HANDLING POWTECH SECTION GUIDE...


IN MANY WAYS, POWDER IS ONE OF THE MOST PROBLEMATIC MATERIALS TO HANDLE SAFELY, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT comes to food and beverage processing. But with a combination of the correct equipment, knowledge and approach, safe, consistent handling is possible. One potential hazard area concerns the storage process. If powder doesn’t evacuate consistently from a silo, there’s a possibility that residue may accumulate and - given the properties involved - decay, especially when the powder empties in what’s often known as “channel flow” pattern. This is when the centre of the moving mass exits more quickly than that on the outside which allows some of the powder linger indefinitely – the opposite of the first- in-first-out pattern that defines most ideal processing. An ideal scenario would involve a “mass flow,” where all the powder evacuates evenly. Achieving this is a question of matching the interior wall surfaces and the slope and general design of the vessel to the powder’s characteristics. Effective level-sensing equipment can keep track of what is in a silo without having to interrupt an operation by opening it. There are other challenges too. Moisture variations, particulate size and shape, for example, can lead to problems such as sticking, bridging and clumping as the powder moves. Again, thanks to developments in flow- measurement technology, many key parameters can now be measured in situ meaning everything from impeller speed to transfer rate can be adjusted to ensure optimal


Whether your material consists of large pellets or fine powders, its performance will depend on the way it is handled and remains contamination-free


output. For a long time, the only way to measure these parameters was through sampling and off-line testing. Such problem-solving technology forms a key part of


POWTECH events which are noted for showcasing vast product ranges for material handling and processing. That typically includes the likes of size reduction, mixing, separating, screening, filtering, agglomerating, granulating, briquetting, drying, thermal and chemical processing technologies for powder and bulk material. Also included are optical processing technologies and other products related to chemical, food, pharmaceutical, plastic, cement, mining and ports industries. Another powder handling risk involves contamination by metal fragments which makes metal detection - specifically while the powder is in free-fall - all the more important. Fortunately, thanks to advances in areas such as magnets, detection for such ferrous contaminants has improved greatly in recent times. But, let’s face it, not all material wants to be moved and some compounds are downright unco-operative, an occasional reality in the all industries, be it chemical, paint, food, pharmaceuticals or plastics for example. And that’s before we consider contamination. Thankfully, innovation is never far away, from the sort of sanitary bulk bag filler that detects and separates metal as it fills to dump stations that collect dust generated when dumping from bags, boxes, drums, and return the material to the hopper, there is a constantly flow of solutions on show.


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