Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep in the Food Industry
Product quality and safety are critical to the food industry. Product recalls can cause millions of dollars, permanently destroy brand reputation, and can even civil and criminal liabilities.
Unfortunately, the rate of food recalls is increasing, and can be one of the biggest threats to a food company’s profitability, says Food & Safety Magazine.
The cost of product recalls
According to the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) in the United States, food recalls cost companies an average of $10 million in direct costs, and even larger indirect costs from lost sales, insurance, lawsuits, and compliance penalties. The following are some indirect costs a company can experience:
Stopping production
Removing and destroying contaminated products
Investigating and testing to identify the source of the problem—as well as other recall tasks that will require additional manpower and technology
Lost sales from pulling both contaminated products and even the entire product range
Insurance impacts, including increased annual fees and possible cancellation of the plan
Legal fees, settlements, and damages
Penalties from regulatory boards, including fines, shutting down of operations, suspension of registration
Drop in the company’s stock value
Aside from this, a company will often suffer a media backlash, intense public scrutiny, and overall loss of brand confidence. Customers may decide to switch to another product, or even avoid all products by the manufacturer.
This can lead to a long-term sales depression that can take years to shake off, and only with an extensive marketing and public relations campaign.
Quality control requires material control
Poor material flow can have a huge impact on product quality and safety. Stagnant material can become spoiled and rancid, and develop mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms. Inconsistent flow can cause inconsistent flavor, texture, and nutritional value.
However, many food materials have inherently problematic flow properties. Powders can bind to form a cohesive arch. Flax, cocoa or other materials with a high fat content can cake or clog pipes or filters. Other materials can also settle during storage, and absorb moisture from the air to form hard clumps.
So to get their process going—and ensure that they get first in, first out flow—food companies need a reliable material flow aid like AirSweep.
AirSweep in the Food Industry
AirSweep’s powerful bursts of compressed air sweep stagnant material back into the flow stream, and flush the vessel completely clean. It improves productivity, saves time and money from manual hammering and cleaning, and protects product quality.
A commercial bakery had issues with flax oils caking in the discharge up to the filters. They had to throw away 40 pounds of mixture a day, and even had to pay to have it hauled away. Vibrators hardened the discharge—“practically turned the flax into concrete,” the maintenance head described. Fluidizers were too weak to activate the material. AirSweep was the only material flow aid that worked. “’it gets 10 out of 10!”
A spice manufacturer also uses AirSweep to clean its flush ribbon blenders between batch runs. The system has helped them save $200,000 from flushing material alone.
By pulsing the AirSweep units during and after the batch runs, they found that the powerful air pulses swept the vessel walls and inner surfaces of residual powder buildup. This made a significant, positive impact on blend uniformity and dramatically lessened the labor and time needed to clean after the batch runs were completed. This allowed them to add batch runs and increase production output.
Proven effective for the food industry
AirSweep is used in the factories of some of the biggest food manufacturers in Asia and North America, and has been proven for various bulk solids and powders, including:
The AirSweep USDA-accepted models are specially designed to meet the highest standards of sanitation and hygiene. The air-tight nozzle prevents material retention and bacterial growth, and the modular construction is made for easy cleaning and inspection. For convenience, the tri-flange mount allows removal without tools.
Contact us for more information about the use of AirSweep in the food industry, and the best system for your needs.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep Installation FAQs
AirSweep can solve even the most challenging material flow problems—and it’s so easy to install and maintain too. The system can be set up in just a few days and can be attached with simple tools on any kind of vessel.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions that people ask about installing an AirSweep system and integrating it into their process.
Where is the AirSweep Installed?
AirSweep is attached outside of the vessel. Only the nozzle tip comes in direct contact with the material, and the nozzle closes after each short pulse to minimize material feedback. This makes the system more hygienic and prevents damage to the rest of the system.
How is the AirSweep Installed?
AirSweep can be installed in four simple steps.
CUT holes where the couplings will be welded. It can also be retrofitted into existing holes in vessels that previously used other flow aids.
