Pneumatic conveyors can safely transport a wide range of materials. However, certain materials require specific equipment standards for transportation. In other words, this guide will show you what you need to know when choosing pneumatic conveyors to ensure they work with your material and your facility.
Material Characteristics
One of the most important factors to consider before buying a pneumatic conveyor system is the material that you’ll be using with it day-in and day-out. When it comes to material characteristics, you should know facts like the particle size/shape, friability, moisture content, bulk density, abrasiveness, toxicity, and explosive properties, just to name a few. As you’ll see later on in this guide, not all pneumatic conveyors can handle the same materials, so be sure you know the material characteristics inside and out before purchasing a system.
Size of the System
The size of your pneumatic conveying system is also another important factor to consider for a few reasons. Firstly, you have to make sure the system can support the conveying distances you want to cover. Additionally, you have to make sure the system can fit inside your facility. These elements might sound obvious, but this final point is easy to forget—take maintenance into account.
What this means is that when considering the size of the system and how it fits into your facility, always remember to leave room to allow for scheduled maintenance. Whenever it’s time to perform maintenance, the professional in charge of doing so should have easy access to the necessary system components.
Vacuum System vs. Pressure System
You can choose from two kinds of pneumatic conveying systems—vacuum or pressure. The former uses a vacuum generator to suck products through the pipeline from one point to another. Pressure systems, on the other hand, produce high-pressure air, which pushes materials through the pipeline. Vacuum systems are the best option if you’re planning to use them for transporting materials that are pressure-sensitive and nonabrasive. Pressure systems can typically transport nonabrasive materials effectively; however, they are a better choice for transporting abrasive material than vacuum systems are.
Dilute Phase vs. Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveying
If you thought the subsections of pneumatic conveyors were over, think again. Dilute phase pneumatic conveying uses air pressure to transport materials in the system at high velocities. A dilute phase pneumatic conveyor can transport only materials that can handle some breakage during travel. If you’re transporting more fragile materials, dense phase pneumatic conveying might be a better fit because it optimizes low-velocity travel instead of high-velocity. The way these systems accomplish this is that dilute phase systems have a high air-to-product ratio, whereas dense phase systems have a low air-to-product ratio.
When it comes to what you need to know when choosing pneumatic conveyors, these are easily the four most important factors. If you need a pneumatic conveying system or another type of dry bulk-material handling equipment, DoverMEI can help you find and install it with ease. With the right systems in place, you can keep your facility firing on all cylinders every workday.