Rock
Mobile handling for hard rock, overburden and crushed stone across quarries, mines and civil works.
SANTO supplies mobile conveying, stacking and loading equipment engineered for rock — from receiving and stockpiling to reclaim and load-out. The notes below cover the properties that matter, the problems that typically appear on site and the machines we recommend.
Why Mobile Conveying Suits Rock
Rock is dense, angular mineral (2.4–3.0 t/m³) in lumps up to a meter, extremely abrasive and often mixed with wet overburden. The tracked stockpiler keeps the crusher fed at full capacity while grasshopper conveyors extend reach from the processing train.
- Tracked stackers keep the crusher at full capacity
- Grasshopper conveyors extend reach without extra drives
- Abrasion-resistant belts and impact beds resist wear
- Feeder stackers buffer blast and overburden surge
- Mobile units follow the advancing rock face
Physical Properties and Handling Behaviour
The table below summarises the properties that decide belt specification, chute geometry and stacking method for this material. Values are typical ranges — actual figures vary with source and moisture content, so we test your sample before finalising a design.
| Property | Typical Value / Handling Impact |
|---|---|
| Bulk density | 2.4–3.0 t/m³ (dense, angular) |
| Particle size | Boulders to 0–40 mm product |
| Abrasiveness | Extreme — rapid belt wear |
| Angle of repose | 36–42° for crushed rock |
| Handling note | Heavy-duty wear packs; steady crusher feed |
Handling Challenges with Rock — and How SANTO Solves Them
Rock is brutally abrasive and arrives in uneven surges mixed with wet overburden that stalls the crusher and smears belts. Fixed conveyors cannot follow the moving face.
SANTO feeder and tracked stackers buffer the blast and meter steady crusher feed, while grasshopper conveyors and abrasion-resistant belts survive the wear and relocate with the face as the quarry advances.
- Buffer surge with a feeder to protect the crusher
- Specify abrasion-resistant belt and impact beds
- Use tracked mobility to follow the rock face
Recommended SANTO Equipment
For rock we most often supply the machines listed below. Each can be configured with the belt width, boom length and drive power your tonnage requires, and each is available on wheeled, tracked or crawler chassis.
- Tracked Stockpiler — configured for rock duty
- Feeder Track Stacker — configured for rock duty
- Grasshopper Conveyor — configured for rock duty
- Tracked Radial Stacker — configured for rock duty
Typical Stockpiling and Loading Setups
A well-planned rock yard keeps receiving, stacking and reclaiming on separate paths so trucks never queue behind a loader. In the most common layout, a mobile conveyor receives from the tipper or hopper and feeds a radial telescopic stacker that builds a layered stockpile, while a second conveyor reclaims to the loading point.
- Receiving: hopper or direct truck discharge into a mobile conveyor
- Stacking: radial or telescopic stacking to build layered, drainable stockpiles
- Reclaim: front-end loader feeding a mobile conveyor, or direct reclaim conveyor
- Load-out: conveyor to truck, wagon, barge or vessel hold
Frequently Asked Questions
How is crusher feed kept steady?
Feeder stackers buffer blasted rock and overburden, metering a controlled flow so the crusher runs at capacity.
What wear protection does rock need?
Abrasion-resistant belt covers, impact beds and heavy-duty idlers handle the extreme wear from dense, angular rock.
Can conveyors follow the face?
Yes. Tracked and grasshopper units relocate with the advancing quarry, keeping haul distances short.
Need the right machine for your site?
Send us your material, required capacity and site layout. SANTO engineers will size the equipment and return a configuration proposal within 12 hours — no obligation.