Technology Review 1248

Modular Air Knife  Mounting Bracket
Sonic blower-powered XE air knives are essential high-velocity air delivery devices in the removal of water or debris and for air cooling and heating on production lines with applications in virtually any manufacturing plant. The XE air knife is manufactured in both extruded aluminum and fabricated stainless steel ranging in size from 2 to 6 in. wide and lengths of 2 to 144 in. The majority of applications require one to six air knives up to 42 in. long. Until now, all air knife manufacturers have utilized the Sonic dual bracket design that supports each end of every air knife. Its limitations are most evident when up to six air knives are required on one production line. Finding a place to mount 12 air knife brackets can be nearly impossible. The new modular air knife bracket’s design offers effective, rigid single-point air knife attachment with an easy five-axis air knife adjustment ability requiring only one bracket for each 42-in. air knife.  Sonic Air Systems Inc.,  Brea, CA 714-255-0124  www.sonicairsystems.com

Three-Conveyor Checkweigher and Metal Detector
The XC3 CombiChecker is a compact, three-conveyor Hi-Speed checkweigher and Safeline metal detector integrated onto one free-standing unit. The system delivers an integrated, space-saving solution for inspecting a wide range of products and packages in dry, dusty, and wipe-down environments. The unit detects and rejects all types of metals and can weigh, classify, and segregate uniformly spaced packages weighing up to 3500 g at rates up to 125 packs/min. The system is available in a 300mm-wide conveyor configuration, making it ideal for users that require the flexibility to run both narrow and wide packages.  Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed, Ithaca, NY 800-836-0836 www.mt.com/hi-speed

High-Capacity Mixer/Unloader
This 400-tn high-capacity pin-paddle mixer/unloader is specifically designed for stabilization of wet scrubber by-product (cake) with fly ash. The high-capacity mixer builds on the operating efficiencies of the UCC mixer/unloader product line, including uniform conditioning of materials with specifically designed nozzle arrangements to wet the ash with a precisely regulated volume and distribution of water, resulting in a homogenous mix and functional dust suppression. The unit was developed with a large inlet opening to accommodate multiple feeding belt conveyor lines for greater system flexibility and throughput. The pins and paddles work in conjunction to move and mix materials through to the discharge area. The robust design and stainless-steel construction delivers high-capacity performance and longer life. United Conveyor Corp., Waukegan, IL 847-473-5900 www.unitedconveyor.com

Sand Bagger
With its one-dimensional convergence hopper bottom, two-man station, and lever-activated dump valves, the Sandbagger provides a portable, fast-fill, and economical solution for catastrophic emergencies, environmental protection, and for commercial and municipal security needs. The unit prevents infrastructure damage during seasonal flooding or catastrophic emergencies, diverts water for  irrigation or other source needs,  protects embankments against erosion, safeguards building and construction sites, secures hazardous waste, creates firebreaks, shores up trenches and barricade, and supports traffic warning and other temporary signs. Its gravity-induced hang-up free flow requires no power generation, while the two-man station with optional operator seating and adjustable height bag supports allow double the output with little or no back strain. In addition, the unit’s large 4.5-cu-yd hopper requires less frequent fill cycles, ensuring a production rate of 2000 bags/hr. Diamondback Technology Inc., Atascadero, CA 805-544-3775  www.diamondbacktechnology.com

Air Knife
The PVDF Super Air Knife provides a laminar curtain of air that can be used to blowoff, clean, and dry in highly corrosive environments not suitable for stainless steel. Its durable construction consists of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), Hastelloy C-276 alloy screws, and a PTFE shim to adjust the force and flow of the airstream. These components offer superior strength and resistance to UV light, inorganic chemicals, solvents, ozone, weather, fungi, chlorinated hydrocarbons, highly corrosive acids, weak bases, and salts. It can withstand temperatures up to 275°F and has no moving parts to wear out. Air consumption is a third of typical blowoffs and the noise level is extremely quiet at 69 dBa.  Exair Corp., Cincinnati, OH 800-903-9247 www.exair.com/pvdfsak.htm

