ZOOMRY
As a core piece of equipment in the bulk material handling field, the hopper feeder conveyor integrates three core functions: "material receiving, quantitative conveying, and flexible movement". It is also commonly known in the industry as a grasshopper conveyor, portable stacker, or jump conveyor. The main function of the equipment is to stably receive bulk materials (such as ores, coal, cement, aggregates, etc.) through its built-in hopper, then uniformly convey them to subsequent equipment like belt conveyors and Mobile Ship Loaders at a preset speed or flow rate. At the same time, its placement can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual needs of the work site, effectively avoiding issues such as material accumulation and conveying blockages, and ensuring the continuous operation of the entire production line.
Application Scenarios of Hopper Feeder Conveyors
With its flexible adaptability, the hopper feeder conveyor has a wide range of applications in the global bulk material handling field, particularly excelling in industries such as mining quarries & aggregate plants, ports & terminals, chemical building materials, and power energy. In mining quarries and aggregate plants, the work sites are mostly open-air and rough, and materials need to be transferred between multiple mining points and crushing points. Tracked hopper feeder conveyors (grasshopper conveyors) can be directly deployed on-site: they receive materials unloaded by excavators through ultra-low hoppers, then stably convey them to crushing equipment or radial stackers. Their tracked chassis can withstand the gravel terrain in quarries, preventing the equipment from getting stuck or damaged, and ensuring uninterrupted material transfer.
In bulk material transfer scenarios at ports and terminals, the site is relatively flat but the operation position needs frequent adjustment. Wheeled hopper feeder conveyors (grasshopper conveyors) can achieve rapid transfer via solid tires, efficiently connecting trucks, ship unloaders, and belt conveyors. Meanwhile, their foldable boom design greatly reduces space occupation when idle, perfectly adapting to the "limited space, efficiency first" operational needs of ports and terminals, and facilitating rapid cargo turnover.
The chemical and building materials industries have high requirements for "sealing" and "cleanliness" in material conveying. ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors can be equipped with fully sealed hoppers and dust covers as needed to prevent materials from getting damp or contaminated. For corrosive materials, liners made of HDPE or stainless steel can be used to ensure the long-term stable operation of the equipment in the conveying of chemical raw materials (such as chemical fertilizers, soda ash) and building material aggregates (such as cement, sand), complying with strict industry standards.
In the power and energy industry, thermal power plants and biomass energy plants need to continuously convey fuels (such as coal, biomass pellets) to boilers. Any interruption in material supply will directly affect power generation efficiency. The hopper feeder conveyor is equipped with a highly sensitive material level sensor that can real-time monitor the material stock in the hopper and automatically send a material replenishment signal when materials are insufficient. It also has an overload protection function to prevent equipment jamming caused by fuel agglomeration, ensuring the 24-hour continuous operation of power plants.
Structural Design of Hopper Feeder Conveyors
ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors are designed around three core needs: "adaptability, stability, and safety". The whole machine consists of five key components, which work together to meet the operational requirements of different industries worldwide. As the core component for material temporary storage and receiving, the receiving hopper adopts an ultra-low design and is made of high-strength carbon steel or wear-resistant alloy. Its inner wall's wear-resistant layer can be customized according to material properties such as hardness and corrosiveness. Meanwhile, customized width solutions ranging from 3.5m to 5.7m are available to ensure smooth material entry when unloaded by equipment like trucks, wheel loaders, or excavators, avoiding spillage and loss during unloading.
The conveying mechanism takes belt conveying as its core, equipped with a high-wear-resistant Conveyor Belt and a precise tensioning system. The conveying length can be customized from 15m to 30m according to the customer's actual conveying needs, and it supports cascading use of multiple units. This can meet the material transfer needs of short distances and multiple locations, effectively connecting different production links. The drive system provides mobile power for the equipment and has two types: wheeled and tracked. The wheeled chassis adopts a reinforced solid structure, suitable for most flat sites and enabling rapid transfer; the tracked chassis can easily handle rough terrain, realizing all-terrain mobile operations without complex foundation construction, thus improving the equipment's adaptability in complex scenarios.
