Technology Review 543

Screw Conveyor
The patent-pending Stinger screw conveyor was developed to solve the problem of metering TIO2, pigments, and other cohesive powders. Past methods used mechanical screw feeders that required substantial amounts of torque and experienced buildup on the auger and interior surfaces, making it difficult to have a uniform flow. This unit’s auger is driven by a variable-speed direct-drive with a low-headroom design. This makes it easy to install in existing processes. Units are available in 1½ to 12 in. diam with conveying capacities to 40,000 lb/hr.
Young Industries Inc., Muncy, PA 800-546-3165 www.younginds.com

Metal Detector
The PowerPhasePlus RB provides high levels of sensitivity on bulk products, including bags, sacks, cartons, and loose bulk products. The use of high-frequency detection coil technology and advanced head geometry combined with new enhanced filtering techniques deliver high on-line sensitivity in a wide range of applications. The unit detects all metal types, including the normally difficult-to-detect nonmagnetic stainless steels and nonspherical contaminants such as wire and swarf.
Mettler-Toledo Safeline, Tampa, FL 800-447-4439 www.mt.com/safelineus

Direct-Drive Compressors
Designed for efficiency, reliability, and minimal maintenance, these units are available from 25 to 450 hp, in flows from 72 to 2003 cfm, and pressures to 217 psig. These state-of-the-art compressors feature the optimized Sigma Profile airend, patent-pending Sigma Control, and the latest one-to-one direct drive technology. These are true direct-drive compressors with an oversized airend connected directly to the motor via a maintenance-free coupling for zero-loss transmission efficiency. The unique cooling airflow design reduces noise levels and provides efficient cooling. All units are fitted with a redesigned, high-efficiency separator system for extremely low oil carryover.
Kaeser Compressors Inc., Fredericksburg, VA 800-777-7873 www.kaeser.com/sigma

Heavy-Duty Weigh Feeders
For weighing and feeding up to 500 tn/hr with minimal maintenance and care, the DMO weigh feeder is ideal for a variety of heavy-duty industrial applications. A drive system with reducer and motor is directly mounted on the head pulley shaft. This provides for rugged, reliable, and safe operation while the need for alignments and maintenance is eliminated. At the heart of the unit is a direct, multicell weighing system that does not use levers or counterbalance weights. This eliminates any chance of error during the weighing process. The DMO comes in standard belt widths of 24 to 54 in. with feed rate accuracies of ±½% over a 10:1 range. These rates are achievable in a range of material particle sizes up to 4-in. lumps.
Schenck AccuRate, Whitewater, WI 800-606-9248 www.accuratefeeders.com

Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems
These water and wastewater treatment systems combine a rugged, durable bin activator with a secondary baffle that vibrates at a separate amplitude to guarantee continuous flow of product and a MetaTech feeder (with only 2 or 3 moving parts for simple maintenance) and an agitator/conditioner screw that completely fills the product feed screw for accuracies of ±1 to 1½%. Bin activators are available in 2–16 ft diam, and the feeders are available in 1-6-in. screw sizes in a choice of carbon steel, 304, or 316 stainless steel. Systems inclusive of all ancillary equipment and controls can be configured to meet any water/wastewater treatment requirement.
Metalfab, Vernon, NJ 800-764-2999 www.metalfabinc.com

Batching Feeder
The GeoMate feeder is ideally suited to batching applications due to the high-frequency output at both the Fast and Dribble modes of operation, which eliminates the “plopping” associated with screws and provides the highest degree of batching accuracy possible. The unit operates with no moving parts and comes with a three-year warranty.
3Sigma, Matthews, NC 704-846-1617 www.3Sigma.biz

Horizontal Conveyor
With no external moving parts, the Slipstick horizontal-motion conveyor offers a high level of safe operation. The conveyor is powered by an electric-drive motor that is housed in an enclosed unit. The motor powers the conveyor system by a slow-forward, quick-return motion that causes the material to slide along the length of the conveyor. The design eliminates the springs, rollers, and belts that can be a safety hazard in conventional conveying systems. Adding to safety is the enclosed Slipstick conveyor that can be used as a variation of the open-pan Slipstick. The enclosed-tube design keeps hazardous materials out of contact with the work environment and personnel. The unit is ideal for food products, pharmaceuticals, heavy loads, fragile or abrasive products, powders, and other bulk products. Built in lengths from 4 ft to more than 200 ft, it can operate under a wide range of speeds and in both forward and reverse directions.
Triple/S Dynamics, Dallas, TX 800-527-2116 www.sssdynamics.com

