Transfer Solutions
At HorizonPSI, we’re experts at designing efficient and safe material handling systems. Properly transferring ingredients can make all the difference in the quality and cost of the products you bring to market. From large particulates to fine powders, having the right transfer solution can reduce waste, improve consistency and control breakage.
We’re here to help you determine the type of transfer technologies to best meet your needs and customize them to your specific process. Anchor equipment like mixers, extruders, dryers, ovens, toasters, coaters and coolers are all supply points and transfer destinations we incorporate into our designs. Transferring materials from point A to point B doesn’t always require a pneumatic solution, but when it does, we utilize either dilute or dense phase material handling technologies with either vacuum or pressure to power our transfer solutions.
Dense Phase Transfer
Dilute Phase Transfer
Transfer Technology
Vacuum or Pressure Dilute Phase Systems
In dilute phase systems, materials are suspended in the conveying air stream. This occurs when materials are conveyed at a velocity above the saltation, or minimum suspension velocity, of the material. For materials to reach dilute phase, conveying air velocities of 3,200 to 7,000 feet per minute are required. Because these systems convey materials at higher velocities, they’re typically used to convey materials that are not susceptible to degradation or not abrasive in nature. Often times, the type of material you are conveying, how far the material is being conveyed or the condition the material is in when conveyed, will determine which application is right for you.
Vacuum Dilute Phase Systems
In these systems, negative air pressure is used to convey materials in a Dilute Vacuum System. Like any system, there are advantages and disadvantages to this configuration:
Advantages:
- Leaks are inward
- Flexibility at material pickup points
- Ability to incorporate more pick-up points than other systems
- Easier to handle heat sensitive materials
- No airlock blow-by to account for
Disadvantages:
- More expensive than a pressure system
- Unable to efficiently handle moisture
- Limited flexibility at material discharge points
- Long conveying distances or high convey rates are expensive
Pressure Dilute Phase Systems
As the name implies, positive air pressure is used to convey materials in a Dilute Pressure System. Like any system, there are advantages and disadvantages to this configuration:
Advantages:
- Easy discharge to several destinations
- Higher conveying capacity
- Able to convey longer distances
- Moisture or oxygen sensitive materials are handled easier
Disadvantages:
- Pressure may cause material to leak outwards
- Lower flexibility at the material pickup point
- Pump generates additional heat
- Multiple pick-up points are expensive
- Must account for airlock blow-by air
Vacuum or Pressure Dense Phase Systems
In dense phase systems, material is not suspended in the conveying air stream. This occurs when the conveying air stream is between 1,200 to 2,000 feet per minute or below the minimum saltation value. There are three types of product flow in a dense phase system:
Vacuum Dense Phase
In a vacuum dense phase system, material is fed into the system using conveying line via a special hopper arrangement or an airlock. This provides flexibility at the pickup point. Material is then conveyed using negative air pressure produced by a positive displacement blower or vacuum pump.
Advantages:
- Leaks are inward
- Flexibility at material pickup points
- System able to incorporate more pickup points than other systems
- Easier to handle heat sensitive materials
- No airlock blow-by to account for
Disadvantages:
- More expensive than a pressure system
- Unable to efficiently handle moisture
- Limited flexibility at material discharge points
- Long conveying distances or high convey rates are expensive
Batch Dense Phase
In batch dense phase systems, material is conveyed from a pressure vessel (also known as a pressure pot) to its destination at controlled speeds. These systems are capable of high conveying capacities over long distances and are well suited for abrasive materials.
Advantages:
- Easy discharge to several destinations
- Higher conveying capacity
- Able to convey longer distances
- Moisture or oxygen sensitive materials are handled easier
Disadvantages:
- Pressure may cause material to leak outwards
- Lower flexibility at the material pickup point
- Pump generates additional heat
- Multiple pick-up points are expensive
- Continuous conveying versus batch conveying is expensive
Continuous Dense Phase (ConTran)
When crushing or impact could affect your materials, rely on our ConTran™ continuous dense phase transfer system. ConTran™ uses a vacuum-throttling valve that accurately maintains a constant ratio of material-to-air mass flow. As a result, the system minimizes breakage and fines – all with less energy consumption compared to other pneumatic system designs. These systems are typically used with material that are susceptible to sliding or rolling degradation, or where material segregation is a concern.
Mechanical Conveying
We specialize in pneumatic conveying yet design systems with mechanical conveying options as needed. Screw conveyors, vibratory feeders, bucket elevators and drag conveyors all provide short-run solutions that provide additional flexibility to an engineered solution.
Transfer Systems
Air Assist Dilute Phase
This system aspirates a hammermill in order to aid in heat dissipation and grinding efficiency. We employ either a full vacuum arrangement, screw/plenum arrangement or combination vacuum/pressure arrangement based on the size of the mill and your specific milling needs.
Air Assist Vacuum
Air Assist Pressure Combined Pressure/Vacuum Dilute System
Extruder Negative Airlift Systems
Negative airlift systems are designed to convey extruded products, protect shapes and sizes, and reduce post-processing contamination. Component configurations within the system can include purified air to preserve sanitation after the kill step, as well as, additional air treatments such as ozone.
Central Vacuum System
Maintaining proactive and effective housekeeping is essential in process line efficiency. In some process lines, enclosures and exhaust ventilation systems do not collect dust, dirt and chips adequately. Our central vacuum system is designed to minimize handling and improve the flow of materials, reduce workplace accidents, reduce exposure to hazardous materials, and improve hygienic conditions for workers. It also meets the NFPA 654 standard for handling combustible dust, minimizing explosion risk.
Railcar Unloading System
When unloading from a pneumatic tube railcar, the HorizonPSI Railcar Unloading System makes quick work of the job. It’s designed to vacuum convey material from the railcar, and then pressure convey the product to storage. The balanced system allows separate vacuum and pressure line sizes and airflows to account for capacity and conveying distances.
Pressure Differential (PD) Railcar Unloading System
The HorizonPSI Pressure Differential (PD) railcar unloading system uses a positive displacement blower package to convey the product to a destination storage tank. The system is manually started and will continue to operate until either the operator stops the system or a high level indicator triggers at the destination storage tank to stop the system.
%20Rail%20Car%20Unloading%20System.jpg "Pressure Differential (PD) Rail Car Unloading System")
Pressure Differential Truck Unloading System
This system is ideal when unloading from a PD truck using a truck integrated positive displacement blower. We can also provide a separate blower package (i.e., PD Railcar) instead of using the truck mounted blower if desired. The system is manually started utilizing the truck controls and will continue to operate until the operator stops the blower package. When a high level indicator triggers at the destination storage tank, the operator will notify the driver to shut the system down.
