DEM Solutions To Launch EDEM 1.3

Edinburgh, UK -- DEM Solutions is to launch the latest version of its market leading EDEM software at ICSE 2007 in Milan, Italy (October 2-4, 2007). DEM Solutions will be demonstrating EDEM 1.3 in the IT Zone, stand no 16IT01, Hall 16.

EDEM is a unique simulation tool for predicting the flow of particulates within complex equipment. Running on desktop computers the software can model a wide range of particulate solids handling and processing operations tracking the movement and forces acting on each particle. This enables engineers to investigate the effect of product characteristics and operating conditions without the need to build costly prototypes. An extensive suite of analysis and visualization tools is provided to enable engineers to "look inside" processes and extract information which would be impossible to obtain from experimentation.

First launched in 2005, EDEM technology is now deployed in the design and improvement of a broad range of pharmaceutical manufacturing processes and solid dosage delivery systems including the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API’s), mixing of API’s with carriers, die filling, tablet coating, pill handling and packaging, and drug inhalation devices.

John Favier, CEO of DEM Solutions, commented: "We are delighted to be showcasing EDEM 1.3 at ICSE 2007. Our software has been specifically designed to help troubleshoot critical operational problems commonly encountered in pharmaceutical manufacturing such as blockages, poor mixing, uneven coating, non-uniform filling and pill breakage. EDEM is also an important part of the growing application of physics-based simulation technology used by the R&D groups within the industry leaders and is delivering major cost savings by reducing experimental prototypes, lowering process development costs and enhancing the 'quality by design' knowledge."

Click image to watch DEM blender simulation.

EDEM has the unique ability to couple with other CAE tools, which gives the software the power to simulate the complicated interactions between particles and other materials and forces. These CAE couplings include fluid dynamics, electrical and magnetic, chemical kinetics and rigid body dynamics.

DEM Solutions is a leader in discrete element modeling software. Its EDEM software is used to simulate particulate handling, processing and manufacturing operations in pharmaceutical, chemical, mineral and materials processing as well as oil & gas production, agricultural and construction and geo-technical engineering.

For more information visit:
http://www.dem-solutions.com/

Mathis Instruments Assets Sold

Halifax, Canada -- Chuck Cartmill announced the acquisition of the assets and intellectual property of Mathis Instruments Ltd. Mathis’ core product lines in thermal conductivity and in-line process instrumentation are to be re-launched by C-Therm Technologies Ltd. The product will be manufactured by C-Vision Limited, an electronics manufacturing services provider based in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Mr. Cartmill launched C-Vision (www.cvision.ca) in 2002.

Mr. Cartmill comments, "We are excited to launch C-Therm Technologies Ltd. with the Mathis TCi and ESP product lines. This acquisition is an excellent strategic fit with our other companies and takes advantage of the excellence in manufacturing and research and development which C-Vision offers. The transitioning of the ESP and TCi products to C-Therm Technologies offers an opportunity to a number of the core Mathis Instruments employees and provides long-term stability and support to the award-winning innovative technology."

A key benefit of the patented technology is its ability to test without destroying, damaging or changing the material properties of the sample. This unique capability makes the Mathis-developed sensors highly valuable in R&D labs as well as in manufacturing settings for testing of raw materials, goods in process and finished product.

The TCi Thermal Conductivity Analyzer and ESP (Effusivity Sensor Package) will be globally distributed, with the full support of C-Therm Technologies. A separate announcement regarding each product line will be forthcoming very soon.

C-Therm welcomes past Mathis Instruments customers, and looks forward to providing unparalleled quality and service to new customers. C-Therm supports and warrants only products sold, leased, loaned or serviced by C-Therm Technologies or its authorized distributors or service centers.
C-Therm will continue to expand the research and development efforts of the past and plans to be active with product enhancements and the development of new technology and products.

About C-Therm Technologies Ltd.

Established in 2007, C-Therm Technologies Ltd. an affiliate company of ABCECI Ltd, located in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada, provides non-destructive, thermal sensor technology solutions for R&D, production and quality control applications. The patented platform technology delivers fast, accurate measurement of thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity in seconds.