Cage Mills
The H-series multicage mill is available in a 2-, 4-, or 6-row design and is offered in four sizes up to 250 tn/hr. Each mill can crush, grind, pulverize, blend, and mix wet, sticky, or dry materials, including minerals and agglomerates, whole grains, chemicals, and ores. It is also available in stainless-steel construction. The design features air cannons, heaters, and a hydraulic ram for opening and closing the mill. The air cannons are mounted at the intake and discharge to help prevent buildup of wet, sticky material, while the heaters are also installed on the grinder housing to retard buildup of wet material.
Stedman, Aurora, IN 800-262-5401 www.stedman-machine.com

Variable-Rate Screw Feeder
The Series 495 Accu-Flo screw feeder features an over/under design that employs two screw feeders in one unit. The upper screw has a high-capacity variable-speed drive to achieve higher capacity feed rates in shorter feed times. The lower screw has a much lower feed-rate capacity, and it is combined with a dribble-feed, variable-speed drive for meeting higher accuracy weigh tolerances. Each screw feeder has its own separate drive motor for maximum performance. Options include mild-steel, stainless-steel, or aluminum construction.
Dynamic Air Inc., St. Paul, MN 651-484-2900 www.dynamicair.com

Bulk Bag Process Feeder
The Bulkbag process feeder offers high performance and hassle-free operation. The unit needs only a forklift for set up, with no other effort required. It can be used in conjunction with the company’s hopper conveyor, which has the ability to precisely meter material. The ground hopper has a built-in specialized flow-control valve to deliver accurate feed of bulk material to the intake point of the process.
Gruber Systems Inc., Valencia, CA 661-295-7307 www.gruber-systems.com

Spiral Elevator
The spiral elevator is proven for vertical conveying or thermal treatment of dry bulk powder material. The unit has a light microthrow conveying motion that handles powders gently and reduces degradation. The helical pattern of its trough creates a long conveying path with high retention time that makes it ideal for cooling, heating, or drying processes in a small workspace. The unit is engineered to meet exact application requirements and is suited for tight work spaces where there is not room for bucket elevator systems. Designs vary depending on the process, material, conveying path, and the various surrounding conditions. Heights from 3 to 25 ft are possible.
JVI Vibratory Equipment, Houston, TX 832-467-3720 www.jvivibratoryequipment.com

Rotary-Lobe Vacuum Packages
This complete line of vacuum systems features Omega rotary-lobe blowers in two-lobe and trilobe designs. These positive-displacement, rotary-lobe blowers provide reliable, consistent vacuum with heavy-duty construction and low noise levels. The complete, customized packages include inlet and discharge silencers, a high-efficiency, Environmental Protection Act–compliant TEFC motor, and an automatic v-belt tensioning device. The complete Com-paK Plus trilobe blower package offers lower pulsations and reduced footprint.
Kaeser Compressors Inc., Fredericksburg, VA 800-777-7873 www.kaeser.com/omega

Polyurethane Hose Cuff
This factory-installed soft cuff for reinforced polyurethane hoses provides finished clamping surfaces and eliminates the need for bridge clamps. Flx-Thane polyurethane hose is reinforced with a bronze-coated spring-steel wire helix and is now offered with thermally molded, soft polyurethane cuffs that provide smooth clamping surfaces. Eliminating the need for bridge clamps, these elasticized cuffs are well suited for vapor-recovery and dust-collection applications requiring a rugged hose that seals tight.
Flexaust, Warsaw, IN 800-343-0428 www.flexaust.com

Machinery Dispersers
NMD machinery dispersers provide variable-speed control for low- to medium-viscosity products. The line is immediately available for delivery, eliminating the longer lead times needed for custom-designed, custom-built systems. The NMD shaft is constructed of stainless steel with a hard, chrome-plated, stainless-steel, high-speed blade. Large bearing distances provide greater strength and stability. The tapered shaft and v-belt drive are dynamically balanced for even dispersion. This user-friendly mixer offers cost-efficient dispersion with easy-to-use features, including an automatic dispersion mode and batch timer; push-button speed control; a maintenance-free digital speed indicator; an electrohydraulic raise and lower feature with push buttons; and a control panel with amp, hour, and rpm meters.
Netzsch Fine Particle Technology LLC, Exton, PA 484-879-2020 http://grinding.netzschusa.com

