Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on How Does AirSweep Prevent Machine Downtime?
Machine downtime is one of the most common and expensive problems in industrial or manufacturing facilities. According to a Forbes report, companies experience 800 hours of downtime per year, or more than 15 hours a week.
That has a huge impact on revenue. For example, an automotive manufacturer loses about $22,000 for every minute of lost production time. A cement manufacturer loses $12,000 an hour. This doesn’t include the indirect costs incurred:
There are two kinds of machine downtime: planned downtime or the expected time required for routine cleaning and maintenance, and unplanned downtime caused by equipment failure, operator error, and poor material flow.
Equipment failure and operator error are relatively rare and can be avoided through regular inspection and proper training. However, poor material flow can happen every day.
Many bulk powders and solids are prone to bridging and ratholing, which obstructs vessel outlets until the flow slows down or stops completely. The machines must be shut down so workers can clear out the material blocks or scrape away residue on the walls.
This was exactly what happened in the Mexico plant of a regional manufacturer of asphalt products. “Over the weekend, when the plant was unstaffed, the asphalt materials would settle completely. When workers returned on Monday, they had to climb seven meters down into the dark silo, and clear thick layers of compacted material just to get the factory running again,” said the Sales Manager.
An electricity-generating plant faced similar issues with bituminous coal, a mining by-product used as a clean energy source. The material would plug in the chutes, forcing operators to shut down the process so workers could chip away at the caked-on material. This occurred 15 times during each 12-hour shift, taking 20 minutes each time.
Machine downtime from poor material flow was creating production losses and safety hazards. Fortunately, they found a simple, reliable solution: AirSweep pneumatic flow aids.
Reduce Machine Downtime With AirSweep
AirSweep has helped thousands of plants around the world eliminate bridging, ratholing, and other common causes of machine downtime.
Each nozzle emits a high-pressure, high-volume, 360-degree burst of compressed air to lift and sweep stalled material back into the flow stream – clearing the way for higher factory and material handling efficiency.
AirSweep works where other flow aids have failed. The asphalt manufacturer had tried electric vibrators and air cannons, but workers still had to hammer away at the material blocks. After installing AirSweep, they never encountered material blocks again.
“After four years, we finally have the right solution! We are very happy with the system.” They have saved time, energy, and money from maintenance costs and losses from machine downtime, and are looking to install units in their other plants.
The electricity generating plant reported similar success. AirSweep solved all plugging issues and used less energy than air cannons and other flow aids they had tried. With their higher productivity and lower energy costs, they have already gotten their full return on investment. “AirSweep paid for itself in just two weeks!” said Jeffrey Campbell, Plant Engineer.
Get the AirSweep solution
Contact us to find out more about how AirSweep can restore material flow, increase productivity, and prevent machine downtime.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 4 Types of Material Handling Equipment that Improve Factory Efficiency
Material handling equipment can help store, move, and process large volumes of material. It increases production speed and helps prevent some risks of manual processes: injury, human error, or exposure to chemicals and hazardous materials.
There are many types of material handling equipment, and some machines are even customized for particular processes. However, these can be divided into four general categories that serve a specific purpose in the production line.
Bulk material storage equipment
This is one of the most common types of material handling equipment and is used in even the smallest and simplest facilities. As the name implies, it is used to store raw materials before they are transported or used in production.
The most basic storage and handling equipment are drawers, racks, and stacking frames. Larger warehouses may use mezzanines or elevated floor systems that can hold more materials.
The best storage and handling equipment will maximize space, prevent damage to the materials, and make it easier for workers to safely and easily access what they need.
Bulk material handling equipment
This is a broad term for any type of material handling equipment used to move or process bulk powders or solids. Examples include:
Silos: This is a tower used for storing grains and other food products, coal, wood chips, sawdust, sand, metal waste, and more. Interestingly, this is one of the oldest types of material handling equipment—the first stone silos date back to 1700-1800 BC.
Hoppers: This cone-shaped vessel helps funnel material from one stage of production to the other. It is typically used for particulate matter or any material that can flow. However, many materials can become compact because of moisture content, or the size and shape of the particles.
Conveyor belts: This automatically transports materials over several feet, even through steep inclines.
Reclaimers: This has a rotating scoop that gathers loose material and places it on a conveyor belt.
