Case studies.

www.powdereporter.co.uk \| Case studies
Tea bagging project UK. Tea producer R Twining & Co Ltd has selected Chronos Richardson equipment for its new packing facility. The high accuracy weighing and packing equipment, installed at Twining’s Andover factory in Hampshire, UK, during a recent shutdown, is an essential part of the most critical aspects of the tea process, where premium grade tea leaves are graded and classified according to type and appearance. A vibratory fed Automatic E55 bagging weigher discharges weighed and graded leaves into plastic lined cardboard cases, manually placed at the filling position by an operator. Boxes, pre-assembled before the filling station, are designed to provide added protection for leaves and eliminate moisture ingress during storage. The E55 weigher, installed onto a bespoke support framework, is controlled by a SpeedAC NXT weighing controller. Weighments from 12.5 to 45.0kg are carefully settled, under vibration, into the lined cases and subsequently moved from the filling area via an integrated box liner sealer and conveyor system. Chronos Richardson engineers worked to exacting standards laid down by the client and the whole project was supplied on a turnkey basis, with full installation and commissioning by Chronos Richardson service engineers. www.chronosrichardson.com \| 10:33 16/06/2008 Friction material formulation Germany. Teijin Aramid GmbH, based in Wuppertal, Germany, is using Freeman Technology's FT4 Powder Rheometer to deliver essential information in the development of new friction materials. The leading aramid producer manufactures a para-aramid high performance fibre called Twaron, used in brake linings and clutch facings. FT4 is used to investigate the flow behaviour of friction materials containing Twaron pulp to design formulations with specific properties. Andreas Wodetzki, technical account manager at Teijin Aramid explains that non-asbestos organic friction material formulations include many variable raw materials all of which can affect overall powder properties. A repeatable method was needed for measuring flow behaviour when changing para-aramid pulp type and content. The FT4 gives repeatable results that are both intuitive and highly informative. Using the FT4, the team has demonstrated that different pulp types have an influence on flowability, compressibility and permeability across the powder bed - knowledge that helps develop formulations with special features. Cost saving is a major issue in the brake industry and this means that standardised testing should not only enable cost reductions during both development and production, but also help optimise quality. According to Andreas Wodezki, "The FT4 is bringing more science to understanding 'black magic' friction material formulations. We are continuing to generate data in order to learn from past experience and to better understand the influence of different raw materials." www.freemantech.co.uk \| 10:36 11/06/2008 Helps match mixer to process USA. The difficult challenge of selecting a mixer for specific process applications is alleviated when thorough testing is possible. At the test and development centre of Charles Ross & Son Co, a leading manufacturer of mixing equipment, Malvern’s Mastersizer particle size analyzer is one analytical instrument used by customers during process simulations. Provided as a complimentary service, mixing trials at the test centre located in Hauppauge, NY, USA are utilised by a wide range of customers from around the world. Working with their own raw materials, customers can simulate processes using Ross mixing, blending and dispersion systems. Mastersizer is utilised during the course of process optimisation and verification as an aid to selecting the right mixing equipment and correct process conditions. Christine Angos, Charles Ross’ application engineer, explains that Mastersizer is used alongside viscometers, moisture balances and other analytical equipment and is very helpful in proving and demonstrating the company’s technologies, particularly on high shear and ultra-high shear mixers. "Particle or droplet size measurements of dispersions or emulsions tell us if we are at the desired endpoint, whether we need to process longer, or if we should shift to a different type of mixer. Even when other physical properties are critical to the product's quality, measured particle size often gives us a definite indication of success", says Angos. Mastersizer systems use laser diffraction technology to measure particle size in wet and dry samples. Ross product lines include equipment to mix liquid-liquid, solid-solid and liquid-solid formulations over a wide range of viscosities. www.malvern.com • For details regarding Ross mixing technology log on to www.mixers.com \| 08:42 05/06/2008 On-line analysis cuts toner costs A major Japanese toner manufacturer is finding Malvern Instruments' Insitec LPS on-line particle size analyser 'indispensable' for process control, enabling manufacturing costs to be cut dramatically. The unit is suitable for a range of wet processes and is capable of measuring particles in the 0.1 to 1000 micron size range. To date, more than eight of these systems have been installed at a the company's chemical production plants. Because particle size directly influences toner performance, it must be tightly controlled during manufacture. Real-time particle size measurements delivered by the unit can be used to automate this control, reducing waste and enhancing product quality. Systems have been fully integrated into existing production control platforms, making them essential pieces of process equipment. Toner production has seen significant changes in recent years, with manufacturers increasingly adopting chemical, polymerisation-based production methods in place of wet or dry milling - delivering improved control of particle size and shape which in turn influences both print quality and toner behaviour in a printer. www.malvern.com \| 22:48 08/05/2008 Smashing installation Premier Foods is said to have benefited from the installation of two Spiroflow big bag dischargers and four flexible screw conveyors delivering SMASH instant mashed potato to packing lines at its Histon production site in the UK. This has resulted in improvements to product quality and a reduction in both labour and utility costs. A change in SMASH production and handling methods created the need for the new systems. Previously, finished product was held in storage hoppers and transferred to the packing hall by an overhead conveyor belt system feeding four packing lines. Now, processed product is discharged into and stored in 2 cu m big bags brought to the packing hall by forklift truck at the rate of 16 a day. There is a need to ensure that bags are discharged in an efficient and dust tight manner. The forklift truck removes empty bags and places full ones into position on the Spiroflow dischargers, using lifting/support frames supplied with the dischargers. Each of the collection hoppers underneath the dishargers utilise bifurcated outlets, an arrangement that allows two Spiroflow flexible screw conveyors from each of the two dischargers to deliver product to four packing lines. Conveyor control is by high and low level probes in the buffer hoppers above each of the filling machines. The flexible screw conveyors range from 8 to 10 m long and operate at a variety of angles. A fifth, pre-existing Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor is used to return acceptable product to one of the packing machines after it has been recovered from any out of spec packaging. Experience with the existing conveyor and other Spiroflow equipment on site is said to have provided the impetus for engineering manager Kevin Murray and his colleagues to choose Spiroflow as the supplier for the new system. Although Premier Foods use Spiroflow conveyors on sugar at Histon, the Smash application required tests to be carried by Spiroflow''s test facility to determine the optimum specification for the dischargers and the correct type of spiral required for the conveyors. Controllers for the dischargers and conveyors were designed and manufactured in-house by Spiroflow and the installation and commissioning also carried out by them. www.spiroflow.com \| 23:10 20/01/2008 Fine tuning PTA production Indorama Petrochem Ltd has chosen the Mastersizer 2000 particle size analysis system to ensure quality control during the manufacture of PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid) at its site in Rayong, Thailand. The extensive capabilities of the system, coupled with the applications expertise of both Malvern Instruments and Diethelm Ltd, its distributor in Thailand, are said to have been key factors in helping the client to fine tune the measurement and data analysis process, delivering the necessary information to ensure product consistency. This is considered to be one of the world’s largest single line plants for PTA production, commonly used in polyester and as an intermediate in plastic, pesticide, ink and paint production. In this particular case Mastersizer is equipped with a Scirocco dry powder feeder to analyse PTA as part of manufacturing control procedures. Method development under the ISO13320-1 standard for laser diffraction analysis has resulted in continued production of reliable and reproducible data, enabling further improvements to production control. Easy-to-use, with good reproducibility, the system is said to be the preferred option across a wide range of industries for measuring wet and dry samples in the 0.02 - 2000 micron size range. Developed to meet the need for globally comparable results, regulatory compliance, maximum efficiency in the laboratory and optimum deployment of personnel, Mastersizer 2000 is fully automated and easy to use, and importantly delivers clear information based on standardised procedures. www.malvern.com \| 15:29 03/11/2007 Screw conveyors prove reliable Building Adhesives Ltd, manufacturers of BAL and Dunlop construction adhesives, have utilised two Spiroflow flexible screw conveyors since 2004, as part of a new production line. The line, which meets current production targets through single shift working, replaced three ageing lines working a double shift pattern to meet demand. The two conveyors deliver minor additives from sack tip stations to weigh hoppers above a mixing station, each conveyor fed from 25-kg bags slit open on a grill above a buffer hopper. Several sacks at a time are tipped into the buffer hoppers, which sit above the conveyor inlets, featuring dust containment cabinets connected to a central dust extraction system. Spiroflow’s conveyors operate in response to a signal at the start of each new product batch and run until the respective load cell mounted minor additive weigh hoppers, that they serve, reach target weight. As the conveyors are dedicated to individual products, there is no necessity to clean them between batches. The system has operated successfully since commissioning, importantly, without any attention and are described as very reliable by engineering co-ordinator Kevin Beech. Project engineer Dave Smith explained that flexible screw conveyors had been chosen because of their space saving, flexible routing capabilities and inherent reliability based on previous experience. The company's choice of conveyor was also influenced by the fact that Spiroflow were able to perform tests on product samples and provide a performance guarantee. Building Adhesives Ltd is part of the international German construction chemicals group Ardex and their Stoke-on-Trent factory delivers around 90,000t of building products a year to the professional and DIY markets. www.spiroflow.com \| Hygienic solution for toner OKI, leading Japanese telecommunications equipment manufacturer, is currently engaged in expanding overseas sales from 35 to 50 per cent of total sales by the year 2010. This will see a strengthening of local structures and facilities, amplifying integrated business processes, including product development and manufacturing. Already the company has seen its market share of the colour printing market grow, leading to increased production and capacity requirements for its manufacturing operations. Based at Oki's manufacturing plant in Glasgow, Peter Barnes, senior operations engineer, explains that automation is the key to remaining competitive. Over the past few years, OKI, like other manufacturers, has seen a move towards outsourcing to areas where labour costs are low. "A major part of my role is to identify areas for improvement not only in products, but in manufacturing processes. This has led us to introduce more automated processes and equipment”, Mr Barnes said. One particular process that the company decided to improve at its Glasgow factory is toner powder transfer to the plant's filler heads. "The physical properties of our toner powder had led to many leaks and blockages with our older systems," said Mr Barnes. In turn, this led to poor housekeeping and low levels of cleanliness, requiring constant technical support from production technicians, resulting in unacceptable levels of downtime and lost production hours. The big challenge therefore was to provide an effective solution that addressed the shortfalls of the old system but at reasonable cost. There was also the requirement to improve the working environment by enclosing the point where toner powder was loaded into hoppers, just not practical with the old system. Importantly, improvements had to comply with ATEX legislation and meet or exceed Health & Safety regulations and guidelines. Under the recommendation of OKI's filling machine supplier, Allfill, the client worked with PIAB to replace existing vacuum transfer systems with 28 PIAB C21 vacuum conveyors, constructed of AISI 316L (EN 1.4404) stainless steel. There are 28 manually operated filler heads for toner cartridges, each with its own C21 conveyor operated by a high level switch to ensure constant replenishment and therefore better volumetric accuracy of the filled cartridge. The conveyors transport material over distances ranging