WELD the couplings into place
INSTALL the AirSweep by threading into coupling, and tightening the lock nut once the proper insertion depth is reached.
CONNECT the pulse valve with a flex hose to a rigid header that connects to the air supply
The only tricky part is aligning the vessel, and making sure that the nozzle reaches the proper depth. This video demonstrates it clearly.
Is There an Option to Install AirSweep Without Welding It to the Vessel?
You can use the AirSweep outside-in mounting bracket. The kit has all the parts you need, and it can be installed with just a spanner wrench and a small 1-3/8″ diameter hole.
The brackets are available in three sizes, to accommodate the different models. This option is available for all AirSweep models: VA-06 for small vessels, VA-12 for medium to large vessels, and VA-51 for large vessels.
The bracket is recommended for people who want to:
Minimize modifications to the vessel
Easily remove the nozzle for cleaning
Install the flow aid as quickly as possible
Can AirSweep Be Installed on Different Kinds of Vessels?
Yes. AirSweep can be installed in any vessel or area where material has a tendency to hang up. Aside from silos, hoppers, and other material storage containers, it can be placed in gravity chutes, fine grinding mills, extruders, pneumatic convey lines, cyclones, pipes (including elbows and bends), cyclones, and more.
AirSweep can also be installed on:
Thin vessels that would normally be damaged by agitators, vibrators, or air cannons
Concrete vessels
Very small vessels—even as small as 300 millimeters
Very large vessels
In short, AirSweep can work on any type, size, and material of vessel. We just adjust the system’s pressure and pulse frequency to accommodate any constraints.
How Do I Prepare the Vessel Before Installation?
You do not need to make any changes to the vessel before installing the AirSweep system. It does not require any vessel coating or lining to work. It has such powerful activation that it can move material even on a rough surface.
If your vessel has material, empty it out below the level of where you are installing the nozzle. It can prevent material from spilling while you are drilling the hole and welding on the couplings. However, if you are using aggregate material that won’t spill out, you can actually install the units on a full vessel—if you don’t mind the installation debris.
If sanitation or contamination is a concern, clean out the debris with water or flushing material. You can also use high-pressure cleaning since it won’t affect the AirSweep in any way. The air nozzles are tightly sealed and no water can get in them. In this video, we actually submerged the unit in water to demonstrate its dust-tight, waterproof design.
What Kind of Air Supply Do We Need?
AirSweep can work with any type of pressurized plant air. We recommend treating the air before it goes to the system to avoid introducing moisture into the product.
The key factor is not the type of air that is used but maintaining the correct air pressure and volume. This video explains why.
Where Should I Place the AirSweep Units?
It depends on your material and process. Our engineers will analyze your material flow problem, recommend the best solutions, and then provide a diagram that shows the proper placement, air pressure, and pulse frequency and intervals.
They can also answer any questions you may have about installation—and typically reply in one business day. You can also find the installation guides for your AirSweep model, or watch the installation videos.
Contact us if you have any questions about AirSweep and how it can be integrated into your process.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 7 Companies that Switched from Vibrators to AirSweep
Have you ever shaken a ketchup bottle because the ketchup was stuck? Industrial vibrators work the same way. The movement breaks apart the material and loosens it from the vessel walls.
But as you’ve probably noticed, there will always be a little bit of ketchup left in the bottle. Vibration can never completely flush a vessel completely clean, especially if the material is damp or dense.
In some cases, industrial vibrators can actually make the material more compact, which is why it is sometimes used to compress materials before packaging. But as a material flow aid, it has limited capability and a lot of trade-offs—such as the need to manually clean material residue, or repair vessels because of metal fatigue.
That’s why many companies who tried industrial vibrators looked for a more effective solution, and found it in AirSweep.
Food Industry
To prevent spoilage, food manufacturers need to achieve first in/first out, on-demand flow. Any stagnant material can degrade and contaminate an entire batch.
The food industry also works with materials with problematic flow properties which don’t respond well to vibration.
