Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1212417
March 2020 / 43 For further reading Find more information on this topic in articles listed under "Solids flow" and "Storage" in Powder and Bulk Engineering's comprehensive article index in the December 2019 issue or the article archive on PBE's website, www.powderbulk.com. Solimar Pneumatics Minneapolis, MN 800-233-7109 www.solimarpneumatics.com weather. This issue was quickly remedied with caulking around the gasket edges to ensure no moisture leaked out. "I would say we made our money back on the purchase and installation of the aerator units in three weeks," Meyer estimates. "We went from having a nightmare to a non-issue as far as cement flow. This plant was built for Wisconsin's conditions, and there's no doubt in my mind we have the most modern plant in the area." PBE time without any backup issues. Since the same amount of cement is brought in as is held in the silo, Jackson Concrete decided to look into the disc-type fluidizers (also known as aerators). To see if the fluidizers might be the solution to the flow issues, Jackson Concrete contacted Solimar Pneumatics, Minneapolis, MN, a designer and supplier of aeration systems for dry bulk materials. The company needed fluidizers for its two 1,000-barrel silos and, after talking with the supplier, decided on silicone disc fluidizers. The fluidizers loosen up the material by sending steady airflow along the wall of the bin or silo, promoting smooth material flow. The gentle vibration caused by the airflow keeps material flowing without compacting or plugging. "The aeration is so efficient we only have to run four of the units at a time," says Meyer, "and in the rare case of a repair to one of the fluidiz- ers, we simply move the air line to the next one in a matter of minutes and cement keeps flowing. Since installation [in 2007], we've only purchased six fluidizers for replace- ment and four are kept for backups." The 16 fluidizers were installed from the outside of the silo using the supplier's EZ-IN kit. The kits are designed for retrofitting exist- ing silos and allowed Jackson Con- crete to install the new fluidizers in the existing openings that were previously used for the air pads. Since installation, the fluidizers have kept the silos running with minimal downtime. Jackson Con- crete did notice the gaskets on the fluidizers dried out quicker than expected due to the contact with the cement powder and the area's