Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on The Top 5 Bulk Material Flow Aids Ebook
If you already have a material flow aid, are you happy with it? Our ebook, The Top 5 Bulk Material Flow Aids: Pros, Cons, and Calculating ROI, is a must-read if you are struggling with your current flow aid and need to find a solution that works for you.
This ebook covers:
Pros and cons of different flow aids
Hidden costs of energy consumption, maintenance, and manpower hours
How companies have saved thousands of dollars after using AirSweep
And more
You can download the ebook here. If you have any questions about AirSweep and other material flow aids, please contact us.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on Why is AirSweep Better than a Fluidizer?
Fluidizers are one of the most common material flow aids. They are cheap, easy to find, and often come pre-installed in vessels. But are they really effective? Turns out they are not. In this article, we cover why AirSweep is better than a fluidizer.
Fluidizers activate material with a combination of gentle aeration and vibration. The rubber discs are installed inside the hopper, bolted into place, and attached to air piping. The air causes the discs to flap and vibrate, causing air to radiate out. However, fluidizers aren’t the best flow aid to use for a variety of reasons.
Fluidizers don’t work for most powders and solids
Fluidizers work for very light powders like flour. However, they will not work on powders that are hygroscopic (or have a tendency to attract moisture) or powders with high fat or moisture content.
For example, R.M. Palmer—a candy manufacturer in Reading, Pennsylvania—had issues with cocoa powder packing and bridging in the hoppers. Cocoa powder has a 12% oil content.
Despite installing fluidizers, bin aerators, and vibrators, the company’s workers still had to scrape material off the vessel walls every three or four days. It was costing them time and money.
After trying so many different flow aids, the plant manager had grown skeptical. “A lot of manufacturers say their product will work but they don’t back it up,” Wieland said.
Fluidizers are expensive to use
While the initial cost of fluidizers may be low, the operating costs and losses from downtime are very high.
Since it has a small effective radius, you need to continuously operate several units to activate the material. This can lead to high energy consumption, which is very significant for countries where electricity is expensive.
Fluidizers are difficult to clean and maintain
The rubber discs, which are installed inside the vessels, can also trap material. They are difficult to clean, and can’t be exposed to some kinds of cleaning chemicals. This can create hygiene and sanitation issues—a big problem for industries like food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care.
How AirSweep is better than a fluidizer
That doesn’t mean that pneumatic flow aids can’t activate material. You just have to choose the right one.
AirSweep uses powerful air pulses that break up material blocks. It is effective for all materials—even moist powders, sticky compounds, or heavy bulk solids.
In fact, it was the only flow aid that solved R. M. Palmer’s material flow problem. After installing two AirSweep VA-06 units on the hoppers, the company has had “no breakdowns, replacements, or any problems whatsoever.” They were even able to add two production shifts per month, increasing output.
Wieland saw for himself how AirSweep was different from all other flow aids he had tried.
“AirSweep has a stronger air pulse than the bin aerators or fluidizers we previously installed. The air moves the powder down in a very large column so the powder doesn’t stick to the walls,” said Wieland.
Get the most powerful and cost-effective flow aid
AirSweep activates more material while using less energy. It is also easy to maintain and comes with the longest warranty in the business.
Contact us to find out more about how AirSweep can help improve your plant’s productivity while lowering your costs.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep Straight Shooter FAQs
AirSweep is one of the most powerful pneumatic flow aids in the industry. It can solve tough flow problems that even fluidizers, vibrators, and air cannons cannot.
The secret of AirSweep lies in its nozzle. It directs high-pressure, high volume, bursts of compressed air or inert gas along the inside walls of process equipment or vessels. The air pulses break the friction between the wall and the material to lift and sweep stalled material back into the flow stream.
The standard AirSweep releases air pulses at 360 degrees. This is typically used on hoppers, silos, mixers, and other process equipment with wide surface areas. However, there are applications that require air pulses to flow in a vertical column. For that, you can use the AirSweep Straight Shooter.
What is the AirSweep Straight Shooter?
The Straight Shooter model releases the pulse in a straight column. The technology and the performance quality are exactly the same. The nozzle has just been modified to concentrate the air pulses in one direction. Watch the demo:
How can the AirSweep Straight Shooter be used?
The “fire hose” effect of the air pulse makes these mini-blasters perfect for larger-sized pieces of material or for areas where the standard AirSweep cannot be mounted, such as inaccessible walls.
