Minimal Footprint, Maximum Elevation: A greener path to progress

Biomass energy has been integral to human life since the dawn of civilization, starting with the burning of wood for cooking and heating. Today, wood remains the largest source of biomass energy.

Biomass can be converted into fuels, electricity, and other products traditionally made from fossil fuels, offering a renewable alternative that reduces environmental impact.

Before founding DSI, Joe Dos Santos was behind several groundbreaking installations of high-angle conveyors that transported biomass for sustainable environmental purposes. DSI has continued this legacy, introducing innovative solutions for our clients, such as the hybrid Sandwich Belt conveyor system installed in 2021.

Sustainability also extends to energy derived from natural, fuel-free sources. For example, we engineered a unique downhill overland conveyor system at a gold mine that captures and converts natural potential energy into power, which is then fed back into the mine’s grid.

Discover more about our environmentally conscious innovations that are helping to shape a more sustainable future.

Sandwich Belt High Angle Conveyors in Harmony with the Environment

 

Various industries have utilized Sandwich Belt conveyors. Even before the increased awareness for environmental compliance, Sandwich Belt conveyors provided many benefits with their natural capabilities.

COMPOSTING PLANTS

 

Solid waste is any garbage, refuse, sludge or other waste material. Making productive use of these materials is always preferred to disposal in landfills or incineration into the atmosphere.

Four, JA Dos Santos Sandwich belt systems facilitated the transport of compost that was turned into a soil additive.

REFUSE POWER PLANTS

 

Waste to energy plants use household garbage as fuel for generating power. One such plant replaced four Flexowall systems with JA Dos Santos Sandwich belt systems to bring power to their customers. This eliminated the use of coal, oil and natural gas and used RDF that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.

FUEL TO CEMENT PLANT

 

A unique installation was designed to provide an efficient way to deliver an alternative fuel source for cement production. DSI met the challenge in this project by providing a vertical Sandwich Belt conveyor to elevate shredded tire chips, 133 feet up along the face of an adjacent building, while maintaining secure vehicle access underneath the system.

HOG FUEL AT PULP AND PAPER

 

Hog fuel is a wood residue made up of bark, sawdust and rejected wood chips that are screened out after chipping. It is a valuable fuel source for the heat and power required to run the mill.

In this particular installation, the DSI Sandwich Belt high angle conveyor elevates hog fuel to fuel a paper mill in Rumford, ME.

OVERLAND CONVEYOR FEEDS POWER BACK TO MINE GRID

 

First contracted as a DSI GPS (Gently Pressed Sandwich) high angle conveyor, the Los Filos gold mine in central Mexico had to settle for a conventional overland conveyor when the geology of the mountain side proved to be unstable.

Continuing to provide cost saving innovations, DSI rationalized a 10-flight system to 7-flights using horizontal curves. Because the path is downhill, the flights became decisively regenerative feeding power back into the mine grid which powers the other mine equipment.

SERVICES CORNER

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

Amy Duncan will present on Sandwich Belt high angle conveyors in IPCC at the International Copper Conference taking place November 16-22, 2025 in Phoenix, AZ.