A self-dumping hopper is an incredibly versatile container that’s easy to empty and is often used with a forklift for storing and transporting various materials. It was invented by Joseph Roura in the late 1920s and is used today in construction, agriculture, manufacturing, warehousing, and many other industries.
How They Work
Self-dumping hoppers can work in many ways based on their design. For instance, most of our models are forward-dumping, so when the lever assembly is activated, the hoppers tilt forward, releasing the contents. Once the hopper is empty, it returns to a locked, upright position.
There are many types of self-dumping hoppers, like open-sided, 90-degree, and bottom drop that operate in different ways, but generally, hoppers are activated, tilt in a specific direction, and then returned to their original position.
No matter the design, they all work to fulfill one purpose—making material handling easier for forklift operators by allowing them to dump materials without leaving the forklift.
Benefits
- Incredibly safe as they reduce risks from manual dumping or material handling.
- Allows for quick loading and unloading of all types of materials, ranging from lumber and sheet metal to wood shavings.
- Typically constructed from heavy-duty steel to withstand industrial environments.
- Works with standard forklifts and other material handling equipment.
- Eliminates the need for multiple transportation attempts when moving waste and debris.
Industry Uses
Self-dumping hoppers have transformed material handling processes in many industries. You’ll find hoppers used in glassmaking, construction, milling, woodworking, food processing, mining, solid waste management, and agricultural environments. Hoppers are also critical in manufacturing, including metal fabrication (casting, forging, roll forming, metal stamping, etc.), furniture manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, and plastics manufacturing. This is just a short list, but it should show how extensively they’re used.
How Hoppers Are Made
Every manufacturer constructs their hoppers differently. Roura Material Handling manufactures a variety of self-dumping hoppers, each with different load and volume capacities, using 12-gauge, 10-gauge, 7-gauge, and 1/4” steel for improved strength. They’re also customizable based on customers’ needs and can be safely and easily used with material handling equipment, such as forklifts. Customizable features include (but are not limited to):
- Left-hand or right-hand mechanical release systems.
- Lift-up, auto latch, or pull-down handles.
- Optional casters (available in many materials ranging from ductile iron to rubber).
- Optional watertight covers for additional protection and security.
- Standard fork entry bases, boxed tube bases, three-way bases, or base legs.
Roura also engineers specialty hoppers based on unique industry applications. Some of our specialty hoppers include our Dewatering model for processing and transporting wet materials, our Dross configuration for handling extremely hot materials like forgings, and our Skeleton design for transporting and storing sheet metal.
Learn More About Our Self-Dumping Hoppers
Not all self-dumping hoppers are made the same. If you’re interested in learning more about our unique hoppers, please visit our website or contact one of our specialists today.