Bucket elevators: This is used to vertically haul powder or free-flowing materials such as grains, sugar, limestone, etc.
Engineered Systems
This works with other types of material handling equipment to automate the storage and transportation of material. This includes Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), Automated Conveyor Systems, Robotic Delivery Systems, and Automatic Guided Vehicles.
Material Flow Aids
One of the biggest challenges of bulk material handling is how to ensure reliable, first in/first out flow. Many bulk powders and solids can settle and become compact during storage. Others are prone to bridging and ratholing, which blocks the discharge outlet.
Material flow aids break up the material blocks and push material through the vessel. Types of material flow aids include:
Pneumatic flow aids that use air pulses (ex: AirSweep, fluidizers, air cannons)
Industrial vibrators that use mechanical agitation (ex: vibrators, air hammers)
Chemical flow aids that are mixed into the material to change its flow properties (ex: fumed silica, magnesium stearate)
Among all these types of material handling equipment, AirSweep has proven to deliver the best results at lower costs. Unlike other pneumatic flow aids, it can activate even sticky, heavy, and moist materials. It uses less energy and does less damage to vessels than vibrators, and does not compromise the product formula like chemical additives.
Discover the difference between AirSweep and other types of material handling equipment in this in-depth flow aid competitive analysis. You can also contact us to find out how AirSweep can help improve your productivity, product quality, and plant safety.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on Where Can You Install an AirSweep?
AirSweep pneumatic flow aid systems are used in thousands of plants around the world. Aside from improving material flow, one of its biggest benefits is its simple and fast installation. You do not need special tools or skills to attach the nozzle, and you can use the system on any storage silos and hoppers, chutes, blenders, or any vessel of any size.
AirSweep can even be used in many vessels or environments where other flow aids simply won’t work. Here’s what you need to know about installing an AirSweep—and why it’s the easiest, most effective fix for material blocks.
AirSweep is easy to install
The AirSweep system consists of a nozzle that releases powerful bursts of pressured air. This is hooked up to an air supply through high-flow solenoid valves and an air receiver. An electronic sequence controller sets the duration and frequency of the pulses.
The nozzle is attached to the outside of the vessel. You just need to cut small holes to accommodate the nozzle tip, and then weld the couplings into place. Finally, insert the AirSweep nozzle to the desired depth and then tighten the lock nuts to hold it in place. It’s that simple!
The AirSweep can also be installed without any welding, using the outside of the mounting bracket. We recommend this option if you want to avoid modifying the vessel, or if you need to remove the nozzle often for frequent sanitation and cleaning.
Follow these simple steps on how to install the AirSweep without any welding or special tools:
AirSweep can be used on any vessel
Many flow aids like air cannons or vibrators are so bulky or generate so much metal fatigue that they cannot be used on small vessels or cramped locations. In contrast, AirSweep’s air pulses do not damage the vessels and have a sleek and compact design.
That is why AirSweep is the best flow aid for any vessel: storage silos and hoppers, gravity chutes, cyclones, blenders, pipes, conveyors, and more.
A plastic and chemical manufacturer found that it was the best flow aid for cyclone efficiency. They had frequent production delays because of the build-up of adipic acid. It would coat the upper discharge area, forming a cake-like crust. Bridging over the discharge would lead to complete blockage. The product-laden air would also fail to drop out and return to the baghouse. As a result, good product would get carried to the waste stream.
Vibrators, fluidizers, and other flow aids would not have been able to solve this problem. AirSweep engineers positioned AirSweep units strategically to prevent bridging at critical areas, leading to better flow and fewer operator interactions.
AirSweep can be used in hazardous environments
AirSweep has been fully tested and approved for use in hazardous and explosive environments. It has even received ATEX certification. ATEX (which stands for ATmosphères EXplosibles) is required for all products that are used in explosive environments in the European Union.
An explosive atmosphere can be caused by a variety of substances and chemicals in the air, such as flammable gases, mists or vapours, or fine organic dusts like grain flour or wood. This includes petrochemical industries, underground mining, and food production.
AirSweep can be used in sanitary process environments
Some industries, such as food and pharmaceuticals, must meet strict regulations on sanitary processes and equipment.
