Mechanical Conveying

Vibratory Conveyor
An engineered modification of the Iso-Flo vibratory conveyor, the Iso-Glide vibratory conveyor achieves a motion that resembles horizontal motion, which maximizes sanitation while offering gentle handling and quiet operation. Iso-Glide can perform a range of product handling and packaging distribution functions, including scale feed applications. It is ideal for many frozen food processors. It allows processors to experience the continuous self-cleaning benefits of horizontal motion conveying but on an Iso-Flo platform. Product virtually slides along the stainless steel conveyor bed, which prevents the buildup of coatings, oils, and seasonings. By limiting vertical acceleration to almost 1g, Iso-Glide helps reduce plant-level noise that traditional direct drive or other vibratory conveyors can produce with conveying surface-to-product contact. Key Technology Inc., Walla Walla, WA 509-529-2161 www.key.net

Enclosed Conveyor
The DragSlide conveyor is designed to convey difficult thin mil shredded plastic films and light fluffy fiber materials created during different types of manufacturing applications. It can positively convey this type of material that typically clings to belts and gets carried around and rains on the floor below a belted conveyor. It can convey up to 12,000 lb/hr and will keep the floor around your equipment clean of shredded plastic. The conveyor is totally enclosed except for the in-feed hopper and the discharge chutes, both of which can be sealed to the adjacent equipment. Bunting Magnetics Co., Newton, KS 316-284-2020 www.buntingmagnetics.com

Flexible Screw and Vibratory Tube Conveyors
Convey-All flexible screw and vibratory tube conveyors provide effective conveying for dry bulk solids materials. Convey-All/FSC flexible screw conveyors feature a rugged design with only two moving parts for ease of maintenance and cleaning, are available in 10- to 20-ft lengths, and offer a choice of a 3-in.-diam helix screw that nominally conveys up to 150 cu ft/hr or a 4-in.-diam helix screw that conveys up to 450 cu ft/hr. Convey-All VTC vibratory tube conveyors have only one moving part for long-lasting operation with low power consumption, are available in 4- to 10-ft lengths with 6- to 10-in.-diam tubes, and convey high rates of difficult flowing or friable dry solids up to 400 cu ft/hr. Both conveyors are designed and engineered to provide flexibility to accommodate up or downstream equipment like bin activators, bulk bag unloaders, Posibins, feeders, and hoppers. Metalfab Inc., Vernon, NJ 800-764-2999 www.metalfabinc.com

Aero-Mechanical Conveyor
The Aerocon is designed for high throughput of semi-free flowing powders like Talc, TiO2, and carbon black. The aero-mechanical conveyor can convey up to 18 cu ft/min and is ideal for bulk bag unloading and loading, conveying powders quickly to process vessels, and reloading feeders. Improvements to the aero-mechanical conveyor include clean-in-place housings, independent tensioning, and flood feed inlets. The properties of a combination of fluidized and mechanically assisted conveying enable high transfer rates at low levels of power. Vac-U-Max, Belleville, NJ 973-759-4600 www.aeromechanical.com

Screw Conveyor Seal
The MECO HB seal model is ideal for screw conveyors. It uses full contact, soft face mechanical shaft sealing innovations, sized for C.E.M.A. and metric standards. The MECO HB seal model is ideal for screw conveyors/scrolls, small blenders, bucket elevators, and similar rotating equipment used in bulk process applications. It is used on horizontal, inclined, and vertical shafts for un-split installations. Three stock housing materials are available: FDA nylon, anodized aluminum, or 316L stainless steel. Two elastomer materials, Viton or FDA white silicone, ensure compatibility with nearly all applications. The standard stators are type 304 stainless steel. The standard rotors are MECO3000, a high-performance, bearing grade, polymer-filled PTFE with FDA approval. No abrasive filler material is added to MECO3000. Woodex Bearing Co./MECO Shaft Seals, Georgetown, ME 800-526-8800 www.woodex-meco.com

Precision Screw Conveyors
Designed for the harshest environments, these screw conveyors are precision machined to move virtually any dry, granular, or powdery material, even abrasive substances like fly ash, coal, coke, volcanic cinders, diatomaceous earth, and pebble lime, smoothly and uniformly without packing or jamming. Standard screw configurations include variable pitch, tapered flights, cut flights, mixing paddles, and ribbon screws. Screws are manufactured in the U.S. to any specified size using commercially available materials, such as mild steel, 304 SS, 316 SS, T1, AR400, Tri-Braze, and Super “C” alloys. Conveyor troughing and all component parts are also fabricated in the same material range. Precision Machine & Manufacturing Inc., Eugene, OR 800-722-9841 www.premach.com

Vibratory Conveyor
The Kraus Stedi-Coil vibratory conveyor is used to convey either sand and castings together or sand and castings separately. This design also uses an abrasion-resistant and replaceable conveyor trough that is heated and fully insulated to prevent sticky molding sand from adhering to it. Also included are a single eccentric type drive and a counterbalanced base to isolate the counteracting forces. Dynamic Air Inc., St. Paul, MN 651-484-2900 www.dynamicair.com