Automated Solid Dispensing Module
The REDI Super is the new option for automated workbench systems. It provides a solution for the need to accurately transfer larger amounts of solid material such as powders, seeds, beads, crystals, or extrudates from 100 mg to 100 g. With its range of solid dispensing tools, the company can distribute powders of different properties (sticky, fluffy, hygroscopic, or of varying particle size) with high precision from micrograms to multigrams. Multiple tools can be installed on a single platform for high-throughput operations.
Zinnser NA, Northridge, CA 818-341-2906 www.zinsserna.com

Lump Breaker
The Double Rotocage lump breaker breaks lumps, clumps, slabs, and blocks of wet or sticky materials that build up and plug other lump breakers. Two counter-rotating rotors work together to quickly and efficiently break the lumps while keeping the material from building up on the rotors or the housing.
Wyssmont Company Inc., Fort Lee, NJ 201-947-4600 www.wyssmont.com

Temperature Data Logger
The Om-Microlite is a pocket-size portable temperature data logger with a USB interface that enables fast-track communication. Though this unit is small in size, the data can clearly be read on the logger’s numeric LCD display. In addition to providing high accuracy, the data logger can be used globally because of its CE mark and standard long-life 3-V lithium battery. The unit works with Microlab-Lite software that can be downloaded for free online. This product has been dustproof and waterproof tested to meet the highest market standards (IP 68).
Omega Engineering Inc., Stamford, CT 203-359-1660 www.omgea.com

Viscous Mixing and Dispersion
The patented PowerMix is ideally suited to mix viscous materials requiring a combination of high- and low-shear mixing and dispersion. The unit includes two separate agitation systems within one mixer. A planetary blade revolves in combination with a separate high-speed dispersion blade. Each revolves on its own axis as well as on a common axis, and the speed of each can be varied independent of the other. This combination allows a user to fine-tune the mixer to meet specific process needs and the shear rates that are required to optimize the process. The unit is used for high-viscosity vacuum mixing and dispersion as well as the dispersion of minor liquid or powder ingredients into powder mixes.
Charles Ross and Son, Hauppauge, NY 800-243-7677 www.mixers.com

Shaft Collars
This line of shaft collars can be machined to match application requirements for special conveyors, packaging machinery, and process equipment. Standard sizes range from 1/8 to 6 in. ID with custom collars machined to match specific application requirements. They can include square, hex, or threaded bores, face treatments such as spanner wrench slots and pin holes for custom tooling, and OD treatments including open-end wrench flats and knurls for fingertip adjustability. Available in a wide range of materials such as aluminum, steel, various stainless-steel grades, brass, bronze, and plastics, they are offered in one-piece, two-piece, and hinged clamp–type styles and set-crew designs.
Stafford Manufacturing Corp., North Reading, MA 800-695-5551 www.staffordmfg.com

Vibrators and Drives for Hoppers and Bins
Best heavy-duty air-powered-piston and rotary-electric vibrators and drives are designed for bins, hoppers, chutes, screeners, vibratory feeders, conveyors, tables, and other vibratory applications. All vibrators and drives provide continuous maximum-force operation from 30 to more than 40,000 lb. These dust-tight, splash-proof motors provide excellent field performance in harsh environments, including in dirty, rainy, and snowy conditions. Heavy-duty construction, including ductile-iron castings, steel-end covers, and high-alloy fasteners, ensures long life.
Metso Minerals Industries Inc., Brunswick, OH 800-827-9237 www.bestvibes.com

Gas Detector
The intrinsically safe G460 is a rugged, compact instrument for simultaneous detection of up to six gases. Installed sensor options include infrared (NDIR) for CO₂ and PID for VOC measurements. The unit offers completely automatic calibration, one-button operation, top-mounted display, and interchangeable battery packs. The concussion-proof boot, along with the highly dust- and water-resistant housing, protects the instrument in the harshest environments. Data logging and event logging are standard.
GfG Instrumentation Inc., Ann Arbor, MI 800-959-0329 www.gfg-inc.com