Dense, Sticky Materials
Ingredients with a high-fat content will stick to vessel walls, and form a dense bridge or arch that cuts off the flow of material.
A cheese company had similar issues with protein concentrate (WPC). Vibrators only packed the sticky material and worsened the problem. Unfortunately, the stagnant material sparked a fire in their baghouses, creating an urgent safety concern.
They switched to the USDA-accepted AirSweep system. The powerful air pulses sliced through the blocks just like an “air knife”, leaving no residue that could compromise both plant safety and product quality. They now use AirSweep in all their plants in the United States.
Fine Powders
A candy manufacturer processes hundreds of pounds of cocoa a day. However, production would stall because the fine powder would pack, bridge and rathole in the hoppers. They tried vibrators, fluidizers and bin aerators—all of which failed. Workers still had to scrape the vessels every 3 days.
But when they switched to AirSweep, success was sweet. “AirSweep works,” said the coatings manager. “We had no breakdowns, replacements or problems whatsoever.” AirSweep also used less plant air and had lower maintenance costs, leading to savings that recovered the system’s cost after two months.
High Moisture Content
A pet food company used a meat, vegetable and grain mixture with a high moisture content. They tried vibrators and pneumatic hammers, but workers still had to climb two stories of stairs to manually clear the bins.
With AirSweep, they were able to achieve on-demand flow. They even use the system to clear out kibble fines as part of the automated clean-outs.
Chemicals
Chemical compounds are used in many industries, such as the dyes and pigments in paints and ceramics, the anti-bacterials in household cleaners, the emulsifiers in food, or the catalyzing agents in pharmaceuticals, and the polymers and plastics in manufacturing.
However, chemicals can have challenging flow properties, and they can react to the environment or with other materials in the process.
Clumping
An aviation company that deices gates, ramps and other airport equipment had issues of their formula forming rock-solid clumps. The company’s process engineer suggested vibrators. But after the maintenance supervisor saw its description of “gentle vibration,” he knew it wouldn’t work.
When they saw how AirSweep worked, they knew they had found the right flow aid. “AirSweep has made a 100% difference to our materials flowing,” he said.
Bridging
A global manufacturer of carbon black additives suppliers over 2 million tons to paint, plastic, rubber, tire and ink industries every year. However, carbon blank has a tendency to form deposits on conveyors, cake while unloading, and bridge in the hoppers.
When vibrators proved ineffective, they switched to AirSweep. Installation took less than 48 hours, and since then, they never had to worry about process delays.
Cement Industry
Cement uses some of the most challenging bulk materials, including fine or moist limestone, slag, clay and bauxite. The cohesive and adhesive properties that make them so ideal for construction also create issues like bridging, ratholing, and flooding.
AirSweep is used in the factories of some of the biggest cement manufacturers in Asia and North America.
A regional manufacturer of asphalt had been using electric vibrators for years. But over the weekend, the asphalt would settle, forcing workers to spend most of Monday clearing out thick layers of compact material.
Once they switched to AirSweep, they never had this problem again. “After four years, we finally have the right solution! We are very happy with the system,” said the plant manager.
AirSweep also helped a cement company in Asia dramatically improve production. Cement materials would solidify because of plant humidity, forcing long plant shutdowns and a loss of $12,000 per hour of downtime.
They had tried vibrators and air knockers, but only AirSweep was able to create on-demand flow—while using half as much energy as other flow aids.
AirSweep is More Effective than Vibrators
Flow tests and case studies have shown that AirSweep is more powerful and cost-efficient than vibrators and other flow aids that use agitation. For more comparisons of AirSweep vs Vibrators, check out these links:
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 4 Ways to Improve Material Handling Efficiency
Material blocks can slow down production, increase costs, and compromise product quality. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy problem to solve.
Many materials have challenging flow properties. Some powders have a tendency to attract moisture and will clump or cake in high humidity. Damp or sticky materials can stick to vessel walls. Others will settle during storage, or aggregate during mixing.