For more information contact:
Mr. Adam Harris
C-Therm Technologies Ltd.
Telephone: 506-462-7201
Email: aharris@cvision.ca
Web site: www.MathisInstruments.com

CEMA : Equipment Sales up Slightly in May

NAPLES, FL. -- The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association reported that its May 2007 Booked Orders Index was 149 up 26 points or an increase of 21% from April 2007's Index of 123 (1990=100). The May 2007 Index represents an increase of 4% from the May 2006 Index of 143.

May Booked Orders Indexes were 221 for Bulk Handling Equipment* and 124 for Unit Handling Equipment*(1990=100).

The Twelve-Month Index for Booked Orders was 146 in May. Index in May is unchanged from April 2007's Twelve-Month Index of 146.

The CEMA Billed Sales (shipments) Index was 152 in May. Index in May is up 13 points or 9% from April 2007's Index of 139. The May 2007 Index represents no change from the April 2006 Index of 152.

May Billed Sales Indexes were 219 for Bulk Handling Equipment* and 142 for Unit Handling Equipment*(1990=100).

The Twelve-Month Index for Billed Sales was 146 in May. Index in May is up 1 point or 1% from April 2007's Twelve-Month Index of 145.

* Since Bulk Handling Systems booked and billed sales are reported quarterly, they are averaged back to the two preceding months to enable a running monthly index.

Web site: http://www.cemanet.org/

Bulk Bag Materials Conditioner-Unloader

BETHLEHEM, PA -- A new Bulk Bag Conditioner-Unloader System from Flexicon Corporation loosens bulk solid material that has solidified during storage and shipment, allowing the material to discharge through a bag spout.

The integral configuration of the conditioner eliminates the time, labor and equipment needed for separate loading of bulk bags into a stand-alone conditioner. The design also consumes significantly less floor space than two separate pieces of equipment and requires less material and labor to construct, reducing initial cost, according to the company.

Two hydraulic rams with contoured end plates press opposing sides of bulk bags, which can be raised and lowered for conditioning at varying heights using an electric hoist. The hoist assembly also includes a motorized trolley to allow loading and unloading of bulk bags without the need for a forklift.

The conditioner’s controller and hydraulic pump can be mounted on the exterior of the unloader or remotely. Safety interlocks disallow operation of the conditioner when the unloader’s doors are open.

The unloader also features a Spout-Lock clamp ring that forms a high-integrity seal between the clean side of the bag spout and the clean side of the equipment, while a Tele-Tube? telescoping tube maintains constant downward pressure on the clamp ring and bag spout, elongating the bag as it empties to promote complete discharge.

Immediately above the clamp ring is a Power-Cincher flow control valve employing a series of curved, articulated rods that cinch the bag spout concentrically, allowing dust-free retying and removal of partially-empty bags.

The surge hopper is equipped with an optional dual-shaft agitator that de-agglomerates material and promotes flow into an optional, integral auger conveyor to feed a downstream process.

The entire unloading frame is mounted on load cells that transmit loss-of-weight data to a controller that starts and stops the auger conveyor, allowing programmable weigh batching directly from bulk bags.

Other equipment manufactured by the company includes bulk bag fillers, flexible screw conveyors, pneumatic conveying systems, manual dumping stations, drum dumpers, multi-ingredient weigh batching systems, and automated plant-wide systems integrated with new or existing processes.

For information contact:
Flexicon Corporation
2400 Emrick Blvd.
Bethlehem, PA 18020-8006
Telephone: 1-888-353-9426
Email: sales@flexicon.com
Web site: http://www.flexicon.com/

I

Quiet Turbine Vibrators Introduced Cleveland Vibrator introduces its new line of quiet turbine vibrators.

New High-Spec Metal Detector for Quarries
The revolutionary Eriez Metalarm MA3600 uses pulse induction technology, resulting in a high specification metal detector.

New Height-Restricted Bulk Bag Discharger Spiroflow has introduced a new Bulk Bag Discharger with the ability to discharge powder material in problematic height-restricted areas.

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People post their requests for help and offer their suggestions to others in our open forum.

Mr. Pawelczyk wants a hopper for his "papernuts":

My company is trying to get into a new type of packaging, called papernuts. These nuts are cylindrical and are about 1-1.5 inches in diameter, and about 3.5 inches long.