The USDA-accepted AirSweep has been developed specifically for this environment. The model incorporates sanitary design and fabrication principles to meet the guidelines set by the USDA. It has flanged connections for simple tool-less removal and easy assembly/disassembly with simple hand tools for inspection and cleaning. All parts are resistant to corrosive products and cleaning/sanitizing chemicals.
Get a custom installation proposal now
Each process, material, and vessel is unique. The AirSweep engineers will analyze your material flow problem, and recommend the best system for your needs—including the best AirSweep model, where to install it on your vessel, and what pulse frequency and sequence to follow.
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 5 Common Bulk Solids Handling Equipment
Bulk solids material handling equipment are used to store, move, and process raw materials and products. They speed up production and ensure that bulk materials can be handled in a safe and sanitary way.
The first bulk solids material handling equipment dates back to 1795: a primitive conveyor belt made of leather and a wooden bed that was used to transport grains and mining materials. Today, the equipment has become faster, more durable, and more precise. The latest automated systems even use machine learning and motion sensor technology and require very minimal human intervention.
Here are some of the most commonly used bulk solids material handling equipment that can be found in almost any processing facility that handles large volumes of material.
Hoppers and chutes
Hoppers and chutes are used to automatically feed material into the production line for further processing. They are usually connected to other bulk solids handling equipment such as conveyors, crushers, mixers, or dryers.
Hoppers are typically set up to allow a controlled feed rate, but material blocks can slow down the discharge or even stop it completely. That is why it is necessary to understand the material flow properties, select the right hopper angle and outlet size, and install a reliable flow aid like AirSweep.
Silos
Silos are used for storing bulk materials. These are typically used for food and agricultural products, but can also hold other bulk solids like cement materials, sawdust, woodchips, metal waste, and chemicals like carbon black and aluminum oxide.
The terms silos and hoppers are often used interchangeably, although there are distinct differences between these two bulk solids handling equipment. Watch this video on silos vs hoppers.
Conveyors
Conveyors are used to transport bulk materials or goods. Most conveyors still use the traditional belt design. Some applications use pulleys or buckets or have cleated surfaces to keep materials secure or evenly spaced.
When choosing the right conveyor (or any bulk solids handling equipment), users must consider the bulk material’s dimensions, weight, and fragility, as well as the plant environment like risk for corrosion and available space.
Conveyors and other bulk solids material handling equipment used for transporting materials such as bucket elevators will always have a risk for material spills. This typically occurs when one of the parts malfunction and cause the conveyor to run faster or slower than intended.
A DAZIC Zero Speed Switch can be installed into the conveyor or transport system to detect abnormal speeds and signal the operator before a spill occurs.
Stackers
Stackers are used to lift and stack heavy loads on warehouses and docks. Some warehouse automation systems combine stackers with autonomous shelf loader robots and shuttles, or systems that track inventory and coordinated routing. (Read our article on Top 5 Technologies for Automated Bulk Material Handling.)
Reclaimers
One of the largest bulk solids handling equipment, reclaimers are used to recover bulk materials from a stockpile. They typically consist of a bucket-wheel, counterweight boom, rocker, and a conveyor system.
Both stackers and reclaimers are used extensively in the mined minerals industry or other applications that have to gather raw materials from piles before redistributing them for shipment or processing.
Protect material flow in bulk solids handling equipment
Materials can often settle during storage, or develop flow problems during transportation and processing. AirSweep can help activate material to prevent material blocks or correct erratic flow.
AirSweep can be installed on any bulk solids handling equipment– silos, hoppers, conveyors, bucket elevators, or any vessel where material can hang up. Contact us to find out more about how to use AirSweep in your system.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on The Hidden Cost of Poor Material Handling
Any industry that handles powder or bulk solids will experience a flow problem at some point in the process. However, poor material handling doesn’t just clog up a vessel, it can lower productivity, increase costs, and affect product quality.
Poor material handling costs accumulate across different aspects of production. Here’s a list of how material blocks or erratic flow can affect your bottom line.
Bottlenecks in production
Bridging and ratholing in one vessel can affect all downstream processes. In some cases, an entire line of machines needs to be shut down because a silo or hopper needs to be manually cleaned.
A paint company that was using titanium dioxide—a fine powder that is prone to bridging—was experiencing poor material flow in the live bin bottom feeder, collection hopper, the screw conveyor, and pneumatic transport vessel. Each time the material moved to another stage of production, the material would clog up. It took over 50 minutes just to transport one batch over 325 feet.
