Handling fragile and friable materials

Handling fragile and friable materials

In the world of conveying and transportation of bulk materials, one of the biggest challenges is protecting a product’s integrity as it moves from point “A” to point “B”.

Whether you’re conveying food products like cereal flakes, fruits and vegetables or pasta, or sensitive chemical products such as ammonium nitrate, fertilizer or sulphur flakes, ensuring the gentle transport of those goods is vital for minimizing product degradation and damage.

Proper handling of bulk materials requires more than preventing the simple breakage of products, although these breakages are a common occurrence. Ensuring materials are conveyed in a gentle manner also means preventing surface damage such as scoring and degradation, and preventing the generation of dusting in dry particles.

UniTrak’s TipTrak bucket conveyors are designed for the bulk handling of fragile and friable products. Installed all over the world for a wide variety of industries and applications, TipTrak interlocking bucket conveyors are specifically tailored for gentle handling of bulk materials.

TipTrak bucket conveyors are designed with five features for meeting any fragility challenges:

• Rubber beltchain: Instead of the usual metal chain that can stretch and eventually result in a bumpy ride for your product, TipTrak bucket elevators feature a unique, rubber chain that, once installed, does not require tensioning. This guarantees a smooth and quiet ride for your product.
• Interlocking buckets: Available in a variety of sizes, the interlocking buckets on TipTrak bucket conveyors are permanently connected with a rubber joint strip which means that they never separate. TipTrak conveyors can handle large volumes of product and gently convey
them continuously from point A to point B.
• Variable speed motor/controls: Depending on the friability of your product, you can slow down or increase the speed to reduce degradation and thereby ensuring a high-quality product.
• No transfer points: TipTrak bucket elevators can run from horizontal to vertical to horizontal, in a “Z” or “C” configuration, from a single drive. This eliminates transferring the product from one conveyor to another, which is a major cause of product damage.
• Infeed and discharge chutes: TipTrak bucket elevators can be supplied with customized infeed and discharge arrangements, designed to promote product flow without damage or breakage.

UniTrak has been specializing in the gentle transport and conveying of bulk material goods for more than 50 years. The TipTrak bucket conveyor line has been specifically designed for the gentle handling of a wide variety of bulk materials, while our Powderflight aeromechanical conveyors are well suited for gently conveying powders and granules.

Examples of fragile and friable materials that UniTrak equipment handles include:

Food

1. Cereal flakes
2. Chewing gum and confectionery
3. Coffee
4. Cookies
5. Fruit & vegetables
6. Ice cubes
7. Pasta
8. Pet food
9. Snack food
10. Vitamins

Non-Food

1. Ammonium nitrate
2. Catalyst & carriers
3. Coated seeds
4. Fertilizer
5. Friable pellets
6. Pastilles
7. Propellant
8. Metal crystals
9. Sulphur flakes
10. TNT flakes

Ensuring your bulk products are handled in a gentle and safe manner will help prevent breakages and degradation in products, reducing material costs and, in many cases, help improve operational efficiencies.

Have questions about conveying these products or one that is not listed here? Contact us at sales@unitrak.com or 1.877.864.8725.

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