Powder Show Q&A: Bulk Handling Systems, Pneumatic Conveying

Todd Smith, business and strategy manager at the Bulk Solids Innovation Center at Kansas State, will be at the podium for three educational sessions and one additional session at this year's Powder Show (April 25-27, Rosemont, IL). 

Smith has helped lead the Center since 2019. Previously, he spent 38 years in the bulk solids industry, first at DuPont; as engineering manager at MAC Equipment (now Schenck Process); and then general manager of Coperion K-Tron Salina and vice president of the company’s Global Systems Group. 

He is speaking at these sessions:

We asked Smith to give us a short description on each session. Here are his answers:

Keynote: Effective Specification of a Bulk Handling System

(Tues., April 25, 8 – 9 a.m.)

This is intended for anyone who buys, uses, or supplies equipment for a project. Getting the Spec right is very important, but not easy. You’ll hear from all sides during this discussion, about what works and doesn’t work. Bring your questions!

Basics of Conveying System Selection

(Wed., April 26, 9:30 – 11 a.m.)

This is a fundamentals session. There are many ways to convey powder and bulk solid materials.  How do you know which one is right for your application? This session will describe the major types of Mechanical Conveyors in a basic way. And then it will jump into advanced details about how to choose the best one based on your application needs, conveying rate, and distance.  

Conveying & Feeding: Uprating Pneumatic Conveying Systems

(Wed., April 26, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.)

This session is intended for anyone who want to improve the performance or usefulness of their existing pneumatic conveying system. If you wonder how to change materials, rate, distance or other factors, then this will be helpful for you. We’ll first discuss basic theory about how pneumatic conveying works, then use practical sizing concepts to understand how to improve or change the system.

Workforce Development Needs in the Bulk Solids Industry

(Thurs., April 27, 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

This discussion will take place at the Center Stage on the last day of the show. Both Todd and Kevin Solofra, lab manager at K-State's Bulk Solids Innovation Center, will take part.

If your company is finding it difficult to hire and develop employees, then this session will help you!  Kevin and Todd have spent decades in the industry, and then joined the University a few years ago. They understand both perspectives and want to share the things that work and things that don’t work for industry recruiting. They will briefly describe the disconnect between industry and higher education. Then they will discuss how to recruit, how to get the inside track, and how to find and develop the employee skills that your company needs.

The Powder Show is coming up in less than a week. For more info and to register (it's not too late!), visit the Powder Show site.