Martin acquires Multi-Port Air Cannon Technology

Neponset, IL -- Martin Engineering, the supplier of systems and services to improve bulk materials handling, has announced an agreement to purchase the multi-port air cannon technology of Halcyon Technologies, Inc. of Jacksonville, Alabama.

Martin Engineering will now add the innovative multi-port air cannon system to its existing BIG BLASTER® Air Cannon Systems. Air cannon systems provide a powerful blast of air to improve the flow of bulk materials through industrial storage and process vessels. Applications include the recovery of solids from bin, hoppers, and silos, and the elimination of buildups in cement kiln preheater towers.

“The addition of the patent-pending multi-port system will complement our BIG BLASTER® Air Cannon Systems, said Ed Peterson, Chairman of Martin Engineering. “Martin Engineering’s worldwide network can now offer the fullest and most sophisticated array of technologies used to improve the flow of bulk materials.

Following the purchase, Halcyon Technologies’ principals Chris Landers and Jeff Shelton will join Martin Engineering to help incorporate the innovative multi-port air cannon system into the industry-leading BIG BLASTER® Air Cannon product line.

Founded in 1944, Martin Engineering is the world leader in making bulk materials handling cleaner, safer, and more productive. Martin Engineering technologies control dust and spillage from belt conveyors and promote the movement of bulk solids from storage and through industrial processes.

Web site: http://www.martin-eng.com/

J&J and Clarkson University awarded NASA Contract

Tyngsboro MA -- The need to design equipment to move and store bulk solids exists in a wide variety of industries. Indeed, almost every industry handles one and often more bulk solids in production plants. Solids handling problems are common, and engineers need a variety of tools to solve and prevent them.

One tool that is being increasingly recognized for its ability to drive cost out of product development and shorten time-to-market by reducing physical prototypes is computer-aided-engineering (CAE). NASA has specialized needs in modeling of bulk solid systems such as designing equipment to operate in lunar or Martian environments and modeling the degradation of insulation material in storage tanks for space shuttle fuel.

Discrete element modeling (DEM) is the most common approach to provide a CAE tool for designing and analyzing bulk material flow. The Jenike & Johanson /Clarkson University team will use the EDEM software from DEM Solutions and develop methodologies to calibrate the software with physical tests and extend the range of problems that can be effectively analyzed with DEM.

According to physicist Philip Metzger of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center, “space exploration is heavily dependent upon granular materials, not only because we use bulk solids extensively in the technology to enable spaceflight, but because many of the places where we go in space are literally covered with bulk solids in the form of soil and dust. Advancing our ability to predict their behavior is of paramount importance to the economics and success of the space program. We are excited to sponsor important research and development in this field.”

About Jenike & Johanson

Jenike & Johanson is a specialized engineering firm whose primary focus is to provide a means for its worldwide clients in virtually every industry to obtain reliable bulk solids flow. Its engineers strive to find the most economical, efficient and innovative ways to eliminate or reduce bulk solids flow problems in existing facilities, and to prevent such problems from occurring in new facilities.

For more information: http://www.jenike.com/

Internet-Based System for Dry Ingredient Batching

Cincinnati, OH -- Ingredient Masters, a manufacturer of precision batching systems for dry ingredients, has introduced a batching system with internet-based programming, monitoring and diagnostics capabilities.

This fully automated, self-contained system is customized to the application. It uses an Allen-Bradley PLC for the input of up to 100 recurring process recipes, and a variety of QC functions. Weighing accuracy is +.02 lb. per ingredient on a 1000-lb. recipe.

Systems use three or more FDA-USDA polyethylene dispensers, each with capacities between 3.5 and 100 cu. ft. The new system is particularly beneficial for applications where space is at a premium. (The footprint for a 5-dispenser system is just 8'X 30'.) In addition to the in-line dispenser configuration, the system can be set up with modular dispensers to accommodate non-recurring recipes.

The Ingredient Masters System is JIT-compatible system and well-suited to the precision batching of dry product of all types, including abrasive and "high-drag" ingredients. Its integral, high-efficiency dust collection simplifies both air quality management and plant housekeeping.

Ingredient Masters specializes in precision batching equipment for the food and pharmaceutical industries, also chemicals, ceramics, minerals, gypsum and other products.

For more information contact:
Ingredient Masters
Telephone: (888) 345-4729 or (513) 231-7432
Web site: http://www.ingredientmasters.com/

Nestle Purina : As good as it looks

Huntington, UK -- Portasilo Bulk Handling Systems has successfully completed a scheme for Nestle Purina to store and handle Wheat Gluten used in the production of cat food including As good as it looks.

The scheme includes two aluminum storage silos to receive bulk deliveries of Wheat Gluten. Wheat Gluten is delivered in 25te capacity tankers and is off loaded using a land based blower unit with acoustic hood. This blower is housed in a new enclosure along with two desiccant dryers, used to maintain a dry atmosphere in the silo headspace.

The silos are mounted on load cells to monitor the weight of Wheat Gluten in each silo with a high-high level probe fitted in each silo roof to prevent over filling of the silo. A pressure/vacuum relief valve, explosion relief panels and a reverse jet cleaned cartridge filter are all fitted at silo roof level.

The silos are clad to match an adjacent building and are linked by a connecting bridge, with access to the top being via a single access ladder. The ladder rungs are formed into an inverted U section from aluminum durbar plate.

Vibratory bin activators are fitted to the outlet of each silo to ensure satisfactory discharge during transfer, with the feed rate into the conveying line controlled by a rotary airlock valve.

Wheat Gluten is transferred from either silo by a lean phase vacuum conveying system to a receiver located above a 1 tonne capacity buffer hopper. The buffer hopper incorporates a twin outlet cone, each outlet being fitted with a bin activator, to promote flow.

One outlet is connected to an existing transfer system conveying Wheat Gluten to plant (1). The second outlet is connected to a new transfer line conveying Wheat Gluten to an existing receiver on plant (2).

Portasilo’s discharge and transfer solution has proved so successful Nestle has placed a further contract with Portasilo to upgrade another system.

For more information visit: http://www.portasilo.co.uk/

I

Monitor to Exhibit New Level Sensors at PBS Monitor will be exhibiting its applications and solutions using its state-of-the-art continuous and point level sensors and bin level indicators.

Metalfab : Better-Weigh Continuous Weigh Feeders
Better-Weigh® Continuous Weigh Feeders deliver highly accurate gravimetric feeding in batch or continuous applications.

New Classification Feature for Morphologi G2 Particles can now be classified on the basis of size or shape, or a combination of both factors.

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Test Center Intern Wanted - Philadelphia, PA Area

Kemutec Group Inc, in Bristol, PA, is a leading manufacturer of Powder Processing Equipment and Systems, supplying an extensive range of Sifters, Mills, Grinders, Mixers and Valves to the Food, Chemical and Pharmaceutical industries.

We are seeking an Intern to work in our Test Centre at Bristol, PA to assist with the process testing, analysis and reporting of materials sent for proving trials by our customers.

The right candidate can look forward to an interesting and fulfilling role within a small company, with the potential for permanent position in Project & Process Sales in the future.

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Reply in confidence with resume and a letter of application explaining why you should be considered for the position.

Email to Rob Dallow at rjd@kemutec.com
Web site: http://www.kemutec.com/

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Agglomeration in Industry : Occurrence and Applications
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Hardcover: 834 pages
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This weeks photo is of a Flexicon, flexible screw conveyor with downspout removed to demonstrate high-capacity conveying of free- and non-free-flowing bulk solid materials.

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