APRON FEEDERS VERSUS BELT FEEDERS FOR BULK MATERIAL HANDLING
Apron feeders and belt feeders are used extensively for heavy duty mineral processing operations. Often confused as alternatives, apron feeders and belt feeders vary greatly in terms of design and have different applications.

APRON FEEDER

BELT FEEDER
APRON FEEDER
Apron feeders are capable of extracting materials from bins, hoppers and even stockpiles. They can transfer materials across a short distance at a highly controlled rate of speed, and can weather several impacts of free-falling bulk material.
BELT FEEDER
Belt feeders are designed to carry material across longer distances, and they are able to extract material from bins and hoppers via a loading chute. Belt feeders allow for volumetric control of materials, but they cannot be used in operations which require an extremely low rate of material flow.
APRON FEEDER
Apron feeders are well suited for handling wet and lumpy material. They are widely used in metal ore processing where the average lump size is between 20" - 60".
BELT FEEDER
Belt feeders are widely implemented in coal mining operations, where the material is composed of smaller lumps that are less than 20" in size.
HEAVY DUTY APRON FEEDERS AND BELT FEEDERS FROM IEM
IEM manufactures the widest range of apron feeders and belt feeders for use in standard or heavy duty operations. They specialize in building apron feeders with large diameter head shafts and tail shafts that are fitted with sealed, dust resistant, roller bearings. The feeders also come with specially fabricated support frames that are mounted on heavy duty carriages. IEM’s Apron feeders are efficient, long lasting, and easy to maintain. IEM makes large diameter Apron feeders ranging from 900 mm – 1500 mm that are capable of providing a maximum capacity of up to 14,500 mtph.
IEM provides complete solutions for weighted Belt feeder set-ups. We manufacture heavy duty belt feeders in the range of 800 mm – 1000 mm – supporting a maximum capacity of up-to 1000 t/h. IEM manufactures belt feeders for above ground and underground operations, with controls for regulating tension and motor speed.
COMPANY PHILOSOPHY AND SERVICES
IEM has years of experience in building heavy duty apron feeders and belt feeders. IEM strives to
offer high performance bulk material handling solutions. Project engineers and project managers
collaborate with clients to acquire the needed specifications. Each order is custom-designed based
on the following factors:
The nature of the bulk material
Type of application
Condition of operating environment and so on
Designs are subjected to numerous tests before being finalized for fabrication. Once the design
process is complete, our apron feeders and belt feeders are custom-fabricated following stringent
standards to ensure the highest level of quality.
IEM’s apron feeders and belt feeders have been implemented in various mineral processing operations under many challenging conditions. The strength of IEM’s products relies on the immense expertise of their technical staff, which is highly committed to providing the best equipment on the market.