While most conveying systems are designed to easily process plastic pellets, powders can place significant strain on the mechanism if you’re not careful. There are many variables to keep in mind that can potentially put your application, batch, or workers at risk.
Luckily, vacuum or pneumatic conveying can drastically improve the accuracy of the processes whilst also reducing many of the risks and variables of manual refilling. For more information on mechanical vs. pneumatic conveying, see.
We’ve narrowed down the most important considerations for conveying powders, as well as the importance of pneumatic conveying for processing.
Material
Probably the most important aspect to consider is the material you’re working with. Powders can have a myriad of variables, from combustibility to density, shape, chemical compatibility and more.
Just to add to your troubles, you may be misinformed by suppliers and customers, or unfamiliar with the material’s properties entirely.
By testing materials in advance, you reduce the risk on your processor, whilst allowing you to shift your focus to maximising the quality of conveying.
Discharge
It’s especially important that more stubborn powders are moved at a constant rate throughout the process. This means that you need to match the discharge configuration to the material, ensuring unimpeded movement through the system.
Dust Filtration
More importance is being placed on safety and sanitation in manufacturing, with measurements of imperceptible microns becoming the new standard for quality. It is therefore essential for filtration systems to manage powder in bulk whilst still adhering to the highest standards.
This can vary based on the powder and its characteristics, with extremely dusty powders needing the best systems in place to ensure the highest quality conveying whilst avoiding clogs. Pneumatic experts such as www.aptech.uk.com/pneumatic-conveying-systems/ can provide more insight on services.
Safety
One of the biggest dangers in conveying is dust, which vacuum conveying can mostly counteract. Because the process is closed off, away from the air in the room, there is far less risk involved, removing the need for manual dumping of powders, and in turn preventing the risk of inhalation, among other threats such as combustible powders.