The control system is crucial for ensuring the precise operation of the equipment. It is standardly equipped with PLC full-automatic control and an HMI touch screen, supporting two modes: remote control and manual switching. Operators can real-time monitor core parameters such as conveying speed and material level height. At the same time, the system has functions like overload protection and emergency stop, providing safety guarantees for the stable operation of the equipment. Safety and auxiliary components further improve the equipment's performance, including rubber skirts, grid screens, dust covers, and hydraulic jacks. Among them, rubber skirts prevent material side leakage, grid screens filter large impurities, dust covers reduce dust pollution, and hydraulic jacks are used for equipment positioning and leveling, fully complying with international safety standards.
Advantages of Hopper Feeder Conveyors
In bulk material handling scenarios, traditional fixed conveying equipment often faces problems such as "poor site adaptability", "low material transfer efficiency", and "high labor costs". ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors (grasshopper conveyors) accurately address these industry pain points through targeted design, forming five functional advantages. The first advantage is adaptability to all types of operational terrain: wheeled chassis are suitable for flat sites like ports and factories, allowing quick adjustment of operation points and reducing equipment transfer time; tracked chassis can stably travel on rough terrain such as mines and quarries without pre-laid tracks or site leveling, significantly reducing initial site construction investment and improving equipment deployment flexibility.
Efficient collaborative operation capability is another major advantage. The equipment's ultra-low hopper can directly meet the unloading needs of loaders and excavators, avoiding material spillage during transfer and reducing material loss. At the same time, the conveying speed and flow rate can be precisely adjusted through the control system, ensuring stable material supply for subsequent equipment like radial stackers and mobile ship loaders. This not only prevents equipment overload caused by excessive material supply but also avoids idling waste due to insufficient supply, improving the operation efficiency of the entire production line.
The feature of small space occupation and high space utilization makes the equipment more advantageous in scenarios with limited space. The foldable boom design reduces the space occupied by the equipment by more than 40% when idle, which is particularly suitable for operation environments with tight space such as ports, terminals, and small aggregate plants. The customized conveying length of 15-30m can directly connect different production links, reducing the number of round-trip truck transfers. Practical application verification shows that this can increase the overall operational efficiency by more than 30%.
Multi-scenario adaptability further expands the equipment's application range. Whether it is ore transfer in sand and gravel quarries, raw material deployment in aggregate plants, or material handling in fly ash remediation projects, the equipment can adapt to the specific needs of different scenarios through power selection (diesel or electric) and boom length adjustment. It can be quickly put into use without additional modifications, reducing the customer's equipment adaptation costs.
The characteristics of high quality and long service life reduce the customer's long-term operation and maintenance investment. The core components of the equipment (such as idlers and rollers) all adopt high-wear-resistant products independently developed by ZOOMRY. Among them, the idler noise is lower than 40-45dB (better than the Chinese GB standard of 55dB), the rotational resistance is ≤2N (also better than the GB standard of 3N), and the service life can exceed 50,000 hours. Meanwhile, the optimized transmission system design reduces the equipment's energy consumption by 15%-20% compared with traditional mobile conveying equipment, conforming to the global low-carbon production trend and helping customers achieve a win-win situation in economic and environmental benefits.
Collaborative Application of Hopper Feeder Conveyors with Other Bulk Material Equipment
The efficiency of bulk material handling is inseparable from the collaborative adaptability between equipment. As a professional manufacturer of bulk material conveying equipment and EPC general contractor, ZOOMRY has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years. While focusing on the R&D of hopper feeder conveyors, it also pays great attention to their functional complementarity with belt conveyors, mobile ship loaders, and truck unloaders, as well as the cascading application of multiple hopper feeder conveyors. Combining the standardization and customization capabilities of its full-series products, ZOOMRY creates "seamless connection, high efficiency and low consumption" scenario-based solutions for global customers.
