New Sponsor : MECO Custom Shaft Seals

Jacksonville Beach, FL -- We are pleased to announce that MECO Custom Shaft Seals has become a sponsor of Powder and Bulk Dot Com.

MECO's staff specializes in custom-engineered solutions to rotating shaft sealing problems in industrial process machinery. MECO custom shaft seal designs feature large-radius seal faces to tolerate unbelievable shaft runouts, have routinely been used to seal bent shafts, saving users hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs.

MECO seals stop powder leaks!

Much different from traditional mechanical seals, MECO seals are elastomer-driven: the only point of contact with the shaft is a rubber strip, permitting the seal's rotating elements to tolerate misalignments unheard of with packing-type or traditional mechanical seals.

Originally designed for screw conveyors, MECO shaft seals are now used on a wide variety of process machinery types including blenders, mixers and dryers. Meco seals are custom-designed to each, individual application.

The seal's physical layout is designed to provide optimum sealing, while conforming to the existing installation clearances, minimizing the need for machinery modification. Materials are selected for maximum performance at minimum price in any given product or chemical environment.

You can see MECO's banner ad on our "Blender & Mixer Equipment Links" bridge page at:
http://www.powderandbulk.com/process/blenders_mixers1.htm

For more information, contact:
MECO Seal Division of
Woodex Bearing Company, Inc.
216 Bay Point Road
Georgetown, ME 04548
Telephone: 800-526-8800 or 207-371-2210
Fax: 207-371-2169
Email: sales@woodex-meco.com
Web site: http://www.mecoseal.com/

Want to become a sponsor too? It's Easy!
Visit our banner ad sign-up page at:
http://www.powderandbulk.com/pb_services/bannerads.htm

WBF : Announces 12th Annual Conference

ORLANDO, FL -- The World Batch Forum (WBF) announced today its 2005 North American Conference, May 15-18, 2005 in Atlantic City for what is expected to be one of the largest global conferences ever sponsored by the WBF. The 12th annual global event is open to all industry professionals and will be held at the beautiful Trump Taj Mahal on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

This year’s conference will feature 18 speakers as well as panel discussions covering a wide range of topics of interest to automation users and suppliers including ISA88 and ISA95. The keynote speakers this year will be Dave Beckmann and Ian Nimmo, both long-time veterans of the process control industry. The complete conference program and the most current information can be found by clicking on the conference link on the WBF website at www.wbf.org.

“In addition to the keynote speakers, sessions for this year’s conference include User Forms, Case Studies, Standards Tutorials, Sponsor Exhibition and Panel Discussions”, says Maurice Wilkins, Chairman of WBF. “Topics will include: ISA88, ISA95, Interoperability, ERP & MES Integration, Safety, Batch & Continuous Process Case Studies, etc. The agenda provides something for everyone and includes valuable information that can be easily taken back and implemented”, he said.

WBF’s annual conference is open to all interested participants and is an excellent opportunity to learn about the practical experiences of other professionals and to take advantage of what others have learned without repeating their mistakes. In addition to the learning experience, attendees have the opportunity to speak with experts from all areas of the automation industry on critical and current topics. The agenda is designed to allow ample networking time with industry experts and peers.

Conference Registration can be done on-line at www.wbf.org or by calling the WBF at 407-774-5764.

WBF, established in 1994, is a not-for-profit, professional organization promoting the exchange of information on the management, operation and automation of process manufacturing. Members include end-users, vendors, consultants and academics dedicated to the advancement and application of manufacturing automation technologies.

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

Metso : To Supply Bulk Materials Handling System to Brazil

HELSINKI, Finland -- Metso Minerals will supply a bulk materials handling system to Cia. Siderurgica Nacional (CSN), a Brazilian steel producer. The value of the order is approximately EUR 47 million. The delivery will be completed in December 2006.

Metso Minerals will deliver a turnkey solution for iron ore unloading and loading to CSN's Sepetiba Port Terminal in Itaguai, Rio de Janeiro. The delivery includes a rotary railcar dumper and a positioner, a belt conveyor system, a screening plant, a sorting plant, and an electric system. Metso Minerals will also provide civil works, electric and mechanical erection, field tests, commissioning and start-up, as well as operational staff training.

The capacity of the rotary railcar dumper is 8,800 tons of iron ore per hour. The new system will improve the logistics of the terminal and will enable CSN to start iron ore export through the port, where it already has unloading facilities for coal import.

CSN is one of the largest steel companies in Latin America with an annual production capacity of 5.5 million tons of steel. In 2004, CSN's net sales were approximately USD 3,700 million.

Metso is a global technology corporation serving customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries. In 2004, the net sales of Metso Corporation were approx. EUR 4 billion, and it has some 23,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Metso's shares are listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.

Web site: http://www.metso.com/

Valby, Denmark -- Lodge Sturtevant:  As part of the strategy to focus the FLSmidth Group's activities on cement and minerals, an agreement has been signed today to sell the UK-based company Lodge Sturtevant Limited to the Korean company Korea Cottrell Co Limited.

Lodge Sturtevant Limited, a member of the FLSmidth Airtech Group, produces and markets machinery and system solutions for air and flue gas cleaning plants - mainly in the power generating industry. The company is based in Birmingham in the UK and employs 41 staff. Its turnover for 2004 was DKK 56.3m. The parties have agreed not to disclose the selling price. The sale will not affect the earnings prospects for 2005.

Industrial Espionage:  As a separate matter, FLSmidth has with immediate effect terminated its working relationship with a consultant who has been attached to the Company's Research and Development Centre, due to participation in industrial espionage against the Company.

