Solids handling specialist, Ajax Equipment, has supplied the UK’s largest supplier of vacuum salt products, Ineos Salt, with a new salt handling system to optimise salt tablet production at its Runcorn facility, comprising two screw conveyors and a screw feeder. Ineos Salt produces up to 500,000 tn/yr of salt, including food salts, water softening tablets, animal feed, industrial and chemical, and de-icing salts.

Pumped salt magma is first centrifuged and then dried in two fluidised bed dryers. Ineos Salt wished to optimise water tablet production, however, a screw conveyor taking salt from one of the dryers to a common collecting screw was prone to blocking preventing full utilisation of the dryer’s output. 

Ajax has replaced the existing screw conveyor with a 3m, 35 degree, inclined screw conveyor transferring salt from the dryer to a new Ajax collecting screw conveyor taking salt from both dryers. The 2m collecting screw serves two outlets: a new Ajax screw feeder for water tablet production, with the remaining salt discharged onto a belt conveyor for bulk storage and a bagging plant.

Salt is a difficult material to handle. “The Ajax system is well designed for this type of processing environment and has improved our tablet production capability,” said Graeme Ainsworth, Development Engineer, Ineos Salt. “For example, the arrangement of the inclined screws reduces the opportunity for blockages. Also, by using a mesh screen to prevent lumps from entering the tablet screw feeder we have a simpler more effective solution than using a lump breaker.”

For more information, visit ajax.co.uk