from 4 to 20m in the case of the colour filling heads and 4 to 25m for the mono filler heads. With a daily throughput of 2000kg of toner powder, each conveyor is handling around 10kg of powder per hour. Since installing the new system, the reliability of the filling process is said to have improved with reduced downtime, less technical support, easier cleaning and maintenance and improved plant cleanliness. Filter life is also greatly improved too. www.piab.com \| Centrepiece of analytical lab Freeman Technology's FT4 powder rheometer has become the central piece of instrumentation in the analytical laboratory of Enser Corp in Florida, USA. The company designs, develops, qualifies and manufactures high reliability storage batteries for a wide range of military applications. Dr James Pugh, Enser’s senior engineer, said that the business is heavily involved in the processing and utilisation of powders from synthesis to product implementation, making knowledge and understanding of unique powder properties absolutely crucial. He said that the FT4 is a key element and, in less than a year, over 600 individual powder tests have been run and the findings directly applied to production. Three methodologies are unified within a single instrument - measurement of bulk, shear and dynamic properties - delivering a comprehensive picture of powder behaviour, whatever the processing conditions. Engineer, Tony Lang, said that the rheometer has been an integral part of at least two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants and will be applied to future grants as well. www.freemantech.co.uk \| 18:10 04/07/2007 Crucial task at automated laboratory A recent upgrade at the Obourg, Belgium facility of global cement producer Holcim has seen the production plant move to an automated laboratory for routine analysis of cement composition and particle size. The system of choice for particle characterisation is Malvern Instruments’ Insitec ALISS which is now installed and delivering routine process analysis with negligible manual input. The instrument was purchased by Holcim France Benelux as part of an agreement with Malvern to supply two Insitec ALISS systems for use at sites in Belgium and six Insitec on-line systems for facilities in France. All aspects of particle size measurement are fully automated at Obourg using a robot to receive both clinker and cement samples, prepare them for analysis and transport them to the appropriate analyser. Insitec ALISS requires no sample preparation - the robot simply pours material directly into the analyser, and measurement of the 80-grm sample is completed in under a minute. Integration with the plant control system means that the resulting data can drive empirical models used for control of the plant and process. Commenting on the company's decision to purchase the system, Holcim’s quality control manager Stéphanie Verhaeghe said that the company had always enjoyed exemplary service support from both Malvern Instruments and Goffin Meyvis, the company's supplier in Benelux. Added to this is the experience gained with an existing Malvern analyser which has performed well over the years. Ms Verhaeghe explained that Insitec ALISS has specific features such as abrasion resistant internals to withstand continuous use with materials like cement, and highly polished surfaces that reduce cleaning requirements. As a testament to its performance, the instrument has been operating 24/7 with negligible attention, she added. The laser diffraction based analyser is designed for manual or automated particle size measurement within the process environment. It is impervious to vibration or dust and is simple to use, allowing at-line analysis to become a routine part of process operation. Integral software facilitates communication with existing control platforms and the presentation of results can be customised to meet user requirements. www.malvern.com \| Successful discharge and transfer solution Portasilo Bulk Handling Systems has successfully completed a scheme for Nestlé Purina for storing and handling wheat gluten used in the manufacture of cat food. Two aluminium storage silos have been provided for receiving bulk deliveries by 25-t tankers which are off-loaded using a land based blower unit with acoustic hood, housed in a new enclosure along with two desiccant dryers for maintaining a dry atmosphere in the silo headspace. Mounted on load cells, each silo has a high level probe to prevent overfilling, a pressure/vacuum relief valve, explosion relief panels and a reverse jet cleaned cartridge filter fitted at silo roof level. Silos are also linked by a connecting bridge. Vibratory bin activators at each silo outlet ensure satisfactory discharge during transfer, with feed rate into the conveying line controlled by rotary airlock valve. Lean phase vacuum conveying is employed from either silo to a receiver located above a 1-t capacity buffer hopper. This incorporates a twin outlet cone, each outlet fitted with a bin activator to promote flow - one outlet connected to an existing transfer system conveying to one plant and the other connected to a new transfer line conveying to an existing receiver on another plant. The discharge and transfer solution has proved so successful that Nestlé has placed a further contract with Portasilo to upgrade a further system. www.portasilo.co.uk \| Bitumen plant opts for aero-mechanical conveying Nynas Bitumen UK, part of the Swedish AB Nynas Petroleum company, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of its Spiroflow equipment. Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyors and Big Bag dischargers have been installed at Nynas' Ellesmere Port bitumen plant in the UK to handle dry ingredients. The company is a leading innovator in bitumen, bitumen emulsions and polymer modified binders, serving the roads and airfields construction sector, as well as the industrial sector. The ingredients handling system at the plant comprises: four aero-mechanical conveyors, two Big Bag dischargers and two sack-tip stations plus associated controls. Conveyors range from 7 to 22 m and operate in a variety of attitudes from vertical, inclined, to horizontal and are capable of handling 1.5 t of polymer additives per hour. Equipment was installed as part of a major plant refurbishment to double capacity and cope with a major change from straight bitumen products to a wide variety of longer life, more porous, quieter, more malleable, and cold asphalt bitumen emulsions. Originally, the plant utilised pneumatic conveying with a sizeable filtration arrangement, which has been operating since 1990. Aero-mechanical conveying has now eliminated the need for this. Bulk ingredients are now added in 1-t loads via Big Bag dischargers, with minor ingredients decanted into sack tip stations. One Big Bag discharger, mounted on a mezzanine floor above a collection hopper, is loaded by hoist, allowing the major additive to be charged in one go. The other discharger mounted at ground floor level is loaded by fork lift truck. The electrical control panel for the system was manufactured by Spiroflow with installation and commissioning undertaken by its engineers. Production arrangements involve a 50-t charge in each of the plant’s mixing vessels, mixed by re-circulation through a high powered mixer. Finished product is subsequently transferred to storage tanks ready for loading into tankers. Tony Gresty, Nynas technologist responsible for the bitumen plant, said that a key advantage of aero-mechanical conveying is that it has eliminated health and safety issues associated with the previous system. www.spiroflow.com \| No need to teach the robot Fosroc are now achieving significant increases in output following successful installation of a new Okura palletising robot from Webster Griffin. This, together with improvements to a bagging line, has enabled Fosroc’s Powders Team to achieve a record of 58 pallets in one shift, and over 50 pallets per shift is now the norm. Close working between Webster Griffin technicians and Fosroc's Powders Production Team is said to have played a key role in delivering the new production levels which will support improved customer service levels for the company. The system consists of an Okura A1600 palletising robot, conveyors and control systems installed by Webster Griffin which operates at 40 per cent design speed. All pallet types and bag designs have been set up on the system using the OXPA ‘self teach’ system which allows palletising patterns to be selected and downloaded to the Okura robot directly from a laptop - without the need to teach the robot every palletising programme. An operator training programme was also completed at Webster Griffin's training centre. To keep up with the faster robot, the associated bagging machine was refurbished, allowing bagging line production rates to be increased to the present level. Another payback is that the three-shift rota has been reduced to a two-shift operation. www.webstergriffin.com \| Alternative fuel handling system Portasilo has recently completed proving trials for a Meat and Bonemeal (MBM) storage and handling system for Castle Cement at their Ribblesdale Works. Used as an alternative fuel to reduce coal consumption, the material is particularly difficult to handle in pneumatic conveying systems as the high fat content can lead to smearing and build-up in pipelines. The system supplied includes a large site built silo to store approximately 240 t of the material and a land based blower for offloading tanks, with provision for dehumidification and chilling. Product is transferred from the flat bottomed silo via a screw extractor into a Portasilo loss-in-weight feeder, which provides a gravimetric discharge rate of between 1 - 7 tph. Specially developed for cohesive products, the feeder incorporates a vertical agitator and screw discharge. In addition, a specially developed Portasilo monitoring package and fire protection system, comprising carbon monoxide detection combined with multi-point temperature sensors and an inert gas deluge system, operates when combustion is detected. MBM is finally pneumatically conveyed to the plant’s Calciner through 125-mm diameter pipelines with the blower again dehumidified and chilled. Following successful commissioning and proving trials, the client has now placed a second order for a similar system at their Ketton works, transferring MBM to two kilns in this case. \| Sweet flexible solution A Spiroflow flexible spiral conveyor is operating as a reliable, accurate and repeatable volumetric feeder at boiled sweet manufacturer Joseph Dobson & Sons Ltd. It delivers sugar from a sack tip hopper to a steam pan some 3 m away. This consists of a pressure vessel mounted on load cells, allowing base ingredients such as sugar, glucose and water to be weighed, mixed and pre-heated before transfer to traditional open pans for boiling. Around seven years ago, Dobson’s management embarked on a programme to improve and automate selected elements of the operation, but without compromising the boiled sweet making process which has been in existence since 1850. The measures are associated with hygiene, health and safety and labour savings. Prior to the flexible screw conveyor installation, sugar was manually weighed into food grade buckets, lifted shoulder high and tipped into the steam pan. Initially, Spiroflow’s conveyor was around two and a half times the length it currently is and included three bends - an arrangement not usually recommended, as one continuous curve is the norm. However, the conveyor operated satisfactorily in this form for six years before requiring a new spiral. During this replacement process the decision was taken to shorten the conveyor to eliminate the unwanted bends. Spiroflow also provided a new sack tip hopper for use within the boiling room itself. Together, the conveyor and sack tip hopper now provide reliable feed rates over a given time to ensure that the steam pan receives a preset quantity of sugar. As sugar, glucose and water are all added to the steam pan simultaneously, the load cells can only check that the total weight is within tolerance. Therefore, to ensure that the ratio of oil flavourings, essential oils and colour elements do not exceed their legal limits, it is essential that sugar content is never less than the preset quantity. Any variations can potentially have an adverse effect on quality. For traceability and record purposes the conveyor is monitored daily and results show that over a running time of 9.4 minutes, the unit consistently delivers the required set weight. At the plant, twenty employees produce in excess of 2 million boiled sweets a week which translates into at least 42 boilings during an 8-hour shift. Accordingly, the accuracy and reliability of the flexible screw conveyor is crucial. Each boiling is poured onto a temperature controlled confectionery table where operatives mix and continuously fold to homogeneously blend in flavourings, essences, medicinal and colour elements for producing products such as 'Yorkshire Mixtures', 'Humbugs', Pear Drops', 'Voice Tablets' and 'Butter Mintoes' for which Joseph Dobson are world renowned. The boiling is then shaped and die-cut into individual sweets ready for packaging. Dobson’s management have expressed great satisfaction with the installation and, according to Cathy Podevyn of Spiroflow, the application is a clear demonstration of the operational improvements that can be made simply by utilising a flexible screw conveyor - considered to be the lowest cost means of transferring powders and granular material in a hygienic dust-free manner. www.spiroflow.com \| More grist to the mill A Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveying system has proved its worth for T & R Theakston Ltd, brewers since 1827. Until early 2001, malt was delivered to the brew house in 50-kg sacks, requiring 280 sacks to be manually unloaded, one at time, and transported in a barrow to a storage area near a hoist. The manual hoist, which is two-man operated, transfers sacks to a third floor for storage prior to discharge into a grist mill - the front