Ravensdown Case study – BEFORE:

Fertiliser dust from bulk loading creates a low-visibility, messy work environment, which is the perfect recipe for an accident. This was the situation facing Ravensdown Fertiliser Co-op based in Napier, New Zealand when handling fertiliser at their general store.

People, trucks and front-end loaders were trying to work and meet targets in a dirty, low-visibility situation. They needed a dust control system design to transfer bulk fertiliser without interruptions to schedules or reducing outputs.

Ravensdown Case study – AFTER:

DSH hoppers were developed for just this kind of problem. Ravensdown, one of New Zealand’s leading fertiliser companies, has installed multiple DSH hoppers at 40 sites across New Zealand. The hoppers limit dust fallout and improve visibility, allowing for fast transfer of fertiliser through the air in a perfect pour.

Hugh Eaglesome, Ravensdown’s Lower North Island Project Manager says, “We use the DSH System on our load-out points; truck, rail and the dress belt into store, which is a drop of 14.5 metres [45 feet]. The hoppers have been a great success in cutting down the dust problem, improving visibility and providing a perfect pour. We’re thrilled and our truck drivers and transport companies are too as there’s minimal debris on their trucks.”

Since using the hoppers, loading can be continuous without interruptions to the loading schedule. The dust control system design concentrates the fertiliser as a tight, solid column, transferring fertiliser through the air into any target repository including trucks, rail cars, storage containers, bags or stockpiles. The system makes a difference to the bottom line too. The loading plant doesn’t need dust extraction and there’s minimal or no product loss during transfer, reducing waste and the need for dust collection systems and cleaning services.