It can also be installed on chutes and ducts to push heavy material like cement or crushed ceramic tiles, or to flush vessels completely clean between batch runs. Some clients have used it to blow metallic brake dust off of mixer paddles (inside the mixer), and blow off flour and crumbs in a bakery application. Because they instantly reseal, these units can even be mounted inside the vessel to blast away areas of buildup.
Units can be easily mounted to blast in any direction using standard pipe elbows or fittings.
What is the AirSweep Straight Shooter’s activation range?
All AirSweep models and sizes are available as a Straight Shooter. The AirSweep team can select the right model for your application.
Like other AirSweep models, it is ATEX-certified as safe for hazardous environments. There are also USDA-accepted Straight Shooter models for sanitary applications.
Should I get a standard AirSweep or a Straight Shooter?
Paul the AirSweep guy demonstrates the difference between the standard AirSweep and the Straight Shooter, and how to adjust the position/location and angle of the Straight Shooter to achieve the desired material flow.
You can also contact us and tell us more about your process. We’ll customize a system and recommend the type of AirSweep that will give you the best results.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on USDA-Accepted AirSweep: The “Cleaner” Flow Aid
Several industries need to use sanitary processes to comply with safety standards. This includes food and beverage, biotech and pharmaceutical, personal care, and cosmetics.
Cleanable and hygienically compatible with other plant systems
Made of materials compatible with cleaning solutions
Accessible for maintenance, cleaning, and inspection
Free of recesses, corrosion, or areas that could collect product or liquid
Able to facilitate validation and other sanitary protocols
Best flow aid for sanitary processes
The USDA- Accepted AirSweep is a powerful material flow aid especially designed for sanitary applications. It releases powerful air pulses that break material blocks, bridging, and ratholing. The unique sweeping action can even result in the vessel being flushed completely clean. Watch how it works:
Prevents spoilage and cross-contamination
Since AirSweep prevents stagnant material, plants avoid two of the biggest problems of sanitary manufacturing: spoilage and cross-contamination.
In fact, one of the world’s largest infant formula manufacturers uses the AirSweep USDA 135 and Straight Shooter models to break material blocks during production, and then clean the vessels between batch runs of regular and lactose-free formulas.
Works on all materials
The powerful air pulses can work on any material, including the sticky liquids or hygroscopic powders that are often used to make food, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics.
Many AirSweep customers used other flow aids like vibrators, fluidizers, and bin aerators, but still had to hammer the vessel to clear out material blocks. A US chocolate manufacturer said workers who scraped the vessel often bathed in big spills of cocoa powder. “They looked like giant cocoa puffs.”
AirSweep solved the problem. “It has a stronger air pulse than the bin aerators or fluidizers we previously installed. The air moves the powder down in a very large column so powder doesn’t stick to the walls,” said the coatings manager, Bob Wieland.
Airtight, minimal contact design
Only the nozzle tip has direct contact with the material. For each pulse, it opens for just 1/8” for ¼ seconds before snapping shut—for zero material feedback. The airtight design also guards against material retention and bacterial growth.
Easy to remove and clean
The AirSweep USDA-accepted models have flanged connections for quick installation or removal from mounting. It can be removed and disassembled with simple hand tools.
Can be used with corrosive cleaning materials
The stainless steel finish does not corrode or rust and can be safely cleaned with even the most potent disinfectants and chemicals.
Solve material blocks and meet safety standards. Contact us to find out more about AirSweep USDA-accepted models.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep Material Activation: More Powerful Than a Dozen Fluidizers – and Here’s Why
An aviation company that deices planes and runways uses pellets that are made of salt, binder, and other additives. Unfortunately, these materials are hygroscopic and have a tendency to clump and harden. The maintenance supervisor considered many different flow aids, but once he saw its description of “gentle vibration” he knew it wouldn’t work. “We needed something more…violent,” he said. He needed AirSweep.
When he saw an AirSweep video, he knew it was the solution they were looking for. The powerful air pulses could cut through moist and sticky materials like liquid cheese, heavy solids like gravel, and hygroscopic powders like cornstarch and titanium dioxide.
