This interactive document uses numerous of current examples to describe the advantageous use of vacuum conveyors and powder handling solutions in the food sector.
Hardly any other industry processes so many different solids and bulk goods. The inserted links make it possible to deepen the most diverse aspects and these lead precisely to further examples, descriptive videos and more in-depth specifications. It is shown, for example, how a single-variety separation can be achieved in the seed sector or how segregation can be avoided.
Other important topics such as ATEX and explosion protection, gentle conveying, provision and dosing of recipes and, of course, hygiene aspects and cleaning are in focus.
The professional handling of dusts and powdery solids requires a comprehensive consideration of the task. In addition to the purely technical questions relating to feasibility and implementation, numerous boundary conditions must be taken into account.
One of them is the possible use in potentially explosive areas. The crux here is that these areas can not only be predefined from the outside, but potentially only arise through the actual conveying task or the conveyed goods themselves.
This is due to the fact that every substance which is flammable, in either a powdery or dusty form with fine particulates of less than 500 µm, also has the capability for a dust explosion.
Conventional, mechanical conveyor systems often reach their limits of use. Pneumatic vacuum conveying systems, on the other hand, can be designed without ignition sources and are therefore particularly suitable for such purposes. Both for organic compounds and for inorganic substances such as metal powders.
As an extract from the “ATEX, Explosion Protection and Powder Handling” seminars that take place several times a year, this short video gives an initial insight into this extremely complex topic.
At companies that process bulk materials, the raw products are often delivered in containers. This leads to the question of how these containers can be emptied as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Our container emptying station has been developed in such a way that its loading can be easily and individually adjusted.
As shown here, the container is placed on the station by forklift truck and the discharge valve is manually opend. The container is emptied by gravity.
The bulk material is then gently introduced into the process by means of vacuum conveying.
The container docking stations can also be used for metered filling of containers.
Vacuum conveyor with lifting and swiveling columns |
In many industries it is still common practice to fill filling systems, presses or containers by hand from above.
This process is usually unergonomic for employees and rather time-consuming. This procedure often harbors undreamt-of dangers, for example that of a dust explosion.
360 ° rotatable lifting column with vacuum conveyor
360 ° rotatable lifting column that simply brings the vacuum conveyor onto the machine
An alternative to automated filling are lifting and swiveling columns that are equipped with a vacuum conveyor for material transfer. The vacuum conveyor sits in a holding fork that is mounted on the lifting column and can be steplessly raised and lowered.
Would you like more information on the topic or do you have a process that you would like to make safer, more effective and more ergonomic? Our application experts will be happy to help you. >> Contact
The Production of care and hygiene products requires the transport and dosage of highly flammable resin granules in a mixer. Minimum ignition energy of the substance to be transported is 3 mJ (MIE 3 mJ).
In the previous procedure, drums were filled with resin and heated up in ovens; then the liquified resin was mixed with another liquid in a stirred vessel. This time-consuming and comparatively cumbersome to master process led to production bottlenecks.
The customer turned to us with its request for a safe, yet, at the same time, flexible work environment. In close consultation between the provider and the user, they agreed to design a flowing and space-saving process.
Big Bag Station
After the process conversion, the resin granulates will no longer be prepared in drums but rather in bulk bags. The material to be transported is now placed centrally and in the easily reachable material storage above two bulk bag unloading stations. Whereby the bulk bags are alternatingly unloaded and standstill times for container changes are avoided.
Two Volkmann Conweigh vacuum conveyors suck the material from here and transport it over 60 or 85 m distance and 12 m high to the stirred vessel with a conveyor capacity of 2 tons per hour.
The Conweigh systems ultimately supply 100 precisely measured grams of the transported material to the stirred vessel where it is heated and mixed with other liquids.
Conweigh-System
Now various flammable materials from the client can be safely transported with the selected system. Studies have shown that the suction lines can be almost completely emptied so that additional cleaning measures are not necessary in the case of pending material changes which contributes to the desired high flexibility in the system. The entire system is designed and made in conformity with ATEX.
The client chose the VOLKMANN solution for the new design of the process not least because of the close cooperation and competence specifically found in explosion risk prevention. The proposed solution also appeared attractive on account of the hygienic aspects and the operation and maintenance friendliness.Volkmann considers the user’s needs with knowledge and experience and therefore develops optimal results and processes.
Would you like to find out more or do you have a specific task? Our application experts will be happy to help you. >> Contact
Drum emptying – remove bulk goods and powder from drums |
In some situations the pick-up of bulk product is from drums or barrels and depending on the product this can be easy or more difficult to do. Products flow easily or be strongly adhesive. We have developed various solutions to empty drums almost completely and without a lot of operator intervention.
