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Coffee Grounds Material Flow Test

Like many fine powders, coffee grounds have a tendency to clump or flow unevenly when it is transferred or processed. However, vibrators will make it more compact and may produce dust.

AirSweep is the best flow aid for powders that need gentle but effective handling. To demonstrate this, five gallons or 134 cubic feet of coffee grounds were poured into a hopper. After just one pulse, the coffee flowed like a fluid.

AirSweep is trusted by some of the world’s largest food manufacturers to get fast, on-demand material flow. Read more about AirSweep in the food industry.

PVC Powder Material Flow Test

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a versatile thermoplastic polymer that is used to make a variety of products. This includes pipes, tubes, roofing, flooring, cables, wires, bottles and other containers, and even shoes.

PVC powder can exhibit poor flow properties and may even form bridges or arches in storage or feeding equipment. AirSweep can resolve these issues – while using less plant air and energy than other flow aids.

In this material flow test, two AirSweep VA-06 units were installed on a hopper at approximately 4” and 10” above the outlet.

The hopper was then filled with 10 gallons or .267 cubic feet of material. Without the AirSweep, the material flowed slowly, dropping in clumps. Once the AirSweep units started to pulse, the flow dramatically increased.

Look at other flow tests on similar materials like PPH (a thermoplastic resin), resin flakes, acetate flakes, and recycled materials.

Shredded Potato Material Flow Test

Potato flakes are a very light, dry material with very challenging flow properties. Without external activation, it tends to settle in the vessel and plug up the outlet. However, it breaks down into a fine powder if it is aggressively handled.

AirSweep is the best flow aid for this type of material. The nozzles release carefully timed, high-pressure air pulses that can move the potato flakes in seconds – without damaging the product consistency.

The material flow test demonstrates AirSweep’s efficiency and control. At the start of the test, the hopper was filled with 5 cubic feet of potato flakes. Note how the material did not flow even after the discharge was opened.

The vessel had one AirSweep unit installed 4 inches above the discharge. The material began to flow from the very first pulse until the vessel was completely emptied.

Polypropylene Homopolymer Material Flow Test

Polypropylene Homopolymer (PPH) is a thermoplastic resin with a wide range of applications.

PPH is durable and resistant to chemicals and retains its shape even after a lot of bending and flexing. It is often used to make packaging and commodity plastics, textiles, or construction materials such as pipes, sheets, and moldings.

Since PPH has a high electrical resistance, it is also used to manufacture electronics, household appliances, and automobile components.
However, shredded polypropylene shavings will not flow readily. It is lightweight, airy, and becomes spongey when compressed. Even with minimal handling, it produces small amounts of dust.

Polypropylene responds to aeration, so pneumatic flow aids like AirSweep can prevent it from bridging, arching, and interlocking in hoppers and other vessels.

In this material flow test, about 10 pounds of polypropylene shavings were placed in a 28” diameter hopper with a 60-degree cone and a 4” diameter outlet. Two AirSweep VA-06 units were installed 180 degrees apart at approx. 8” and 10” above the outlet.

The AirSweep system was set at the operating pressure of 40 PSI, with a sequence rate of one pulse every 3 seconds, each pulse lasting for 0.25 seconds. The material started flowing immediately with the first pulse and continued to steadily flow until the hopper was completely emptied.

AirSweep is an effective flow aid for polypropylene homopolymers and other thermoplastic resins used to make packaging, construction materials, and components.

Recycled Carpet Material Flow Test

The AirSweep system uses powerful air pulses to break apart material blocks without damaging the vessel. This has many practical applications in the plant, from improving material flow to cleaning bins, chutes and ducts of any debris.

This video shows how AirSweep can be used to clean dirty air ducts (represented by a 21” x 33” diameter oval drum). One AirSweep VA-06 unit was centered at the bottom. The drum was filled with recycled carpet materials, which have a tendency to stick together 

To collect the dust, a vacuum was set at 179 CFM.

Without the AirSweep, the dust particles clumped or settled along the vessel walls. This would eventually block the air duct.

The AirSweep breaks the clumps and sweeps the dust back into the flow stream.  

