Gentle cargo handling...

When it comes to bulk material handling applications, hoppers are a crucial component for material flow and control. Poorly designed transfer systems and hoppers can produce dust issues, irregular material flows and even product degradation. For these reasons, it is important to choose hoppers for dry bulk loading systems that are designed and sold by vendors who understand material behaviour, and who can couple that expertise with design knowledge to supply hoppers that best suit the product and space needs.

DSH Systems’ specially designed hoppers are made to be as simple as possible, whilst doing the absolute most to protect the assets and products of its customers. Specifically developed to reduce and control dust when bulk loading dry, granular free-flowing products, DSH is the invention of Trevor Schwass, who hails from the sunny Hawkes Bay region on the east coast of New Zealand. Schwass was working as a maintenance site engineer at

Ravensdown fertilizer plant in Napier when he first developed the DSH System. The site was suffering from huge amounts of dust that was being created during loading, so with worker health and air pollution at the forefront of his mind, Schwass used his expertise to set about solving the dust problem that has plagued the bulk handling industry for years.

In 2004, after several years of designing, tinkering, and fine-tuning, DSH Systems’ award-winning dust suppression hopper was born. Schwass managed to create a simple, autonomous systems that required minimal utilities, maintenance, or expertise to install, and the ‘magic bucket’ has been clearing the air ever since. After that first installation in New Zealand, thousands of DSH systems have since been installed across the globe. With its handpicked and trusted worldwide distribution network, DSH Systems’ units have been fitted everywhere from ports in Japan to quarries in France, and everywhere in between.

DSH Systems’ Dust Suppression

Hopper system is the preferred choice of many industries due to its unique and efficient features. With its simple and ingenious design, the systems are easy to install and can be designed to fit both new and existing structures with minimal downtime. The DSH hopper is installed under a loose bulk material infeed point, where it is suspended in a fixed location above a receiving vessel or loading area. As the hopper fills the product level rises and the springs extend, progressively opening the flow control gap and balancing the product flowing in and out of the hopper. As the product passes through the hopper, our unique design expels air and compresses the product into a solid column as it exits the hopper. The solid discharge column falls through the air virtually dust free for many metres, before driving into the pile formed on the floor or in a receiving vessel, resulting in minimal dust release and product loss. Working autonomously and requiring very minimal maintenance, DSH Systems units are a game changer for the dry bulk handling industry.

With its range of construction materials and sizes, DSH Systems’ dust suppression hoppers can be used with a vast number of dry bulk materials. Available in polyethylene for general applications, steel for mild steel, electro-galvanized, Corten or Hardox, where aggressive or abrasive materials are being handled, 304-grade stainless steel for the handling of warm or abrasive materials, and 316grade stainless steel for food grade handling and corrosive materials, there is a DSH for almost every application. With installations moving everything from grains and meals to fertilizers and quarry goods, the company has tested or installed a DSH hopper for over 60 different dry bulk commodities.

One recent installation DSH has overseen is the port at Phu My, Vietnam, the country’s leading port for dry bulk commodities. Incoming grain from ships and soybean meal produced at the adjacent soybean crushing facility is transferred at the port to trucks and barges for shipment to locations throughout Vietnam. These active grain loading and transfer operations previously produced huge amounts of dust, resulting low visibility, worker health and environmental concerns, cleaning and operations issues and poor air quality.

To solve these issues, the port initially invested in DSH Systems in 2021, and has since installed hoppers at five key grain transfer locations at the facility, including inside a warehouse, at a barge loading dock, and at three truck loading locations. Since then, an additional six systems have been installed at the port, and ground operation employees have reported a dust reduction of up to 85%. “It needs very minimal maintenance and it is a very efficient system,” said one operator. “Everyone is very satisfied with the system and we are looking to install more dust suppression hoppers in the future.”

With every hopper installed, DSH contributes to better worker health as well as environmental protection, all whilst ensuring a clean and efficient loading method. By limiting dust generation, a DSH hopper minimizes fugitive particles escaping into the air, preventing the pollution of precious oceans, waterways and other areas, and minimizing health hazards for both humans and animals associated with the inhalation of dust. DSH strives to offer exceptional products and service, all whilst being proudly Kiwi-owned and operated.