Pneumatic Conveying Focus - January 08

Conveying Magnets
AIR-VEY magnets are designed to remove ferrous contaminants from products in dilute-phase pneumatic conveying systems that operate at 15 psi or less. They are used to ensure product purity and protect process equipment. The flow-through area of the housing is engineered to maintain the same product velocity with no appreciable drop in pressure. The magnets install easily in horizontal, vertical, or angled positions with compression-type couplings or weld in place.
Puritan Magnetics Inc., Oxford, MI 248-628-3808 www.puritanmagnetics.com

Vacuum-Loading Conveyors
DPV-B-series conveyors are ideal for moving large quantities of powdered, granular, or pelletized friable and abrasive materials. Standard units are rated at 100-plus t/hr and provide high material-to-air ratios and low line velocities, enabling smaller line sizes, lower air consumption, reduced dust, and lower capital investment and operating costs. Abrasive wear and particle degradation are also minimized. The conveyors feature vacuum loading with bottom discharge and fit where low headroom makes other conveyor types impractical. Units can be used for bulk unloading, in-plant transfer, and scaling and batching. They can be customized for any dense-phase conveying application.
Cyclonaire Corp., York, NE 888-593-6241 www.cyclonaire.com

Air-Powered Conveyor
The heavy-duty Line Vac is a powerful in-line conveyor that transports high volumes of material through ordinary hose or tube. Commonly used to transfer complex shapes, bulk solids, and waste, the units feature large throat diameters that make it possible to convey more material over long vertical and horizontal lengths. The conveying rate is typically twice that of ordinary air-powered conveyors. The conveyor ejects a small amount of compressed air through directed nozzles into the throat to produce a vacuum on one end and high output flows on the other. Response is instantaneous. The material conveying rate is easily controlled with a pressure regulator. An optional bracket permits easy mounting. Maintenance-free operation is ensured because the conveyor does not use moving parts or electricity.
Exair Corp., Cincinnati, OH 800-903-9247 www.exair.com

Spark Detector and Suppresser
The pneumatic conveying of combustible dusts carries an inherent risk of dust fires and explosion in many applications. Grinding, cutting, and drying operations can often cause sparks, which are typically the ignition source for fires and explosions in duct collectors and air filtration equipment. The Flamex system is specifically designed to address these hazards by detecting and suppressing sparks in the pneumatic ductwork before they can reach dust collectors or storage bins.
Flamex Inc., Greensboro, NC 336-299-2933 www.flamexinc.com

Pneumatic Conveying Systems
Each of the company’s 16 different pneumatic conveying systems has it own set of operating characteristics for pressure, conveying line velocity, efficiency, and performance. Because each conveyed material reacts differently under a given set of operating conditions, it is critical to match the system operating characteristics to the material to be conveyed in order to achieve the most desired performance and to provide the best value. The systems can convey at almost any velocity desired to suit a given material. Conveying capacities range from a few hundred pounds of material per hour up to 500 t/hr, with conveying distances exceeding 6000 ft.
Dynamic Air Inc., St. Paul, MN 651-484-2900 www.dynamicair.com

Conveying Elbow
By creating a deflection zone, the Smart Elbow virtually eliminates elbow wear, product degradation, plugging, surging, cross-contamination, noise, and turbulence. Its design saves space, time, and unnecessary costs. These elbows can be used in a variety of applications, including plastics, grain, pulp and paper, and wastewater treatment. If there is a problem with the Smart Elbow during the approved warranty period, the company will replace it with an equivalent or better elbow one time, free of charge.
HammerTek Corp., Landisville, PA 800-505-9665 www.hammertek.com

Pressure Dense-Phase Pneumatic Conveying Systems
These pressure dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems are ideal for fragile powders and agglomerated materials because their low conveying velocity reduces degradation and segregation. Typical materials conveyed include infant formulas, drink mixes, creamers, and food additives. The systems can gently convey a large volume of material over long distances to multiple destinations. USDA-Dairy and other food-grade specifications are available. Product testing that replicates the piping in customers’ facilities and the materials to be conveyed are offered. The systems can be used to unload bulk materials from FIBC bags, bulk bins, silos, dryers, and blenders. They also work well for feeding secondary processing or packaging equipment.
Nu-Con Equipment, Chanhassen, MN 877-939-0510 www.nucon.com

Low-Pulse, Twisted-Lobe Blowers
HeliFlow 616 and 624 blowers reduce noise levels by 4–7 dBa. With high overhung load capabilities of 13,500 in./lb, the durable units offer low pulsations with solid helical trilobe rotors while providing pressure to 15 psig, vacuum to 16 in.Hg, and airflow to 3200 cfm.
Gardner Denver Inc., Quincy, IL 800-682-9868 www.GardnerDenverProducts.com

Vacuum Dense-Phase Conveying
The Vacuum Modulating Air Control (VMAC) system is a new generation of vacuum dense-phase conveying technology that uses specially designed modulating air controls that automatically correct feed conditions based on vacuum levels. The technology ensures that the system is properly loaded and that the benefits of dense phase conveying are realized. The system is also designed to work with dry vacuum pumps, eliminating the operational and maintenance issues associated with the common oil-flooded vacuum pump.
MAC Equipment, Kansas City, MO 800-821-2476 www.macequipment.com

