May 14, 2007

8 Min Read
Technology Review

pbs0705p8a.jpgContinuous Automated Bag Openers
Company manufactures a complete line of automated bag opening equipment that increases production, reduces labor, and improves ergonomics in the workplace. Systems can be provided for all production needs. Low- or high-volume machines that handle up to 20 bags/min are available. Infeed and take-away conveyors are available to complete the system. A line of bag-break stations with take-away conveyors is also available.
Product Saver, IL 630-554-7804 www.productsaver.com

pbs0705p9a.jpgAerators
VibraPad aerators are designed to increase the rate and consistency of flow for dry bulk materials. They can be purchased in kits for easy installation in bins, hoppers, silos, and bulk carriers. The aerators combine fluidizing air with mechanical vibration to set dry bulk materials in motion, eliminating the bridging, rat-holing, and compacting that can cause plugging, slow or erratic conveying, and processing downtime. Durable and abrasion-resistant, the aerators can be used with most dry solids and are available in silicon rubber or neoprene for sanitary applications.
Cyclonaire Corp., York, NE 888-593-6241 www.cyclonaire.com

pbs0705p9b.jpgBulk Storage
Specializing in factory and field-welded storage tanks for virtually any dry bulk material, the company offers one-piece welded tanks in carbon steel, aluminum, or stainless steel in sizes up to 15 ft in diameter. One-piece welded construction provides strength, integrity, and performance, as well as easy on-site installation. Choice of skirt, structural leg or lug supports, and modification for load cell mounting are also available for all designs.
Imperial Industries, Rothschild, WI 800-558-2945 www.imperialind.com

pbs0705p12a.jpgRefrigerated Dryers
Company has expanded its Secotec refrigerated dryer series. Now available for flows from 20 to 885 scfm in pressures up to 230 psig, these cycling dryers provide maximum efficiency by using a thermal mass medium for storage and operating the refrigerant compressor only when necessary. An air-to-air heat exchanger reduces the load on the refrigeration system by precooling the inlet air. Features include simple controls, a stainless-steel separator, and an electric demand drain. Dryer construction allows easy access to all components and minimizes the required floor space. The solid thermal mass medium eliminates leakage problems.
Kaeser Compressors Inc., Fredericksburg, VA 800-777-7873 www.kaeser.com

pbs0705p13a.jpgPlatform Truck
The Model PC3048 platform truck allows operators to easily move loads of up to 500 lb. Molded-in pockets hold order-picking items, pens, clipboards, printouts, scanners, etc. The powder-coated steel handle is 1.25 in. diam, ensuring a good grip. For maximum strength and durability, the body of the platform truck is roto-molded from linear low-density polyethylene, which prevents rust, dents, cracks, or splinters. The truck weighs just 59 lb. Dimensions are 48 × 30 × 12-in. deck height with an overall height to the top of the handle of 48 in.
Techstar Plastics Inc., Port Perry, ON, Canada 800-263-7943 www.techstarplastics.com

pbs0705p13b.jpgBelt Conveyors for Bulk Materials
The sixth edition of Belt Conveyors for Bulk Materials is available in CD and print format. The updated second printing incorporates new application photos and application-specific clarifications related to belt tension and power engineering, as well as editorial changes compiled from user input. The second print version expands and improves elements addressed in the initial printing, with improved accuracy for the formula used to calculate power requirements. Other documentation incorporated in this edition includes limitless length and width combinations of bulk conveyor-belt design parameters. This feature provides modern methodology for developing proper tension balances on segmented conveyors of significant length. All charts and equations are now formatted in a manner conducive to computer programming, making engineering calculation and analysis quick and effortless.
CEMA, Naples, FL 239-514-3441 www.cemanet.org

pbs0705p16a.jpgDigital Linear Displacement Transducer
The digital GEMCO 953D-series Vmax linear displacement transducer (LDT) offers absolute continuous position feedback under the most extreme conditions. It is suited for the most demanding process automation applications, despite shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, or exposure to contaminants. It is shock resistant to 1000 Gs, vibration resistant to 30 Gs, and IP68 rated. The fully digital unit offers accurate absolute position indication with high resolution and precision repeatability. It overcomes the resolution and signal limitations of analog LDTs by offering infinite resolution and a stable position feedback for cable runs up to 1500 ft from the host controller.
Ametek Automation & Process Technologies, Clawson, MI 248-435-7540 www.ametekapts.com