AirSweep completely resolved the poor material handling issues and cut batch time to just 15 minutes, dramatically improving productivity.
Idle machine time
Every hour of machine downtime means lost productivity. A cement company even calculated their loss at $12,000 for every hour of downtime—not including the manpower hours they lost while their workers hammered at the silos.
Poor material handling is expensive. After installing AirSweep, their productivity increased and they also saved more on energy, because the system used less energy and air than the other flow aids they had tried.
Spoiled material
A commercial bakery had issues with flax and cocoa bridging above the discharge and caking on the walls and filter bags. This led to numerous delays and expensive wastage. They had to throw away up to 40 pounds of mixture a day and even had to pay to have it hauled away.
AirSweep solved 90% of their poor material handling problems. Aside from reducing wastage and improving production speed, they no longer need to climb equipment to dismantle and clean the ingredient receiver.
Cost of Maintenance
Choosing the wrong flow aid can lead to poor material handling. You need to consider the material flow properties, and both the capacity and cost of using a flow aid.
Fluidizers can only activate light powders and have a small activation radius. So, you will need to install several units to achieve material flow. Aside from this, fluidizers have to run continuously, which can be very expensive in countries that have high electricity costs.
Vibrators can cause some materials to become compact, and cannot completely remove residue on vessel walls. They also consume a lot of electricity and cause metal fatigue that can damage vessels.
In contrast, AirSweep is effective and energy efficient. It is used by thousands of plants around the world to guarantee on-demand flow of even the toughest materials: powders, moist and sticky compounds, heavy solids, or even irregular particles that have a tendency to segregate.
Though it taps the same level of air pressure as fluidizers, air vibrators, and other similar equipment, the AirSweep system does not run continuously. It starts and stops with the discharge cycle, and runs in a sequence with one pulse at a time. So overall, it uses less compressed air than a flow aid that runs continuously.
By increasing production and lowering maintenance and operating costs, AirSweep can actually pay for itself after just a few weeks.
Solve poor material handling with AirSweep
The AirSweep system leads to better flow, higher productivity, and lower costs. Contact us to find out how we can improve your process, and your profits.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on The Importance of a Conveyor Belt Speed Sensor in Production Facilities
People use many safety devices in their homes to protect their safety and prolong the life of their appliances: fire alarms, burglar alarms, voltage regulators, and circuit breakers.
But many production facilities simply assume that material spills won’t happen, or its hazards or costs. What if a conveyor belt suddenly fails and causes tons of material to spill to the ground? Could someone get hurt? How long would it take to clear everything and restart production?
DAZIC saves the day
DAZIC Zero Speed Switches are “smart switches” that shut off any equipment if they run outside of the normal speed limits. They can be installed on conveyor belts, mixers, bucket elevators, or any machine with a rotary device.
Barnes & Co, a concrete manufacturer based in the US, has relied on its conveyor belt speed sensor to prevent a ton of problems. Their feeders load up to 250 tons of gravel per hour. Any equipment malfunction could lead to an avalanche of material. “It’s really a safety issue,” said plant supervisor Joe Kruzewski. “It would be a train wreck [to be] buried with that amount of gravel.”
Kruzewski estimates that it would take three people at least three hours to shovel one ton of gravel. Even just a 10-minute delay could result in 30 hours of downtime. “We would have to shovel for days!”
But they never had this problem, because of the DAZIC conveyor belt speed sensor they installed on all of their 12 conveyors years ago. “It would be a nightmare if the DAZIC didn’t shut the conveyor belt down. I don’t even want to think about it,” Kruzewski said.
Benefits of a speed sensor
Barnes & Co. invested in a conveyor belt speed sensor because it was a form of “insurance” against many bigger and more expensive problems. As a family business, they need to maximize their production and avoid the backlash of a safety violation or a worker injury.
DAZIC Zero Speed Switches protect the plant, the process, and the people.
Improved safety. A zero speed switch can detect when a machine has stopped rotating and can shut off the power quickly, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.
Reduced downtime. Zero speed switches can detect when a machine has stopped and alert operators to the problem so they can take corrective action quickly, reducing downtime
Increased efficiency. By detecting when a machine has stopped, a zero speed switch can help optimize production processes and increase overall efficiency.