end of the brewing process. A switch to 25-kg sacks during 2001 meant that 560 sacks had to be hoisted up to the mill each week - a task that effectively took a full man-week to meet the requirements of the nine brews a week production schedule. The operation also tied up a delivery truck for a whole morning! The new arrangement required the hoist to be replaced by a 9-m long Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyor with 80-mm diameter conveying tubes, an integral sack tip hopper and operating vertically using a top driven motor arrangement. Now, 25-kg sacks of malt are delivered on pallets, unloaded by fork lift in half an hour and stored in a new warehouse adjacent to the brew house. Sacks are then taken by electric pallet truck and emptied into the conveyor at ground floor level at a rate to suit the grist mill. Should sacks be emptied at a faster rate than the mill can accommodate, an alarm in the mill feed hopper warns the head brewer, Bill Wilson. "We prefer to use sacks as, that way, it is easy to control the weight of ingredients for each brew. One of the many things we like about the Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyor is that, what's put in at the bottom, comes out at the top. There is no loss in the conveyor - essential to ensure each brew has the correct amount of each ingredient". Spiroflow were also able to take a sample of product to their test facility and prove that the desired result could be achieved. Malt required for each brew is transferred to the grist mill hopper in around an hour. According to Bill Wilson, the only maintenance required on the conveyor is an annual rope tension check. Aero-mechanical conveying was chosen as the most cost effective solution to pneumatic conveying as it achieves the same result at lower capital cost. In addition, there is no net displacement of air and no requirement for filtration equipment. www.spiroflow.com \| Improved sand handling Electrical transformer manufacturer Carroll & Meynell Ltd has significantly increased output since installing a Spiroflow bulk bag discharging and conveying system The company moved to new premises 5 years ago to accommodate considerable growth and recent expansion in their business has led to a re-think of production methods. This involves the handling of fine silica sand used to 'pot' transformers, a major production line bottleneck. Previously, sand delivered in 25-kg bags had to be emptied into a hopper at ground level and lifted by fork lift on to a platform to provide a head of material for filling around windings within the transformer casings. Material is used at the rate of 1.25t per day, controlled by hand-operated ball valves which tend to stick open from time to time, creating a time consuming and messy process. It was concluded that the optimum solution was to receive dry sand in sealed 1-t FIBCs, mechanically convey it up to small holding hoppers above each production line and provide a more reliable flow control valve at the end of the sand delivery tubes. Interestingly, Spiroflow was identified as a potential supplier of screw conveyors via the internet and was duly appointed to take care of the whole system. As well as manufacturing flexible screw conveyors, the company produce a comprehensive range of bulk bag dischargers and have previously handled silica sand for potting electrical fuses. The new installation is said to have transformed output of 110-volt transformers and production is now up to 6,000 units a month - several times more than before - eliminating the bottleneck and associated housekeeping problems. Carroll & Meynell's own engineers installed the system and manufactured the controls system to Spiroflow's specification. Director Bob Carroll said that despite initial trepidation about undertaking the work, having manufactured supports to Spiroflow drawings, the installation proved to be an easy task. www.spiroflow.com \| GRP silo solves storage bottleneck Collinson has recently completed a new bulk storage and materials handling project for Motherwell-based flour and grain merchants, Moorhead and McGavin Ltd, suppliers to Nestlé, Heinz, Kerry Ingredients, local authorities and schools. One of the major commodities handled at the plant is broken rice, used for the production of rice flour and delivered at the rate of 4,000 t per year in 1-t bags. This presented a logistical problem as each delivery had to be laboriously unloaded by forklift truck and then transferred into the mill, taking up valuable warehouse space. MD Marko Dafereras realised that a storage and handling system was needed that could accept bulk deliveries of rice in 28-t loads. Collinson were approached, subsequently designing a system based around a 90-cu m, 75-t capacity polyester GRP silo, mounted on load cells for inventory management. Filled by a bucket elevator, the silo can accept deliveries from tipper lorries. A pipe is also fitted to the silo to allow pneumatic filling by conventional bulk vehicles. Rice is subsequently transferred from the silo by screw conveyor via a two-way diverter valve to two buffer hoppers supplying a Satake roller mill and Kemutec pin mill. The numerous financial and practical benefits that have been achieved include: release of internal space previously used for storage of bagged rice (approximately 50 pallets in the warehouse); savings in terms of labour and manual handling - Mr Dafereras calculates a reduction of approximately 4 man hours for every 20 t of rice handled; easy and clean handling, creating a safer and more pleasant working environment; and elimination of inaccuracies associated with manual handling. GRP is said to have been chosen in preference to aluminium or steel because of its cost and high thermal insulation capabilities, minimising condensation and any resulting product spoilage. The food quality internal finish is also completely smooth and seamless, helping product to discharge cleanly. www.collinson.co.uk \| Improvements at feed plant Skretting’s Longridge site has significantly cut the time needed to discharge ingredients Prior to the installation of the system, it took around 30 minutes to discharge each of 11 ingredients used in the production process. Now, 1-t FIBCs are discharged in 5 minutes. The company is one of the largest aquaculture feed producers in the UK and Ireland, part of the Nutreco group of companies and employing 12,000 people in 22 countries. At Longridge, the 30 employees produce an annual output of 24,000t which equates to around 100t per working day. The bulk materials handling system, installed 8 years ago by a contractor, provided a simple bulk bag unloading arrangement for feeding ingredients into a Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyor up to a horizontal screw conveyor on the floor above. The 11-outlet screw conveyor delivers ingredients to storage bunkers ready for transfer into a mixer and then on to a pelletizing and packing plant. The existing FIBC unloading arrangement proved to be a production bottleneck requiring a fork lift truck to support the bag during discharge and an operative on standby to help discharge poorly flowing or compacted product. Production manager Bill Edmondson says that new arrangement has increased productivity. Because of the mezzanine floor arrangement above the bulk bag discharger, it is not possible to lift full FIBCs into the discharger safely. Using Spiroflow's model T5 discharger has overcome the problem as its two-section configuration is designed for restricted headroom applications. The upper part, which holds the bags, is lifted off and lowered to floor level where full FIBCs can be loaded by fork lift. Once the bag is in place, the section is lifted back on to the discharger section with a dust-tight docking seal between the two sections. An access door in the discharge hopper allows bags to be untied without emissions or spillage. Once untied, flow begins and the door is closed. Pneumatically operated bag massagers fitted to the discharger base deal with poorly flowing materials. www.spiroflow.com \| Right solution for food blender Solutech Ltd, a leading UK independent specialist food grade liquid blending contractor, is successfully utilising a Spiroflow mobile bulk bag discharger with integral flexible screw conveyor The plant produces around 12,000 t of blended liquids a year for leading players in the food and beverage industry. This involves contract blending of acidity regulators, preservatives and sugar based sweeteners. All output is in liquid form but, other than water, all ingredients are dry bulk solids with around 60 per cent delivered in FIBCs and the remainder in 25-kg bags. Four years ago, whilst at previous premises, Solutech purchased a Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor in anticipation of a major sugar blending contract which subsequently did not materialise. Last year, as a result of a large contract for 15-t batches of sugar related blends per week, the 'mothballed' conveyor was the obvious choice to load one of the sugar elements into a heated mixer/dissolver vessel. However, the nature of the contract and factory layout meant that the flexible screw conveyor had to be fed from FIBCs and be mounted on a mobile frame. Solutech therefore approached Spiroflow for assistance in adapting the conveyor for its new task because of their ability to provide mobile versions of their conveyors and bulk bag dischargers. The new system ensures rapid discharge of sugar from FIBCs. Because the inlet to the screw conveyor is a long narrow slot, a spiral agitator within the discharger collection hopper ensures steady and reliable flow to the mixing vessel. At around 6 m long, the 67 mm diameter conveyor delivers at 3 tph. Two shift working means that the conveyor operates 5 to 6 hours each shift, 5 days a week. The fact that the blending vessel is full of water at 75 degrees C posed a potential vapour problem during sugar loading, overcome by fitting a low pressure blower at the conveyor outlet to prevent vapour entry. Every two weeks the conveyor is washed through with water and dried, a procedure that Solutech says is extremely easy. www.spiroflow.com \| Waste management - meeting the changes Pending EU legislation is set to radically alter the waste management industry in terms of acceptable materials that will be allowed to go to landfill. The latest change sees the implementation of the landfill directive waste acceptance criteria (WAC), due to become law across EU states by 16 July 2005. Put simply, the new directive will prevent the current practice of sending certain waste materials to landfill sites. The new legislation looks at all kinds of wastes, from industrial processes, whether hazardous or non-hazardous, and scrutinises how companies examine and classify waste materials and whether the materials are likely to change in their composition either before or after landfill. Other factors that need to be considered include leaching limit values, new parameters on reactive compounds and elements and also new limits on pH and acid neutralisation capacity. Like other waste management companies in the EU, Cleanaway has had to re-examine its landfill operations to determine how its landfill waste materials are affected. The specific component of the new regulations relating to wastes containing inorganic carbon (oils) are set to change. By July, all wastes containing greater than 5 per cent inorganic carbon will no longer be able to go to landfill. Companies must find a solution that either involves incineration (or an alternative form of thermal treatment), blending or composting. The changes therefore place new burdens on waste management firms. In addition to identifying alternative cost effective solutions, allowances must also be made for handling and transporting waste oil sludge to new locations. Cleanaway have therefore had to re-evaluate their processes for wastes that are directly affected. The company has a license to dispose of a range of special wastes. At their Pitsea landfill site in Essex, oil bearing interceptor wastes are normally treated, skimmed and blended with polymers and then centrifuged, producing a non-hazardous liquid effluent and a hazardous centrifuge cake which was previously sent to third party landfill for disposal. Under the new regulations, this method will no longer be viable because of the inorganic carbon content level. The company engaged InBulk Technologies in a project to transfer the hazardous oil sludge to their high temperature incineration plant in Ellesmere Port and injecting it into a rotary kiln at a controlled rate. A system was needed that would be able to collect the hazardous cake, place it onto a trailer and transport it to the incinerator where it would be discharged into an existing positive displacement sludge pump for controlled pumping into process. Oily sludge is notoriously difficult to handle or convey and the decision was taken to try InBulk’s V Type ISO-Veyor to assess whether the material could be successfully conveyed. The unit is able to give a continuous controlled feed, an important feature as furnace conditions can vary from day to day and it is essential that the discharge is not at an excessive speed. InBulk Technologies and the Clyde Blowers Group have previously developed a similar technology for conveying drill cuttings from ISO tanks on oil rigs to tanks on supply vessels via dense phase conveying. Because of the similarities in the oil sludge and drill cuttings, it was anticipated that the ISO-Veyor could also be used for this application. A full scale trial including logistics was organised. ISO-Veyor is filled through hatches on the side whilst in the horizontal position which can take place with the container mounted on a trailer. Once filled, the hatch is closed before despatch by road to the incinerator where a special hydraulic trailer upends the container for discharge. To facilitate this process, a standard air supply of between 2 - 7 bar is connected to the unit via an inlet hose. Discharge rate for oil sludge transfer into the incinerator’s rotary Kiln is estimated at between 0.75 and 1.5 tph, the