AirSweep Material Activation – More material moved per pulse
One AirSweep unit can activate more material than a dozen fluidizers. You can see this for yourself in this video that compares the two flow aids’ activation radius:
The smallest AirSweep, or model VA-06, activates a 1 to 2 foot radius, or about 300 to 600 millimeters. The AirSweep VA-12 activates a radius of about 3 to 4 feet, about 0.9 to 1.2 meters. The AirSweep VA-51 puts out a little more volume, so it activates a radius of up to 4 feet, or 1.2 meters, often even with denser products.
The role of pressure and volume
AirSweep harnesses air pressure and volume so each pulse can break material blocks and sweep them back into the flow stream. That’s why the system needs to have large pipes, headers, and receivers to run effectively.
Paul the AirSweep guy explains how this works, using the analogy of a garden hose and a fire hose.
AirSweeep is Powerful but energy efficient
Though AirSweep pulses require more plant CFM, it actually uses less energy and plant air than other flow aids.
AirSweep units are pulsed and run in a sequence, so even if you have 10 units on a vessel, they only pulse one at a time. It is more efficient than vibrators or fluidizers, which run continuously.
The AirSweep also uses less energy than air cannons and actually activates more material. One of the world’s largest cement companies had issues with clinker sticking to vessels and chutes. They tried using two AIRCHOC air cannons, but workers still had to use a bar to break the material.
AirSweep was an effective, fast, and simple solution. They were able to install it themselves in less than a day, and they never had to worry about clinker again. They even ordered 13 additional units for their various factories. “AirSweep works perfectly.”
Contact us to find out more about the AirSweep system, and how to set up one in your plant.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on 3 Safety Hazards Caused by Bridging, Ratholing, and Poor Material Flow
Poor material flow doesn’t just affect productivity. It may lead to injury and hazardous plant environments, and compromise product safety.
Using an efficient flow aid, like AirSweep, can help protect the safety of your workers and your customers, and ensures that your company complies with industry regulations.
Fire hazards
A cheese company uses whey protein concentrate (WPC), which contains high moisture and fat and is prone to bridging over the discharge outlets. They had fluidizers and vibrators, but these still left a lot of caked material in the vessel.
Then one day, the caked material sparked a fire in one of their baghouses. Whey protein is classified as a combustible powder, and high concentrations can create a flammable environment.
While the fire was contained, bridging had become an urgent safety concern. They installed AirSweep, which cut through the sticky material and swept vessels completely clean. It now uses AirSweep in all its factories in the United States—to improve productivity and plant safety.
Many materials used in the food industry are classified as combustible: egg whites, powdered milk, cornstarch, sugar, flour, grain, potato, rice, etc. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, “The build-up of even a very small amount of dust can cause serious damage.”
The AirSweep USDA-accepted model can prevent material build-up and meets the sanitary requirements of the food industry.
Worker injury
Many plants resort to manual cleaning to clear stubborn material blocks. Workers have to hammer the vessel walls or climb into them to break up the blocks.
This process is tedious and exposes workers to several possible risks. Many powders and bulk solids can cause skin irritations or respiratory problems if they are directly handled or inhaled. Hammering and climbing into vessels can lead to falls and shoulder and back injuries.
Worker safety laws require companies to prevent worker injury and avoid giving tasks that the worker has not specifically been trained to do. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards include:
Prevent exposure to harmful levels of substances
Prevent exposure to loud noises that can damage hearing
Ensure the safety of workers climbing into enclosures such as bins
OSHA fines can reach up to $14,502 per violation. So, manual cleaning is neither an easy nor a cheap solution for material blocks.
Product spoilage and contamination
Ideally, materials in a vessel will have a first in/first out flow. This prevents spoilage and protects batch uniformity—and in some industries, like food and pharmaceuticals, this is critical for the consumer’s safety. Even cement can be unstable if the batch deviates from the correct proportions of materials.
Use AirSweep to solve poor material flow
AirSweep is used in those industries to achieve on-demand, first in/first out flow:
AirSweep can correct poor material flow to improve productivity and safety. Contact us to find out more about how AirSweep works, or ask for a customized proposal.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on Solve Cement Flow Issues with AirSweep
Cement is an important building material with the global demand expected to reach 4.73 billion tons by 2025. However, many cement plants struggle to keep up with production because of bulk solid flow problems. Materials like limestone, slag, bauxite, gypsum, and clay are prone to bridging, ratholing, and flooding. Moisture—especially in Asia and other humid environments—can also harden materials during storage.