Improved maintenance. A zero speed switch can detect when a machine has stopped and alert operators to the problem, allowing for quick preventive maintenance and avoiding costly repairs or replacements.
Affordable, durable, and effective
Compared to other equipment, DAZIC Zero Speed Switches are less expensive and require very little maintenance and replacement.
In 2006, the company installed DAZIC 8100 switches on its conveyor belts. Years passed, plant managers changed, equipment changed, and the DAZIC switches kept on running. The switches worked so well that people forgot they were even there.
In 2019, the fiber-based manufacturer changed its conveyor belts but did not check the DAZIC speed switch. Months passed before a sludge build-up was noticed. It wasn’t enough to stop operations, but as a precaution, the company sent their conveyor belt speed sensor to Control Concepts to have it checked.
Control Concepts cleaned the item and investigated the problem further. Apparently, over the years, the new conveyor belts had a quick start-up design that was beyond the DAZIC product specifications.
The wear and tear from carrying a load beyond its specs could have caused the leaks. Despite this, the 15-year-old switch was still working—just dirty.
After learning why the conveyor belt speed sensor failed, the client was impressed by DAZIC’s durability and the team’s commitment to finding the cause of the problem and working on a better solution. “We have used DAZIC in many of our plants for nearly two decades. It is a brand and a company you can trust.”
Protect your process with a speed sensor
Contact us to find out more about DAZIC and how it can protect your production facility’s safety and productivity.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep vs Pneumatic Knocker
The oldest flow aid in the world is the hammer. People would hit their storage vessels to dislodge stuck material. It wasn’t very effective (or sanitary) because there would always be a little material left.
A pneumatic knocker is essentially an automated hammer. Compressed air pushes a piston against the vessel wall. But even if a pneumatic knocker automates the process, it doesn’t solve the problem. You will still have material residue, and you’re not guaranteed first in/first out flow.
The problem with hammers
Even if a pneumatic knocker uses air, its working principle is closer to an industrial vibrator rather than other pneumatic flow aids like AirSweep and fluidizers. In fact, it is often used in wet environments that would make an electric vibrator difficult.
But hitting vessels—whether it’s with a $10 hammer or an expensive pneumatic knocker system—will always cause more problems than it solves.
Leftover material residue. Moist and sticky material will still cling to vessel walls. This can cause material spoilage and contamination, and affect batch consistency. Workers still have to periodic manual cleaning to completely flush out the material.
Damage to vessels. The vibrations cause metal fatigue, which can damage thin vessels and lead to higher long-term maintenance costs.
High noise levels. While not as loud as an air cannon, the sound of several pneumatic knockers banging on the vessel can stress out workers and may even cause deafness.
What a pneumatic knocker can (and can’t) do
A pneumatic knocker is effective for shaking off excess fine powder or water and releasing products from molds. It may also have very specific uses like preventing the adhesion of workpieces in a furnace.
However, if you’re looking for on-demand material flow, you need the true pneumatic flow aid—AirSweep.
AirSweep vs Pneumatic Knocker
AirSweep uses powerful air pulses that break up material blocks, pushes material back into the flow stream, and flushes the walls completely clean.
Effective for all materials. A pneumatic knocker can only activate water and fine powders. AirSweep can move even moist powders, sticky compounds, or heavy bulk solids.
No damage to the vessels. AirSweep can even be installed on very thin or small vessels—that’s how safe it is.
No noise. The air pulses are just like a gentle hiss, and the sound is further muffled by the material in the vessel.
Lower operating costs. AirSweep uses less plant air and energy than the air knocker, vibrator, or air cannon. It is the most energy-efficient flow aid you can find.
Drop the hammers
A food manufacturing company found that AirSweep was a more effective (and much quieter) alternative to hammers.
Bunge is an agribusiness and food ingredient company based in the USA. Rice bran was clumping in their hoppers and silos—a common issue for materials that hold moisture and are sensitive to humid environments. Workers had to hammer the vessels, which was ineffective and stressful for everyone in the factory. “It was like fingernails on the chalkboard. You wanted to get away from it,” said John Pappenheim, Bunge’s Maintenance Manager.
AirSweep instantly solved all material blocks. They had no clumping issues, no dents on machines, and no irritating hammering noises. The results prompted the company to install another system in their masa flour factory.