Butterfly Valves
This line of butterfly valves is ideal for powders, high-pressure, and extreme temperature applications. Available with standard 10-bar capability, they are offered with options that include manual or pneumatic actuation, wafer or flange mounts, and a wide range of body, disc, and seat materials. The proven line provides low pressure drops, consequently providing high energy savings. They also provide total and permanent water tightness and are easy to install with virtually no maintenance. They have interchangeable parts, no joints when assembled between flanges, and the seats are easy to replace. Kemutec, Bristol, PA 215-788-8013 www.kemutecusa.com

Mechanical Conveying

Twin-Motor Vibrating Conveyors
Booth 2711 - BEST 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. The 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. Standard controls consist of a twin magnetic starter in NEMA 12 enclosure. A variable-speed controller is available for remote control. Standard power input is 230/460 V, 3-phase, 60-cycle; other voltages and frequencies are available. Metso Minerals Industries Inc., Brunswick, OH 800-827-9237  www.bestvibes.com

Mechanical Conveying Systems
Booth 1613 – These mechanical conveyors offer integrated, NTEP-certified batch weigh systems, accurate to ±0.01%, up to a total container capacity of 4500 lb. NTEP-certified weigh systems provide valid, accurate, and repeatability weighing in bulk bag and bulk container filling applications. Integrated automation brings system-wide conveyor controls together into a single, menu-driven, touchscreen MHI. Conveying functions such as drive controlling, material sensing, container routing, and control layer monitoring immediately contribute to increased processing efficiencies by reducing material waste, optimizing line speed and capacity, and helping to provide a safe operator work environment. National Bulk Equipment Inc., Holland, MI 616-399-2220  www.nbe-inc.com

Precision Screw Conveyors
Booth 2535 - 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 United States to any specified size using commercially available materials, such as mild steel, Type 304, Type 316, T1, AR400, Tri-Braze, and Super C alloys. The company also fabricates conveyor troughing and all component parts in the same material range.  Precision Machine & Manufacturing Inc., Eugene, OR 800-722-9841 www.premach.com

Mechanical and  Electromagnetic Conveyors
Booth 1629 & 2015 - These conveyors are rugged, efficient, high-capacity units that move large volumes of bulk material. Mechanical and electromagnetic models are available. Mechanical conveyors are available in single-mass and two-mass vibrating systems, with capacities up to 25 or 35 cu ft/min excited by a motor driven eccentric shaft. The compact, straight-line design of these conveyors presents a low profile, yet allows for ease of maintenance. Electromagnetic conveyors are two-mass units that have no belts or bearings to break. They come in widths from 18 in. to 4 ft, lengths up to 10 ft, and can handle from 100 to 1000 cu ft/hr. Eriez, Erie, PA 888-300-3743  www.eriez.com

Catch Cloths
Catch cloths of 18-gauge vinyl are available for installation under conveyors in the food processing and baking industries. Catch cloths prevent errant product from dropping onto other lines or being transferred throughout the plant. They facilitate plant cleanup by confining spillage in one area. Cloths are offered with custom sizing and grommet placement to fit beneath any conveyor. The company can duplicate straights, 45 and 90° turns, S-curves, as well as add dump chutes or funnels for high-volume applications. Catch cloth installation service is also provided.  American Fabric Filter Co.,  Wesley Chapel, FL 800-367-3591 www.americanfabricfilter.com

Automatic High-Speed  Bagging System
Product changeover with the Star series of bag packaging machinery is easy with a new bag bar code scanning system that provides a two-minute changeover time. This advanced feature automatically adjusts the machine to the correct positions and installs the correct recipe program in the bag hanger and optional scale. The machines are configurable with internal paper and poly bag sealing stations, allowing for increased efficiency compared to external sealers. A servo-driven lower conveyor and upper retention drives are used to transfer the bag to and from the sealing stations, providing precise transfers and total bag top control. Allen Bradley HMI and PLC products create a simple, central control system. Pre-charge product filling creates less dust and reduces air in the bag. Fully automated bag deflation systems are also available. Thiele Technologies, Minneapolis, MN 800-932-3647 www.thieletech.com