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MATERIAL HANDLING
SOLUTIONS

The KOCH® Pipe Conveyor, originally developed by KOCH, is a cost-effective and reliable solution that reduces dust and noise, secures materials while protecting the environment, and is ideal for use in difficult topography.

Versatile and Secure Material Conveying

The KOCH® pipe conveyors provide flexible, safe, and environmentally friendly solutions for transporting materials — even across challenging terrain. These dust- and noise-controlled systems are easily integrated into both existing and new installations, ensuring seamless operation. They are suitable for transporting all types of bulk materials and enable reliable in-plant as well as long-distance conveying, making them ideal for efficient and sustainable material handling.

Cost-Efficient and Dependable Material Handling – Even in Challenging Terrain

A Smart Solution for Long-Distance Bulk Material Transport

We understand the many challenges involved in transporting bulk materials and the need for a solution that delivers both
– efficiency and safety.

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Our pipe conveyors are engineered to overcome the toughest conditions, including:

  • Tight curves

  • Steep inclines

  • Uneven, broken, or hilly terrain

  • Constrained or space-limited installations

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Thanks to their enclosed, dust- and noise-controlled design, our pipe conveyors ensure:

  • Secure material transport across complex routes

  • Environmental protection throughout the conveying process

  • Minimal impact on surrounding operations and infrastructure

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Whether for in-plant or long-distance conveying, this solution is built for performance, sustainability, and peace of mind.

A Total Cost-Effective Solution

If you're looking to connect your mine or port to your plant for raw material intake, link your plant to port for finished product export, or move waste material from plant to mine — all via a single conveying system — this is your solution.

Whether you're:

  • Upgrading an existing brownfield plant with tight space constraints

  • Trying to eliminate spillage from traditional mineral handling systems
    → Our pipe conveyors offer a reliable, space-saving and cost-efficient alternative.
    They also contribute to lower maintenance and operating costs, improving your bottom line.

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Minimum Space Requirements

Compared to conventional conveying systems, our pipe conveyors:

  • Require up to 60% less space

  • Have a smaller overall footprint

  • Can replace multiple conventional belt conveyors with a single system

  • Offer reliable long-distance transportation without compromise

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How It Works

  1. Loading Area
    At the feed point, the belt is open and receives the material.

  2. Pipe Formation
    Over several meters, the belt gradually closes and is guided into a tubular shape using special forming devices.

  3. Fully Enclosed Transport
    The closed pipe travels the entire conveying line, protecting material from environmental exposure and preventing spillage.

  4. Discharge Point
    Just before unloading, the belt automatically opens, allowing smooth discharge.
    After unloading, the return strand closes again, ensuring the dirty side remains inside the tube — further eliminating mess and contamination.

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Flexibility in Routing

The adaptable belt design enables:

  • Horizontal and vertical curves

  • Complex routing without the need for multiple transfer stations

  • Reduced structural requirements and improved layout integration

This all-in-one system ensures that your bulk material handling is not only clean and safe, but also space- and cost-optimized.

Suitable for a Wide Range of Bulk Materials and Industries

Our pipe conveyors are engineered to handle a wide variety of materials — efficiently, safely, and cleanly.

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Materials we transport include:

  • Limestone

  • Wet ash and fly ash

  • Coal and alternative fuels (from recycled industrial waste)

  • Wood chips and straw materials

  • Pellets

  • Filtered slurries and biomass

  • Coarse overburden

  • Fine powders (e.g. alumina, cement)

  • Copper concentrate

  • Iron ore

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Industry Applications
​Our pipe conveyors are successfully used across many industries, including:

  • Mining

  • Ports and terminals

  • Power plants

  • Lime mills and cement plants

  • Paper and particle board production

  • Synthetic fibre industries

  • Smelting and metallurgical plants

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They are also ideal for:

  • Tunneling projects

  • Earth and rock removal

  • Temporary installations (even suspended from tunnel ceilings)

