A manufacturer of a mineral insulating powder experienced severe segregation of a product discharged from storage silos which, despite the introduction of mass flow designs to counter segregation, caused an average of 20% of batches to fall outside quality limits. The loss of productive capacity, cost of reprocessing and the strain on the quality control department gave serious concern, and several in-house attempts to resolve the difficulties either showed no improvements or, indeed, worse results.
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Ajax were asked to investigate possible solutions and identified that the problematic separation of fractions took place mainly on filling, with the uneven flow velocity across the flow channel concentrating regions of maximum segregation into differing periods of the discharge cycle. Due to limited headroom, Ajax decided to solve the problem by remixing the contents on discharge |
 Preferential Drawdown in a plain MassFlow Hopper |
| Following observation of the complicated filling process, Ajax first undertook laboratory measurements of the material to quantify the relevant bulk material properties, and then identified an appropriate application of Ajax LynFlow TechnologyTM to secure a flow pattern that remixed the segregated material during hopper discharge. An arrangement was proof tested using a sophisticated insert system resting in a scale version of the customer's conical hopper. Seeded markers introduced to the contents confirmed that the zone order of discharge recombined the regions segregated during the filling process. |
 Controlled Sequence Drawdown in a MassFlow Hopper Equipped withLynFlow Inserts |
A dramatic increase in quality of the final product followed the installation of the inserts in the on-site production equipment.
Ajax LynFlow TechnologyTM collates a range of techniques and developments to exploit the behaviour of bulk materials. It includes refined hopper geometry and insert systems, novel helical screw designs and process functions and devices to de-aerate, compact and condition bulk materials.