Bag Dump System with Compactor, Flexible Screw Conveyor
This bag dump system collects dust generated during manual dumping and compaction of bags, and conveys bulk material downstream, protecting workers, preventing plant contamination, and conserving useable product, while reducing the frequency and cost of trash disposal. Pre-engineered, pre-wired, and ready to plug in and run, the compact system integrates a receiving hopper, dust collector, bag compactor, and flexible screw conveyor on a frame for rapid installation and easy relocation. The bag dump station draws dust away from the operator during manual dumping and compaction of bags, as the automatic reverse-pulse filter cleaning system causes dust build-up on outer surfaces of cartridge filters to fall into the hopper. The fully enclosed, flexible screw conveyor handles free- and non-free-flowing bulk materials ranging from large pellets to sub-micron powders, including products that pack, cake, seize, smear, fluidize, break-apart, or separate, with no separation of blended products. Flexicon Corp., Bethlehem, PA 888-353-9426 www.flexicon.com

Chain Conveyor
A wide range of receiving, distribution, and extraction mechanical conveyors are offered for a variety of applications. The LBCA chain conveyor ensures the gentle conveying of up to 440 tons of granular and/or whole grains, at lengths of up to 300 ft. Bolted conveyor segments allow for quick and easy maintenance. With high-operating reliability, the LBCA offers extensive safety devices to protect the system against failure, while optimal wear protection gives the chain conveyor an extended service life. Features include: safety devices such as the shaft speed detector at the take-up and the overflow detector at the drive end; pillow-block bearing for optimal transmission of high forces in the conveyor casing; long service life due to the lining of the casing bottom with a Rhinohyde strip and guide strip. Bühler Inc., Plymouth, MN 763-847-9900 www.buhlergroup.com

Aero-Mechanical Conveyors
These aero-mechanical conveyors offer an energy-efficient alternative to pneumatic conveying but correct rope monitoring is absolutely essential for optimum operation and maximum rope life. The patented integral Dynamic Automatic Rope Tensioner (D.A.R.T.) automatically measures and adjusts rope tension and also indicates when rope replacement is required. This reduces maintenance and energy costs as well. Since rope monitoring is automated, maintenance-related downtime is minimized, labor costs are reduced, and productivity is naturally increased. Automated rope monitoring is especially significant for larger, taller conveying systems as it eliminates the need to use scaffolding or long ladders to check tensioning and rope wear. Spiroflow Systems Inc., Monroe, NC 704-291-9595 www.spiroflowsystems.com

Automated Mechanical Conveying System
This automated mechanical conveying system provides a solution for moving highly fragile food product through multiple process operations into bulk storage for temporary holding prior to final packaging. At a process rate of 12,000 lb/hr, bulk totes of the food product are nested into a lift carriage; the tote is sealed to a custom-designed discharge hood. The tote is vertically conveyed, using 1½-in., solid 304 stainless steel track and cam rollers, to a 23-ft discharge height. During tilting of the tote, optical sensors ensure a maximum product discharge drop distance of no more than 5 in. throughout the entire 150º rotation. National Bulk Equipment Inc., Holland, MI 616-399-2220 www.nbe-inc.com

Python Conveyor
The Python conveyor can be installed in both a vertical and horizontal position and can be routed around obstructions with radius of turn as small as 10 ft. It is a dust-free system when transporting material by totally encasing the product. The Python tube inherits closing force when manufactured. No mechanical devices are needed for closing the tube and for securing conveyed material in any position. Pictured is a ready-to-go Python conveyor tube sample for 1 million open/close cycles. For a 600-ft-long conveyor with speed of 500 ft/min, 1 million opening/closings of the tube will be reached after more than 27 months, working 24/7 year around. ATBC LLC, Park Ridge, IL 847-648-2822 www.python-conveyor.com

Vibratory Conveyors
These conveyors are designed to minimize power consumption, maximize productivity, and provide years of trouble-free operation. Adding a screen to any of these vibratory conveyors creates a machine that is ideal for removing fines, and/or lumps from the desired finished product. Screens have a wide range of perforation sizes and are designed for easy removal and replacement during the cleaning process. The vibratory and screening conveyors are designed to be used in sanitary applications. Machine and Process Design Inc., Anoka, MN 877-224-0653 www.mpd-inc.com

Twin-Motor Vibrating Conveyors
BEST standard and special application mechanical conveyors and feeders are designed for rugged duty, low maintenance, and long service life. The standard Model TMC twin-motor vibrating conveyors are available from 4 to 18 ft long, in flat-pan or tubular-trough construction. Longer conveyor lengths are accommodated by series mounting units in tandem. Model TMC conveyors can be base-mounted or suspended overhead. Twin counter-rotating motors provide a semi-balanced conveyor design ideal for long-transfer applications. Options include dust-tight trough units with tray covers and flexible connectors, stainless steel construction, sight ports, and scalping screen decks. Metso, Brunswick, OH 800-827-9237 www.bestvibes.com

Tubular Drag Conveyor
This fully-enclosed tubular drag conveyor is designed for chemical applications. The chain-driven flight mechanism is operated by the patented auto-tensioner. The auto-tensioner, take-up assembly offers: consistent and proper chain tension, greatly reducing routine maintenance; increases chain life; automatically sends alerts when adjustments are needed. The tubular drag conveyor provides: a proven method to gently convey friable and blended materials; dust-free operation that mitigates hazardous work areas; protects material from outside contamination; flexibility of system layout - horizontal, vertical, any angle, and around corners; discharges 100% of material. Hapman, Kalamazoo, MI 800-427-6260 www.hapman.com