One of their major benefits is that they are static free (unlike styrofoam peanuts). Another major benefit while shipping is that they interlock when grouped together, which holds the item secure. This major benefit of the papernut is also a huge detriment in its ability to perform in hoppers.

I've had no experience with hoppers before, but through the research on this site and others, I've designed a few different hoppers that I thought would fix the problem. I've tried hoppers of different angles and materials, but always experienced crowning. I figured that if i went to an extreme, i could at least have something flow. I built a simple mass flow hopper out of cardboard lined with slippery plastic.

The hopper I designed is 24" at the top, 12" at the outlet, and has an angle of 82 degrees. I surely thought that this would be enough, but because of this interlocking nature of the papernut, it doesn't.

The nuts will flow...sometimes, but it isn't consistent at all, and you can actually watch the nuts come down and slide on the walls very slowly (compressing the other nuts within) before they fall out of the hopper. Other times the hopper will flow without any problem.  The stranger thing is that sometimes these nuts will interlock at a much higher level, about 16".

Now, some may suggest to just use a larger opening, and I would, but one of the design restraints is that these nuts have to controllably flow into a small cardboard box (think Amazon.com using papernuts instead of airbags, etc). Another option would be the addition of vibration (air cannons will blow the papernuts apart). I've tried this and it does help, but it still doesn't provide any sort of consistent flow.

Any help would be much appreciated. I've been pulling my hair out for weeks with this one. (to post reply, click here)

Thanks,
Joe Pawelczyk
Villanova University
joseph.pawelczyk@villanova.edu

Mr. Sosa wants to store grain in general warehouse:

I have a customer who is a very big port operator at the Port of Montevideo in Uruguay.  They want to start handling bulk materials but the problem they have is that the Port of Montevideo hasn't got any silos or other kinds of facilities to store bulk materials.

They think they can handle modest shipments of grain using their current warehouse.  However I find it hard to believe how they could keep the appropriate conditions.  They need aeration at least, to prevent the grain from rotting.  Also, they want to store grain or woodchips for relatively short times and then go back to work with the usual and more general products like computers or clothes.

Now, I know the problem, but I don't know how to solve it for them.  Is there any aeration system that can be easily assembled or disassembled?  What else would you think in order to prepare the warehouse for work?
(to post reply, click here)

Thanks,
Gustavo Sosa
RONTIL S.A.
gussosa@montevideo.com.uy

Click here to share your expertise with others in our Help Forum.

Inside Sales : Application Engineer

Since 1925, Prater Industries, Inc has been known in the powder and bulk solids industry as the premier provider of material processing equipment. We are a manufacturer of components and systems that enable our customers to grind, sift, and meter products in a wide variety of food, chemical, and mineral applications throughout the world.

We have an opening for an Inside Sales Engineer and will be based out of our new manufacturing facility in Chicago's western suburbs. The primary responsibility for this position is to assist our customers with the sizing and selection of our products and services through quotations and after sale support.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• College degree, Mechanical Engineering Degree preferred

• Technical knowledge of Word, Excel, Power Point and ACT

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Ability to handle multiple projects and priorities

• Strong organizational skills with an attention to detail

We offer a competitive salary and benefits plan, which includes vacation, 401K, medical and dental insurance, and opportunities for professional growth. Please forward your resume with salary history/ requirements to jturnbull@praterindustries.com

To find out more about our company, visit us at www.praterindustries.com 

Phone inquiries will not be accepted.

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jtaylor@powderandbulk.com

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Powder Technology:  Fundamentals of Particles, Powder Beds, and Particle Generation
by Hiroaki Masuda, et al.
Hardcover, 394 pages, 2006

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Screw Conveyor 101
by Michael P. Forcade
Spiral-bound, 260 pages, 1999

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Particle Breakage, Volume 12
by Agba D. Salman, etal
1258 pages, 2007

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Find more books for the materials handling professional online, visit our Reading Room.

Preventing Conveyor Belts from Derailing!
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Centre for Concepts in Mechatronics

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This week's photo is of a Cleveland Cascade Chute for Lafarge North America's Davenport facility. This particular chute is loading 250 short tons per hour of finished cement into barges. PEBCO is widely recognized as an innovator in the loading of bulk materials.

Photo courtesy of PEBCO, Inc.

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