Contact us to find out more about how the AirSweep can be integrated into your plant for better flow and faster cleaning. 

De-germed, De-branned Corn Material Flow Test

AirSweep is the best pneumatic flow aid for tough material flow problems. It can handle challenging powders like titanium dioxide and bulk solids like sticky liquid cheese. In this video, we’ll show you how it deals with dry, caked compounds too.

Half a gallon of water was added to corn grits (DDC) and sprayed along the vessel walls. The mixture was left in the hopper, which was sealed for three days. The plant environment had an average temperature of 73°F and humidity levels of 61%.

After three days, the mixture had caked into a hard and moldy block.

Four AirSweep VA-06 units were mounted on the hopper, at 90 degrees apart. The operating pressure was set to 60 PSI. The air pulses broke the hardened corn grit mixture into fine powders, and cleared the vessel.

Cleaning Vessel Walls with AirSweep Material Flow Test

AirSweep can be used to quickly clean material residue from vessel walls. This can be done between batch runs, to improve plant productivity and product quality.

• Reduce downtime from manual cleaning
• Preserve product integrity and consistency, particularly when using the same vessel for different formulas
• Prevent contamination and spoilage

This video demonstrates how the AirSweep system can sweep a vessel completely clean in just a few seconds.

Read more about what happened when companies replaced manual cleaning systems with AirSweep:

• One of the world’s largest milk formula manufacturers uses AirSweep to improve material flow and automate cleaning. “We went from 40 hours to 10 hours in cleaning time!”
• A US manufacturer of spice and flavor products saved $200,000 from flush material reduction alone

Cement Mix Material Flow Test

The AirSweep Straight Shooter models deliver a focused column of air directly in front of the nozzle. It can be mounted with standard pipe elbows and fittings to point in any direction.

The Straight Shooter can be used to clear material from troughs, ducts, or any areas that are hard to reach.

Straight Shooter models can be used on any material

The powerful air pulses lift even heavy materials, and leave no residue on walls. In this video, two AirSweep Straight Shooter VA-12 models were attached to a trough. It was tested on two heavy bulk powders: leveling cement mix, and damp sand. After just a few pulses, the trough was completely cleared.

The AirSweep Straight Shooter is available in all standard AirSweep sizes (3/4″, 1-1/2″ and 2″). There are also USDA-accepted models for sanitary applications.

Should I get a standard AirSweep or a Straight Shooter?

Watch this video to find out more about the difference between the two products. You can also contact us and we’ll be happy to recommend the best system for your needs.

Wheat Gluten Powder Material Flow Test

Wheat gluten is used in many industries: food and beverage, health and personal care products, pharmaceuticals and animal feeds.

Wheat gluten has good water retention and texture stabilizing properties. It is often added to low-gluten or whole grain flours like rye or oat, or to food products like instant noodles. Because of the vitamins and minerals in wheat, it is also added to animal feed and skincare products.

However, wheat gluten can be prone to bridging, arching and other material flow problems. This video shows how it clogs up the mouth of the vessel, and has to be hammered free.

However, AirSweep pneumatic flow aids are particularly effective for these types of bulk powders. Four AirSweep VA-04 units were installed 4” and 10” above the discharge, and spaced 90 degrees apart. Once they were turned on, the wheat gluten powder flowed freely, even when the discharge size was shortened from 4” to 1.5”

AirSweep also has USDA-accepted models that meet the sanitary requirements of food and pharmaceutical industries. The air-tight nozzle also eliminates material feedback, so none of the powders fly back into the nozzle. This minimizes cleaning and maintenance, and prevents damage to the system.

While the AirSweep VA-06 units are meant for smaller vessels, there are models available for large silos, bins and cones.

Peanut Dust Material Flow Test

Many food ingredients such as peanuts can be prone to flow issues: arching, ratholing, caking, and clinging to vessel walls. These can lead to production delays and product losses, affect batch uniformity, and cause issues like cross-contamination or spoilage.

AirSweep material activation systems can help promote on-demand flow of peanut products and other food ingredients. The AirSweep® USDA-accepted models are also designed to meet strict sanitation standards, further protecting product quality and safety.