The termination of the relationship is based on gross violation of Section 10 of the Marketing Act and participation in violation of provisions of the Criminal Code regarding industrial espionage, on the part of the former employee who until today has been attached to the Research and Development department as a consultant. In March 1998 the former employee in question sold to a German competitor a complete set of layout/manufacturing drawings and other documentation for a clinker cooler developed and patented by FLSmidth, this being one of the principal machines in a cement plant.

In addition, FLSmidth has reported the German company to the German police for industrial espionage in terms of having received stolen property and having used unlawfully acquired material.

FLSmidth has also taken civil action against the German competitor, prompting the German authorities to have searched the premises of the competing German company. FLSmidth considers this case a very serious matter and shall pursue it under criminal law and by taking civil action against the German undertaking, claiming compensation for the losses inflicted upon FLSmidth through the acquisition and use of the said layout/manufacturing drawings and other documentation for the clinker cooler.

Web site: http://www.flsmidth.com/

I

NEU : Rotary Valves for PP Powder NEU International of France has enlarged its range of QC (quick cleaning) rotary valves with a 150 l/rev design for a contract in South Africa.

Simple Connection Of Belt Scales To The Automation System
From now on, belt scales can be integrated into the Simatic automation network with a new weighing module.

Maguire Blender Precisely Doses 'Difficult' Bulk Materials A super-sized gravimetric blender of innovative design enables plastics processors with very high-throughput production lines to obtain the economic and product-quality advantages.

More headline news...

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

Mr. Altuntas wants to grind spices:

We are a spice and herb processor company. For long time we have been searching for the right process equipments to cut and grind our products. The process we want to do is to cut dry leaves into fine-cut particles and to grind oil seeds to specific mesh sizes.

Will a comminuting mill fit our needs or should we also purchase a pin mill as well? (Click here to post a reply)

Mehmet Altuntas
Turkish Spices
altotto@yahoo.com

Mr. Harland needs help with pressurized hopper flow:

My name is Charlie Harland and I am designing a hopper that will be used to allow powder to flow into to an air stream and transport it down a hose. We are using pressure to push the powder out of the hopper in order to maintain a consistent flow from start to finish.

The hopper is medium (?) sized (about 300 lbs of ground polymer). We were forced to design the hopper without access to any of the powder which turned out to be a rat-holing disaster.

Now we have the luxury of doing again properly and I wanted to know if the fact that we are pressurizing the hopper (15psig) renders the Jenike shear test invalid and, if so, are there corrective measures that can be taken?
(Click here to post a reply)

Charlie Harland
Davtair Industries
charland@davtair.com

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

Account Executive - Pneumatic Conveying

Strategic Account Executive wanted, to be based out of MAC Equipment's Kansas City Corporate office, with 50% + travel. This position is responsible for selling to new and existing accounts for pneumatic conveying in the chemical, mineral, plastics and petro-chem industries to achieve the sales order plan.

Other responsibilities include lead generation; development and maintenance of sales relationships; closing orders; generating client proposals; generating initial pneumatic conveying system design; providing competitive intelligence; devise & implement a marketing & sales plan for the chemical, mineral and plastic industries; interface as needed with independent representative agencies.

Proven Sales track record for a minimum of 3 years in industrial capital equipment required, with a strong preference in the Chemical, Mineral, Plastics or Petrochem industry with established marketplace contacts. Ideal candidate will be able to function independently while providing aggressive results. Bachelors degree or equivalent experience required and engineering degree strongly preferred.

MAC offers a complete benefits package, competitive base salary and incentive based on results. Apply via email to poehlerk@macequipment.com or fax to 816-801-3472.  Web site: http://www.macequipment.com/

The Job Fair is a free service of Powder and Bulk Dot Com.  You can post job opening for managers, engineers, sales, reps or other talented people you need. ...Or one can post their resume for companies who are looking to add talented people to their staff.

Do you have a position you need to fill?  Visit the Job Fair.

© 1999-2005 Powder and Bulk Dot Com
Home page:  http://www.powderandbulk.com/

Joseph Taylor, Editor
Powder and Bulk Dot Com Newsletter
3948 South Third Street, No. 121
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250

Phone: 904-280-4656
Fax: 904-273-1399

Email:  jtaylor@powderandbulk.com

Powder and Bulk Dot Com's Newsletter is a 100% opt-in e-mail list of information for the materials handling professional.  Do you have company news, a new product, new service or other information you would like to share with our subscribers?  Please submit articles via e-mail, only to: news@powderandbulk.com

We have a little of everything in this issue from a new sponsor to Brazil to industrial espionage.  Read on!

With over 5,300+ subscribers, our goal is to provide information to improve your business by using the resources available on the Internet.

Happy New Year,
Joe Taylor, Editor
jtaylor@powderandbulk.com

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Pneumatic Conveying of Solids:
A Theoretical and Practical Approach
by G. E. Klinzing, et al.
Hardcover: 599 pages, 1997

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Circular Storage Tanks and Silos
by A. Ghali
Library Binding, 352 pages
2nd edition, June 2000

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Handbook of Batch
Processing Design
by P. N. Sharratt (editor)
Hard Cover, First Edition, January 1998

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

How to Read a Solids Flow Report
by Joseph Marinelli, Solids Handling Technologies, Inc.

Past Ask Joe! Archived Articles

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Do you have an area of expertise in bulk materials, have you solved a difficult materials problem? Share your knowledge with others and promote yourself by contributing an article to the Ask Joe! Column.

For more information, please contact Joe Marinelli.

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This weeks photo is of an Otavi Minen AG plant located in Neuss - Germany, where tailor made products are processed under strict quality control according customer needs.  Otavi supplies a broad range on products for the glass, ceramic and metallurgical industries.

Photo courtesy of Otavi Minen AG

Send us your photos:  We would love to have your photo of a bulk materials process, packaging, conveying or handling "action shot" for our home page.  Send your photograph and description to: news@powderandbulk.com