pbs0705p17a.jpgPneumatic Ball Vibrator
The Series BPV pneumatic ball vibrator is suitable for bridge-break in thin walls and small tanks. This model can be used in vibrating separators, vibrating conveyors, and against electroplating buildup. It can also be used on material compacted while packing or sand compacted while molding. Pricing starts at $59.
Dwyer Instruments Inc., Michigan City, IN 219-879-8000 www.dwyer-inst.com

pbs0705p17b.jpgVertical Spout Magnet
Powerful opposing magnets mounted to the outside of the housing draw tramp metal out of the product stream. A center diverter on the housing inlet helps direct product toward the magnets. A single trap-face design eliminates the possibility of the captured tramp metal being washed back into the product stream. The magnets retract from the housing, taking the tramp metal out of the product flow area. A stripper plate stops as the magnets continue to retract, separating the magnets from the stripper plate. Tramp metal is safely discarded into collection trays.
Puritan Magnetics, Oxford, MI 248-628-6808 www.puritanmagnetics.com

pbs0705p26a.jpgRotary Airlock Feeder
The Rotoscoop self-cleaning rotary airlock feeder feeds or discharges wet, sticky materials that tend to build up on most surfaces. The synchronized cleaning blades sweep each pocket on every revolution to clean any remaining material and guarantee that the pocket is emptied. This method of mechanically cleaning the pockets of the rotor ensures a consistent and accurate rate of discharge. The unit is also ideal for feeding dry, free-flowing powders and granular materials to reactor vessels, where the vapors from the vessel cause the material to stick to the airlock.
Wyssmont Company, Inc., Fort Lee, NJ 201-947-4600 www.wyssmont.com

pbs0705p27a.jpgFixed Gas Detectors
Fixed gas detectors in the Xgard detector line quickly detect dangers and alert personnel to emergency conditions, preventing accidents and leaving workers confident of their safety when working with gases. The units protect personnel and equipment against a range of flammable and toxic gases, including methane and carbon monoxide. They can be fitted with a sensor that alerts workers of oxygen deficiency in enclosed environments. The sensor selection makes it simple to customize the detectors to specific applications in wastewater treatment facilities, petrochemical refineries, parking garages, and general processing plants.
Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd., Erlanger KY 800-527-6926 www.crowcon.com

pbs0705p28a.jpgFlatbed Scale Platform
Part of the IF flatbed scale series, the MoveLine platform provides increased ease of use for cleaning through a patented design that meets current NIOSH occupational safety regulations. Thorough cleaning is accomplished using wheels located directly below the platform and controlled through a specialized lifting system. As the wheels are lowered, the scale is raised from the floor so that the entire scale can then be easily moved using a towing bar, providing easy and complete access to the floor underneath the platform. With an ultralow profile of only 25 mm, the platform is optimally designed for hopper or vessel weighing and allows simple positioning of containers on the platform.
Sartorius Corp., Edgewood, NY 800-625-2906 www.sartorius-usa.com

pbs0705p29a.jpgDrum Vacuum
Designed to meet the general plant-cleaning and maintenance needs of food manufacturers, the GWD 255 Drum Vac is powered by two independent bypass motors and can fit both 30- and 55-gal drums, allowing users to recycle drums that are abundant in nearly every production plant. An optional float chamber and washable cartridge filter allows the unit to pick up both wet and dry materials, and the machine can also be fitted with an upstream HEPA filter for pick-up of hazardous materials, ensuring that 99.97% of particles are retained, down to and including 0.3 µm in size.
Nilfisk-Advance America, Malvern, PA 610-647-6420 www.pa.nilfisk-advance.com

pbs0705p31a.jpgSolid Bowl Decanting Centrifuge
The Pennwalt Super-D-Canter is a solid-bowl decanting centrifuge for effective continuous separation of slurries into liquid or solid phases. Key benefits include high processing efficiency, continuous operation, and design flexibility. Compared with conventional separation equipment and methods, the unit has minimum power consumption with only one motor, and savings in energy, space, manpower, and maintenance costs. Typical process applications include separation of slurries, concentration of solids, and dewatering solids.
MPE Group USA, Swedesboro, NJ 856-241-9970 www.mpegroupusa.com

pbs0705p34a.jpgConveyors
Company offers multiple standard conveyor designs including flat and troughed, slider and roller bed frames. Belting with smooth or patterned surfaces is utilized 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

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