Plant operators often resort to makeshift solutions like hammering the vessel. However, this seemingly “cheap fix” is slow and has hidden costs: slow productivity, safety risks, and damage to the vessels. Flow aids can help clear out material blocks and improve production, but it is necessary to find one that is effective for cement materials.
4 Factors When Selecting a Flow Aid for the Cement Industry
Material activation. The flow aid must be able to handle heavy materials and large volumes. Some flow aids like fluidizers, which use a combination of gentle air pulses and vibration, are only effective for light powders that respond to light aeration.
Energy consumption. Air cannons and air knockers have more power than fluidizers, but also require a lot of energy and plant air. Vibrators can also be expensive to operate because they run continuously. This is a big factor for countries that have high electricity prices, particularly in Asia and Europe.
Reliability. Ideally, flow aids provide on-demand, first-in / first-out flow. Stagnant material left in the vessel can compromise product consistency and safety. For example, some additives like magnesium oxide can add strength but must be used in precise quantities so the product remains stable.
Maintenance time and cost. Part of productivity includes shortening maintenance and cleaning times. Flow aids that are installed outside of the vessel, and can easily be removed even when they are located higher up in the silo or hopper, can significantly simplify routine maintenance.
AirSweep is One of the Most Trusted Flow Aids in the Cement Industry
AirSweep is a pneumatic flow aid that releases high-pressure, high-volume, 360-degree bursts of compressed air, which lifts stalled material back into the flow stream. It is used by cement companies around the world, such as Heidelberg Cement, Republic Cement, Cemex, Mississippi Lime, Carmeuse, and more.
AirSweep is proven effective for cement materials such as:
Aluminum
Bentonite
Coal
Copper
Diatomaceous earth
Gypsum
Iron ore
Limestone
Magnetite
Phosphate
Shale
Soda Ash
This material flow test demonstrates AirSweep’s effectivity for gypsum pebbles, which are used in the cement industry as a hardening retarder.
AirSweep Increases Cement Production by 60% Overnight
A Pennsylvania concrete company with six ready-mix plants was experiencing problems with fly ash bridging in bins, halting production.
After the AirSweep units were installed, fly ash moved freely from the bin to the ready-mix truck. “Production went from zero percent to 100 percent overnight after installing the AirSweep units,” stated the quality control technical service manager at the plant. The plant increased production by 60 percent.
AirSweep Works Better Than Industrial Vibrators for Cement Materials
An Asian cement company needed a flow rate of 30 tons per hour, but humidity caused shale to clog the silos. They lost $12,000 per hour of downtime. They tried numerous flow aids, such as vibrators, but workers still had to hammer the vessels to clear out all the material. This happened so frequently that they developed a formula for the cost of downtime on their monthly reports.
Vibrators and air knockers didn’t work. Only AirSweep produced reliable flow – and even used half as much energy as other flow aids.
AirSweep Proves More Powerful Than Air Cannons and Air Knockers
Heidelberg Cement, one of the largest building materials companies in the world, previously used air cannons to clear cement clinker from vessel walls and pipes. “We were using a bar to [break] the material in the tube.”
They replaced air cannons with AirSweep. “They worked perfectly.” Heidelberg Cement was so happy with the results that in the last year, they ordered 13 additional units for their various factories. “This is only the beginning of the project.”
AirSweep Meets All the Criteria for a Cement Flow Aid
Material activation. AirSweep’s powerful air pulses are able to lift all material back into the flow stream. You don’t need to have workers hammer or climb into the vessel with pick axes and other tools to clear out blocks and residue.
Energy consumption. AirSweep uses less energy and plant air than other flow aids. It also uses controlled pulses which are released in sequence, instead of running continuously.
Reliability. AirSweep promotes on-demand, first-in / first-out flow. It even flushes the walls clean, ensuring product consistency and integrity.
Maintenance time and cost. AirSweep units are installed outside of the vessel, and can easily be removed with simple tools for routine maintenance and cleaning.
For more information on AirSweep in the cement industry, visit this page or contact us.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on AirSweep Cuts Back on Cleaning Time
If you are looking to cut back on cleaning time then you need AirSweep.
When you are cleaning your vessels, do you need to manually clean them, or flush them with flour or other materials?
We have a better way to clean your vessels and save you time and money.
An infant formula company produces several varieties and milk formulations in the same processing and packaging lines. They used AirSweep during production to prevent segregation, and after production to flush the vessels completely clean – this cut their cleanup time by 75%!