AirSweep is a pneumatic flow aid that can clear material blocks and create on-demand, first in/first out flow. It’s proven effective for even tough materials—and has helped thousands of companies improve material handling efficiency.
Increase Production
Whenever your material flows slowly (or even stops completely) it affects all downstream processes and increases total production time. Sometimes, workers have to stop what they’re doing to clear out the vessel.
This was the problem faced by a minerals processing plant that handles 120,000 tons of material a year. The powders and pebbles would plug the outlets, reducing the flow to a trickle. It took an hour to fill a supersack.
AirSweep eliminated all plugging in the outlets and reduced the filling of supersacks from one hour to two minutes for a 3000% increase in production.
Lower Cost
Poor flow can increase costs because you end up having to throw away entire batches of material. A food company that uses flax and cocoa powder had to throw up to 40 pounds of mixture away a day, and even had to pay to have it hauled away.
Vibrators and fluidizers were ineffective; workers still spent up to one hour a day clearing out material with hammers and sticks.
After AirSweep, everything changed. The system solved 90% of the material retention problems, reduced waste, and improved production speed.
Prevent Safety Hazards
Material handling problems may compromise plant safety, especially if workers have to manually clean out stuck material.
Before, workers had to use a bar to break the material, but this was tedious and potentially hazardous. It took just one day to install the AirSweep, and they never had to worry about clogged clinker again.
Improve Quality Control
Companies may decide to use new materials to improve product quality. This is part of innovation and creating a competitive advantage—but it can introduce new problems during production.
An international paint company needed to use a new grade of titanium dioxide. However, the material, which had finer and lighter particles, had a tendency to bridge above the feeder system and on the pneumatic transport vessels.
AirSweep was installed at these critical points, clearing out the blocks and cutting batch time to just 15 minutes.
Find Your Flow and Improve Material Handling Efficiency
Every material, and every stage of production, can present its own flow challenges. AirSweep can help. Contact us for a customized solution and clear material blocks for good.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep in the Pet Food Industry
The pet food industry is growing, reaching a record $103.6 billion dollars in 2022, and is expected to rise in the coming years. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, owners actually spent 20% to 25% more on their fur baby’s food.
It’s a big opportunity for pet food manufacturers, but unprecedented growth does come with substantial challenges.
Plants have to keep up with the higher production, and meet strict quality standards—not just from discerning pet owners, but industry and state regulatory boards. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has even tightened its requirements for the animal food industry, including a hazard plan to prevent spoilage and contamination, and regular plant inspections.
Problems that Affect Pet Food Production
Proper material flow is essential for meeting those goals. It can prevent many problems that can slow down production, and compromise the quality and safety of the product. Sluggish flow and stagnant material can:
Cause contamination and spoilage. Microorganisms and bacteria can grow in trapped material, or grow on the vessel itself.
Compromise blend uniformity. Sluggish and erratic flow compromises the proportion of materials, affecting the pet food’s quality and nutritional value.
Lead to production delays. Any clogged vessel affects downstream processes and can lead to shutdowns for manual cleaning.
Increase costs. Delayed production can increase manpower hours. Spoiled material and off-spec batches need to be thrown away, and even a single “bad batch” that escapes quality control can lead to product recalls.
Bulk Powders and Solids Used in Pet Food Manufacturing
Pet food is made from meat and meat by-products, cereal grains such as soybean meal and cornmeal, and liquids such as broth, blood, or water. Other materials may be added to improve palatability, consistency, and texture:
Cereal grains such as cornmeal, soybean meal, barley, bran flakes, cracked wheat
Starches and thickeners like cellulose, carrageenan
Flavor enhancers such as fat, fish solubles, protein, or concentrated flavors
Vitamin and mineral supplements
Proteinaceous adhesives such as collagen and casein
Plasticizing agents
Binders
Emulsifiers
Antioxidants to slow down oxidation and rancidity
Preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold
Unfortunately, many of these materials can be very difficult to handle, because of a tendency to form fines, segregate during mixing, or clump when exposed to moisture.
