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Erie, PA -- When Belgium’s largest producer of ‘hand form’ clay facing bricks wanted to push the quality envelope without compromising on plant speed, it turned to Eriez Magnetics Europe for the metal detection part of the project.
Vandersanden Plc, which has been manufacturing its specialist bricks in Belgium for over 80 years, maintains the high quality of its end product by continuously maintaining and improving all its production equipment.
Management at the Spouwen-Bilzen plant, also Vandersanden’s headquarters, wanted a system in place that would detect the often large quantities of tramp metal to be found in the lump clay feedstock. Additionally, however, the company only needed to address the presence of metallic contamination sized 50mm and above. What it needed to avoid, while nevertheless having a powerful and reliable unit in place, was continual unwanted tripping as a result of small metallic contamination being detected in the process material.
Eriez proposed using one of its Metalarm 3500 Quarrymaster Metal Detectors, but fitted with a Bridge Search (BR) Coil in TX/RX configuration which enables the detection and removal of all potentially problematic metallic contamination in the clay while minimizing loss in production time caused by unnecessary tripping. The BR coil is manufactured in high density polyethylene, profiled to suit the conveyor belt and is perfectly suited for this particular requirement.
The Quarrymaster 3500 electronics are housed in an IP66 stainless steel cabinet with integral anti-condensation heater. The equipment offers robust, high performance detection of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals – a perfect choice for first stage processing of clay aggregate ahead of preparation and brickforming. In this particular application, the unit is required to deal with a throughput of 50 ton per hour.
The Spouwen-Bilzen brick plant, not far from Maastricht across the border in the Netherlands and around 100km from Brussels, is one of three operated by Vandersanden in Belgium, with a combined annual capacity of around 265 million brick units. In 2005 the company established the Huwa-Vandersanden joint venture in the Netherlands, also with three plants, and this adds a further 200 million brick units per annum, making the company a significant European manufacturer.
Eriez Magnetics, a leader itself in Europe in the field of metal detection and contaminant removal, was proud to have been chosen as a technology partner by a client whose reputation for high quality building products, attention to detail and strong environmental management is well established. Vandersanden is accredited to ISO 9001:2000, possesses a CE label for all its facing bricks and brick pavers and was awarded the 2005 Belgian Builders’ Merchants Federation Award and the 2006 Trends Gazelle award for outstanding business development and performance.
The installation of the QM3500CE Metal Detector and BR Coil has proved to be an ideal, low cost and highly effective solution in this particular pre-production environment in the heavy clay sector. So successful has it been, in fact, that Vandersanden has now ordered a second Metalarm 3500 – again with Bridge Coil – further endorsing the increasingly high reputation that this unit is gaining for itself in European minerals and aggregates processing.
The Quarrymaster is just one in the Eriez Metalarm series of metal detectors in operation around the world protecting a wide range of processing machinery from metallic items, fragments and tramp metal in general. These sensitive detectors are easily fitted to both belt and vibratory conveyors. Visual and audible alarms can be included if required.
Eriez manufactures a wide range of search coils for use with the 3000 range of control units and these can be fitted to virtually any type of conveyor in ducts, slides etc. All coils, like the BR in TX/RX, are manufactured in high density polyethylene and are fully screened to comply with European Union EMC regulations.
All the Metalarm control units employ Eriez’ proven ‘Pulse Induction’ technology circuitry and are mounted on a single printed circuit board (PCB) to ensure high reliability while at the same time enabling easy access for servicing. All controls other than the front door reset switch and ‘on’ lamp are PCB mounted for the same reason.
Paul Fears, Marketing Director at Eriez Magnetics Europe, said after the latest order was placed: “Vandersanden Plc has demonstrated over many years its adherence to a strict quality policy and boasts some of the most advanced brick manufacturing facilities in Europe as well as some of the most attractive products on the market. Eriez is extremely pleased to count itself amongst Vandersanden’s suppliers. The Spouwen-Bilzen installation is a key reference for us in the heavy clay sector of the ceramic industry”.
Eriez is recognized as world authority in advanced technology for magnetic, vibratory and inspection applications. The company’s magnetic lift and separation, metal detection, materials feeding, screening, conveying and controlling equipment have application in the process, metalworking, packaging, recycling, mining, aggregate and textile industries. Eriez manufactures and markets these products through eleven international facilities located on five continents.
For more information or to request an Eriez brochure, visit http://www.eriez.com/
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