The core of collaboration between hopper feeder conveyors and belt conveyors is to solve the pain point of "easy overload due to uneven feeding" of belt conveyors. ZOOMRY's belt conveyors cover various types such as long-distance ground conveyors, pipe belt conveyors, and large-inclination belt conveyors, which are widely used in large-scale bulk material transfer in industries like mining, chemical engineering, and power plants. In practical application, the hopper feeder conveyor receives materials unloaded by loaders and trucks through its built-in ultra-low receiving hopper, and relies on the PLC control system to control the conveying volume error within ±5%, feeding materials to the belt conveyor at a constant flow rate. This effectively prevents belt deviation and motor overload of the belt conveyor caused by a sudden increase in materials, or idling waste due to material supply interruption. In mine long-distance bulk material conveying projects, ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors can be directly deployed between crushing equipment and belt conveyors, uniformly conveying crushed ores to belt conveyors. Cooperating with the large conveying capacity of belt conveyors, this forms a continuous process of "crushing - feeding - long-distance transfer". The entire system complies with ISO 9001 quality system and ISO 14001 environmental system certifications, ensuring stable operation under harsh working conditions.
Collaboration with mobile ship loaders focuses on "efficient ship loading and material quality protection". ZOOMRY's mobile ship loaders have the core advantages of "ultra-flexible movement and adaptability to multiple ship types". They can be designed for ships of different tonnages such as barges, handy-sized ships, and Panamax ships, and are particularly suitable for terminal operations with limited space. They realize precise ship loading through functions like radial rotation and luffing. Relying on its wear-resistant conveyor belt and precise drive system, the hopper feeder conveyor provides materials to the mobile ship loader at a constant flow rate, ensuring that the handling needs of the mobile ship loader are met. This avoids uneven draft of the ship caused by fluctuating material volume during ship loading, or stratification and compaction of materials in the cargo hold. In port bulk cargo ship loading scenarios, the hopper feeder conveyor can be deployed at the front of the terminal. After receiving materials transferred by ship unloaders or trucks, it adjusts its position synchronously with the mobile ship loader (relying on wheeled/tracked chassis) to ensure the mobile ship loader continuously obtains a stable material flow. Cooperating with the PLC automatic control program of the mobile ship loader, this can increase the ship loading efficiency by more than 20%, adapting to the multi-ship type loading needs of global ports.
Collaboration with truck unloaders focuses on solving the problem of "material transfer congestion after unloading". ZOOMRY's truck unloaders cover two major types: wheeled (ZRLS-TU series) and tracked (ZRLD-TU series). They are designed with 2-4 truck ramps, can receive unloading from multiple trucks at the same time, and are widely used in scenarios such as quarries, ports, and power plants. During collaborative operation, after the truck unloader guides trucks to unload through hydraulic ramps, the hopper feeder conveyor receives materials through its ultra-low receiving hopper and quickly conveys the materials uniformly to subsequent equipment like belt conveyors and mobile ship loaders. This avoids material accumulation and blockage under the truck unloader, forming a closed-loop process of "truck unloading - hopper temporary storage - uniform transfer". Taking the unloading scenario of aggregate plants as an example: multiple raw material trucks unload simultaneously through the 4 ramps of the truck unloader, and the hopper feeder conveyor receives the materials synchronously and conveys the aggregates to the aggregate silo or crushing equipment. Cooperating with the hydraulic support system of the truck unloader and the dust-proof design of the hopper feeder conveyor, this not only improves the unloading efficiency but also meets environmental protection requirements, avoiding dust overflow.