These materials can become compact during storage, and form problematic flow patterns in silos and hoppers. Bridging, arching, and ratholing are very common. And for moist or sticky formulas such as canned food, caking and material residue can plague every step of production.
AirSweep®: The Best Flow Aid for Pet Food
Pet food companies – as well as food and agriculture companies that have similar concerns – use AirSweep to improve material flow.
AirSweep releases high-pressure, high-volume air pulses that sweep all material back into the flow stream. It can be used during production to prevent material blocks and ensure blend uniformity, and between runs to flush vessels completely clean.
AirSweep works with some of the biggest manufacturers of pet food and treats, including one of Canada’s largest dry food manufacturers.
Elmira Pet Products had issues with feed blends bridging in the bottom of the bins. Vibrators and pneumatic hammers didn’t work. Operators still had to hit the bins with sledgehammers and climb into the two-story vessel to clean the receiver.
AirSweep provided on-demand flow and even shortened their cleaning time. They use AirSweep VA-12 units to clear material hang-ups in the dry mix bins, and AirSweep VA-06 units to clear kibble fines above the airlock.
The Proof is in the Flow
AirSweep’s precise air pulses are effective for bulk powders and solids used in the pet food industry. Watch the videos:
AirSweep is also used in other industries to promote on-demand flow of even the most challenging bulk materials. Contact us for more information, or to request a material flow test.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on Yoda Would Love the AirSweep Force
Happy Star Wars Day!
Today, let’s talk about The Force since Yoda would love the AirSweep Force.
You use force when you hammer your vessels, and some flow aids like vibrators and bin activators will also physically agitate the material.
That’s brute force: strong, but not precise. You still have leftover material. The constant abuse wears out the vessel, and the noise stresses out your workers.
AirSweep also uses force but in a more efficient way. The nozzles release powerful air pulses, when and where you need them. These break up the material blocks and sweep stagnant material back into the flow stream.
And when you use the force, everything flows with ease: your material, your process, and your entire workday. Watch how easy it can get – and if you want to see how it will work in your plant, we can send you more information and a customized proposal.
As Yoda would say, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Read about how AirSweep succeeded where all other flow aids failed.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on Happy (Less) Labor Day!
This International Labor Day, we’d like to thank all our distributors for all your hard work. You have helped us bring AirSweep to all parts of the world, and serve thousands of clients from every industry.
The Control Concepts team is here to help you succeed and make your job easier. If you haven’t already, please check the distributor portal for resources like:
AirSweep Certificate Course to help you familiarize yourself with the system and confidently answer your customers’ questions
Ready-to-use sales presentations in PowerPoint and PDF formats
Product brochures, competitor comparisons, and case studies you can email to your prospects
Videos that demonstrate how the AirSweep works on different materials
We hope these resources can help you with your sales and marketing efforts. Please let us know if your customers have questions or objections that aren’t currently covered. This can help us improve our content, and give you what you need in order to succeed.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on The Most Cost-Effective Way to Improve a Material Handling System
Anyone who works in material handling—or the process of moving, processing, and storing materials—knows how even a small issue can snowball into a bigger and more expensive problem. One machine breaks down, and production stalls. One ingredient spoils, and the entire batch is compromised.
What material handling issue gives you the biggest problems? What are some “quick fixes” that you can make that can make a big difference in production speed, quality, and cost? In this post, let’s look at how some companies improved their material handling system and its impact on their bottom line.
Frequent Downtimes
A US-based utilities company uses bituminous waste coal, a mining by-product, to produce clean energy. The thick material—which contains sandstone, clay, and moisture—had a tendency to cake in the feed chutes.
Workers had to enter the chutes to chip at the blocks. This occurred 15 times during each 12-hour shift, taking 20 minutes each time.
Manual cleaning caused downtime and increased labor costs. Workers were also unnecessarily exposed to dust, which can cause damage to the respiratory system through prolonged or repeated inhalation.
