Mechanical Conveying Spotlight - April 09

Skirt Board Sealing System
An improved version of the APRON SEAL skirt board sealing system provides two wear surfaces on a single elastomer sealing strip, which is installed along the bottom of the skirt board in a belt conveyor loading zone. When the bottom side of the strip against the belt is worn, the sealing strip is inverted, which provides a second service life. The system is installed on the sides of belt conveyor loading zones to contain material, eliminate spillage, and reduce cleanup expenses. It incorporates a primary seal clamped to the steel skirt board to keep lumps on the belt and a secondary, or outrigger, strip to capture any fines or dust that passes beneath the primary seal. The secondary seal lies gently on the belt and self-adjusts to maintain consistent strip-to-belt pressure, despite high-speed material movement and fluctuations in the belt’s line of travel. It is available in lengths up to 300 ft.
Martin Engineering Co., Neponset, IL 800-544-2947 www.martin-eng.com

Twin-Motor Conveyor
The standard Model TMC twin-motor vibrating conveyor is available in lengths from 4 to 18 ft long in flat-pan or tubular-trough construction. Longer conveyors are accommodated by mounting units in tandem. The conveyors can be base-mounted or suspended overhead. Twin counter-rotating motors provide a semibalanced conveyor design that is 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. Standard controls consist of a twin magnetic starter in a NEMA-12 enclosure. A variable-speed controller is available for remote control. Standard power input is 230/460 V, 3-phase, 60-cycle, with other voltages and frequencies available.
Metso Minerals Industries Inc., Brunswick, OH 800-827-9237 www.metso.com

Bucket, Belt, and Vibrating Conveyors
These bucket, belt, and vibrating conveying systems range from standard models to custom-designed units to suit specific applications. The system pictured is a small vibratory feeder that feeds a specialized mini loop bucket conveyor. These units are used in the food, minerals, and chemicals industries.
Gough Econ Inc., Charlotte, NC 800-264-6844 www.goughecon.com

Sanitary Feeder-Conveyor
This combination feeder-conveyor for free-flowing and non-free-flowing bulk dairy products, pharmaceutical products, and other contamination-sensitive materials meets 3-A sanitary standards. A coupling positioned beyond the point at which material exits the discharge spout eliminates the potential of contamination, while allowing quick disconnection of the screw from the motor drive for washdown. The screw is the only moving part that contacts material. The unit simultaneously meters and elevates bulk materials, which potentially eliminates the need for a separate feeder and conveyor. At the same time, it reduces the clearance typically required above the receiving vessel for a dedicated feeder. Mobile and high-capacity units are also available.
Flexicon Corp., Bethlehem, PA 888-353-9426 www.flexicon.com

Magnetic Head Pulleys
These magnetic head pulleys provide continuous, self-cleaning magnetic separation of ferrous metal contaminants from the flow of conveyed material. They are engineered for easy installation in belt conveyors and feature a radial magnetic field that eliminates dead spots. The design gives complete magnetic protection over the entire face of the pulley. Head pulleys protect facilities, equipment, and product from the hazards of tramp iron. They can replace an existing conveyor pulley at the discharge end of the conveyor line and are ideal for recycling applications. They are available in 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 18-, and 24-in. diameters, and widths in 2-in. increments.
Bunting Magnetics, Newton, KS 800-835-2526 www.buntingmagnetics.com

Tubular Drag Conveyor
This tubular drag conveyor allows the user to convey from multiple inlets, and in multiple directions, with one conveyor. Features include robust construction and a heavy-duty chain that runs quietly. The unit is totally enclosed for clean operation, while the gentle handling makes it ideal for conveying blended or friable products. It successfully handles a full range of products from cocoa, sugar, and coffee, to hazardous chemicals, industrial sludge, copper, and iron. Every conveyor is backed by a performance guarantee.
Hapman, Kalamazoo, MI 800-427-6260 www.ideasthatmove.com

Chute Inspection and Access Doors
By looking through the removable screen guard that is standard on every chute inspection and access door, it is now possible to check the condition of the equipment inside the chute without access to moving parts and the risk of injury. The surfaces slope away from the door panel on the interior side of the screen to prevent material buildup from accumulating, thereby reducing fire hazards due to PRB coal. Adding an inspection door to your existing head chute makes blade change-out and chute cleanout easier than ever. The low-profile steel construction with EPDM dust seal can withstand temperatures from -40° to 200°F.
Asgco Manufacturing Inc., Allentown, PA 800-344-4000 www.asgco.com