The cascading application of multiple hopper feeder conveyors can break through the conveying distance limit of a single unit. ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors (grasshopper conveyors) have the characteristics of "modular design and flexible length adjustment", supporting customized conveying lengths of 15-30m and a foldable boom structure. When multiple units are cascaded, they can form a flexible conveying chain of "multi-point receiving and long-distance transfer", which is particularly suitable for large-area operation scenarios such as quarries and mines. The core advantages of this cascading application are reflected in three aspects: first, distance expansion – by connecting 2-3 units in series, the conveying distance can be extended to 60-90m to meet the needs of long-distance cross-regional transfer, and each unit can independently adjust the angle and speed to ensure smooth material transfer; second, multi-point adaptation – each unit can correspond to one unloading point (e.g., multiple loaders unloading at the same time), and materials are collected to the same terminal (such as belt conveyors, stacking areas) through cascading to avoid single-point congestion; third, scenario flexibility – cascaded units can choose diesel or electric drive according to site needs. Even in remote areas without electricity, they can operate independently with self-contained generator sets. Moreover, the equipment can be disassembled and packed into 40"HQ containers, facilitating global transportation and on-site rapid assembly. Usually, installation and commissioning can be completed within 10-20 days for put-into-use. In large aggregate plants, the cascading deployment of 3 hopper feeder conveyors is common: the units respectively receive aggregate unloading from different mining points, transfer the aggregates to the central crushing area through cascading, and can adjust their positions at any time to adapt to the mining progress with the help of the tracked chassis of each unit, significantly improving the efficiency of aggregate collection and transfer.
ZOOMRY: A Professional Hopper Feeder Conveyor Manufacturer
Since its establishment in 2002, ZOOMRY has always adhered to the concept of "Creating High-Quality Conveying Products, Building a Century-Old Foundation". Relying on more than 20 years of technical accumulation, comprehensive international certifications, and flexible customization capabilities, it has become a trusted hopper feeder conveyor manufacturer for global customers. Its core strengths are reflected in four dimensions: international certifications, customized design, quality control, and service support.
In terms of international certifications and standard adaptation, ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors and related equipment have obtained a number of authoritative certifications, including ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification, ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification, as well as European CE Certification, Russian EAC Certification, and Korean KCS Certification. These certifications ensure that the equipment can be directly adapted to industry standards in different regions worldwide. Whether it is the strict environmental protection requirements of European customers or the adaptation needs of Russian customers for low-temperature working conditions, ZOOMRY can provide products that meet local standards, eliminating the need for customers to conduct additional certification adaptation and reducing the threshold for equipment export and application.
Customized design capabilities are the key for ZOOMRY to meet diverse global needs. Targeting the material characteristics and operational scenarios of different industries, the company can provide full-dimensional customized services. In terms of material adaptation, the hopper structure, conveying speed, and wear-resistant components can be customized according to material particle size (e.g., fine powder, large ores), humidity (e.g., wet coal, dry sand) to ensure the equipment's adaptability to specific materials; in terms of site adaptation, wheeled or tracked chassis can be provided according to the operational terrain (flat or rough), and the conveying length can be customized from 15m to 30m to meet the cascading use needs of multiple units; in terms of function adaptation, additional configurations such as remote control systems, dust collection devices, and material crushing pretreatment modules can be added to accurately match the personalized needs of customers.
A strict quality control system guarantees the equipment quality. ZOOMRY has an independent quality inspection center, which includes a chemical laboratory, hardness laboratory, idler laboratory, and mechanical performance testing laboratory. Equipped with more than 60 professional testing equipments, it conducts full-process testing on the core components of the hopper feeder conveyor. In the testing of structural parts, ultrasonic flaw detection technology is used to test the welding quality, ensuring the strength and sealing performance of the hopper and frame; in the testing of transmission components, the radial runout of idlers is strictly controlled to be ≤0.4mm (better than the GB standard of 0.5mm), and the ovality of rollers is <1.5mm to ensure stable equipment operation; each hopper feeder conveyor undergoes no-load test operation and load testing before leaving the factory, and is only delivered to customers after all performances meet the standards, ensuring equipment quality from the source.