While Bunge used “traditional” hammers, this case study shows that hitting a vessel will not promote material flow—even if it is automated. AirSweep doesn’t just shake a vessel, it sweeps material into the flow stream.
Visit the AirSweep page to find out more about its features and what it can do for your process.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on How Does AirSweep Improve Material Handling Efficiency?
The biggest challenge of any factory or plant is material handling efficiency. How can you move massive amounts of material and prevent spoilage and waste? How do you get material to flow properly when it’s mixed and processed? How can you prevent material blocks that can stop production?
The reason material handling efficiency is so difficult is that materials have different flow properties. Some will settle during storage, or segregate when they’re mixed. Others will attract moisture and clump or cake. The sticky and dense formulas also have a tendency to cling to vessel walls and pipes.
Cohesive powders and solutions also present another problem: bridging and ratholing. Once these form in a vessel, the material flow slows down and even stops completely.
AirSweep improves material handling efficiency
Thousands of plants around the world trust AirSweep to solve these problems. AirSweep is a pneumatic flow aid that uses powerful air pulses to break up material blocks and push them back into the flow stream. It’s proven effective for even tough materials that other flow aids can’t handle.
Speed up production
Sluggish material flow affects all downstream processes and increases total production time. In many cases, workers even have to be pulled from other parts of the plant to manually clear the blocks.
Installing AirSweep can significantly speed up production. A minerals processing plant handles 120,000 tons of material a year. However, the powders and pebbles would plug the outlets. It took them an hour to fill just one supersack.
With AirSweep in place, material flowed quickly and reliably—cutting the filling of supersacks from one hour to two minutes. That’s a 3000% increase in production! The company eventually hired more people to keep up with the higher material flow.
Enable product innovation
Companies are always trying to improve their product. However, changing any component in a product formula can introduce new problems in material handling efficiency.
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.
When AirSweep was installed in those problematic areas, it was able to clear out blocks and ensure on-demand flow. This reduced the batch time to just 15 minutes.
Reduce material waste
Food industries have to meet very strict regulations on spoilage and contamination. So, poor material flow will often mean throwing away any compromised batches. In fact, a flax company had to toss out 40 pounds of mixture away a day and even have to pay to have it hauled away.
The company tried many flow aids, including vibrators and fluidizers. However, workers still ended up spending an hour each day clearing away clogged material. Poor material handling efficiency was wasting money and time.
After AirSweep, everything changed. The system solved 90% of the material retention problems, reduced waste, and improved production speed.
Ensure plant safety
Safety violations and risks can cost a business its license to operate and lead to thousands of dollars in fines. However, poor material flow can put workers at risk, especially if they have to manually clean out stuck material in a hazardous environment.
One of the world’s largest building materials companies had issues with hot cement clinker plugging up vessels and chutes. Workers had to break up the material with bars and hammers, but this unnecessarily exposed them to chemicals and dust.
After installing AirSweep, they never had issues with clogged clinker. It improved production, but more importantly, ensured the safety of the workers.
AirSweep is proven to improve material handling efficiency
AirSweep is used in every industry and in every continent except Antarctica. Go to our case studies page to find more stories of how it has helped companies increase production, reduce waste, lower cost, and improve product quality and plant safety.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on How to Choose the Right Flow Aid for Your Material
Flow aids can help clear material bridging in hoppers or any other storage bin, chute, or conveyor. They are relatively inexpensive, and can actually “pay for themselves” because of the increase in productivity.
It’s important to get the right flow aid for your material. The wrong flow aid may not be able to activate the material, or may even cause material blocks to compress even further. Some flow aids also create other problems, like high energy costs or damage to the vessel.
Here is a simple guide to the different flow aids, so you can pick the best one to clear material bridging in a hopper.
Industrial Vibrators
Industrial vibrators use mechanical agitation to improve material flow. The movement breaks a material’s cohesive friction and loosens it from vessel walls. They are sometimes called vibrating dischargers or agitators.
However, vibrators are not very efficient. They can make some materials settle or become compact—think of how you shake the measuring cup to condense brown sugar. That’s fine if you want to bake cookies, but not if you’re trying to achieve material flow in your plant.
