Bulk Material
Loading Bellows

Loading Bellows

DDF offers a wide range of solutions for bulk material loading applications. Being an essential component in bulk solid handling processes, Loading Bellows (also named Loading Chutes, Telescopic Loading Spouts) provide dust-free and safe out loading of powdered and granular materials to trucks, tankers, ships, and stockpiles.
Loading Bellows are generally mounted underneath silos, hoppers, or installed at the end of conveyors like screw feeders, elevators, or air slide conveying systems. Bulk materials flowing from the upper side are transferred to the downstream vehicle, ship, or stockpile efficiently without any dust emission and product loss.

What is Loading Bellows

On all continents and for many decades the loading bellows(also named Loading Chutes, Telescopic Loading Spouts) are in operation for the loading of powdered bulk material such as cement, lime, gypsum, fly ash, alumina, etc.
Loading bellows are used for the transfer of materials that are in form of dust. It can be used for loading /unloading open or closed type vehicles in order to avoid environmental pollution and material expenditure.

Application

Loading bellows guarantee dust-free conveying and loading of granular, powdery, abrasive, and hot bulk goods into silo vehicles, tank wagons, closed containers, and ships. The main users are mill and feed companies, chemical and cement plants, sugar factories, malting plants, salt and coal mines, food manufacturers, and many others.

Loading bellows are commonly used when it comes to loading with a powdered solid material or piece quantities, where it is essential to keep the ensuing dust level as low as possible, or even avoid it completely.

They meet the requirements for a range of industrial sectors such as cement, gypsum, and lime plants, but can also be found in the metal, mining, chemical, and food industries.

How its made?

We customize loading bellow production in terms of their field of operation and according to your exact specifications or drawings. We would consider plastic-coated fabrics and leather for their production, depending on your special case.

The outer loading bellows are made of synthetic fabric with both sides of plastic facing. The inner loading bellows are made of air slide fabric type and processed polyamide, capable of enduring high temperatures and abrasion.

Materials

For the correct choice of materials, it is important to know which bulk goods shall be conveyed or loaded. Of the same importance is the temperature of the conveyed goods.

• PVC coated fabric (when loading indoors)
• CR / Hypalon® coated fabric (when loading outdoors)
• Coated chrome leather, Kevlar® (when conveying abrasive materials)
• Antistatic PVC canvas (when conveying inflammatory goods, such as coal dust)
• Specially coated fabric (when conveying food)
• Aramid, glass fiber tissue (when loading hot bulk goods).

Specifications and customization

According to your specifications, we produce the appropriate loading bellows(Loading Chutes).

Our loading bellows are manufactured in sizes of 200mm nominal diameter up to 2000mm. To guarantee a trouble-free folding, spring steel wire rings will be sewn into each fold of the loading bellows. Additional stability is achieved by coil springs placed in every fold valley. In loading hoses with a smooth inner surface, sewn-in wire rings keep the horse stable.

We will gladly submit our quotation. Just send a drawing/sketch or send your inquiry by our request form.

How to Use

At the silo or conveyor system, a terminal plate is mounted, having a connector for attachment of the loading hose or bellows. Installing is simple. At the lower end of the tube to a filling, the cone can be mounted, which fits into the openings of the silo vehicles and containers.

The chute is being lowered onto the opened filling spout. As soon as the cone of the loading chute is set down on the loading spout of the vessel, the sealing cone of the loading chute lowers itself and opens the material feeding line as well as the annular venting area between the cones and the outer bellow.
At the silo outlet, the Flow-control gate is being opened, and the loading process starts, at first with a small flow, then with the max. flow. An adjustable sensor gives the signal for the end of the feeding process when the vessel is full.

When lifting the loading chute, first the material feeding line and then the annular venting area are closed. During the loading process, a slack rope switch serves for the automatic lowering of the loading chute.