The company replaced manual cleaning with an AirSweep system. The AirSweep VA-51 can activate 6 to 8 feet in diameter of material and is effective even for heavy materials such as sandstone and clay.
After installing AirSweep, the plant no longer experienced plugging concerns in the feed chute. They experienced improved productivity and had lower energy costs compared to previous flow aids. “The AirSweep units paid for themselves within 2 weeks!” said the plant engineer.
Poor Product Uniformity
One of the world’s largest tire manufacturers uses carbon black to improve durability and performance. It conducts heat away from the tread and belt area and can reduce rolling resistance.
However, carbon black has a tendency to pack and leave deposits. Bridging above the hopper discharge caused frequent delays, and the material residue led to off-spec batches that had to be discarded.
The company tried fluidizers, but despite running continuously (and consuming a lot of plant air), these still left material residue.
AirSweep proved to be the more cost-effective solution for material handling efficiency. The system flushed away all carbon black residue and used less energy because the pulses were pulsed in a specific sequence and positioned at problem spots.
“AirSweep has provided us with reliable flow and reliable batch uniformity,” said the manufacturer’s engineering technology specialist.
Slow Loading Times
One of the biggest challenges of bulk material handling is loading the final product for transportation to the end-user.
For many years, a major distributor of granulated sugar with multiple locations across the United States had issues with unloading sugar from railcars. Sugar has a tendency to attract moisture, and cake or clump during storage.
The company tried industrial vibrators, which actually made the material more compact. Operators had no choice but to enter the car or do rodding. This affected loading times and worker safety.
Finally, the company found a faster and safer solution: AcoustiClean Sonic Horns. These devices focus sound energy that pushes material in a fast, steady flow. The horns were attached to the railcar’s top access hatch, so all workers had to do was open the hatch and the discharge gate.
Material Pile-Up
If equipment fails, any material that is being loaded or processed can overflow and lead to a material pile-up.
If that occurs, it can take hundreds of manhours just to clean up the mess. A concrete company that processes 250 tons of gravel per hour calculated that it would take 3 people at least 3 hours to shovel one ton. “We would have to shovel for days!”
To prevent the problem, the company installed DAZIC zero speed switches on their conveyor system. Once equipment runs outside of pre-set speed limits, the switches send an alarm to the operator to stop operations.
The DAZIC Zero Speed Switches used by Barnes Concrete cost less than $900 each, and have not broken down after more than a decade of use.
Can We Help You?
Small fixes can give big results. Your material handling system can be improved without very expensive investments or complicated installations and changes to your process. In fact, our AirSweep ROI calculator will show you how our system can actually help you save money, compared to your current flow aids.
Contact us and we’ll be happy to work with you to find a material handling solution and a customized ROI.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 3 Ways AirSweep Can Help You Be More Environmentally-Friendly
Earth Day is just around the corner, and we want to share how AirSweep is an environmentally-friendly flow aid solution!
One of the biggest challenges of the manufacturing industry is sustainability and how to reduce our carbon footprint. Many companies – including some of AirSweep’s biggest clients – are actually rethinking their process to:
Lower energy consumption
Shift to more environmentally-friendly materials
Reduce or reuse waste material
That’s where AirSweep can help.
Get better flow with less energy. AirSweep uses less plant air and energy than other flow aids, including fluidizers, air cannons, vibrators, and air knockers.
Reduce material waste. A commercial bakery had to throw away 40 pounds of mixture a day because stagnant material would spoil or contaminate the next batch. AirSweep reduced material retention by 90%.
Work with any material. With AirSweep, plants can use any recyclable or renewable materials, even those that have challenging flow properties. For example, it works on plastic regrind, recycled carpet material, and ground oat hulls (a waste material that can be turned into biomass fuel).
Contact us to find out more about how AirSweep can help a company’s efforts to increase productivity and sustainability.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 3 Ways to Improve the Efficiency of Material Handling Equipment
Material handling equipment stores, moves, controls or protects material as it goes through different processes in warehouses, plants, and other facilities. These are designed to carry large loads and improve production speed and safety.