That’s what happened to Flax4Life, a commercial bakery that produces gluten-free muffins, brownies, and other baked goods. “The vibrators that came installed on the bottom of the hopper above the mixture practically turned the flax into concrete,” said Stanley Rhea, the maintenance department head.
Vibrators can also still leave residue on vessel walls, which means you still need to do manual cleaning between batch runs. That wastes time and even increases costs. A spice company spent an average of $200,000 just on flushing material for their ribbon blenders.
Finally, industrial vibrators consume a lot of energy, are very noisy, and can cause metal fatigue.
Fluidizers
Fluidizers use a combination of aeration and gentle vibration to activate the material. While these are one of the most inexpensive flow aids (sometimes, they come pre-fitted into storage vessels) they are only effective for light powders like flour.
Fluidizers also have a very small activation radius, so you may need dozens of them to correct material bridging in a hopper. Since the units run continuously, you will have higher energy costs. So, even if it is “cheap” it is not cost-efficient, and you may end up spending more in the long run.
Air cannons
Air cannons release a high-pressure blast of air (typically compressed to 100 PSI) to disperse material.
While air cannons seem powerful, it actually provides limited results. Air tends to “channel” through holes in the material, greatly diminishing effectiveness. It also leaves material residue on the walls and often has “blind spots” where material can still collect. You also cannot control the feed rates.
Air cannons also cause a lot of metal fatigue, and will actually cause damage to the vessels. The loud blasts of noise can also be very stressful for workers, and long term, can cause hearing problems.
AirSweep
AirSweep is a pneumatic flow aid that uses short, powerful pulses to push material back into the flow stream. It can activate any kind of material—even moist, sticky, and heavy powders and solids. It even works on liquid cheese.
Watch this video to see how AirSweep is the most effective solution to material bridging in hoppers:
Many companies switched to AirSweep simply because it worked better than any other flow aid. Flax4Life tried vibrators and fluidizers, and neither of them worked. “AirSweep got a 10/10!” said Stanley Rhea.
Heidelberg Cement, one of the largest building materials companies in the world, also found that AirSweep was more effective than air cannons. “AirSweep worked perfectly!”
Get the right flow aid for your material
We can customize the AirSweep system for your process. We have different models with various activation ranges and a USDA-accepted model for sanitary processes. Our AirSweep Straight Shooter can also release a vertical column of air for chutes or hard-to-reach areas.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 3 Ways How to Improve Material Handling
Poor material handling slows down production, incurs costs, and even creates safety or sanitation hazards that can lead to expensive fines and plant shutdowns. Here are some ways to improve material handling for better efficiency and lower costs.
Evaluate your process
Identify the areas where there is poor material flow. Then, diagnose the causes and the impact of the problem on your productivity and costs. From there, you will have a more concrete idea of how to improve material handling.
For example, a cement company in Asia needed to achieve a flow rate of 30 tons per hour, but could not hit their productivity targets because of shale clogging in the silos. Workers had to manually clear the vessels, which meant stopping the process and pulling teams assigned to other parts of the plant. They calculated that they lost $12,000 for every hour of downtime.
Once the cement company installed AirSweep in the silos, productivity surged and costs went down.
Know your material’s flow properties
Materials have different flow rates and properties that can pose challenges whenever they are stored, transported, and processed. Even changing one material in the formula can lead to unexpected issues during production.
For example, a major international paint and coatings manufacturer needed to use a new grade of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) to improve their product. The material had finer, lighter particles and had a tendency to bridge over the vibrating feeder system.
They installed AirSweep and designed it to automatically activate when a flow sensor detected bridging in the bottom feeder. This enabled them to cut the batch processing time to just 15 minutes.
Identify risks
One of the best ways to improve material handling is to prevent issues from even occurring. Look at your process and identify possible risks or hazards.
For example, a concrete company uses 12 mixers, with feeders loading up to 250 tons of gravel an hour, or 4 tons a minute. With that amount of gravel, any equipment failure and resulting material pileup would cause safety issues and days of shoveling.
The company installed a DAZIC zero speed switch that would trigger an alarm if any equipment showed an abnormal change in speed. It was a simple, affordable fix that prevented incidents from happening.
Find out how to improve material handling
Control Concepts, Inc. has helped thousands of plants around the world improve bulk material handling. We have worked with every industry, with clients that include both S&P companies and SMEs. Contact us to get a customized proposal for your process.
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