Processing, November 2018

maximize batch output so that residual product is left in the conveyor to maximize its repeatability e residual product remains should be considered since they may contain various ingredients that may not completely transfer from the system as desired By rst introducing a portion of the larger major ingredients followed by the smaller minor ingredients and then dumping in the remaining portion of the initial major ingredient you can minimize loss is is just one method of batching when exact weighment is not critical Intermittent operation During this process the conveyor starts and stops in a repetitive fashion under full load Be aware that some heavy materials may cause startup issues To mitigate this problem special modi cations can be made to the conveyor that will add to its structural strength and or reduce the amount of material during startup Continuous operation Flexible screw conveyors that perform nonstop for extended intervals need to be speci cally designed for this type of operation and should be sized to run at an average speed range It is important to keep in mind that during standard operation all exible screw conveyors will leave residual material in the inlet tube once the hopper is empty is material can be extracted by removing the end cleanout cap at the bottom of the conveyor and reversing the rotation of the screw allowing for quick evacuation Further cleaning can be performed with Conclusion Given the di erent material characteristics and operational expectations while o ering the precision and custom exibility to handle any powder handling needs Partnering with an equipment provider that has decades of experience with this type of conveyor is the best way to select the correct options for a particular application Mike Zeluff is a product specialist at Kalamazoo Michigan based Hapman where he has been for more than 22 years A graduate of Grand Valley State University he has experience as a product specialist for Helix exible screw conveyors as well as several other disciplines including lab management product testing and regional sales Hapman www hapman com 1988 2018 30th Celebrating 30 Years of Thermal Mass Flow Meter Excellence Eldridge Products Inc 465 Reservation Road Marina CA 93933 Phone 831 648 7777 Toll Free 800 321 FLOW Fax 831 648 7780 Web www epi ow com Compressed Air Boiler Air Gas Flue Flare Gas Natural Gas Aeration Air Biogas Digester Landfill Gas Many other gases available Accurate Reliable Economic Pick Three Too Much Goodness to List Product Familys Master Touch Industrial Flow Meter ValuMass Value Priced Industrial Flow Meter FAT Flow Averaging Tube Thermal Mass Flow Meter BlueMax Boiler Air Gas Flow Meter MultiPoint Multi Sensor Stack Duct Averaging System HPX Series Ultra High Purity Flow Meters Free Included Software Firmware EPICommunicator or EPICom Windows Based communication Tool E Logger Data Logging in EPICom in Flow Meter Epi Val Field Val LiveZero Flow Meter Field Validation Standard Included Communication Protocols Signal Outputs RS 232 RS 485 ASCII Modbus RS 485 Modbus RTU Two 4 to 20 mA Two 0 5 VDC Two User Programmable Relays Other Standard Features Ex Certified Products Choice of ATEX IECEx CSA CUS KOSHA Calibration Traceable to NIST Rugged 316L Stainless Steel Sensor Body Probe Construction Display Two Line 16 Character Rate Total Temp Sensor mW Relays Flow Accuracy 10 Reading 05 Full Scale Over 100 1 Minimum Velocity Response of 15 Feet Per Minute Optional HART Profibus DP High Temperature Stack Sensors to 850 F 450 C Hastelloy C 276 Construction Sound the Horn Disperse Material Buildup in Baghouses Boilers ESPs more AcoustiClean Sonic Horn Systems use high energy low frequency sound vibrations to disperse and prevent costly particulate buildup improving process effi ciency and productivity Cleaning distances up to 60 ft Cleaning diameters up to 20 ft Easy to install and low operating cost Reduces unscheduled plant shutdowns and maintenance costs Reaches diffi cult areas around pipes beams and other structures Contact us for a detailed AcoustiClean proposal engineered specifi cally for your application The sound solution for boosting process effi ciency MADE IN THE USA Sales@ ControlConceptsUSA com 860 928 6551 AcoustiClean com Proc 201811 Qtrpg Acoust indd 2 10 4 2018 4 47 17 PM air water or solvents with or without disassembly of the unit If more maintenance is required the outer tube and or exible screw can be removed and thoroughly cleaned It can be di cult to keep up with the nuances of the various types of material handling equipment in a plant but a complete planned preventive maintenance PPM schedule should be established for all operational systems to ensure optimal output and maintain desired production levels variables in a speci c operation that uses exible screw conveyors in its process having many equipment options available is the key to achieving maximum e ciency and pro tability Todays exible screw conveyors are engineered to meet all standard expecta Hoppers offer their own assortment of options to make moving powders more ef cient standard and custom sizes 304 or 316 stainless steel construction anged inlets and more Employing a Hi Lo or tilt style exible screw conveyor is an ideal option for powderhandling applications where total evacuation of conveyed materials is critical NOVEMBER 2018 www processingmagazine com 31