ISO-Veyor feeding the sludge pump at the desired rate. For other applications, the system is capable of discharging at 1 t per minute. The V Type has a volume of 15 cu m, giving Cleanaway the option to carry 18 t of sludge material - well within their operating parameter of 15 t per day. The successful trials have led to an order for five 15 cu m V Type ISO-Veyors and two NCH trailers. www.inbulktechnologies.com \| Major upgrade for leading PVC compounder AZO has provided a totally contained transfer system, fully compliant with ATEX, for a PVC compound line at Hydro Polymers’ production plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK. This is one of only three plants producing S-PVC (suspension) resin in the UK and Europe’s largest single site compounding operation. Upgrading the impact modifier feed to lines 13 and 14 at the plant’s C3 compounding operation has substantially increased Hydro's materials handling capabilities, providing increased flexibility for customers. The lines manufacture rigid and cellular foam PVC dry blends used for window profile, soffet boards, pipes and cabling and the impact modifier allows the PVC to maintain its rigidity but with some flexibility. However, its explosive characteristics require ATEX compliance. The line 14 upgrade introduces impact modifier to feed into a new higher capacity MTI mixer cooler. PVC resin and additive transfer systems have also been upgraded to accommodate higher throughputs. The work, which allows Hydro to cope with additional business in PVC dryblend production, required the €300,000 contract to be completed within a strict time frame. The project follows an upgrade of line 6 in 2004 when the existing compounding line was replaced with a new extruder and larger mixer. With a higher maximum throughput of 3 tph, the new extruder and upgrade led to a three-fold increase in production. • Ingredient Handing Solutions (IHS) are the agents for AZO in the UK and Republic of Ireland. \| Increased productivity and reduced handling 1-t FIBCs are now filled to weight in less than a minute at PETUK Spiroflow report that an FIBC filling machine supplied to PET Processors (UK) LLC of Dumfries (PETUK) by Avery Weigh-Tronix has contributed to a significant increase in productivity and a reduction in manual handling. PETUK, who offer a toll processing service to the plastics industry for semi-crystalline thermoplastics such as PET and its derivatives, operate round the clock, processing in the region of 15,000 t a year with more and more materials now delivered and returned in FIBCs. When the company required a new bulk bag filling machine which could confirm the weight of processed material, they contacted weighing company Avery Weigh-Tronix, who in turn recommended Spiroflow for the FIBC filling machine. An extensive range of products need to be handled together with a variety of bag sizes and types supplied by customers. The new arrangement means that 1-t bulk bags are filled to the required weight in less than a minute and, the time it takes to rig a new bag into position and remove a filled bag at the end of the cycle, means that around 20 bags can be filled per hour. The filling machine is mounted on an Avery Weigh-Tronix weigh platform controlled by an L336 indicator with customised software. Pneumatic operation allows the bag support frame to be lowered for rigging and raised for filling to ensure the bag is fully stretched. Vibration during filling ensures proper compaction of the contents to produce a stable and upright load. www.spiroflow.com \| Three-tier bulk bag discharger Restricted headroom was just one of the problems faced by a chemical plant when they needed to gravity feed receiving vessels The combined ceiling height restrictions and limited floor space in a chemical process plant prompted the review of the raw materials handling system. The requirement was for two receiving vessels to be gravity fed separately from the same bulk raw material source above with the need to overcome height restrictions and provide a mobile system. Following consultation with Flexicon (Europe) Ltd, an unusual bulk bag handling system was devised. This consisted of a three-part, bulk bag frame comprising a cruciform, intermediate frame and a base frame mounted on castors combined with a model D-24 hopper to interface with a model 1312 round screw conveyor and two control panels. The upper part of the frame (cruciform) is firstly separated from the bulk bag frame using a fork-lift truck and located onto an FIBC at floor level and hooked up ready for loading. The intermediate frame is lifted clear of the base frame and placed remotely on the factory floor. The FIBC is then relocated onto the intermediate frame and, with the FIBC now in place, both bag and intermediate frame are lifted and negotiated through the low ceiling hazards and re-located onto the base frame with only a small clearance available. Incorporated into the custom built system is a bulk bag/hopper interface consisting of a manual Spout-Lock™ clamp ring positioned above a pneumatically actuated Tele-Tube™ telescoping tube. Together, the devices enable an operator to make a quick, dust-tight connection between bag spout and hopper and to automatically elongate the bag as it empties to promote flow and evacuation. Once the FIBC is located onto the base frame, via one of the control panels, the telescoping tube raises the clamp ring assembly that seals the clean side of the bag spout to the clean side of the telescoping tube, then lowers until the bag spout is pulled taut. Once the spout is untied, the telescoping assembly exerts continual downward tension on the spout, elongating the bag as it empties. Sealing between bag spout and clamp ring allows fully open discharge from the bag, eliminating the need for iris valves commonly employed to reduce the escape of dust by reducing the initially high rate of flow from the bag. A second frame-mounted control panel regulates the rate of the feeder screw from fast to trickle speed to ensure precise material transfer. For applications requiring retying of partially empty bags, the system also comprises a Power-Cincher™ pneumatically actuated flow control valve which contains a series of curved, articulated stainless steel rods that cinch the spout concentrically on a horizontal axis for easy tie-off and vertically in a tight zigzag pattern to prevent powder leakage. Strategically mounted Flow Flexer Plates massage the lower side walls of the bulk bag at timed intervals, assisting flow and directing product to the central flow column. The massaging strokes increase as discharge continues, raising the side walls of the bag creating a ‘V’ shape, eliminating dead spots and maximising discharge. Product is then gravity fed via the hopper into the throat of a flexible conveyor which transfers material through 20 degrees along a 1m long conveyor for gravity feeding, via a flexible sleeve, into one of two receiving vessels below, initially at a fast rate then at trickle-speed to give ± 1 per cent accuracy. The three-tier system enables the bulk frame to be easily moved to the second receiving vessel for continued product transfer. www.flexicon.com \| Chocolate plant utilises spiral conveyors Spiral conveyors are a key component in a new chocolate pre-blending plant at Thomas Tunnock's Glasgow factory Spiroflow Ltd has installed a flexible spiral conveyor as part of a new chocolate pre-blending plant at Thomas Tunnock Ltd; a company renowned for its Caramel Wafers, Snowballs, Caramel Logs and Tea Cakes. The system is capable of delivering three different ingredients from three separate feed points to a pre-blender. Currently, three ingredients are introduced through two feed points - pending the next stage of the chocolate production facility's relocation from the second to the ground floor to increase capacity at the plant. It was Tunnock's own engineers that suggested the Spiroflow system for loading dry ingredients into the pre-mixer because of experience with several units already operating successfully on other applications at the plant. Samples of sugar and two proprietary brands of chocolate, used to produce Tunnock's special chocolate flavour, were firstly tested at Spiroflow’s facility - one brand of chocolate supplied as crumb and the other as traditional slab. Although a standard spiral with a round cross-section coped admirably with sugar and chocolate crumb, the required rate could not be achieved with the slab chocolate which tended to smear and build up on the spiral. The solution was found in a spiral with a bevelled cross-section, specifically developed for difficult products and proven on materials that readily smear or which are cohesive. The bevelled design offers more surface area to the product for greater propulsion whilst preventing build-up on the active surface. Initially, a conveyor was loaned to Tunnocks, achieving a rate of 4,000 kg per hr. In operation, the conveyor runs for 30 minutes, delivering 2,000 kg of dry ingredients into the pre-mixer, at least 6 times a day over a two-shift period. The system has provided trouble-free operation since March 2004. Keith Rodmell, head of electrical engineering and maintenance at Tunnocks said that the company had a selection of both fixed and mobile Spiroflow flexible spiral conveyors already operating in a range of applications and meeting demand in terms of performance and hygiene, influencing Tunnock’s decision to utilise the latest unit. www.spiroflow.com \| Belt weigher successes in China Two resometric belt weigher systems, supplied by the Inflo Division of process weighing specialists Procon Eng, are playing a pivotal role in the handling of coal at the rapidly expanding Tianjin Port on China’s north eastern seaboard. Tianjin is China’s second largest container port and fourth largest coal-handling port, playing an important role in transporting goods around the country, particularly in the absence of adequate road and rail facilities. Approximately two-thirds of all sea-borne cargo is domestic, of which 29 percent is coal. Coal is transported to Tianjin via a dedicated rail link from the Shenfu Dongshen Coalfield, ranked among the top eight coalfields in the world. Tianjin Port is capable of handling 20 mt a year and planned growth will increase this to 50 mt by the next decade. The belt weighers have a throughput capacity of 7000 tph at belt speeds of 4.8 m per sec and have been supplied to contractors Voest-Alpine Material Handling GmbH (VAMH), forming integral parts of two giant mobile coal reclaimers (VARL) and stacker-reclaimers (VASR). These have been installed as part of Phase 1 and 2 of the extension project at Nanjiang Terminals for the Port Equipment & Facilities Import Co of Tianjin. For Phase Three of the extension project, VAMH has ordered two more belt weighers for a stacker and a reclaimer, identical to Phases 1 and 2. Currently, the stacker has been successfully commissioned and the reclaimer is scheduled to be in operation by summer 2004. Procon has worked closely with VAMH, a leading global supplier of specialised mining equipment and bulk material handling plants and subsidiary of Sandvik Materials Handling, part of Sandvik AB's Mining and Construction Division. The Inflo Resometric belt weighers provide a novel combination of features for arduous applications to ensure that key factors influencing belt scale performance are maintained in service over long periods of time. At the heart of the scale is the Digital Resometric force transducer or resonator which provides unequalled levels of measurement performance for repeatability over extended periods. The resonator has no moving parts and is pre-loaded to a standard level by the applied force from the weigh carriage. As the force varies with the load passing over the carriage rollers, the resonant frequency changes in proportion to applied load. This frequency change is processed by electronics and combined with belt travel speed to provide accurate weight reading per unit time. Periodic calibration checks can be carried out simply and expediently by utilising built in calibration weights. Unwanted side forces introduced by factors such as poor belt tracking or material asymmetry are prevented by lateral chains fitted between weigh carriage and rigid conveyor and, once the weigh carriage is installed and aligned, it only sees the vertical forces produced by the material weighed. Unlike fixed inclination weighing applications, the belt weighers on the stackers are subjected to constantly changing angles of operation which would normally introduce significant cosine weighing errors due to the apparent change in suspended weigh carriage mass. The weighers are therefore fitted with Inflo’s proprietary Astatic Mass Zero Compensation system to automatically compensate for changing angles of operation. VAMH’s senior project engineer, Johann Tielitz said that the belt weighers are a critical part of the equipment and it is essential that they provide long term reliability and accuracy. The contract for the belt scales follows on from successful installation of three Inflo belt weighers supplied to VAMH for Tianjin and a further nine belt weighers for stackers and reclaimers at the Baoshan Project in Shanghai. Procon have also supplied a further six Inflo belt scales on fixed conveyors at Tianjin. www.proconeng.com

www.powdereporter.co.uk | Case studies

Tea bagging project
UK. Tea producer R Twining & Co Ltd has selected Chronos Richardson equipment for its new packing facility.
   The high accuracy weighing and packing equipment, installed at Twining’s Andover factory in Hampshire, UK, during a recent shutdown, is an essential part of the most critical aspects of the tea process, where premium grade tea leaves are graded and classified according to type and appearance.
   A vibratory fed Automatic E55 bagging weigher discharges weighed and graded leaves into plastic lined cardboard cases, manually placed at the filling position by an operator. Boxes, pre-assembled before the filling station, are designed to provide added protection for leaves and eliminate moisture ingress during storage.