Full-cycle service support provides long-term guarantees for customers. Although ZOOMRY does not currently have global spare parts warehouses, it can meet the spare parts supply needs of global customers through the "advance stockpiling + fast logistics" model, reducing equipment downtime waiting time. The company's service system covers the entire pre-sales, in-sales, and after-sales stages: in the pre-sales stage, the technical team provides scheme design and equipment selection suggestions according to customer needs to help customers select the most suitable equipment; in the in-sales stage, engineers are dispatched to the site for equipment installation guidance and commissioning to ensure the equipment is quickly put into production; in the after-sales stage, remote technical support, equipment overhaul, and upgrade services are provided to help customers extend the equipment service life and reduce operation and maintenance costs.
Key Factors for Hopper Feeder Conveyor Selection
For global customers, selecting a suitable hopper feeder conveyor (grasshopper conveyor) needs to be combined with their own operational scenarios and long-term needs to avoid inefficiency or cost waste caused by insufficient equipment adaptability. Specifically, considerations should be comprehensively made from five dimensions: operational terrain, material characteristics, conveying needs, power conditions, and manufacturer strength.
Operational terrain is a basic consideration for selection, and different terrains require matching with different types of chassis. If the operation site is a flat environment such as a port or factory, a wheeled chassis should be preferred. The advantage of the wheeled chassis lies in its fast transfer speed, allowing quick adjustment of operation points and adapting to the need for frequent movement within the site; if the operation site is rough terrain such as a mine or quarry, a tracked chassis should be selected. The tracked chassis can stably travel on complex terrains such as gravel and mud without pre-leveling the site, reducing initial site construction investment and ensuring the normal operation of the equipment in harsh terrain.
Material characteristics directly affect the selection of equipment materials and structure, and equipment configuration should be determined according to parameters such as material particle size, humidity, and corrosiveness. For fine powder or high-humidity materials, it is necessary to consider configuring dust covers or anti-adhesive liners to prevent material dusting or adhesion to the conveyor belt; for high-strength materials such as large ores and hard aggregates, hoppers and conveyor belts made of wear-resistant materials should be selected, and grid screens can also be considered to filter large impurities in the materials and prevent equipment jamming; for corrosive materials, key components made of HDPE or stainless steel should be used to ensure the long-term stable operation of the equipment.
Conveying needs determine the core parameters of the equipment, and two key indicators – conveying length and handling capacity – need to be clarified. In terms of conveying length, the equipment supports customized design from 15m to 30m. For small projects (such as fly ash remediation), short-arm models of 15-20m can be selected to meet short-distance transfer needs; for large projects such as quarries and mines, long-arm models of 25-30m are required. Long-arm models support cascading of multiple units, which can expand the conveying distance and adapt to large-area operation needs. In terms of handling capacity, it should be determined according to the overall production capacity of the production line to ensure that the handling capacity of the hopper feeder conveyor matches the front-end and back-end equipment, avoiding production bottlenecks caused by insufficient handling capacity or equipment waste caused by excessive handling capacity.
Power conditions should be selected based on the energy supply situation of the operation site. If the site has stable power supply, electric-driven models should be preferred. The advantages of electric drive include low energy consumption, low noise, compliance with environmental protection requirements, and low operating costs; if the site is in a remote area or has no stable power supply, diesel-driven models should be selected. Diesel-driven models are equipped with self-contained generator sets, enabling independent operation without relying on external power sources and ensuring the normal operation of the equipment in non-electrical scenarios.
Manufacturer strength is a guarantee for equipment quality and long-term services. It is recommended to give priority to manufacturers with industry experience, international certifications, and full-cycle service capabilities. For example, ZOOMRY has 20 years of experience in bulk material equipment R&D, holds international certifications such as ISO, CE, EAC, and KCS, and has a global service system. Such manufacturers can not only provide high-quality equipment but also offer professional support in equipment selection, installation and commissioning, and later maintenance, avoiding difficulties in subsequent equipment operation and maintenance due to insufficient manufacturer service capabilities.