Vibratory Ash Extractor
The VAX vibratory ash extractor for dry bottom ash handling is designed to improve operational efficiencies at utility facilities. It is suitable for pulverized bituminous and subbituminous coal boilers and can be retrofitted for lignite fired boilers. It incorporates a vibratory conveyor trough that can resist large slag falls and absorb clinker impact, reducing stress to the bin capturing the bottom ash. Coil springs absorb impact and transmit the vibrating motion to the steel pan, eliminating the need for tensioning devices or secondary conveyors to remove fine particles. Unlike wet designs that require rollers and belts, and secondary conveyors, the unit is designed with no exposed moving parts in the boiler flue gas environment, in order to minimize forced boiler outages and improve boiler efficiency.
United Conveyor Corp., Waukegan, IL 847-473-5900 www.unitedconveyor.com

Elevator Bolts
This company recently added the Western three-prong bolt to its product line. Available worldwide, the new bolt joins the company’s existing styles: the No. 1 Norway flat countersunk, and the No. 3 Eclipse (slotted), fanged, and pointed fanged. Historically used in Western Canada, the Western three-prong bolt offers resistance, engagement, and strength, and is stocked in stainless steel. More than 14 million bolts in 38 sizes are in stock.
Tapco Inc., St. Louis, MO 800-288-2726 www.tapcoinc.com

Conveying Equipment
This company offers a range of conveyors, including package and pallet conveyors. Multiple standard conveyor designs include flat and troughed, and slider and roller bed frames. The company utilizes belting with smooth or patterned surfaces for horizontal and incline applications, corrugated sidewall belts for steep incline applications, and flat wire and powered rollers for bag and pallet applications.
Chantland-MHS, Humboldt, IA 515-332-4045 www.chantland.com

Tubular Conveyor
This versatile tubular conveyor uses no air to convey. A cable and disks move a wide variety of products: carbon black, talc, coffee, nuts, titanium dioxide, magnesium oxide, powders, chunks, flakes, pellets, parts, shavings, crumbles, granules, regrind, and dust can all be handled without the use of expensive filter systems. This conveyor can be used in place of a bucket elevator, screw conveyor, pneumatic system, or aero-mechanical system. Convey rates of up to 1240 cu ft/hr are possible. All systems feature customized layout designs that typically use multiple inlets and discharge points. Product separation and degradation are eliminated.
Cablevey, Oskaloosa, IA 800-247-3344 www.cablevey.com

Conveyor Chain Assembly
The Bolt ‘N’ Go flight system is an assembly method for drop-forged and round-link conveyor chain. Link and flight assembly has been made easy by using a standard bolt and nut with a high-strength hollow pin. There are no circlips to become loose and no intricate assembly. No welding is required to attach flights, and there is no need to remove chain from the conveyor for installation. In addition, there are no issues with strength. The user simply bolts the links and the flights together. It is available in seven chain sizes from 102 to 200 nA.
4B Components, East Peoria, IL 309-698-5611 www.go4b.com

Bulk Bag Filler with Roller Transport Conveyor
With a cantilevered, heavy-duty, carbon-steel design, the HD series bulk bag filler allows safe and efficient access to bulk bag-filling operations. Enhancements such as rear bag hook release, deaeration, batch weighing, and densification base (which, when activated, rises up between the rollers of the transport conveyor) ensure accurately filled, stable, easy-to-handle FIBCs every time. The mechanical adjustable height option allows the flexibility to use various bag sizes. Complete engineered batching systems for powders and bulk solids are available to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of industrial needs. These conveyors can now be specified with an autotensioning device that reduces maintenance, downtime, and extends the life of the conveyor.
Hapman, Kalamazoo, MI 800-427-6260 www.ideasthatmove.com

Mobile Flexible Screw Conveyor
The Spiroflow mobile flexible screw conveyor can be used to meter bulk ingredients and minor additives from storage or processes of any kind to further processing or packaging. The unit can be used in process industries such as food, chemical, and plastic. The conveyor can be controlled volumetrically or gravimetrically from the source vessel, or by gain-in-weight at the receiving end.
Spiroflow Systems, Charlotte, NC 704-291-9595 www.spiroflowsystems.com