UK-based B&W Mechanical Handling Ltd, a world renowned supplier of mobile and fixed loading and unloading equipment, has recently won an order to supply a model 450 Samson feeder unit to British Sugar at its Newark, UK plant.

B&W has supplied Samson feeders for more than 25 years to British Sugar for a variety of applications and this latest order is the 13th installation. British Sugar UK & Ireland is part of British Sugar Group, which is wholly owned by international food, ingredients, and retail group, Associated British Foods plc. The company produces over 1 million tons of sugar in the UK and an additional 500,000 tons of animal feed from sugar beet pulp.

Located in Ely Cambridgeshire, B&W, enjoys the benefits of being fully integrated into the substantial and respected International Aumund Group with strategically placed offices in more than 10 countries and representatives in over 40.

This latest Samson feeder has been installed to receive bulk raw sugar direct from 25-ton capacity trucks, providing a buffer holding capacity of up to 30 cu m and a regulated output feed rate of up to 60 tn/hr direct to an ongoing screw conveyor system. The 9-m-long unit incorporates a 3-m horizontal loading section and a 6-m-long incline at 23 degrees, providing a discharge height of 2.9 m. The unit delivers product at a maximum rate of 60 tn/hr.

Environmental compliance is assured by the provision of a fully dust-tight steel sheeted enclosure and a flexible entry curtain comprising flexible rubber strips. Further enhancements are included to ensure compliance with ATEX conformity to Ex II 2/2 c D135°. These include anti-static stainless steel entry linings, anti-static belts and seals, and all electro-mechanical components including the gear unit, electric motor, shaft rotation sensor, head chute detector, and emergency stops to ATEX 21. This results in the Samson feeder having an internal and external area classification of Zone 21.

Other special features include high-performance, trapezoidal-form, load-bearing, double apron bars located every pitch of the conveyor chain and a leveling blade output controller to provide a regulated volumetric discharge to the ongoing conveyor system.

B&W has extensive experience in handling raw sugar with a number of installations around the world. These include projects in Spain, Brazil, and North America where feed rates of between 250 to 500 tn/hr are not uncommon.
This latest unit for British Sugar was delivered in the summer of 2010.