Aeromechanical conveyors

The key advantage of most of these is their portability. A small operator is unlikely to want to have a number of devices performing the same function and is unlikely to be able to afford this expense either. Another advantage of all of these is that they reduce the amount of dust generated by the handling of the powders. They will also generally reduce the physical load on the plant operator, whether this is by mechanical means, as in the case of the screw conveyor and the drum dumper, or by pneumatic means for the pneumatic conveying systems. 

Another important area for consideration is the interface areas at each end of the conveyor, that is the loading and discharge points. Starting with the inlet it can be seen that the powder entering the conveyor must displace the air between the conveying discs in order that it can 

Elsewhere (Entecon UK Ltd 2006), it is recommended that the material be conveyed at a 20/80 material/air ratio. 

The materials of construction of the discs, cables and tubes can be varied to suit the application. However, the discs are usually made of a plastic material, such as polyurethane, in order to minimise the friction on what are generally steel tubes. Nylon, estane and polycarbonate are also used for the disc material. The cables are constructed of a steel wire, usually of a galvanised mild steel or stainless steel dependent on the application. The conveying tube can also be made of aluminium, which is especially useful for a portable application due to its lower weight. 

---

The other principal technologies that fall into this category are screw conveyors which are covered in Chapter 5 and aeromechanical conveyors which are discussed in Chapter 7. 

Table 7.1 Typical volumetric throughput of aeromechanical conveyors.

Figure 7.2 Portable aeromechanical conveyor (Unitrak Corporation Ltd).

Entecon UK Ltd (2006) Aeromechanical Conveyors, Automatic Sack Opener, Bulk Bag Dischargers, Bulk Bag Fillers, Sack Tipping Stations. http //www.entecon.co.uk/page.php page= products. Accessed 21 November 2006. 

Unitrak Corporation Ltd (2006) Aeromechanical Conveyors, Bulk Bag Dischargers, Flexible Screw Conveyors. 

---