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Bolton, UK -- Solids equipment handling specialist, Ajax Equipment has supplied a hopper and screw feeder to Wardle Storeys (Blackburn) Ltd. The new equipment has enabled the company to overcome segregation and bridging problems during the manufacture of thermoplastic and synthetic rubber sheeting products.
Wardle Storeys (Blackburn) Ltd is a specialist manufacturer of flexible polymeric noise insulation and vibration damping products which have been developed for a variety of industries including automotive, marine and construction. The products are typically manufactured from polymer granules, pellets and powders which, after mixing, are stored in a large hopper and transferred to a compounding mixer via a screw feed.
Given the increasingly wide variety of products which the company has been developing, and the consequently wide variety of raw materials being used, the company experienced an increase in bridging problems at the hopper outlet, leading to an inconsistent flow from the hopper.
Ajax Equipment conducted powder flow characterisation testing of the hopper contents. This identified that the mix of polymer pellets, granules and powders stored in the hopper were poor flowing due to the polymer's 'stickiness' and tendency to bind together. This in turn led to problems of segregation within the hopper and bridging at the hopper outlet.
Based on the powder testing analysis, Ajax Equipment has replaced Wardle Storeys pyramid-shaped, hopper with a wedge-shaped, hopper that pushes the stored materials in two directions to create a single planar flow, preventing segregation and encouraging mass flow. The hopper also features a wider outlet to prevent bridging and provide a consistent flow to a new, twin-screw, feeder transferring polymer to the compounding mixer.
“Ajax Equipment's approach to our solids handling problem has enabled us to put in place a flexible facility for continuous manufacture of all our products: thermoplastic or synthetic rubber. The new hopper is working well, and we have had no bridging problems whatsoever,” commented Craig Snape, Technical manager, Wardle Storeys (Blackburn) Ltd.
Source: http://www.ajax.co.uk/
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