Conveying Mixes and Blends
November 30, 2016
At UniTrak, a common customer challenge is conveying mixes and blends. Two types of mixes and blends that we often encounter are the following:
• Dry mixes and blends
• Frozen mixes and blends
Each type has its own conveying challenges, and we highlight some of these, together with recommended equipment solutions, below.
Dry mixes and blends consist of dry solid materials mixed in various proportions. Conveying dry mixes and blends means ensuring that the mix ingredient ratios are conserved during transit through the conveyor, and that the product itself is not degraded or damaged in any way. In some case, dry mixes and blends can consist of friable constituent materials, and it is necessary to ensure that these undergo no breakage as they move through the conveyor.
Given the dual need to preserve product and mix ratios, TipTrakTM bucket elevators are the equipment solution we often recommend for conveying dry mixes and blends. The gentle handling features of TipTrakTM ensures that even fragile products are preserved during their transit through the conveyor, while mix ingredient ratios are also maintained as the product is loaded into the buckets.
Frozen mixes and blends, such as frozen vegetable mixes, are often encountered in the food industry. In these applications, cold temperature service becomes an additional challenge on top of preserving product integrity and maintaining mix ratios.
For these applications, TipTrakTM bucket elevators are again a preferred equipment solution. To fully meet the cold temperature service requirements encountered when conveying frozen mixes and blends, we customize TipTrakTM units as follows:
• Drive motors rated for cold temperature service. Standard AC drive motors are normally rated for temperatures down to -26°C (-15°F). TipTrakTM bucket elevators for cold temperature service are specially equipped with drive motors rated for temperatures below this range.
• Drive assemblies designed for cold temperature operation. TipTrakTM conveyors can be supplied with rubber beltchains and plastic buckets which are purpose-built for cold room applications.
• Special reducer gear lubricant and corrosion-resistant paint finish. For cold temperature service, we supply reducer gear lubricants rated for -34°C (-30°F). In addition, because moisture can condense on equipment frames in cold environments, we provide a corrosion-resistant paint finish.
For conveying mixes and blends, you can count on UniTrak to help provide a full system solution. Besides providing equipment solutions we can assist with the feeding, discharging, and storage of mixed materials. Equipment we can supply includes vibratory feeders, discharge options, bins and hoppers, and bulk bag unloaders and fillers. And in every project UniTrak works with you to ensure that our equipment solutions seamlessly integrate within your existing processing lines.
To find out more about how UniTrak can help your operation successfully convey mixes and blends, you can check out our recent Powder Bulk Solids article ‘Using a Bucket Conveyor to Convey Mixes and Blends’ and as always contact our sales departmenusing a bucket convt.
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