K-Slide from Kinder Australia keeps material flowing

Kinder Australia’s range of K-Slide ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is helping Australian quarries keep the flow going.

When material blocks up a chute, production slows to a crawl, often requiring manual intervention to get material flowing again.

Not only does this reduce site efficiency but can increase wear and tear. Material that bridges or clings to chute walls can create uneven pressure and friction, requiring more frequent and higher cost maintenance or replacements.

It could even lead to spillage or damage to other equipment, resulting in wasted product, safety concerns, and hefty maintenance bills.

David Zhungu, design engineer at Kinder Australia, told Quarry that when sites need to combat flow issues and reduce wear, they turn to K-Slide low friction liners.

“When chutes and hoppers feed material onto a belt, you want a material that has a low coefficient of friction to allow it to flow freely down the chute wall.

“The K-Slide uses ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) material. It’s a slippery, non-stick surface that allows wet product to slide right off it.”

“It’s abrasion and corrosion resistant, lightweight and easy to work with.”

K-Slide is available in a range of grades, thicknesses, and sheet sizes to cover many different applications. Anti-static and ultraviolet stabilised options are also available.

Kinder can supply the material in stock sheet sizes or cut them to precise measurements with counterbored or countersunk holes if required.

Zhungu said that bolting K-Slide to a chute means the customer can easily swap out a sheet of liner when it needs to be replaced.

“To reduce labour costs and the complexity of installation, the K-Slide sheets can be CNC precision cut to suit the customer’s application – you don’t want material getting stuck in any cracks. That’s why we work with customers to ensure the installation specifications are correct.

“We also provide instructions and advise clients to ensure all of our liners are installed correctly. Kinder makes sure everything is labelled to make installation as easy as possible.”

Kinder’s application engineers will survey the chute on site and assess the material it handles to determine the right tool for the job. The company has a range of liners it can deploy if the situation calls for something else.

The company takes particle size, moisture content, impact strength, abrasion, and chute shape into consideration to find the right liner.

For example, if a higher level of wear protection is required, Kinder can supply its proprietary K-Superline urethane wear liner, engineered to meet the demands of specific materials. Kinder’s K-Superline polyurethane lining system can solve issues related to abrasion, impact damage, sticking material, excess corrosion and noise from constant material impact.

For lower throughput and applications without fasteners, the company’s K-Slip low friction liner can be bonded to chute surfaces. It uses UHMWPE for fine, non-abrasive particles. Often, these materials may need to navigate through complicated shaped chutes where there can be curved surfaces. With conventional low friction materials, these complicated transitions and confined points can make installation difficult.

Zhungu said multiple sites have responded with resounding positive feedback.

“A concrete manufacturing facility experienced a loss of 20% in production due to material hang-up. This issue was rectified with the installation of K-Slide into their two corrugated, square bins. “

“After installation, the bins were smooth and even, with the manufactured sand moving freely with no hang-up occurrence. Build-up of manufactured sand on the walls and corners was no longer observed and the manufactured sand exhibited increased mass flow.

“Productivity is at an all-time high with a minimal amount of product lost to ratholing and caking. K-Slide provides thorough wear protection to the bins, so they can withstand any abrasion from the material.” •

For more information, visit kinder.com.au