In many industries, bulk goods - as a starting or end product - are indispensable. Grain, sugar, and spices are turned into baking mixes and sauce powders. The chemical industry produces detergents and fertilisers and processes salts and ores. The pharmaceutical industry needs binders and fillers for tablets, capsules and granulates. In the construction and mining industries, the proportion of processed or produced bulk materials is particularly high. All these materials have to be conveyed: to storage containers, to the production plant, between different process steps or at the end of the production chain into various containers and packaging. Given this diversity, it is not surprising that a wide variety of technologies are used.
This is particularly true for mechanical bulk material conveying. Due to the fixed conveying paths, it is considered less flexible than pneumatic conveying, which is also frequently used. However, it can be used to convey larger quantities and save energy at the same time. The wide range of standard products makes it possible to fulfil the most diverse requirements. The characteristics of the products must be taken into account. New bulk solids - such as in the development of new foods or special powders for 3D printing - are constantly challenging the creativity and often also the intuition of system planners.
Above all, the flow behaviour of the material is important. It depends on the particle size, shape of the particles, porosity, and roughness of the material, among other things. The desired conveying distance and quantity as well as the conditions in the production environment, such as the possible installation height, are important criteria when selecting the appropriate technology. Regulations such as hygiene standards or explosion protection must also be observed.
Centuries-old technology principles in innovative variants
Typical conveyor equipment includes belt conveyors and belt conveyors that are suitable for copious quantities and long distances of up to kilometres, such as the systems from Beumer. Compact, closed conveying with low dust generation can be realised with screw conveyors or - for heavy, abrasive materials - with chain conveyors. Bucket chain conveyors (bucket elevators) are often used for vertical conveying.
Tube chain or tube drag conveyors are suitable for numerous powders and bulk materials - from grain and coffee to plastic and mineral powders. They can also be used to overcome winding vertical and horizontal routes - with high capacity, dust-free and gently. One of the suppliers is the Italian bulk goods handling specialist Falcon. Its programme includes two models, one for particularly long distances and a second, particularly compact model with parallel tubes. Both are also available as ATEX versions.
Schrage Conveying Systems also produces tube chain conveyors of this type. And in a distinct way. The supplier has identified a collaborative robot (Cobot) that assists in the assembly of the carrier discs - thousands per year. With over 4,000 references worldwide, Schrage has already realised a wide variety of line layouts. Conveyor lines over 50 metres long and 30 metres high have already been created - dimensions that are typical for pneumatic conveyor systems. The only difference is that conveying requires significantly less energy and is possible with less wear and is gentler on the product. There are also mobile or stationary stand-alone models that make it easier to fill and transfer a wide variety of containers or tankers.
