An innovative 'snake' conveyor by Dos Santos is working at a coal operation in Spain. US conveyor specialist Dos Santos supplied and commissioned a DSI Snake-Sandwich High-Angle conveyor for an expansion project at the coal grinding facilities of the Aceralia Steel Mill. The expansion was designed to accommodate the carbon injection systems for existing and new blast furnaces at the site. The DSI Snake raises the raw coal to a transfer area where a special chute directs the flow to both the old and new grinding facilities.

Dos Santos International partnered with PHB Weserhutte, of Gijon, contractor for the expansion project, in the supply, installation and start-up of the conveyor. This system handles coal with a density of 0.8 tonnes/m3 up to 50 mm/2" in size and conveys this at a rate of 250 tonnes/hour. Though the design of the conveyor is novel, it features conventional components.