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The compact design — with small vertical and horizontal curve radii — makes it easy to integrate our system into confined tunnel spaces.
The system is significantly narrower than conventional conveyors, allowing for:

  • Reduced tunnel width

  • Single-side maintenance walkway, eliminating the need for full-width access paths

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Complete Lifecycle Support
​​We provide a full-service offering beyond system delivery:

  • After-sales service & support

  • Supplementary components & spare parts

  • Proprietary software solutions

  • Extensive system databanks

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Thanks to our collaborations with renowned international research institutes, we continue to deliver:

  • Ongoing system upgrades

  • Access to the latest technological developments

  • A commitment to long-term performance, innovation, and service excellence

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Transport Bulk Materials with Environmentally Friendly Enclosed Pipe Conveyors

Our pipe conveyor system forms a fully enclosed transport line just a short distance after the loading zone.
Once the belt is closed, the material is transported within a sealed pipe — ensuring dust-controlled operation across 98% of the conveying length.

This design provides:

  • Minimal wear on rollers

  • Significantly reduced noise emissions

  • No dust escape or contamination

Additionally, the elimination of intermediate transfer points further reduces both dust and noise, while simplifying the material flow.

Cost-Effective and Reliable

Our pipe conveyors deliver substantial savings, especially where space is limited or terrain is challenging. Key benefits include:

  • Elimination of costly and maintenance-intensive transfer stations

  • Efficient integration into existing plants

  • Shortened conveying routes, regardless of elevation or obstacles

We have installed over 300 pipe conveyor systems worldwide.
The large number of returning customers is a testament to their reliability and performance.

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Secures Material – Protects the Environment

We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of material transport.
Our enclosed conveyors help:

  • Reduce CO₂ emissions by replacing diesel-powered haul trucks

  • Minimize dust and noise pollution

  • Safely transport materials over roads, tracks, waterways, public streets, and even through protected areas

Because the system is completely enclosed, both the environment and the material remain free from cross-contamination.​

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Ideal for Challenging Topography

The innovative KOCH pipe conveyor design is perfectly suited for:

  • Long-distance conveying

  • Uphill and downhill sections

  • Horizontal, vertical, and even 3D curves

They are capable of operating at 20–50% steeper inclines than traditional troughed conveyors.
Every installation is custom-designed to meet your specific spatial, environmental, and topographical requirements.

Forward-Thinking Technology.
Operationally Tested Results

Our pipe conveyors incorporate a range of innovative design features that not only adapt to your operational environment but also protect your materials and equipment — delivering maximum cost-effectiveness and uptime.

Patented Features & Intelligent Design

Here are some of the key patented innovations built into our systems:

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  • Advanced Belt Rotation Monitoring
    Prevents damage caused by uncontrolled belt rotation by continuously supervising belt movement.

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  • Two-Way Conveying “Pretzel” Layout
    For systems operating in both directions, our ingenious “pretzel” arrangement allows the carry and return lines to cross efficiently — simplifying discharge-end design and improving the overall layout footprint.

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  • Smart Roller Holding Brackets
    Engineered for easy installation and low-effort maintenance, reducing downtime and ensuring safety during servicing.

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Additional Advantages

In addition to patented elements, our pipe conveyors include several intelligent safety and quality assurance features:

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  • Oversize Load & Overfilling Protection
    A built-in safety mechanism lifts the upper part of the system if overfilled and automatically stops the conveyor via an electrical switch — protecting both the equipment and the material flow.

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  • World-Class Belt Quality Assurance
    We use an in-house belt fatigue test rig to verify belt rigidity and endurance.
    Inspection reports and belt samples are available to ensure your specifications are met and exceeded.

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  • Adjustable Idlers for Belt Splicing
    Specially designed idlers create a flat platform in the pipe formation or opening zone — ideal for easy and precise belt splicing and maintenance.

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  • DEM-Optimized Transfer Chute Design
    Using Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations, we ensure optimal material flow through the transfer chute — minimizing wear, blockage, and turbulence.

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