Correcting Issues With Industrial Equipment

Tips For Designing Your Pneumatic Conveyor System

25 November 2017 by Joann Freeman

If you're designing a new manufacturing plant, one of the things you need to think about is your material handling process. You need to be sure that you have a system in place that will get your materials where they need to be so that your manufacturing cycle doesn't face interruptions due to insufficient material access. Here are a few things to think about as you select your pneumatic conveyor system for your material distribution.

What Are You Transporting?

The first thing you need to think about is what exactly you'll be transporting. The density of the material you have to distribute is important, because it affects the design of the system. You'll need tubes that are sufficient in diameter to meet the flow rate you need, and you'll have to have sufficient vacuum and airflow to keep the system flowing properly.

Most standard, lightweight materials will be pretty easy to transport. However, if you're dealing with overly dense material or really fine powder, you'll have to take more time to ensure that the system can handle them. Dense materials need a stronger system with more power and vacuum capacity, while very fine powders need to have more filtration to keep them from clogging things up.

How Far Is The Material Traveling?

You won't be able to establish an adequate conveyor system until you have a clear understanding of how far you're transporting the materials, too. You'll have to know exactly where your storage will be and what the furthest destination is for it to reach.

The traveling distance is important, because it directly affects how heavy of a pump you'll need to maintain the vacuum in the system. Remember that you'll have to account for vacuum loss over the course of the distance, so account for that when you're factoring in the longest distance that the material needs to go.

How Much Material Do You Need To Move At Once?

You also need to think about how much of your material you need to move at one time, and how quickly it needs to get where it's going. If you're needing to move 500 cubic feet of material and you need it to be there within a few seconds to keep the system flowing, it's in your best interest to ensure the capacity of your system. If you need to add additional fans or wider diameter tubes to ensure that the material gets where it needs to be, this should be accounted for in the initial design.

For more information, talk with a local pneumatic conveyor technician. He or she will help you design and install the system so that it meets your needs.

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