Case Study: Hatch Ltd. achieves increased throughput and reduced wear with Altair EDEM BulkSim

Hatch Deploys Altair Edem Bulksim Solution for Mining

Hatch Ltd., a global engineering and project services firm for the mining and metallurgical sectors, was asked to upgrade a coal transfer chute at a coal preparation plant to handle a planned production increase. The existing 1,200 t/h conveyor was prone to build-up and plugging from a high‑moisture “filter cake,” causing costly downtime, so Hatch deployed Altair’s EDEM BulkSim to explore what-if scenarios and validate transfer point performance across varying material cohesivities and surge conditions.

Using Altair’s EDEM BulkSim solution—including Material Testing, DEM Material Model Calibration and cloud‑based parameter sweeps—Hatch performed dynamic flow tests on actual coal and filter cake samples, calibrated DEM models, and virtually tested a new flop‑gate chute design under multiple operating scenarios. Altair’s simulations showed the redesigned transfer point would increase throughput, reduce plugging and relative wear on the receiving chute, and be reliable at start‑up and commissioning, delivering measurable improvements in equipment reliability, plant yield and overall performance.

Hatch Ltd.

Brian Moore

Lead Engineer, Bulk Materials Handling, South East Australian Hub