Have you found material segregation to be a problem in your stockpiling process?

As the demand for a high-quality product increases, the problem of stockpile segregation becomes more significant. It’s an issue that can prove costly if not properly addressed.

Telescoping radial stacking conveyors, such as Superior Industries’ TeleStacker® Conveyor are known to be the most effective solution for stockpiling segregation. They can create a stockpile in layers, with each layer consisting of a series of windrows of material.

To create a stockpile in this manner, the conveyor must be in motion almost continuously. Although the motion of a telescoping conveyor must be controlled manually, automation is by far the most effective overall method of control.

An automated telescoping conveyor can be programmed to create customised stockpiles of many different sizes, shapes, and configurations. This offers nearly unlimited flexibility, which can add efficiency to an overall operation, as well as provide a higher quality product.

Why is it important to get your stockpile right?

Stockpiling may seem to be a trivial part of aggregate production; nevertheless, if done incorrectly, stockpiling can cause a perfectly in spec product to become out of spec. Some of the cost of creating a good product can be wasted using poor stockpiling techniques.

Although placing product in a stockpile endangers its quality, stockpiling is a vital link in the aggregate production process. Stockpiling is a storage method that ensures material availability. The rate of production often differs from the rate at which the product is required for a given application, and stockpiles help to absorb the difference.

Stockpiles also allow contractors sufficient storage to respond effectively to fluctuating market demands. Because of the benefits offered by stockpiling, it will always remain an important part of the aggregate production process. Therefore, producers must continually improve their stockpiling techniques to reduce the risks associated with it.

Stockpiling Problems

A uniform aggregate product is essential to producing high quality asphalt or concrete. The fluctuating gradation of a segregated aggregate product makes it nearly impossible to produce an acceptable asphalt or concrete product.

A given weight of smaller particles has a larger total surface area than the same weight of larger particles. This presents a problem when combining the aggregate into an asphalt or concrete mixture.

If the aggregate contains too high a percentage of fines, there will be a shortage of concrete paste or asphalt, and the mixture will have an overly stiff consistency. If the aggregate contains too high a percentage of large particles, there will be an excess amount of concrete paste or asphalt, and the mixture will have an overly runny consistency.

Roads constructed with segregated aggregate product will have poor structural integrity and, ultimately, a shorter life expectancy than those made from a properly desegregated product.

The potential for segregation within a stockpile may vary depending on the type of material being stockpiled. The most significant factor related to segregation is the degree of variation of particle size within the material. Materials with a greater variation in particle size will have a higher degree of segregation when stockpiled.

A general rule of thumb is that if the ratio of the size of the largest particles to the size of the smallest particles exceeds 2:1, stockpiling segregation is likely to be a problem. On the other hand, if the ratio of particle sizes is less than 2:1, stockpiling segregation will be minimal.

For example, a road base material that contains particles all the way down through 200 mesh is likely to segregate when stockpiled. However, segregation will be insignificant when stockpiling a product such as washed stone. Sand can usually be stockpiled without a segregation problem as most sand is wet. The moisture causes the particles to cling together, preventing segregation.

Defeat Material Segregation – Improve Your Stockpiling

An automated telescoping conveyor, such as Superior’s TeleStacker® Conveyor [ add link to TeleStacker literature pdf ], can improve your operation by alleviating the problems caused by stockpile segregation.

Superior’s world famous radial telescopic conveyor can be your most effective weapon against costly stockpile segregation. With variable height, length, and axle positions, it allows for layered stockpile construction, which is key to achieving partially and fully desegregated piles.

By continuously moving and layering, Superior’s TeleStacker® Conveyor ensures a consistent mix of aggregates, which is crucial for product quality.

The TeleStacker® Conveyor has earned its reputation as the best-selling portable telescoping stacker in the world. Its design has been carefully fine-tuned for hard work and dependability in numerous applications.

Other benefits of choosing a TeleStacker® Conveyor include:

• Increased Stockpile Capacity: Radial telescopic conveyors create large, uniform stockpiles by telescoping in and out and moving in a radial arc to maximise storage space.
• Lower Operational Costs: By minimising additional equipment and reducing fuel and labour, TeleStacker® Conveyors lower operational expenses.
• Improved Site Safety: They reduce the need for constantly moving heavy machinery around your site, decreasing the risk of accidents.
• Enhanced Efficiency: TeleStacker® Conveyors reduce the number of material handling steps and the use of heavy equipment like loaders or trucks.

MIMICO is the New Zealand distributor of several world class material processing equipment brands. These include Metso, IMS, MDS, McCloskey Environmental, along with Superior, which each offer a unique set of capabilities to meet the diverse needs of the material processing industry.