Types of Material Handling Equipment
“Material handling equipment” is a broad term, and covers everything from the simplest shelf to complex, fully-automated systems. However, equipment generally falls under four general categories:
Bulk material handling. Used to store loose powders or solids and transfer these to the next processing stage. Includes silos, hoppers, reclaimers, conveyor belts, stackers, and bucket and grain elevators.
Engineered systems/automated systems. Removes the need for manual labor to significantly improve productivity, quality control, and plant safety. Includes automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robotic delivery stems, and conveyor systems.
Industrial trucks. Used to stack, load, and transport materials. Includes hand trucks (also called dollies), side loaders, pallet trucks, and order pickers.
Storage and handling. Stores and organizes materials. Includes bins and drawers, mezzanines, racks, and stacking frames.
While bulk material handling systems are made up of reliable machines, there are several problems that can still plague production.
Prevent Spillage with DAZIC
Spillage can stop production, waste materials, and lead to hours of difficult clean-up. It typically occurs at loading points if the upstream conveyor is too fast, or because of a steep incline that causes the material to slump back. Spillage can also occur at discharge points if the flow rate is too fast.
DAZIC zero speed switches can be attached on any material handling equipment that is part of a conveyor system or other shaft-driven process components. The switches stop operations when a machine slows down, stops, or deviates from standard operating parameters.
Barnes Concrete Co., Inc, a ready-mix concrete manufacturer, has used DAZIC to prevent spillage issues. Their feeders load 250 tons of gravel per hour; if any of that equipment failed, it would take three people at least three hours to shovel one ton of gravel. “It would be a nightmare if the DAZIC didn’t shut the conveyor belt down. I don’t even want to think about it,” said the plant supervisor.
Ensure Material Flow with AirSweep
Some materials have poor flow properties and have a tendency to block the discharge. Problems can occur if:
The material is cohesive enough to form bridges and ratholes
The material is a fine powder that behaves like liquid when aerated
The material is prone to sifting segregation
The material is hygroscopic and can cake or clump in humid plant environments
Flow properties must be considered when selecting the design of the material handling equipment. For example, hopper walls must be steep enough and should not generate too much friction, and the feeder should be able to discharge the material across the entire outlet cross section.
Material tests can determine the flow behaviors by measuring its cohesive strength, internal and wall friction, bulk density, and the gas permeability of fine powders. Ideally, the tests replicate the handling conditions such as temperature and humidity, moisture content, and time at rest.
Some vessels are pre-equipped with fluidizers to activate material. However, these are only effective for fine powders that respond to gentle aeration. It is more cost-effective to use a flow aid like AirSweep, which can activate even wet, sticky, or heavy materials.
AirSweep can be mounted on any vessel with simple tools, and installation can be completed within just a few days. Various companies have found AirSweep to be more effective than fluidizers, air cannons, and industrial vibrators.
Clear Dust and Powders with AcoustiClean
Materials like gypsum, flour, and sawdust are naturally dusty; processing methods, such as rough mechanical handling, can also create dust. This can affect worker safety since many materials can cause respiratory problems or even fatal lung disease after continuous exposure.
In some cases, dust or fine powders can affect the material handling equipment’s efficiency. The dust can affect heat transfer efficiency, and eventually cause it to clog and break down. This was the problem experienced by a US-engineered wood manufacturer, who had issues with soot accumulating in the boiler. Unfortunately, soot blowers warped in the furnace’s intense temperature.
The manufacturer replaced the soot blowers with AcoustiClean sonic horns, which produce high-energy, low-frequency sound vibrations that disperse dry material from material handling equipment. The cast-iron horns can withstand temperatures up to 2000ºF and require very little maintenance.
Customized Solutions for Every Process
Every process and material will have its own challenges. We work with you to understand your needs, and then customize a solution that can improve plant productivity, efficiency, and safety. Contact us to find out more about what AirSweep, Dazic, and AcoustiClean, and how they can be integrated into your process.
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