Are you curious about how AirSweep can help your process? Contact us and we’ll be happy to customize a proposal for you.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on The Hidden Cost of Ineffective Material Flow Aids
Flow aids can resolve bridging, arching, and other material blocks, but many give limited results and come with hidden costs. So instead of solving the problem, they can even create new ones—and hinder productivity and revenue.
Hammers and Manual Cleaning
Hammers are the cheapest flow aid you can possibly find… or so you think. While you can get a hammer for less than $20, you’re actually paying for manpower hours and the downtime while workers clear out the clogged material from the vessel.
That can be very expensive. One of the biggest cement companies in Southeast Asia calculated that they lost $12,000 per hour of downtime. In North America, this downtime is more like $25,000 an hour.
Hammering can also damage machines, and it creates the risk of worker injury. It’s also very inefficient: material can still cling to vessel walls compromising product consistency and even leading to spoilage.
Fluidizers
Fluidizers are sometimes the default flow aid because they have already been pre-fitted into the vessel. The rubber disks are connected to air piping and use a combination of gentle vibration and aeration to activate the material.
While the fluidizers work for very light powders like flour, they can’t activate heavy, damp, or sticky materials. They have a small effective radius, so you may need to install several units. Since the disks run continuously, energy consumption is also high.
Fluidizers that are installed inside the vessel can also degrade, and material can be trapped inside the disks. This is a risk for sanitary processes and it creates cleaning and maintenance challenges.
Industrial Vibrators
Vibrators, as the name implies, vibrate the material to shake it free from the vessel wall and collapse any bridging and blocks.
However, many materials can actually become more compact when it is shaken. In fact, vibrators are sometimes used to compress materials before they are stored or transported. That’s effective in a warehouse, but not in a silo or hopper where you want materials to move.
Even for materials to respond to vibration, this flow aid can still be problematic. It can cause metal fatigue and eventually lead to vessel damage. It uses a lot of air and energy to operate. It does not completely flush material that clings to walls or pipes, so you will still need to do periodic shutdowns for cleaning.
Air Cannons
This flow aid blasts air through material blocks. While powerful, it is not always effective. Air can channel through the holes and diminish its effect. It requires a large amount of plant air and energy to operate, and will still leave a lot of material on the vessel that needs to be manually cleaned.
The large units are also difficult to install in small vessels, and the metal recoil contributes to vessel wear and tear. Flying material can also enter the nozzle and solenoid valve, so the system is prone to damage and maintenance issues.
How to Find the Most Efficient Flow Aid
When selecting a flow aid, don’t just look at the initial cost of installation. Look at the hidden costs—downtime and manual labor, consumption of energy and plant air, cleaning and maintenance, and even the financial and legal impact of a worker injury.
To avoid these costs, select a flow aid based on these factors:
Speed and efficiency. How fast will your material flow? Will it shorten your production time? Can the flow aid remove all stagnant material, or will you still need to hammer or manually clean your vessels?
Operating costs. How much energy does it consume during operation? Does it use energy efficiently, i.e. will the units run continuously or in short, specific durations? What is the cost of cleaning and maintaining the flow aid itself, and how does it impact the maintenance of the vessel in which it is installed?
Hygiene and safety. Consider risks to your product quality (like material contamination and spoilage) and risks to your people (worker injuries during manual cleaning, etc.).
Companies Choose AirSweep as the Most Cost-Effective Flow Aid
Many plants that used fluidizers, vibrators, and other flow aids eventually switched to AirSweep because they got better results. It improved productivity, product quality, and had lower energy and maintenance costs.
If you have any other questions about AirSweep or need more information about how it can work on your process, contact us for a personal consultation or customized proposal.
Posted by Control Concepts USA on | Comments Off on DAZIC Zero Speed Switches Prevents Tons of Problems
What would happen if your conveyor system suddenly malfunctioned, and dumped all of your material on the ground? How long would it take you to clean it up?
A cement manufacturer whose feeder loads up to 250 tons of gravel per hour knows that if a machine fails, any delay in response time means hours of backbreaking cleanup. Even just a 10-minute delay could result in 30 hours of downtime.
DAZIC Zero Speed Switches can help prevent material pileup and detect machine failure saving you time and money.
The cement manufacturer used DAZIC to prevent tons of problems. Their DAZIC solution costs less than $1,000 and hasn’t failed them once in the last decade. Read their story – and reach out to us if you’d like to have one installed in your plant.
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