Hello,

For bucket wheel on boom reclaimer or stacker-reclaimer machine; the machine designer decides the gauge width such that machine becomes economical in totality, together with the machine to achieve end result. So it is better to leave the gauge width to machine-designer and supplier. If there is freedom for machines designer and supplier, the ratio of boom length to gauge width, appears to be average around 4.5 : 1. I do not mean to say that every machine will become economical at this ratio. Every machine (application) will have its own economical ratio.

Sometime there is genuine space constraint, then machine can be deliberately designed for comparatively narrow gauge (say upto 10% - 15% less ?), which will make the machine heavier and costlier.

Using the already existing (available) design with certain changes is a wide spread practice for economy and to get the business. This tends to make the ratio widely varying. In such situation it may also happen that higher ratio (narrow gauge) machine is economical compared to lower ratio machine being newly designed.

Ishwar G. Mulani

Author of Book : Engineering Science And Application Design For Belt Conveyors (new print November, 2012)

Author of Book : Belt Feeder Design And Hopper Bin Silo

Advisor / Consultant for Bulk Material Handling System & Issues.

Pune, India.

Tel.: 0091 (0)20 25871916

Email: conveyor.ishwar.mulani@gmail.com

Website: www.conveyor.ishwarmulani.com ■

One of my predecessors, Thomas Jessup, at the Butterley Company invented the flanged railway wheel and I have no trouble in remembering that the gauge was 1435mm measured between the rails. Do not make the laymans's mistake and confuse rail centres with gauge: otherwise your trolleys won't settle. Gauge is clearly easier to establish and check: after all, that is why it was called gauge in the begining.

Rail centres must be sufficient for passage of the conveyors serving the machine with adequate walkways provided and possibly clearances for several limit switch posts and

hose and cable troughs and turnout pits etc.

With a correctly counterbalanced superstructure and reliable rail clamps the track dimension can be safely reduced to comply with the preceding paragraph, but you ought to ask a specialist who knows what he's doing before designing a stockyard on the basis of your question. ■

Originally Posted by Anilrao

Hi all

Dear Experts

Kindly help me how to select the Rail Gauge C/C distance for capacity of BW Reclaimer 1500tph

Reclaimer rated capacity : 1500tph

Boom Length : 48 mtrs (approx.)

Slew angle : +165, -165

Thanks & Regards

Anil

Dear Mr. Anil,

For your case you can go for 8.2 M rail gauge. But I do not know about the wind !!

Regards.

A.Banerjee ■

Hello,

For the machine mentioned by you, rail gauge is likely to be between 8 to 9 metres. It can differ somewhat, from make to make, depending upon existing reference model being chosen by supplier (to reduce cost for design, drawings, etc. to the extent possible), to enable to sell their machine. This can also differ according to the design practice of particular make.

As a general rule, designer chooses rail gauge such that machine design and construction becomes economical. Design can be done for narrow or wider gauge, within certain range, if it is unavoidable due to space constraint, but it will be with the price.

Buyer can express his requirement to designer - supplier and see what he can offer. It will be risky for buyer to treat as a freely negotiable issue, like price or commercial conditions.

Regards,

Ishwar G. Mulani

Author of Book: ‘Engineering Science And Application Design For Belt Conveyors’. Conveyor design basis ISO (thereby book is helpful to design conveyors as per national standards of most of the countries across world). New print Nov., 2012.

Author of Book: ‘Belt Feeder Design And Hopper Bin Silo’

Advisor / Consultant for Bulk Material Handling System & Issues.

Pune, India. Tel.: 0091 (0)20 25871916

Email: conveyor.ishwar.mulani@gmail.com

Website: www.conveyor.ishwarmulani.com ■

What geotechnical conditions prevail to enable an arbitrary selection of 8.2m amongst many other factors...such as wind?

When somebody doesn't know it is better to keep stum!

You ought to have selected the track by now otherwise you have set back the machine procurement by 9 months. ■