   The E55 weigher, installed onto a bespoke support framework, is controlled by a SpeedAC NXT weighing controller. Weighments from 12.5 to 45.0kg are carefully settled, under vibration, into the lined cases and subsequently moved from the filling area via an integrated box liner sealer and conveyor system.
   Chronos Richardson engineers worked to exacting standards laid down by the client and the whole project was supplied on a turnkey basis, with full installation and commissioning by Chronos Richardson service engineers.
www.chronosrichardson.com
   |   10:33 16/06/2008

Friction material formulation
Germany. Teijin Aramid GmbH, based in Wuppertal, Germany, is using Freeman Technology's FT4 Powder Rheometer to deliver essential information in the development of new friction materials.
   The leading aramid producer manufactures a para-aramid high performance fibre called Twaron, used in brake linings and clutch facings. FT4 is used to investigate the flow behaviour of friction materials containing Twaron pulp to design formulations with specific properties.
   Andreas Wodetzki, technical account manager at Teijin Aramid explains that non-asbestos organic friction material formulations include many variable raw materials all of which can affect overall powder properties. A repeatable method was needed for measuring flow behaviour when changing para-aramid pulp type and content. The FT4 gives repeatable results that are both intuitive and highly informative.
   Using the FT4, the team has demonstrated that different pulp types have an influence on flowability, compressibility and permeability across the powder bed - knowledge that helps develop formulations with special features. Cost saving is a major issue in the brake industry and this means that standardised testing should not only enable cost reductions during both development and production, but also help optimise quality.
   According to Andreas Wodezki, "The FT4 is bringing more science to understanding 'black magic' friction material formulations. We are continuing to generate data in order to learn from past experience and to better understand the influence of different raw materials."
www.freemantech.co.uk
   |   10:36 11/06/2008

Helps match mixer to process
USA. The difficult challenge of selecting a mixer for specific process applications is alleviated when thorough testing is possible. At the test and development centre of Charles Ross & Son Co, a leading manufacturer of mixing equipment, Malvern’s Mastersizer particle size analyzer is one analytical instrument used by customers during process simulations.
   Provided as a complimentary service, mixing trials at the test centre located in Hauppauge, NY, USA are utilised by a wide range of customers from around the world. Working with their own raw materials, customers can simulate processes using Ross mixing, blending and dispersion systems. Mastersizer is utilised during the course of process optimisation and verification as an aid to selecting the right mixing equipment and correct process conditions.
   Christine Angos, Charles Ross’ application engineer, explains that Mastersizer is used alongside viscometers, moisture balances and other analytical equipment and is very helpful in proving and demonstrating the company’s technologies, particularly on high shear and ultra-high shear mixers.
  "Particle or droplet size measurements of dispersions or emulsions tell us if we are at the desired endpoint, whether we need to process longer, or if we should shift to a different type of mixer. Even when other physical properties are critical to the product's quality, measured particle size often gives us a definite indication of success", says Angos.
   Mastersizer systems use laser diffraction technology to measure particle size in wet and dry samples. Ross product lines include equipment to mix liquid-liquid, solid-solid and liquid-solid formulations over a wide range of viscosities.
www.malvern.com
• For details regarding Ross mixing technology log on to www.mixers.com
   |   08:42 05/06/2008

Insitec analyser On-line analysis cuts toner costs
A major Japanese toner manufacturer is finding Malvern Instruments' Insitec LPS on-line particle size analyser 'indispensable' for process control, enabling manufacturing costs to be cut dramatically.
   The unit is suitable for a range of wet processes and is capable of measuring particles in the 0.1 to 1000 micron size range. To date, more than eight of these systems have been installed at a the company's chemical production plants.
   Because particle size directly influences toner performance, it must be tightly controlled during manufacture. Real-time particle size measurements delivered by the unit can be used to automate this control, reducing waste and enhancing product quality. Systems have been fully integrated into existing production control platforms, making them essential pieces of process equipment.
   Toner production has seen significant changes in recent years, with manufacturers increasingly adopting chemical, polymerisation-based production methods in place of wet or dry milling - delivering improved control of particle size and shape which in turn influences both print quality and toner behaviour in a printer.
www.malvern.com
   |   22:48 08/05/2008

Smashing installation
Premier Foods is said to have benefited from the installation of two Spiroflow big bag dischargers and four flexible screw conveyors delivering SMASH instant mashed potato to packing lines at its Histon production site in the UK.
  This has resulted in improvements to product quality and a reduction in both labour and utility costs. A change in SMASH production and handling methods created the need for the new systems.
  Previously, finished product was held in storage hoppers and transferred to the packing hall by an overhead conveyor belt system feeding four packing lines. Now, processed product is discharged into and stored in 2 cu m big bags brought to the packing hall by forklift truck at the rate of 16 a day.
   There is a need to ensure that bags are discharged in an efficient and dust tight manner. The forklift truck removes empty bags and places full ones into position on the Spiroflow dischargers, using lifting/support frames supplied with the dischargers. Each of the collection hoppers underneath the dishargers utilise bifurcated outlets, an arrangement that allows two Spiroflow flexible screw conveyors from each of the two dischargers to deliver product to four packing lines. Conveyor control is by high and low level probes in the buffer hoppers above each of the filling machines.
   The flexible screw conveyors range from 8 to 10 m long and operate at a variety of angles. A fifth, pre-existing Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor is used to return acceptable product to one of the packing machines after it has been recovered from any out of spec packaging. Experience with the existing conveyor and other Spiroflow equipment on site is said to have provided the impetus for engineering manager Kevin Murray and his colleagues to choose Spiroflow as the supplier for the new system.
   Although Premier Foods use Spiroflow conveyors on sugar at Histon, the Smash application required tests to be carried by Spiroflow''s test facility to determine the optimum specification for the dischargers and the correct type of spiral required for the conveyors. Controllers for the dischargers and conveyors were designed and manufactured in-house by Spiroflow and the installation and commissioning also carried out by them.
www.spiroflow.com
   |   23:10 20/01/2008

Fine tuning PTA production
Indorama Petrochem Ltd has chosen the Mastersizer 2000 particle size analysis system to ensure quality control during the manufacture of PTA (Purified Terephthalic Acid) at its site in Rayong, Thailand.
   The extensive capabilities of the system, coupled with the applications expertise of both Malvern Instruments and Diethelm Ltd, its distributor in Thailand, are said to have been key factors in helping the client to fine tune the measurement and data analysis process, delivering the necessary information to ensure product consistency.
   This is considered to be one of the world’s largest single line plants for PTA production, commonly used in polyester and as an intermediate in plastic, pesticide, ink and paint production. In this particular case Mastersizer is equipped with a Scirocco dry powder feeder to analyse PTA as part of manufacturing control procedures. Method development under the ISO13320-1 standard for laser diffraction analysis has resulted in continued production of reliable and reproducible data, enabling further improvements to production control.
   Easy-to-use, with good reproducibility, the system is said to be the preferred option across a wide range of industries for measuring wet and dry samples in the 0.02 - 2000 micron size range. Developed to meet the need for globally comparable results, regulatory compliance, maximum efficiency in the laboratory and optimum deployment of personnel, Mastersizer 2000 is fully automated and easy to use, and importantly delivers clear information based on standardised procedures.
www.malvern.com
   |   15:29 03/11/2007

System at Building Adhesives Ltd Screw conveyors prove reliable
Building Adhesives Ltd, manufacturers of BAL and Dunlop construction adhesives, have utilised two Spiroflow flexible screw conveyors since 2004, as part of a new production line.
  The line, which meets current production targets through single shift working, replaced three ageing lines working a double shift pattern to meet demand.
   The two conveyors deliver minor additives from sack tip stations to weigh hoppers above a mixing station, each conveyor fed from 25-kg bags slit open on a grill above a buffer hopper. Several sacks at a time are tipped into the buffer hoppers, which sit above the conveyor inlets, featuring dust containment cabinets connected to a central dust extraction system.
   Spiroflow’s conveyors operate in response to a signal at the start of each new product batch and run until the respective load cell mounted minor additive weigh hoppers, that they serve, reach target weight. As the conveyors are dedicated to individual products, there is no necessity to clean them between batches.
   The system has operated successfully since commissioning, importantly, without any attention and are described as very reliable by engineering co-ordinator Kevin Beech. Project engineer Dave Smith explained that flexible screw conveyors had been chosen because of their space saving, flexible routing capabilities and inherent reliability based on previous experience. The company's choice of conveyor was also influenced by the fact that Spiroflow were able to perform tests on product samples and provide a performance guarantee.
   Building Adhesives Ltd is part of the international German construction chemicals group Ardex and their Stoke-on-Trent factory delivers around 90,000t of building products a year to the professional and DIY markets.
www.spiroflow.com
   |

Hygienic solution for toner
OKI, leading Japanese telecommunications equipment manufacturer, is currently engaged in expanding overseas sales from 35 to 50 per cent of total sales by the year 2010.
  This will see a strengthening of local structures and facilities, amplifying integrated business processes, including product development and manufacturing. Already the company has seen its market share of the colour printing market grow, leading to increased production and capacity requirements for its manufacturing operations.
   Based at Oki's manufacturing plant in Glasgow, Peter Barnes, senior operations engineer, explains that automation is the key to remaining competitive. Over the past few years, OKI, like other manufacturers, has seen a move towards outsourcing to areas where labour costs are low. "A major part of my role is to identify areas for improvement not only in products, but in manufacturing processes. This has led us to introduce more automated processes and equipment”, Mr Barnes said.
   One particular process that the company decided to improve at its Glasgow factory is toner powder transfer to the plant's filler heads. "The physical properties of our toner powder had led to many leaks and blockages with our older systems," said Mr Barnes. In turn, this led to poor housekeeping and low levels of cleanliness, requiring constant technical support from production technicians, resulting in unacceptable levels of downtime and lost production hours. The big challenge therefore was to provide an effective solution that addressed the shortfalls of the old system but at reasonable cost.
   There was also the requirement to improve the working environment by enclosing the point where toner powder was loaded into hoppers, just not practical with the old system. Importantly, improvements had to comply with ATEX legislation and meet or exceed Health & Safety regulations and guidelines.
   Under the recommendation of OKI's filling machine supplier, Allfill, the client worked with PIAB to replace existing vacuum transfer systems with 28 PIAB C21 vacuum conveyors, constructed of AISI 316L (EN 1.4404) stainless steel. There are 28 manually operated filler heads for toner cartridges, each with its own C21 conveyor operated by a high level switch to ensure constant replenishment and therefore better volumetric accuracy of the filled cartridge.
   The conveyors transport material over distances ranging from 4 to 20m in the case of the colour filling heads and 4 to 25m for the mono filler heads. With a daily throughput of 2000kg of toner powder, each conveyor is handling around 10kg of powder per hour. Since installing the new system, the reliability of the filling process is said to have improved with reduced downtime, less technical support, easier cleaning and maintenance and improved plant cleanliness. Filter life is also greatly improved too.
www.piab.com
   |

Centrepiece of analytical lab
Freeman Technology's FT4 powder rheometer has become the central piece of instrumentation in the analytical laboratory of Enser Corp in Florida, USA.