Technical Features of ZOOMRY's Hopper Feeder Conveyors
ZOOMRY's hopper feeder conveyors focus on detailed optimization in technical design. Through a number of innovative designs, they improve the equipment's practicality, safety, and economy, forming five technical features and providing customers with a better user experience.
The optimized foldable boom design is one of the core technical highlights of the equipment. The boom is folded and unfolded by hydraulic drive, featuring convenient operation and high stability without manual adjustment. The folded boom can reduce the equipment's space occupation by more than 40%, which not only facilitates equipment transportation and storage but also allows flexible placement in operation environments with limited space, improving space utilization. At the same time, the boom angle can be fine-tuned, and operators can accurately adjust the material conveying direction according to the position of subsequent equipment to ensure accurate material connection and reduce material spillage.
The intelligent control system improves the equipment's automation level and operational convenience. The equipment is standardly equipped with PLC full-automatic control and a 7-inch HMI touch screen. Operators can real-time view operating parameters such as conveying speed, motor temperature, and fuel consumption through the touch screen, fully grasping the equipment's operating status. The system supports one-key start/stop operation, simplifying the operation process and reducing the intensity of manual operation. At the same time, it has a fault self-diagnosis function: when the equipment malfunctions, it can automatically identify the fault type and send an alarm signal, facilitating operators to quickly locate problems and perform timely maintenance, reducing equipment downtime. In addition, the control system can be connected to the customer's central control system to realize intelligent management of multi-equipment collaboration and improve the automation level of the entire production line.
The multiple safety protection designs provide comprehensive guarantees for the equipment and operators. In addition to the conventional emergency stop button, it is also equipped with safety components such as a belt deviation switch and chassis stable support. The belt deviation switch can real-time monitor the operation status of the conveyor belt: when the conveyor belt deviates, the switch will automatically trigger a shutdown to prevent damage to the conveyor belt caused by long-term deviation; the chassis stable support can fix the equipment position during operation, preventing the equipment from tipping over due to material impact or terrain inclination and ensuring the safety of operators. At the same time, the equipment's electrical system complies with international safety standards and has protection functions such as overload and short circuit, avoiding equipment damage or safety accidents caused by electrical faults.
The low-maintenance structure design reduces the equipment's later operation and maintenance costs. Core components (such as idlers, rollers, and tires) all adopt easy-to-disassemble designs. During later maintenance, there is no need to disassemble the entire machine – only the corresponding components need to be disassembled for replacement, which can save more than 50% of maintenance time and reduce equipment downtime losses. At the same time, key components have a long service life: the service life of idlers and rollers can exceed 50,000 hours, and tires are made of high-strength wear-resistant materials, reducing the frequency of spare parts replacement and lowering the customer's spare parts procurement costs. The equipment's lubrication system adopts a centralized lubrication design: during regular maintenance, only the centralized lubrication points need to be maintained, simplifying the maintenance process.
Global transportation adaptability facilitates equipment export. The equipment can be disassembled and packed into 40"HQ containers. The disassembled components are small in size and moderate in weight, facilitating sea and land transportation worldwide and reducing transportation costs. On-site assembly adopts the latest wiring technology: components are connected through plugs and sockets, eliminating the need for complex electrical construction and reducing on-site assembly time. Usually, assembly and commissioning can be completed within 10-20 days, ensuring the equipment is quickly put into use and meeting the customer's project schedule requirements.
As a hopper feeder conveyor manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience in the industry, ZOOMRY will continue to focus on technological innovation, constantly optimizing the performance of products such as hopper feeder conveyors, grasshopper conveyors, and portable stackers, and improving the adaptability and economy of the equipment. Meanwhile, relying on its customization capabilities and full-cycle service system, ZOOMRY will provide global customers with more suitable and efficient bulk material handling solutions. Whether customers are in the mining, port, chemical, or power industry, ZOOMRY can help them improve production efficiency, reduce operating costs, and achieve long-term development goals with professional products and services.
