Specialist belt scraper manufacturer Hosch plans to expand across Australia. Marisa Akamatis and Sonja Volhejn explain how the company’s scrapers are designed for success.
Innovate or die – that’s the philosophy industrial belt scraper manufacturer Hosch is built around.
The company, which has had this mindset for more than 40 years, is a specialist. It focuses its attention and energy entirely into designing new and improved versions of its scrapers.
Marisa Akamatis, the company’s Client Liaison Manager, says there are five design principles that set the Hosch’s scrapers apart – high efficiency, ease of maintenance, safety of the belt, flexible installation options and wear-resistant blades.
“Belt cleaners are one of the smallest components on a conveyor when it comes to price and they are often overlooked,” she says.
“If you don’t have a good cleaner, product will remain on the belt, leading to a loss of production and higher chance of damage. Investing into quality scrapers is a small price to pay for something that can give you a big return on investment.”
HOSCH belt scrapers use a positive cleaning angle inclined against the direction of belt travel to remove the finest residual material from the belt surface.
A positive cleaning angle uses less contact force to remove the smallest of particles from the belt’s surface. It also reduces any forces required for belt cleaning, and greatly reduces belt contact wear. Belt scrapers rely on consent pressure to enable the blades to remove these sub-micron particles, also known as carry back.
Hosch belt scrapers incorporate several torsion systems to keep its belt scrapers at optimum tension. These rubber torsion systems also allow the scraper to defect from any obstacles presented.
Sonja Volhejn, Hosch Managing Director, says the company has been using scrapers on Australian materials handling sites for more than 30 years at this point.
“We have a deep understanding of the physics involved with keeping conveyors clean, which is why our scrapers have proved themselves in the field,” Volhejn says.
“Because we are an original equipment manufacturer, we have the capacity to customise our products to fit the application.
“We want to give our clients peace of mind – it’s hard enough to handle all the aspects of production. We’re the experts in our field and can find a way to install belt scrapers that will optimise the performance of the conveyor.”
The company is well established on the west coast and is aiming to widen its footprint in the eastern states. It plans to open a warehouse and hire a local representative, service technicians and crew on the other side of the country to help build relationships and demonstrate its expertise.
Volhejn says some of Hosch’s clients see the company’s scrapers as a secret tool to maximise their business.
“We are proud of our success and want to let people know more about the brand and what we can offer,” she says.
“Hosch began developing scrapers for the coal market in Germany in the 1970s, so we’re excited to return to our roots in Australia’s coal mines.”