  The company designs, develops, qualifies and manufactures high reliability storage batteries for a wide range of military applications.
   Dr James Pugh, Enser’s senior engineer, said that the business is heavily involved in the processing and utilisation of powders from synthesis to product implementation, making knowledge and understanding of unique powder properties absolutely crucial. He said that the FT4 is a key element and, in less than a year, over 600 individual powder tests have been run and the findings directly applied to production.
   Three methodologies are unified within a single instrument - measurement of bulk, shear and dynamic properties - delivering a comprehensive picture of powder behaviour, whatever the processing conditions.
   Engineer, Tony Lang, said that the rheometer has been an integral part of at least two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants and will be applied to future grants as well.
www.freemantech.co.uk
   |   18:10 04/07/2007

Automated laboratory at Holcim Obourg Crucial task at automated laboratory
A recent upgrade at the Obourg, Belgium facility of global cement producer Holcim has seen the production plant move to an automated laboratory for routine analysis of cement composition and particle size.
   The system of choice for particle characterisation is Malvern Instruments’ Insitec ALISS which is now installed and delivering routine process analysis with negligible manual input. The instrument was purchased by Holcim France Benelux as part of an agreement with Malvern to supply two Insitec ALISS systems for use at sites in Belgium and six Insitec on-line systems for facilities in France.
   All aspects of particle size measurement are fully automated at Obourg using a robot to receive both clinker and cement samples, prepare them for analysis and transport them to the appropriate analyser. Insitec ALISS requires no sample preparation - the robot simply pours material directly into the analyser, and measurement of the 80-grm sample is completed in under a minute. Integration with the plant control system means that the resulting data can drive empirical models used for control of the plant and process.
   Commenting on the company's decision to purchase the system, Holcim’s quality control manager Stéphanie Verhaeghe said that the company had always enjoyed exemplary service support from both Malvern Instruments and Goffin Meyvis, the company's supplier in Benelux. Added to this is the experience gained with an existing Malvern analyser which has performed well over the years.
   Ms Verhaeghe explained that Insitec ALISS has specific features such as abrasion resistant internals to withstand continuous use with materials like cement, and highly polished surfaces that reduce cleaning requirements. As a testament to its performance, the instrument has been operating 24/7 with negligible attention, she added.
   The laser diffraction based analyser is designed for manual or automated particle size measurement within the process environment. It is impervious to vibration or dust and is simple to use, allowing at-line analysis to become a routine part of process operation. Integral software facilitates communication with existing control platforms and the presentation of results can be customised to meet user requirements.
www.malvern.com
   |

Successful discharge and transfer solution
Portasilo Bulk Handling Systems has successfully completed a scheme for Nestlé Purina for storing and handling wheat gluten used in the manufacture of cat food.
  Two aluminium storage silos have been provided for receiving bulk deliveries by 25-t tankers which are off-loaded using a land based blower unit with acoustic hood, housed in a new enclosure along with two desiccant dryers for maintaining a dry atmosphere in the silo headspace.
  Mounted on load cells, each silo has a high level probe to prevent overfilling, a pressure/vacuum relief valve, explosion relief panels and a reverse jet cleaned cartridge filter fitted at silo roof level. Silos are also linked by a connecting bridge.
  Vibratory bin activators at each silo outlet ensure satisfactory discharge during transfer, with feed rate into the conveying line controlled by rotary airlock valve. Lean phase vacuum conveying is employed from either silo to a receiver located above a 1-t capacity buffer hopper.
  This incorporates a twin outlet cone, each outlet fitted with a bin activator to promote flow - one outlet connected to an existing transfer system conveying to one plant and the other connected to a new transfer line conveying to an existing receiver on another plant.
   The discharge and transfer solution has proved so successful that Nestlé has placed a further contract with Portasilo to upgrade a further system.
www.portasilo.co.uk
   |

Bitumen plant opts for aero-mechanical conveying
Nynas Bitumen UK, part of the Swedish AB Nynas Petroleum company, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of its Spiroflow equipment.
  Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyors and Big Bag dischargers have been installed at Nynas' Ellesmere Port bitumen plant in the UK to handle dry ingredients. The company is a leading innovator in bitumen, bitumen emulsions and polymer modified binders, serving the roads and airfields construction sector, as well as the industrial sector.
   The ingredients handling system at the plant comprises: four aero-mechanical conveyors, two Big Bag dischargers and two sack-tip stations plus associated controls. Conveyors range from 7 to 22 m and operate in a variety of attitudes from vertical, inclined, to horizontal and are capable of handling 1.5 t of polymer additives per hour.
   Equipment was installed as part of a major plant refurbishment to double capacity and cope with a major change from straight bitumen products to a wide variety of longer life, more porous, quieter, more malleable, and cold asphalt bitumen emulsions. Originally, the plant utilised pneumatic conveying with a sizeable filtration arrangement, which has been operating since 1990. Aero-mechanical conveying has now eliminated the need for this.
   Bulk ingredients are now added in 1-t loads via Big Bag dischargers, with minor ingredients decanted into sack tip stations. One Big Bag discharger, mounted on a mezzanine floor above a collection hopper, is loaded by hoist, allowing the major additive to be charged in one go. The other discharger mounted at ground floor level is loaded by fork lift truck. The electrical control panel for the system was manufactured by Spiroflow with installation and commissioning undertaken by its engineers.
   Production arrangements involve a 50-t charge in each of the plant’s mixing vessels, mixed by re-circulation through a high powered mixer. Finished product is subsequently transferred to storage tanks ready for loading into tankers.
   Tony Gresty, Nynas technologist responsible for the bitumen plant, said that a key advantage of aero-mechanical conveying is that it has eliminated health and safety issues associated with the previous system.
www.spiroflow.com
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No need to teach the robot
Fosroc are now achieving significant increases in output following successful installation of a new Okura palletising robot from Webster Griffin.
  This, together with improvements to a bagging line, has enabled Fosroc’s Powders Team to achieve a record of 58 pallets in one shift, and over 50 pallets per shift is now the norm.
   Close working between Webster Griffin technicians and Fosroc's Powders Production Team is said to have played a key role in delivering the new production levels which will support improved customer service levels for the company.
   The system consists of an Okura A1600 palletising robot, conveyors and control systems installed by Webster Griffin which operates at 40 per cent design speed. All pallet types and bag designs have been set up on the system using the OXPA ‘self teach’ system which allows palletising patterns to be selected and downloaded to the Okura robot directly from a laptop - without the need to teach the robot every palletising programme. An operator training programme was also completed at Webster Griffin's training centre.
   To keep up with the faster robot, the associated bagging machine was refurbished, allowing bagging line production rates to be increased to the present level. Another payback is that the three-shift rota has been reduced to a two-shift operation.
www.webstergriffin.com
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Alternative fuel handling system
Portasilo has recently completed proving trials for a Meat and Bonemeal (MBM) storage and handling system for Castle Cement at their Ribblesdale Works.
   Used as an alternative fuel to reduce coal consumption, the material is particularly difficult to handle in pneumatic conveying systems as the high fat content can lead to smearing and build-up in pipelines.
   The system supplied includes a large site built silo to store approximately 240 t of the material and a land based blower for offloading tanks, with provision for dehumidification and chilling. Product is transferred from the flat bottomed silo via a screw extractor into a Portasilo loss-in-weight feeder, which provides a gravimetric discharge rate of between 1 - 7 tph. Specially developed for cohesive products, the feeder incorporates a vertical agitator and screw discharge.
   In addition, a specially developed Portasilo monitoring package and fire protection system, comprising carbon monoxide detection combined with multi-point temperature sensors and an inert gas deluge system, operates when combustion is detected.
   MBM is finally pneumatically conveyed to the plant’s Calciner through 125-mm diameter pipelines with the blower again dehumidified and chilled.
   Following successful commissioning and proving trials, the client has now placed a second order for a similar system at their Ketton works, transferring MBM to two kilns in this case.
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Sweet flexible solution
A Spiroflow flexible spiral conveyor is operating as a reliable, accurate and repeatable volumetric feeder at boiled sweet manufacturer Joseph Dobson & Sons Ltd.
  It delivers sugar from a sack tip hopper to a steam pan some 3 m away. This consists of a pressure vessel mounted on load cells, allowing base ingredients such as sugar, glucose and water to be weighed, mixed and pre-heated before transfer to traditional open pans for boiling.
   Around seven years ago, Dobson’s management embarked on a programme to improve and automate selected elements of the operation, but without compromising the boiled sweet making process which has been in existence since 1850. The measures are associated with hygiene, health and safety and labour savings. Prior to the flexible screw conveyor installation, sugar was manually weighed into food grade buckets, lifted shoulder high and tipped into the steam pan.
   Initially, Spiroflow’s conveyor was around two and a half times the length it currently is and included three bends - an arrangement not usually recommended, as one continuous curve is the norm. However, the conveyor operated satisfactorily in this form for six years before requiring a new spiral.
   During this replacement process the decision was taken to shorten the conveyor to eliminate the unwanted bends. Spiroflow also provided a new sack tip hopper for use within the boiling room itself. Together, the conveyor and sack tip hopper now provide reliable feed rates over a given time to ensure that the steam pan receives a preset quantity of sugar.
   As sugar, glucose and water are all added to the steam pan simultaneously, the load cells can only check that the total weight is within tolerance. Therefore, to ensure that the ratio of oil flavourings, essential oils and colour elements do not exceed their legal limits, it is essential that sugar content is never less than the preset quantity. Any variations can potentially have an adverse effect on quality. For traceability and record purposes the conveyor is monitored daily and results show that over a running time of 9.4 minutes, the unit consistently delivers the required set weight.
   At the plant, twenty employees produce in excess of 2 million boiled sweets a week which translates into at least 42 boilings during an 8-hour shift. Accordingly, the accuracy and reliability of the flexible screw conveyor is crucial.
   Each boiling is poured onto a temperature controlled confectionery table where operatives mix and continuously fold to homogeneously blend in flavourings, essences, medicinal and colour elements for producing products such as 'Yorkshire Mixtures', 'Humbugs', Pear Drops', 'Voice Tablets' and 'Butter Mintoes' for which Joseph Dobson are world renowned. The boiling is then shaped and die-cut into individual sweets ready for packaging.
   Dobson’s management have expressed great satisfaction with the installation and, according to Cathy Podevyn of Spiroflow, the application is a clear demonstration of the operational improvements that can be made simply by utilising a flexible screw conveyor - considered to be the lowest cost means of transferring powders and granular material in a hygienic dust-free manner.
www.spiroflow.com
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More grist to the mill
A Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveying system has proved its worth for T & R Theakston Ltd, brewers since 1827.
Until early 2001, malt was delivered to the brew house in 50-kg sacks, requiring 280 sacks to be manually unloaded, one at time, and transported in a barrow to a storage area near a hoist. The manual hoist, which is two-man operated, transfers sacks to a third floor for storage prior to discharge into a grist mill - the front end of the brewing process.
   A switch to 25-kg sacks during 2001 meant that 560 sacks had to be hoisted up to the mill each week - a task that effectively took a full man-week to meet the requirements of the nine brews a week production schedule. The operation also tied up a delivery truck for a whole morning!
