How do Self Dumping Hoppers Work?

Posted by rauramh on November 28th, 2014

When working in the materials handling industry, there's a great need for production value and efficiency through automated processes. Nowhere is that more evident than in the transportation of organic waste, recyclable, scrap metal, trash, manufactured parts and debris. To help with that is the self-dumping hopper, an innovation in the automated process space thanks to its heavy-duty construction, high load capacity and self balancing nature. Let's take a look at how self dumping hoppers work and how they provide a certain level of efficiency to the work day.

Convenience

While they may look intimidating, self-dumping steel hoppers are the workhorse of material handling equipment. They're easy to use, utilizing efficiently to forklifts as a way to easily and safely transport materials. This type of hopper is designed to streamline the entire lifecycle of material handling, from loading and unloading bulk items to disposing of waste. They come with built-in securelatches that minimize mishaps, as well. Operators are trained in the safe operation of these pieces of equipment. All they have to do once the hopper is full is release the secure latch and trip the trip lever so all the materials can be dumped. The equipment handles the rest, discarding or dumping the desired materials until finished, finally moving to an upright position where it locks back into position. Some self-dumping hoppers have casters for ease of transportation, while others are fixed to one spot. The one you choose will depend on the unique needs of your company. Options can be added to certain self-dumping hoppers, such as one that's part of a manufacturing assembly line, for automatic movement of materials. This further adds to the convenience and versatility of this piece of equipment.

Durability and Versatility

Steel self dumping hoppers are meant to handle big loads up to 10,000 pounds in fact. That's where the "workhorse" title comes into play. Thanks to rugged construction that's second to none, your self-dumping hopper features built-in release systems that make it easy for you to dump and move materials. Some mechanical release system options allow the operator to drop off the load without even leaving his truck. For elevated heights, there is a cable system option featuring a pull down handle system for ease of use. And when it comes to the utmost in convenience, many self-dumping hoppers are hydraulic in nature, all operated with the touch of a remote control button. This represents a huge time saver and therefore production booster because it minimizes the amount of time and hassle the operator must spend on each dump.

About the Author:

This article is written by Mike Genter, who is associated with Roura Material Handling. Roura Material Handling produces a large variety of self dumping hoppers including durable hoppers, rugged hoppers, ultimate hoppers, behemoth hoppers as well as custom and specialty dumping hoppers for both commercial and industrial use.