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Conveying
The correct conveyor
Steve Taylor, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Spiroflow discusses the
merits of four different types of conveyor
Suck, blow, entrain or screw? That’s the decision we have to
make every time a customer approaches Spiroflow with a The information required
conveying application. Clearly, the most important thing that any Here is a list of questions that will need to be answered as a
conveyor manufacturer has to do is to provide the optimum minimum before the choice of conveyor can begin:
solution for the customer - ensuring that the conveyor supplied
is the most efficient, most reliable and at the best possible 1. The product(s)?
price. Sounds simple but, the best solution can only be 2. Its/their bulk density(ies)?
determined through a thorough knowledge of the suitability and 3. Its condition (moisture content, average particle size,
benefits of each type of conveyor and knowing all the questions temperature etc)?
to ask. 4. Is the product likely to change in anyway in the future?
We have to bear in mind that although conveyor companies 5. From what is the product being conveyed (silo, big bag,
are selling their equipment every day, engineers and buyers at sack tip station)?
end user companies might be buying their very first conveyor! 6. To what is the product being conveyed (mixer, sifter, mill,
Being conveyor specialists means that we not only have to have reactor)?
an in-depth knowledge about our own equipment but also the 7. If it’s a reactor of any type, is there any steam, gas or
wider picture too - given that, on rare occasions, we have to be solvent given off that might enter the conveyor?
in a position to know when to back away from an application 8. The horizontal conveying distance?
and to suggest something outside of our scope. Certainly, 9. The vertical height to which the product has to be
potential customers should look to suppliers offering a range of conveyed?
conveyors to avoid the ‘one size fits all’ syndrome! 10. The route of the conveyor (inside, outside, number of
This article sets out to clarify some of the key reasons why bends required etc)?
one type of conveyor is the more obvious choice and highlights 11. The conveying rate in kg/hour or the batch size over a
the answers that potential buyers will have to provide to their given time?
chosen supplier. It may seem an obvious statement but the 12. Is the conveyor to transfer a pre-weighed batch, is it
more information that a customer and supplier share at the transferring material to a receiver of a given size / on load
start, the less the risk of difficulties later! cells or is it a continuous process?
Ultimately, a product feasibility test may be advisable to 13. How often / for how long will the conveyor run each day?
determine the most suitable conveyor for the material 14. Is it important to deliver the material to the receiver in a
concerned, the distance involved and the throughput required. homogenous manner - such as when flakes are added to a
However, as a starting point, any conveyor manufacturer worth liquid to make a lump-free paste?
his salt will have a database of conveyor test results, and of 15. If the product is a mixture, is it essential that the integrity
actual working conveyors, detailing the products on which they of the mix is maintained?
perform well. Most manufacturers will have so much 16. Is the material fragile and how important is it to minimise
experience on certain products that they can offer performance damage during conveying?
guarantees without the need to do tests. 17. What accessories are required (sack tip station, bulk bag
discharger, receiver hopper, etc)?
Flexible Spiral Conveyor installation
18. Is the conveyor to operate in a dusty or otherwise
hazardous area (i.e. do the Atex/Desear regulations apply)?
19. Is the conveyor manufacturer to supply the control panel,
level sensors, etc?
20. Will the conveyor be readily accessible for maintenance
purposes?
21. For how long is the conveyor expected to run between
services?
Dependent upon the manufacturer and type and conveyor
being considered, other information may also be required but
the above is a good basis from which to start.
28 Solids & Bulk Handling • August 2007 www.solidsandbulk.co.uk
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