   The new arrangement required the hoist to be replaced by a 9-m long Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyor with 80-mm diameter conveying tubes, an integral sack tip hopper and operating vertically using a top driven motor arrangement.
   Now, 25-kg sacks of malt are delivered on pallets, unloaded by fork lift in half an hour and stored in a new warehouse adjacent to the brew house. Sacks are then taken by electric pallet truck and emptied into the conveyor at ground floor level at a rate to suit the grist mill.
  Should sacks be emptied at a faster rate than the mill can accommodate, an alarm in the mill feed hopper warns the head brewer, Bill Wilson. "We prefer to use sacks as, that way, it is easy to control the weight of ingredients for each brew. One of the many things we like about the Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyor is that, what's put in at the bottom, comes out at the top. There is no loss in the conveyor - essential to ensure each brew has the correct amount of each ingredient". Spiroflow were also able to take a sample of product to their test facility and prove that the desired result could be achieved.
   Malt required for each brew is transferred to the grist mill hopper in around an hour. According to Bill Wilson, the only maintenance required on the conveyor is an annual rope tension check.
   Aero-mechanical conveying was chosen as the most cost effective solution to pneumatic conveying as it achieves the same result at lower capital cost. In addition, there is no net displacement of air and no requirement for filtration equipment.
www.spiroflow.com
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Carroll & Meynell's production line Improved sand handling
Electrical transformer manufacturer Carroll & Meynell Ltd has significantly increased output since installing a Spiroflow bulk bag discharging and conveying system
The company moved to new premises 5 years ago to accommodate considerable growth and recent expansion in their business has led to a re-think of production methods. This involves the handling of fine silica sand used to 'pot' transformers, a major production line bottleneck.
   Previously, sand delivered in 25-kg bags had to be emptied into a hopper at ground level and lifted by fork lift on to a platform to provide a head of material for filling around windings within the transformer casings. Material is used at the rate of 1.25t per day, controlled by hand-operated ball valves which tend to stick open from time to time, creating a time consuming and messy process. It was concluded that the optimum solution was to receive dry sand in sealed 1-t FIBCs, mechanically convey it up to small holding hoppers above each production line and provide a more reliable flow control valve at the end of the sand delivery tubes.
   Interestingly, Spiroflow was identified as a potential supplier of screw conveyors via the internet and was duly appointed to take care of the whole system. As well as manufacturing flexible screw conveyors, the company produce a comprehensive range of bulk bag dischargers and have previously handled silica sand for potting electrical fuses.
   The new installation is said to have transformed output of 110-volt transformers and production is now up to 6,000 units a month - several times more than before - eliminating the bottleneck and associated housekeeping problems. Carroll & Meynell's own engineers installed the system and manufactured the controls system to Spiroflow's specification. Director Bob Carroll said that despite initial trepidation about undertaking the work, having manufactured supports to Spiroflow drawings, the installation proved to be an easy task.
www.spiroflow.com
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GRP silo solves storage bottleneck
Collinson has recently completed a new bulk storage and materials handling project for Motherwell-based flour and grain merchants, Moorhead and McGavin Ltd, suppliers to Nestlé, Heinz, Kerry Ingredients, local authorities and schools.
One of the major commodities handled at the plant is broken rice, used for the production of rice flour and delivered at the rate of 4,000 t per year in 1-t bags. This presented a logistical problem as each delivery had to be laboriously unloaded by forklift truck and then transferred into the mill, taking up valuable warehouse space. MD Marko Dafereras realised that a storage and handling system was needed that could accept bulk deliveries of rice in 28-t loads.
   Collinson were approached, subsequently designing a system based around a 90-cu m, 75-t capacity polyester GRP silo, mounted on load cells for inventory management. Filled by a bucket elevator, the silo can accept deliveries from tipper lorries. A pipe is also fitted to the silo to allow pneumatic filling by conventional bulk vehicles. Rice is subsequently transferred from the silo by screw conveyor via a two-way diverter valve to two buffer hoppers supplying a Satake roller mill and Kemutec pin mill.
   The numerous financial and practical benefits that have been achieved include: release of internal space previously used for storage of bagged rice (approximately 50 pallets in the warehouse); savings in terms of labour and manual handling - Mr Dafereras calculates a reduction of approximately 4 man hours for every 20 t of rice handled; easy and clean handling, creating a safer and more pleasant working environment; and elimination of inaccuracies associated with manual handling.
   GRP is said to have been chosen in preference to aluminium or steel because of its cost and high thermal insulation capabilities, minimising condensation and any resulting product spoilage. The food quality internal finish is also completely smooth and seamless, helping product to discharge cleanly.
www.collinson.co.uk
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Spiroflow FIBC discharger Improvements at feed plant
Skretting’s Longridge site has significantly cut the time needed to discharge ingredients
Prior to the installation of the system, it took around 30 minutes to discharge each of 11 ingredients used in the production process. Now, 1-t FIBCs are discharged in 5 minutes.
   The company is one of the largest aquaculture feed producers in the UK and Ireland, part of the Nutreco group of companies and employing 12,000 people in 22 countries. At Longridge, the 30 employees produce an annual output of 24,000t which equates to around 100t per working day.
   The bulk materials handling system, installed 8 years ago by a contractor, provided a simple bulk bag unloading arrangement for feeding ingredients into a Spiroflow aero-mechanical conveyor up to a horizontal screw conveyor on the floor above. The 11-outlet screw conveyor delivers ingredients to storage bunkers ready for transfer into a mixer and then on to a pelletizing and packing plant.
   The existing FIBC unloading arrangement proved to be a production bottleneck requiring a fork lift truck to support the bag during discharge and an operative on standby to help discharge poorly flowing or compacted product. Production manager Bill Edmondson says that new arrangement has increased productivity.
   Because of the mezzanine floor arrangement above the bulk bag discharger, it is not possible to lift full FIBCs into the discharger safely. Using Spiroflow's model T5 discharger has overcome the problem as its two-section configuration is designed for restricted headroom applications.
   The upper part, which holds the bags, is lifted off and lowered to floor level where full FIBCs can be loaded by fork lift. Once the bag is in place, the section is lifted back on to the discharger section with a dust-tight docking seal between the two sections. An access door in the discharge hopper allows bags to be untied without emissions or spillage. Once untied, flow begins and the door is closed. Pneumatically operated bag massagers fitted to the discharger base deal with poorly flowing materials.
www.spiroflow.com
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Spiroflow FIBC discharger with integral screw conveyor Right solution for food blender
Solutech Ltd, a leading UK independent specialist food grade liquid blending contractor, is successfully utilising a Spiroflow mobile bulk bag discharger with integral flexible screw conveyor
The plant produces around 12,000 t of blended liquids a year for leading players in the food and beverage industry. This involves contract blending of acidity regulators, preservatives and sugar based sweeteners. All output is in liquid form but, other than water, all ingredients are dry bulk solids with around 60 per cent delivered in FIBCs and the remainder in 25-kg bags.
   Four years ago, whilst at previous premises, Solutech purchased a Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor in anticipation of a major sugar blending contract which subsequently did not materialise. Last year, as a result of a large contract for 15-t batches of sugar related blends per week, the 'mothballed' conveyor was the obvious choice to load one of the sugar elements into a heated mixer/dissolver vessel.
   However, the nature of the contract and factory layout meant that the flexible screw conveyor had to be fed from FIBCs and be mounted on a mobile frame. Solutech therefore approached Spiroflow for assistance in adapting the conveyor for its new task because of their ability to provide mobile versions of their conveyors and bulk bag dischargers. The new system ensures rapid discharge of sugar from FIBCs.
   Because the inlet to the screw conveyor is a long narrow slot, a spiral agitator within the discharger collection hopper ensures steady and reliable flow to the mixing vessel. At around 6 m long, the 67 mm diameter conveyor delivers at 3 tph. Two shift working means that the conveyor operates 5 to 6 hours each shift, 5 days a week.
   The fact that the blending vessel is full of water at 75 degrees C posed a potential vapour problem during sugar loading, overcome by fitting a low pressure blower at the conveyor outlet to prevent vapour entry. Every two weeks the conveyor is washed through with water and dried, a procedure that Solutech says is extremely easy.
www.spiroflow.com
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InBulk's V Type ISO-Veyor Waste management - meeting the changes
Pending EU legislation is set to radically alter the waste management industry in terms of acceptable materials that will be allowed to go to landfill.
The latest change sees the implementation of the landfill directive waste acceptance criteria (WAC), due to become law across EU states by 16 July 2005. Put simply, the new directive will prevent the current practice of sending certain waste materials to landfill sites.
   The new legislation looks at all kinds of wastes, from industrial processes, whether hazardous or non-hazardous, and scrutinises how companies examine and classify waste materials and whether the materials are likely to change in their composition either before or after landfill. Other factors that need to be considered include leaching limit values, new parameters on reactive compounds and elements and also new limits on pH and acid neutralisation capacity.
   Like other waste management companies in the EU, Cleanaway has had to re-examine its landfill operations to determine how its landfill waste materials are affected. The specific component of the new regulations relating to wastes containing inorganic carbon (oils) are set to change. By July, all wastes containing greater than 5 per cent inorganic carbon will no longer be able to go to landfill. Companies must find a solution that either involves incineration (or an alternative form of thermal treatment), blending or composting.
   The changes therefore place new burdens on waste management firms. In addition to identifying alternative cost effective solutions, allowances must also be made for handling and transporting waste oil sludge to new locations. Cleanaway have therefore had to re-evaluate their processes for wastes that are directly affected. The company has a license to dispose of a range of special wastes.
  At their Pitsea landfill site in Essex, oil bearing interceptor wastes are normally treated, skimmed and blended with polymers and then centrifuged, producing a non-hazardous liquid effluent and a hazardous centrifuge cake which was previously sent to third party landfill for disposal. Under the new regulations, this method will no longer be viable because of the inorganic carbon content level.
   The company engaged InBulk Technologies in a project to transfer the hazardous oil sludge to their high temperature incineration plant in Ellesmere Port and injecting it into a rotary kiln at a controlled rate. A system was needed that would be able to collect the hazardous cake, place it onto a trailer and transport it to the incinerator where it would be discharged into an existing positive displacement sludge pump for controlled pumping into process.
   Oily sludge is notoriously difficult to handle or convey and the decision was taken to try InBulk’s V Type ISO-Veyor to assess whether the material could be successfully conveyed. The unit is able to give a continuous controlled feed, an important feature as furnace conditions can vary from day to day and it is essential that the discharge is not at an excessive speed.
   InBulk Technologies and the Clyde Blowers Group have previously developed a similar technology for conveying drill cuttings from ISO tanks on oil rigs to tanks on supply vessels via dense phase conveying. Because of the similarities in the oil sludge and drill cuttings, it was anticipated that the ISO-Veyor could also be used for this application. A full scale trial including logistics was organised.
