MATERIALS HANDLING
This chart compares Cablevey Conveyors’ 5HP motor with chain conveyors using 2.5 times more energy, and with pneumatic conveyors, often using 10 times more power
manufacturer that serves the food, coffee, nut, powder, produce and pet food markets. According to Bob Owen, director
of Product Performance at Cablevey, the primary reasons why industry professionals are turning to the higher volume tubular drag cable conveyors include improved power use, safety, product preservation, product quality and production uptime.
Tubular drag cable conveyors such as those from Cablevey Conveyors can move up to 2,000Ft³ and 80,000 pounds per hour
POWER CONSUMPTION As energy prices continue to rise, food processors are paying more attention to reducing the power required to convey materials. Within plants, the motors needed to convey large volumes of food materials can vary greatly in power consumption. At the high end are pneumatic conveyors that use air to move product at high velocity through an enclosed line by creating air pressure above or below the atmospheric level. High-volume pneumatic conveyors generally require larger, power-hungry motors up to 20-50hp or more that run fans, blowers and rotary valves.
At the mid-range of power consumption are belt conveyors and bucket elevators. In a typical conveyor belt system, a belt forms a closed loop and stretches across two or more pulleys with a drive pulley that enables it to rotate continually. Bucket elevators move material using buckets attached to a rotating belt or chain. Te buckets pick up material, move it to an endpoint, discharge material, and return to the starting point to pick up a new load. To convey a similar, high-volume amount of material, belt conveyors and bucket elevators would typically use approximately 25hp motors, says Owen. At the low end of power consumption
are 8in tubular drag cable conveyors, which would usually use a 7.5hp motor to move a comparable, voluminous amount of material. “Te drag cable pulls the solid circular discs (flights) attached to the cable at low speed through a loop, which requires less energy than conventional methods. Te ample size and number of the discs on 8in units enable conveying a similar amount of material as traditional belt, bucket or pneumatic units,” says Owen.
The tubular drag cable pulls the solid circular discs attached to the cable at low speed through a loop, which requires less energy than conventional methods, but still allows the conveying of a voluminous amount of material
THE ISSUE OF SAFETY Open systems such as bucket elevators and belt conveyors are common in the food industry but have substantial drawbacks in terms of the potential for contamination. With either type of system, any product that is left uncovered can potentially expose it to contaminants and moisture in the surrounding environment. Open systems also allow product spillage onto the plant floor, which can present a slip and fall hazard if not promptly addressed. Unlike open systems, closed systems such as tubular drag cable conveyors and pneumatic units effectively seal off product from the outside environment
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