Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1277345
7 www.spirofl ow.com www.spirofl ow.com set intervals on the wire rope and fi t into the sprockets' grooves (like a bicycle chain fi ts onto a pedal sprocket), so that when the drive sprocket turns, the wire-rope as- sembly moves through the conveying section. To use the conveyor, an operator fi rst rolls it onto a fl oor scale. The operator tares the scale so that it reads zero and then pours the resin into the conveyor's 6-cu- bic-foot-capacity hopper. The hopper has a grate that catches any resin clumps and also prevents operators from sticking their hand down into the rotary valve. During operation, the vast majority of the resin fl ows through the grate, leaving behind the clumps, which the operator breaks up and pushes through. When the scale reads the appropriate weight, the oper- ator stops adding the resin and pushes the start button located on the control panel. Pushing the start button actuates a solenoid valve that allows compressed air to fl ow to the pneumatic motors, which power the rotary valve and drive sprocket. As the conveyor starts up, the drive sprocket moves the wire rope assembly through the conveying section at 234 rpm, and the rotary valve evenly meters the resin into the convey tube, prevent- ing material surges. As the resin enters the convey tube, it falls down into the spaces between the moving discs. The rapidly mov- ing discs, which fi t snugly within the conveying tubes, generate an airstream that suspends and moves the resin 90 inches at a 45-degree angle from the inlet up to the discharge point. Virtually 100 percent of the res- in discharges into the mixing vessel so that the return tube is material-free. Simplifying the resin-addition process Since installing the aeromechanical conveyor, the com- pany has improved its labor use in the clear-base pro- duction process. "Instead of two operators taking twenty minutes to manually add the resin to the mixing vessel, we now have a machine that does that for us, allowing the two operators to work somewhere else in the plant," says Beard. "Only one operator is needed to load the conveyor's hopper with the correct resin amount. After loading the hopper, the operator turns on the conveyor and walks away. The conveyor is set up to do everything else." The aeromechanical conveyor has also improved the resin-addition process. "In the past, some resin clumps were inadvertently added to the mixing vessel, and the resin-addition rate varied because the operators had to periodically stop and move a drum back onto the fl oor scale to weigh it," says Beard. "With the conveyor, we consistently have clump free resin going into the mixing vessel at a specifi c rate over a set time with no breaks." Additionally, Beard says, "The conveyor has improved the ergonomics of the production process in that oper- ators no longer have to move several hundred-pound drums across the fl oor to the fl oor scale, which has minimized their risk of injury." Since the conveyor is mounted on wheels, it can be easily moved to the various mixing vessels that require resin powder. "It's also easy to use, doesn't take up a lot of fl oor space, and can be stowed away when it's not being used," says Beard. "We've been using the conveyor for more than six years now, and I've heard no complaints. It's done a lot of batches and has been very consistent and reliable. We just have to go in every now and then and tension the wire-rope assembly and keep it lubricated and main- tained as the supplier recommends." PBE Since the conveyor is mounted on wheels, it can be easily moved to the various mixing vessels that require resin powder