Kiruna Wagon's award-winning Helix Dumper unloads at a rate of 25,000 tonnes per hour. Designed for a 30-tonne axle load, each wagon holds approx. 98 tonnes and takes about 14 seconds to unload. When running in unbroken train sets, this gives a discharge rate of 25,000 tonnes per hour, a level of productivity that is unprecedented in the unloading of ore concentrates and other fine-grained and potentially sticky commodities.
There is no existing technology that can match the productivity of the Helix Dumper system when it comes to unloading heavy fine-grained bulk goods at a high discharge rate. Bottom dump systems operate at a fast rate but can't handle sticky materials and rotary car dumpers are slow and expensive compared to the rolling discharge solution of the Helix Dumper. To match the productivity of the Helix Dumper, you would need at least a quadruple rotary car dumpers, which would entail tremendous costs for technology and ground works.
The Helix Dumper unloading station is as simple as it looks and combined with the low maintenance wagons, this system offers the best choice from both an opex and capex perspective.