The barrel is mounted in a holding station and is tipped by hand. To suck the product out of the barrel a suction lance is inserted from above. The drum emptying device is adapted to the product and the task situation. Drum emptying where a liner is present is then also possible.
As the product is sucked out of the drum by vacuum conveying, the suction lance sinks down into the drum under gravity and thus gradually empties the contents. The process is supported with a vibrator, which is attached to the station below the platform, in order to help extract difficult-to-flow products.
For products that tend to be very dusty or should be contained as much as possible, it is possible to mount a corresponding lid on the barrel. This is equipped with a ventilation filter and a sealing sleeve and thus prevents dust from escaping.
Would you like to find out more about barrel emptying or do you have a specific task? Our application experts will be happy to help you. >> Contact
Weighing and dosing bulk products into a process |
It is often necessary to weigh and dose powder, amongst other bulk materials, into a process. Let’s take the addition of sugar into a mixer as an example from the food industry.
According to the recipe, a total of 150 kg of sugar must be added to the mixer. The conveyor system used requires ten conveying cycles of 15 kg each. Depending on the design of the system, delivery rates of up to 4 t / h are also possible. The accuracy of the system is 99 – 99.7% of the target weight to be achieved.
The removal from different pick-up locations is possible as well as the adjustment and storage of recipes. A quick intervention in the process is possible via the device control’s intuitive touch display. In addition, the entire process can of course also be controlled fully automatically.
The Volkmann CONWEIGH is a combined conveying and dosing system and is usually used for adding quantities from 2 kg upwards per unit.
Would you like to learn more about the topic or do you have a specific task? Our application experts will be happy to help you. >> Contact
The correct handling of powders within the additive manufacturing industry |
Whether it is metals or plastics there are numerous different powder handling tasks to be solved within the Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry.
However, for various reasons, metal powders represent a greater challenge for powder handling. This involves the powder supply to the 3D printers the recovery of unbound material and its reclassification and recovery (recycling) for reuse.
With the Volkmann PowTReX, the combination of the process steps of vacuum conveying, controlled sieve dosing and ultrasonic screening represents a compact platform to solve these demanding tasks.
In connection with the correct container and container handling, safe, sealed and – if necessary – inert powder handling can be achieved. This means that not only stainless steel powders, also aluminum and other sensitive metal powders, for example, can be safely handled.
Volkmann is proud to support Materials Solutions, based near Worcester in the UK, who are a Siemens business (since 2016). They utilise additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for the production of parts and tools for the aerospace, automotive and power generation industries worldwide using a variety of metal powders including Ni superalloys, Ferrous alloys and Aluminium alloys.
Materials Solutions has seen an increase in production which has led to the company’s expansion to a larger facility to accommodate additional AM machines to keep up with demand. Their new larger facility now boasts a greater selection of AM machines from various suppliers and in different sizes to increase their manufacturing flexibility. This increase in demand meant that a more efficient, reliable and versatile processes was required to help speed up the powder reclassification procedure between builds.
You can find more information about solutions for “Additive Manufacturing” in our area >> here.
With some unsatisfactory powder reclassification systems trialled on site Volkmann was contacted back in early 2018 to help with an alternative solution and since then several systems have been supplied. The flexibility of the PowTReX has also enabled Materials Solutions to plan new powder handling and reclassification projects utilising Volkmann equipment which has enabled them to improve their powder reclassification process.
The PowTReX utilises a Volkmann vacuum conveyor to transfer powder from the build chamber to an ultrasonic sieve, via a dosing system which helps prevent overloading of the sieve mesh. With a sieving rate of approximately twice that to other available solutions on the market (using equivalent powder) the PowTreX is a good solution to help speed up the reclassification process.
Double big bag emptying station for limited space unloading areas |
Restricted unloading area solution: With this project a room with limited space has allowed us to develop a big bag emptying station with which two big bags can be emptied simultaneously.
The big bags are hung in harnesses and lifted using a winch. The mobile docking stations are pushed under the big bags and are equipped with devices for low-dust connection for emptying of the big bags.
With two feeding adapters per docking station, the material to be conveyed is fed into the subsequent processes via a total of four VS250 vacuum conveyors, in this case loading four mixers.
The product unloaded and conveyed is sodium bicarbonate.
Any questions? Our application experts will be happy to help you. >> Contact
Double big bag station with winches and mobile docking stations. Reduced height for use within limited space areas.
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