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CHARLOTTE, NC -- Four Econ-O-Lift™ Bucket Elevators from Gough Econ, Inc. are in the process of being installed by the world’s largest processor of titanium at a new sponge sorting and inspection facility in Nevada. Titanium sponge processed at the plant will mainly be used to manufacture a variety of lighter military and civilian aircraft and aerospace components to achieve greater fuel efficiency.
According to industry sources, there has been a five-fold increase in titanium production to keep up with demand by the various industries, especially aircraft and aerospace. In order to meet this increasing demand, manufacturers of titanium had to make significant advancements to their production process.
“We are proud to be able to help tackle the ever increasing cost of fuel by being part of a titanium sponge production process that will help produce an alloy that is stronger than aluminum but lighter than steel for use not only in aircraft and aerospace but also many other industries,” said Andrew Leitch, Vice President of Gough Econ, Inc.
Titanium sponge is formed from a raw rock state and then crushed and processed to make pure titanium so it can be made into components. After it is sorted, blended and inspected, the titanium sponge is melted to form an ingot. The ingot is then converted into a general mill product such as a billet, bar, plate, sheet, strip or tube and shipped to the aircraft or aerospace facility. Here, it is fabricated into finished shapes such as engines, missiles, spacecraft, landing gears, exhaust ducts, hydraulic systems, armor plating and others.
Application Described
The Econ-O-Lift bucket elevators will be located throughout the process to link the sorting, inspecting and blending of the sponge. Each bucket elevator was custom designed to meet each particular and differing application, noted Gough Econ.
“Our job is to make sure the titanium sponge remains in a granular form and maintains its product integrity and surface area at every stage of the process,” noted Leitch. “This current inspection and sorting process is very labor intensive and involves multiple shearing actions, sorting and visual inspection steps. Linking all of the stations into a consolidated and logical process with such a sensitive material has been quite a challenge for us.“
Bucket sizes being installed range from 12 inches to 36 inches, with capacities from 300 ft3 to 2,000 ft3 per hour, depending on its location in the process. The diameter of the sponge in its pure form is ¼ inch or less.
Gough Econ explained that the Econ-O-Lift Bucket Elevators are being supplied to the plant with a collapsing chain and 360o multiple discharge for maximum flexibility. For this application, the elevator chains will be constructed of carbon steel for durability, long life and low maintenance. The buckets are designed to remain upright throughout the process to ensure a completely controlled product transfer.
For more information on the titanium sponge application, the Econ-O-Lift™ material handling system or any Gough Econ products, contact:
Gough Econ
P.O. Box 668583
Charlotte, NC 28266-8583
Telephone: 800-264-6844
Fax: 704-392-8706
Email: sales@goughecon.com
Web site: http://www.goughecon.com/
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