Complete Pneumatic Conveying Systems
Conventional and Moovinator pneumatic conveying systems provide a full range of powder-handling and equipment-fit solutions. Modular equipment can be mixed and matched to provide custom solutions. Modular components allow for future expansion or changes and eliminate system obsolescence. Complete systems are available in pressure or vacuum dilute-phase or semi-dense-phase transfer models and come complete with controls. For tight areas, the company offers low-profile systems with bulk bag unloaders that fit beneath a 12-ft space and filter receivers that load filters horizontally.
HAF Equipment Inc., Centerville, MN 651-653-5098 www.hafequipment.com

Vacuum Conveyors
C-series vacuum conveyors are ideal for conveying starches, powders, and other dry ingredients that are typically used in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Powered by pneumatically driven vacuum pumps, the systems safely and quietly transport up to 10–15 tn/hr of material in virtually any manufacturing or processing environment. They are made of AISI Type 316L stainless steel and can cope with the most demanding conditions. The filter design can trap particles down to 0.3 µm and can be equipped with a HEPA filter. The conveyor’s design improves vacuum-assisted flow by 25% with­out affecting energy consumption.
PIAB, Hingham, MA 781-337-7309 www.piab.com

Dense-Phase Pneumatic Conveying Systems
These dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems utilize small amounts of high-pressure, low-velocity air to gently transfer controlled slugs of dry powdered or granular materials through enclosed convey lines. The systems minimize component wear; reduce product breakage, degradation, and segregation; and are ideal for abrasive, fragile, friable, or mixed-batch materials. The company’s exclusive air management system enhances efficiency by injecting air into the convey line via strategically placed air assists. This technology lowers overall resistance, decreases air pressure requirements, and improves material flow.
Nol-Tec Systems Inc., Lino Lakes, MN 651-780-8600 www.nol-tec.com

Pneumatic Conveying Systems
These pneumatic conveying systems streamline dilute-phase handling of dry bulk solids and provide dust control. The company specializes in air management systems and offers components for customizing and improving new or existing pneumatic conveying operations, including pressure, vacuum, and combination systems. Positive-displacement blower packages feature heavy-duty frames and adjustable motor bases, as well as inlet and outlet silencers for a quieter working environment, indoors or out. Constructed with fabricated steel rotors and rugged cast housings of carbon or stainless steel, machined airlocks are built for the high-pressure, heavy-duty demands of dilute-phase conveying. Self-contained bag dump stations that can be used for adding minor ingredients have a built-in fan, pulse-jet cleaning, and cartridge filters for thorough and efficient dust removal. Bin vents filter out the product dust and debris captured in conveying air as it is vented from storage bins or silos. They utilize pulse-jet action to keep pneumatic systems running clean and in compliance with local air quality standards.
Airlanco, Falls City, NE 800-500-9777 www.airlanco.com

Bulk Bag Unloader for Pneumatic Conveyors
The BFF-series (forklift-load) bulk bag unloader has a non-flow-through pickup adapter for multiple pneumatic conveying lines. The Tele-Tube telescoping tube raises a spout-lock clamp ring that seals the clean side of the bag spout to the clean side of the telescoping tube, exerting continual downward tension as the bag empties and elongates, promoting flow while containing dust. A power-cincher flow control valve cinches the spout concentrically for easy leakproof tie-offs, while a Bag-Vac dust collector creates negative pressure within the dust-tight system to collapse empty bags dust-free prior to retying and disconnection. Flow-Flexer bag activators raise the bottom of the bag into a steep V shape, promoting complete discharge.
Flexicon Corp., Bethlehem, PA 888-353-9426 www.flexicon.com

Blender Conveyors
Stationary and portable CB-series blender conveyors combine bulk carrier unloading, transfer, and blending capa­bilities in one vacuum-pressure unit. The units are sized for 5- to more than 20 t/h and can handle powdered, granular, or pelletized friable abrasive materials. Equipped with automated controls and load cells, these machines blend products from multiple sources and convey them to one or more destinations using a single 15-psig positive-displacement blower. Proprietary semidense design results in low line velocities and high material-to-air ratios that reduce wear and product degradation.
Cyclonaire Corp., York, NE 888-593-6241 www.cyclonaire.com

Hoses and Couplings
Series WT Tigerflex hose is a heavy-duty PVC food-grade material-handling hose for use with pellets or dry food products. Series WE is a heavy-duty PVC food-grade material-handling hose with an embedded grounding wire for handling pellets or powders. Series 2001 is a food-grade polyurethane-lined PVC material-handling hose with an embedded grounding wire for indoor abrasive applications in which pellets, grains, and powders are handled. Aluminum compression adapters and quick couplers are offered, along with quick-acting couplings and special spiral double-bolt clamps to complete the connection.
Kuriyama of America Inc., Schaumburg, IL 847-755-0360 www.kuriyama.com