   ISO-Veyor is filled through hatches on the side whilst in the horizontal position which can take place with the container mounted on a trailer. Once filled, the hatch is closed before despatch by road to the incinerator where a special hydraulic trailer upends the container for discharge. To facilitate this process, a standard air supply of between 2 - 7 bar is connected to the unit via an inlet hose. Discharge rate for oil sludge transfer into the incinerator’s rotary Kiln is estimated at between 0.75 and 1.5 tph, the ISO-Veyor feeding the sludge pump at the desired rate. For other applications, the system is capable of discharging at 1 t per minute. The V Type has a volume of 15 cu m, giving Cleanaway the option to carry 18 t of sludge material - well within their operating parameter of 15 t per day. The successful trials have led to an order for five 15 cu m V Type ISO-Veyors and two NCH trailers.
www.inbulktechnologies.com
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Major upgrade for leading PVC compounder
AZO has provided a totally contained transfer system, fully compliant with ATEX, for a PVC compound line at Hydro Polymers’ production plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK. This is one of only three plants producing S-PVC (suspension) resin in the UK and Europe’s largest single site compounding operation.
   Upgrading the impact modifier feed to lines 13 and 14 at the plant’s C3 compounding operation has substantially increased Hydro's materials handling capabilities, providing increased flexibility for customers. The lines manufacture rigid and cellular foam PVC dry blends used for window profile, soffet boards, pipes and cabling and the impact modifier allows the PVC to maintain its rigidity but with some flexibility. However, its explosive characteristics require ATEX compliance.
   The line 14 upgrade introduces impact modifier to feed into a new higher capacity MTI mixer cooler. PVC resin and additive transfer systems have also been upgraded to accommodate higher throughputs. The work, which allows Hydro to cope with additional business in PVC dryblend production, required the €300,000 contract to be completed within a strict time frame. The project follows an upgrade of line 6 in 2004 when the existing compounding line was replaced with a new extruder and larger mixer. With a higher maximum throughput of 3 tph, the new extruder and upgrade led to a three-fold increase in production.
• Ingredient Handing Solutions (IHS) are the agents for AZO in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
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Spiroflow system for PETUK Increased productivity and reduced handling
1-t FIBCs are now filled to weight in less than a minute at PETUK
Spiroflow report that an FIBC filling machine supplied to PET Processors (UK) LLC of Dumfries (PETUK) by Avery Weigh-Tronix has contributed to a significant increase in productivity and a reduction in manual handling. PETUK, who offer a toll processing service to the plastics industry for semi-crystalline thermoplastics such as PET and its derivatives, operate round the clock, processing in the region of 15,000 t a year with more and more materials now delivered and returned in FIBCs.
   When the company required a new bulk bag filling machine which could confirm the weight of processed material, they contacted weighing company Avery Weigh-Tronix, who in turn recommended Spiroflow for the FIBC filling machine. An extensive range of products need to be handled together with a variety of bag sizes and types supplied by customers.
   The new arrangement means that 1-t bulk bags are filled to the required weight in less than a minute and, the time it takes to rig a new bag into position and remove a filled bag at the end of the cycle, means that around 20 bags can be filled per hour.
   The filling machine is mounted on an Avery Weigh-Tronix weigh platform controlled by an L336 indicator with customised software. Pneumatic operation allows the bag support frame to be lowered for rigging and raised for filling to ensure the bag is fully stretched. Vibration during filling ensures proper compaction of the contents to produce a stable and upright load.
www.spiroflow.com
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Flexicon three-tier discharger Three-tier bulk bag discharger
Restricted headroom was just one of the problems faced by a chemical plant when they needed to gravity feed receiving vessels
The combined ceiling height restrictions and limited floor space in a chemical process plant prompted the review of the raw materials handling system. The requirement was for two receiving vessels to be gravity fed separately from the same bulk raw material source above with the need to overcome height restrictions and provide a mobile system.
   Following consultation with Flexicon (Europe) Ltd, an unusual bulk bag handling system was devised. This consisted of a three-part, bulk bag frame comprising a cruciform, intermediate frame and a base frame mounted on castors combined with a model D-24 hopper to interface with a model 1312 round screw conveyor and two control panels.
   The upper part of the frame (cruciform) is firstly separated from the bulk bag frame using a fork-lift truck and located onto an FIBC at floor level and hooked up ready for loading. The intermediate frame is lifted clear of the base frame and placed remotely on the factory floor. The FIBC is then relocated onto the intermediate frame and, with the FIBC now in place, both bag and intermediate frame are lifted and negotiated through the low ceiling hazards and re-located onto the base frame with only a small clearance available.
   Incorporated into the custom built system is a bulk bag/hopper interface consisting of a manual Spout-Lock™ clamp ring positioned above a pneumatically actuated Tele-Tube™ telescoping tube. Together, the devices enable an operator to make a quick, dust-tight connection between bag spout and hopper and to automatically elongate the bag as it empties to promote flow and evacuation.
   Once the FIBC is located onto the base frame, via one of the control panels, the telescoping tube raises the clamp ring assembly that seals the clean side of the bag spout to the clean side of the telescoping tube, then lowers until the bag spout is pulled taut. Once the spout is untied, the telescoping assembly exerts continual downward tension on the spout, elongating the bag as it empties. Sealing between bag spout and clamp ring allows fully open discharge from the bag, eliminating the need for iris valves commonly employed to reduce the escape of dust by reducing the initially high rate of flow from the bag.
   A second frame-mounted control panel regulates the rate of the feeder screw from fast to trickle speed to ensure precise material transfer.
   For applications requiring retying of partially empty bags, the system also comprises a Power-Cincher™ pneumatically actuated flow control valve which contains a series of curved, articulated stainless steel rods that cinch the spout concentrically on a horizontal axis for easy tie-off and vertically in a tight zigzag pattern to prevent powder leakage. Strategically mounted Flow Flexer Plates massage the lower side walls of the bulk bag at timed intervals, assisting flow and directing product to the central flow column. The massaging strokes increase as discharge continues, raising the side walls of the bag creating a ‘V’ shape, eliminating dead spots and maximising discharge.
   Product is then gravity fed via the hopper into the throat of a flexible conveyor which transfers material through 20 degrees along a 1m long conveyor for gravity feeding, via a flexible sleeve, into one of two receiving vessels below, initially at a fast rate then at trickle-speed to give ± 1 per cent accuracy. The three-tier system enables the bulk frame to be easily moved to the second receiving vessel for continued product transfer.
www.flexicon.com
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Spiroflow conveyor and its feed points Chocolate plant utilises spiral conveyors
Spiral conveyors are a key component in a new chocolate pre-blending plant at Thomas Tunnock's Glasgow factory
Spiroflow Ltd has installed a flexible spiral conveyor as part of a new chocolate pre-blending plant at Thomas Tunnock Ltd; a company renowned for its Caramel Wafers, Snowballs, Caramel Logs and Tea Cakes. The system is capable of delivering three different ingredients from three separate feed points to a pre-blender.
   Currently, three ingredients are introduced through two feed points - pending the next stage of the chocolate production facility's relocation from the second to the ground floor to increase capacity at the plant. It was Tunnock's own engineers that suggested the Spiroflow system for loading dry ingredients into the pre-mixer because of experience with several units already operating successfully on other applications at the plant.
   Samples of sugar and two proprietary brands of chocolate, used to produce Tunnock's special chocolate flavour, were firstly tested at Spiroflow’s facility - one brand of chocolate supplied as crumb and the other as traditional slab. Although a standard spiral with a round cross-section coped admirably with sugar and chocolate crumb, the required rate could not be achieved with the slab chocolate which tended to smear and build up on the spiral.
   The solution was found in a spiral with a bevelled cross-section, specifically developed for difficult products and proven on materials that readily smear or which are cohesive. The bevelled design offers more surface area to the product for greater propulsion whilst preventing build-up on the active surface. Initially, a conveyor was loaned to Tunnocks, achieving a rate of 4,000 kg per hr. In operation, the conveyor runs for 30 minutes, delivering 2,000 kg of dry ingredients into the pre-mixer, at least 6 times a day over a two-shift period. The system has provided trouble-free operation since March 2004.
   Keith Rodmell, head of electrical engineering and maintenance at Tunnocks said that the company had a selection of both fixed and mobile Spiroflow flexible spiral conveyors already operating in a range of applications and meeting demand in terms of performance and hygiene, influencing Tunnock’s decision to utilise the latest unit.
www.spiroflow.com
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Belt weigher successes in China
Two resometric belt weigher systems, supplied by the Inflo Division of process weighing specialists Procon Eng, are playing a pivotal role in the handling of coal at the rapidly expanding Tianjin Port on China’s north eastern seaboard.
   Tianjin is China’s second largest container port and fourth largest coal-handling port, playing an important role in transporting goods around the country, particularly in the absence of adequate road and rail facilities. Approximately two-thirds of all sea-borne cargo is domestic, of which 29 percent is coal.
  Coal is transported to Tianjin via a dedicated rail link from the Shenfu Dongshen Coalfield, ranked among the top eight coalfields in the world. Tianjin Port is capable of handling 20 mt a year and planned growth will increase this to 50 mt by the next decade.
  The belt weighers have a throughput capacity of 7000 tph at belt speeds of 4.8 m per sec and have been supplied to contractors Voest-Alpine Material Handling GmbH (VAMH), forming integral parts of two giant mobile coal reclaimers (VARL) and stacker-reclaimers (VASR). These have been installed as part of Phase 1 and 2 of the extension project at Nanjiang Terminals for the Port Equipment & Facilities Import Co of Tianjin. For Phase Three of the extension project, VAMH has ordered two more belt weighers for a stacker and a reclaimer, identical to Phases 1 and 2. Currently, the stacker has been successfully commissioned and the reclaimer is scheduled to be in operation by summer 2004.
  Procon has worked closely with VAMH, a leading global supplier of specialised mining equipment and bulk material handling plants and subsidiary of Sandvik Materials Handling, part of Sandvik AB's Mining and Construction Division.
  The Inflo Resometric belt weighers provide a novel combination of features for arduous applications to ensure that key factors influencing belt scale performance are maintained in service over long periods of time. At the heart of the scale is the Digital Resometric force transducer or resonator which provides unequalled levels of measurement performance for repeatability over extended periods.
  The resonator has no moving parts and is pre-loaded to a standard level by the applied force from the weigh carriage. As the force varies with the load passing over the carriage rollers, the resonant frequency changes in proportion to applied load. This frequency change is processed by electronics and combined with belt travel speed to provide accurate weight reading per unit time. Periodic calibration checks can be carried out simply and expediently by utilising built in calibration weights.
   Unwanted side forces introduced by factors such as poor belt tracking or material asymmetry are prevented by lateral chains fitted between weigh carriage and rigid conveyor and, once the weigh carriage is installed and aligned, it only sees the vertical forces produced by the material weighed.
  Unlike fixed inclination weighing applications, the belt weighers on the stackers are subjected to constantly changing angles of operation which would normally introduce significant cosine weighing errors due to the apparent change in suspended weigh carriage mass. The weighers are therefore fitted with Inflo’s proprietary Astatic Mass Zero Compensation system to automatically compensate for changing angles of operation.
  VAMH’s senior project engineer, Johann Tielitz said that the belt weighers are a critical part of the equipment and it is essential that they provide long term reliability and accuracy. The contract for the belt scales follows on from successful installation of three Inflo belt weighers supplied to VAMH for Tianjin and a further nine belt weighers for stackers and reclaimers at the Baoshan Project in Shanghai. Procon have also supplied a further six Inflo belt scales on fixed conveyors at Tianjin.
www.proconeng.com