materials handling | Technology
Right: National Bulk Equip- ment devel- oped this bulk bag unloader to address dust
reduction and process
operation efficiency
requirements.
properly while simultaneously enclosing the bag spout interface within a closed-cycle dust recovery system. The NBE E3 closed-cycle dust recovery system prevents the release of dust into the work area by recovering the contained dust and re-intro- ducing the material dust back into the discharge path. As material flow moves from the bulk bag through the bag spout interface, the suspension system automatically reacts to the reducing volume of material in the bulk bag and lowers the spout interface to pull the bag into a taut, conical shape. This bag-shaping function of the E3 is claimed to ensure no residual material remains in the bulk bag and, as a result, that no residual material dust is released during unspouting. Personnel, product, and process operations are protected from harmful contaminants. The bulk bag discharger unloads various semi
free-flowing, hygroscopic, contaminable powders at a rate of 2,720 kg/h (6,000 lbs/h). Changeover times are said to be significantly shortened due to reduced equipment cleaning times and the improvements in operator bag spouting efficiency.
Dosing liquids Riverdale Global, a joint venture set up between liquid colorant specialist Riverdale Color and blending technology firm Maguire, has developed a system that automatically refills one or more liquid colour drums during production, eliminating downtime and reducing the occurrence of transitional or off-specification product with little or no colour. The company supplies liquid colour in pump-equipped drums that remain sealed while the colour is metered to
processing machines. According to Riverdale Global, the RGInfinity auto-refill system eliminates the need to replace these drums when empty by refilling them from a large central container. One central container – or tote - can serve one machine or, if desired, be configured to refill multiple machines running the same colour. Sealed connections throughout the system, from the central container to the delivery tubes, drums and metering tubes, keep the liquid colour completely
sealed off from the workplace. Each drum is mounted on a Riverdale Gravimetric Stand (RGS), which monitors the weight of colour in the drum and signals a pump valve on the tote when the drum is nearly empty and again when it is full.
When the central container needs to be replaced, the
sealed connectors make a quick changeover possible. Bulk containers can be supplied in various shapes and sizes. A typical example is a 200-gallon rotomolded plastic vessel within a steel supporting framework, but it is possible to use a standard-size drum for refilling. “Besides preventing downtime, the RGInfinity
auto-refill system eliminates the time and labour required for operators to monitor colour levels, transport and prepare replacement drums, and wait until on-line drums are finally ready for replacement,” says Kevin Cabana, Vice President of Process Technolo- gies. “Also prevented is the human error that creeps in during these procedures, particularly when there are multiple drums metering colour to multiple processing machines. By preventing off-spec production, the auto-refill system saves time and labour as well as reducing scrap. The higher the production volume, the greater the benefits. Without the system, operators often choose to generate off-colour product during drum replacement rather than stopping production. The resulting scrap material must be culled out, removed from the work area, and disposed of.”
Above: The RG Infinity System is a multi-station auto-refilling option for liquid colorant applications in a variety of plastic processing operations
76 COMPOUNDING WORLD | February 2016
Click on the links for more information: ❙
www.coperionktron.com ❙
http://penta.piovan.com ❙
www.piovan.com ❙
www.movacolor.com ❙
www.motan-colortronic.com ❙
www.conairgroup.com ❙
www.wittmann-group.com ❙
www.flexicon.co.uk ❙
www.nbe-inc.com ❙
www.riverdaleglobal.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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