Share thisAutomated systems can cut labor in half and reduce waste stream by 75 percent.
After years of handling 70 tons of corncob meal bedding per year with a combination of mechanical equipment and physical labor, Sam Pinto, Facilities Director at the Van Andel Institute (VAI), an independent biomedical research institute, in Grand Rapids, MI, wanted to streamline the process at his facility.
Aware that the use of pneumatic conveyor systems is common in manufacturing industries to increase efficiency, reduce labor, and for ergonomic purposes, Pinto “figured that we could use it in our industry because the principal is the still the same. You are moving material from one point to the other.”
Standard conveying systems consist of five basic pieces of equipment that come together to work as one:
- pick-up point
- convey tubing
- vacuum receiver
- vacuum producer
- control panel
These basic systems are adapted according to how much automation a facility desires and the amount of distribution equipment involved.
Vacuum producers are the core of pneumatic conveying systems and work with the control panel to manage the flow of material through the convey tubes to the vacuum receivers.
Vacuum producers come in many shapes and sizes. Two of the most common vacuum producers are venturi powered units that run on compressed air, and positive displacement pumps that run on electricity; and, each has its advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage of units that run on compressed air is that there are no moving parts and therefore require no maintenance. Because they operate with air without moving parts, these units are well-suited for hazardous areas. The disadvantage of using compressed air is that over time it can be expensive. Units that run on compressed air also offer lower upfront costs than positive displacement pumps. Although positive displacement pumps have higher upfront costs and moving parts that require oil changes twice a year, they are very reliable pieces of equipment that have long equipment lives and lower overall cost.
The most basic vacuum conveying system is a timed system, consisting of two basic cycles—a convey cycle and a discharge cycle. The control panel, which often works in concert with some type of level control, dictates the amount of time that the system conveys product to the receiver and then how long the discharge valves are open to drop the material into the distribution machine.
Because each operation has unique requirements, individual components are selected from each of the five basic pieces of equipment to design a conveying system that achieves the facility’s desired outcome.