Complete material handling system supplied to Weser-Diemel-Beton

The VHV FlatFeeder takes center stage: Weser-Diemel-Beton processes at least 180 tons of sand and gravel per hour at its new ready-mix concrete plant. This incoming material must be received safely and quickly, and cleanly separated into the individual sizes before being stored. This is exactly what this innovative bulk material receiving and metering station from VHV Anlagenbau is made for.

Innovative approach to handling incoming materials

When Weser-Diemel-Beton (WDB) planned its new concrete plant in Elgershausen near Kassel, it quickly became clear that new ways of receiving materials needed to be sought. The conventional underground bunker setup with metering and feeding using wheel loaders implemented at the other company operations was not a viable option in this case because the soil conditions and the groundwater level present on the site did not allow for installing a basement structure.

VHV Anlagenbau, a member of the WDB group of companies, has been known as a reliable supplier of material handling equipment for decades and also came up with the right solution for this project: an innovative receiving and metering station for bulk materials with a conveying capacity of 40 m³ to over 400 m³ per hour installed in a shallow pit. In addition, this unit is exceedingly easy to combine with VHV’s double-belt conveyor systems.

Fast and unmixed

“We produce about 90 m³ of concrete per hour in Elgershausen, for which we need at least 180 tons of sand and gravel,” explains Managing Director André Lämmel. This means that the unit must work extremely quickly. The VHV FlatFeeder system is the perfect match for these requirements: Five or six articulated trucks dump their entire load every hour and leave the receiving station straight away. There are no waiting times for trucks in Elgershausen. “Our FlatFeeder has a capacity of 23 m³ per batch and is suitable for all bulk materials in sizes under 40 or 60 mm,” emphasizes Bernhard Veltmann, VHV Managing Director.

At Weser-Diemel-Beton, it is particularly important that the bulk materials are transferred to the downstream double-belt conveyor in unmixed condition. This is ensured, among other things, by vibration applied to the slatted gratings to loosen adhering material residues and an efficient linear scraper with a continuous blade that cleans the 3 m wide discharge belt very effectively. Lämmel adds: “Our customers expect to get what they need on the construction site. When a gradation of 0/2 mm is specified, such as for fine concrete, fine screed or mortar, the material must not contain aggregates in the 8/16 or 16/32 mm range.”

Perfect combination with steep incline conveyor systems

A VHV double-belt conveyor with smooth belts ensures that the purity of the material is also maintained downstream of the VHV FlatFeeder. It conveys the material upward in the vertical direction to a point above the silo roof. The VHV scope of supply for internal logistics in Elgershausen also included the mobile, weather-protected distribution conveyor above the silos, whose fill level is monitored by ultrasound. From the silos, the weighing belt ensures perfect metering of the material and forwards it to the ready-mix concrete mixing unit.

The WDB Managing Director is happy with this solution: “It was a good decision to choose VHV and the efficient FlatFeeder system. From design to installation and commissioning, the collaboration with the team from Hörstel was smooth and pleasant, as always.” The VHV FlatFeeder system thus also passed its real-life test in this setup and is available as an alternative receiving station for a wide range of bulk materials whenever a basement with an underground bunker is not an option and a commercially viable alternative is sought.