When you need to move a large quantity of dry materials, you need a pneumatic conveying system. The type of system that will work best for your business depends on the type of material you want conveying, over what distance and the air to material ratio in play.
What material do you want to move, how and why?
Dry materials can be granulated, pelletised or a free-flowing powder. The type of material you need to move will dictate whether you need a pressure or vacuum conveyor system.
Knowing what you want to move isn’t the only factor in making conveyancing decisions. You’ll need to establish how and why you want to move dry goods. For example, do you need gentle handling or greater efficiency? Is degradation of piping or material a concern? And do you need to move more material than your system can currently handle?
Image Credit
Pressure vs vacuum
A pressure system starts at high pressure to blast material through the system, which is then received at low pressure. This is the most suitable system for conveying heavier materials longer distances, but is more expensive than a vacuum system. Vacuum conveying systems like those available from aptech.uk.com/pneumatic-conveying-systems/vacuum-conveying/ are the smart choice when you need a space-efficient system that won’t clog or clump the material being conveyed.
10 key criteria of a conveying system
1. Know your bulk density so you can work out the size of the vacuum receiver and conveying line so your material is moved at the right velocity.
2. Know your conveying distance so you can minimise the number of elbows.
3. Know your conveying rate so the system can be properly sized.
4. Know the characteristics of your material: is it free-flowing, combustible or abrasive?
5. Know whether the raw materials will be received mechanically or by hand.
6. Know whether your upstream process is batch or continuous.
7. Know your headroom requirements so you can scale the system accordingly.
8. Will the material be conveyed in batches or in one continuous stream? Do you need a dense phase system with low air to material ratio (batch) or dilute phase conveying with high air to material ratio (continuous)?
9. Be aware of atmospheric conditions if you convey hygroscopic materials to avoid discharge problems.
10. Choose the right construction materials depending on the materials being conveyed.
About Author
