Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24317 info@a1kommunikation.de
Verena.Breuer@BEUMER.com www.a1kommunikation.de

www.BEUMER.com Reprinting free - copy requested

Pipe conveyors in use
On principle, pipe conveyors are used when, for instance, dusty, wet, sticky or light-
weight material needs to be conveyed. They are also used in cases of high
environmental demands and/or when local conditions require curved, narrow
conveying systems. This leads to the following fields of application:
- the cement industry, for cement, clinker, additives or surrogate fuels
- power plants, for fuel and also for waste, such as ash of various
consistencies
- harbour handling and transfer areas, for the transportation of bulk materials
to and/or from off-shore ship loading or unloading systems
- the transportation of coal, limestone, gravel, ore or artificial fertiliser
- the food and beverage industry, with the use of food safe belts

In one cement plant for the company Dyckerhoff, for example, two relatively short
BEUMER pipe conveyors are in use. What is special about these conveyors is their
29 degree inclination. Depending on the material properties, a pipe conveyor can –
due to its enclosed design – overcome even larger inclines, which are not possible
with a conventional troughed belt conveyor. Because a compact column of material
is created inside the pipe, it is more difficult for material to slide backwards.
Dyckerhoff took the opportunity to also design the conveying line with overlapping
horizontal and vertical curves that required three dimensionally manufactured steel
frames. This minimised the length of the conveyor and further reduced costs.

In another example, KOCH Holding a.s. supplied and installed a pipe conveyor for a
cement plant in Ladce, Slovakia. This conveyor transports surrogate fuels to the
Page 4/7

Media contact: Agency:

BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG a1kommunikation Schweizer GmbH

Oelder Str. 40 Oberdorfstr. 31A
D-59269 Beckum D-70794 Filderstadt

Regina Schnathmann Dr. Matthias Schweizer

Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24381 Tel. + 49 (0) 711 9454161 0
Regina.Schnathmann@BEUMER.com Fax + 49 (0) 711 9454161 9

Verena Breuer
Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24317 info@a1kommunikation.de
Verena.Breuer@BEUMER.com www.a1kommunikation.de

www.BEUMER.com Reprinting free - copy requested

furnace. More and more often, pipe conveyors are being used to transport crushed
waste, which is being used as fuel. This is often light-weight material or household
waste. Transporting waste using a pipe conveyor is cost-efficient and eliminates
unpleasant odours. Also, the track is routed to conform with the existing buildings
and surroundings.

In the Czech town of Melnik, a pipe conveyor is used to transport wet ash two
kilometres from a power plant to the waste site. With a pipe diameter of 350
millimetres, the pipe conveyor first crosses the premises of the power plant, then
open country. It goes through three horizontal and four vertical curves. Since the wet
ash must be returned to the plant later for recycling, the pipe conveyor is designed
to be reversible and can be converted within 24 hours.

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The BEUMER Group is an international leader in the manufacture of intralogistics

for conveying, loading, palletising, packaging, sortation and distribution technology.
Together with Crisplant a/s and the KOCH Holding a.s., the BEUMER Group
employs about 2,000 people and achieves an annual turnover of about 375 million
Euro. With its subsidiaries and sales agencies, the BEUMER Group is present in
many industries the world over. For more information visit: www.BEUMER.com

Page 5/7

Media contact: Agency:

BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG a1kommunikation Schweizer GmbH

Oelder Str. 40 Oberdorfstr. 31A
D-59269 Beckum D-70794 Filderstadt

Regina Schnathmann Dr. Matthias Schweizer

Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24381 Tel. + 49 (0) 711 9454161 0
Regina.Schnathmann@BEUMER.com Fax + 49 (0) 711 9454161 9

Verena Breuer
Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24317 info@a1kommunikation.de
Verena.Breuer@BEUMER.com www.a1kommunikation.de

www.BEUMER.com Reprinting free - copy requested

Captions:

Picture 1: A schematic representation of the basics of the pipe conveyor

Picture 2: The belt forming rollers mould the belt into the desired pipe shape.

Page 6/7

Media contact: Agency:

BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG a1kommunikation Schweizer GmbH

Oelder Str. 40 Oberdorfstr. 31A
D-59269 Beckum D-70794 Filderstadt

Regina Schnathmann Dr. Matthias Schweizer

Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24381 Tel. + 49 (0) 711 9454161 0
Regina.Schnathmann@BEUMER.com Fax + 49 (0) 711 9454161 9

Verena Breuer
Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24317 info@a1kommunikation.de
Verena.Breuer@BEUMER.com www.a1kommunikation.de

www.BEUMER.com Reprinting free - copy requested

Picture 3: The conveying line can cross open spaces.

Picture 4: The advantages of the pipe conveyor are, for example, the protection of the
material from the elements and protection of the environment from escaping material by
means of dust-free transportation.

Photos: BEUMER

Page 7/7

Media contact: Agency:

BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG a1kommunikation Schweizer GmbH

Oelder Str. 40 Oberdorfstr. 31A
D-59269 Beckum D-70794 Filderstadt

Regina Schnathmann Dr. Matthias Schweizer

Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24381 Tel. + 49 (0) 711 9454161 0
Regina.Schnathmann@BEUMER.com Fax + 49 (0) 711 9454161 9

Verena Breuer
Tel. + 49 (0) 2521 24317 info@a1kommunikation.de
Verena.Breuer@BEUMER.com www.a1kommunikation.de

www.BEUMER.com Reprinting free - copy requested