Getting Started

Follow these steps to get up to speed with HelixChute2:

  1. Install the program – see Installing HelixChute2.
  2. Open one of the sample project files under samples\Projects (File > Open Project...) and explore its chute faces, layers, DEM inputs etc.
  3. Run the DEM calculation on a sample file to see the particle flow (Calculate).
  4. Start a new design – see Project & Geometry Files.
  5. Before drawing, check the design rules for chute width, wall angles, drop heights and where to place the chute – see Chute Design Guidelines.
  6. Draw the chute geometry in the program, or import it from a CAD/3D program – see Chute Drawing Data Structure and Importing Geometry.
  7. Or build a typical transfer quickly with the parametric drawing tools. Right-click the Layers table on the Chute Faces tabsheet and choose a Draw tool, enter a few dimensions, and it draws that part of the transfer as a new layer. Working in this order, each part can be fitted to the ones already drawn:
    1. The feed and receiving conveyors – see Draw Belt.
    2. The enclosure around the head pulley – see Draw Discharge Head Box.
    3. The path of the material leaving the head pulley, to see where the stream goes before placing anything in it – see Draw Discharge Trajectory.
    4. If required, a rock box inside the head box, or a curved impact plate – see Draw Rock Box and Draw Curved Impact Plate.
    5. The chute from the head box down to the receiving belt – see Draw Lower Chute.
    6. The enclosure where material is loaded onto the receiving belt – see Draw Loading Boot.
    7. The skirt boards along the receiving belt – see Draw Skirts.
    Each layer can then be moved, rotated or edited like any other – see Move a Layer and Rotate Layer.
  8. Add pulleys if required – see Add/Edit Pulleys.
  9. Add material feed points – see Adding Material Feed Boxes.
  10. Enter the DEM calculation parameters – see DEM Inputs and Settings.
  11. Run the DEM calculations – see Performing DEM Calculations.
  12. Fine-tune the DEM inputs and move chute layers/faces as needed – see Fine Tuning DEM Inputs.
  13. Re-run the calculation and record the data – see Recording Calculation Results.
  14. Optionally record a video of the run – see Record a Video (MP4).
  15. Play back the recording and trace particles – see Playback Calculation Results and Trace a Single Particle.
  16. View and print reports – see Calculation Reports.
  17. Finalise the geometry and export it back to CAD/3D if needed – see Exporting Geometry.
  18. Save the project (File > Save Project) and start your next design.