Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1380119
38 / June 2021 powderbulk.com you need to make sure their offering still meets all your project and reliability goals! A good compromise for you, as the project manager, is to provide detailed information in a spec but invite the vendor to suggest alternatives. Another good option is to ask an independent industry or university consultant to help develop the spec. Material information and samples We all know that handling and processing powders and bulk solids can be difficult. Designing equipment and systems for bulk solids is more challenging than designing for liquids or gases since powder handling models are less defined and material properties can change throughout the process. Therefore, smooth startups are less common, and project problems seem to linger longer. For the best chance of project success, tell your ven- dor as much as you can about the material you'll be working with. Even for a budgetary quote, you'll need to provide the material name, bulk density, and particle new equipment will affect other aspects of the process. Beware, however, of just copying an old spec — you may end up paying more because it includes things that aren't critical in your project or ignores equipment advancements that have been made since the spec was written. If you do use an old spec, go through it in detail to make sure each point is valid and pertinent to the current project. Most importantly, be aware that if you specify any equipment models or sizes, then you're moving that equipment's performance responsibility to yourself rather than the vendor. On the other hand, rather than providing a detailed spec, you may not need to include any information other than that listed in the sidebar. In other words, you tell the vendor about the system's required out- come and limitations and then let the vendor choose the equipment concept and sizes. This puts the respon- sibility on them if there are any problems. In addition, a loose spec allows the vendor to choose equipment that's closer to their standard rather than customizing it to your spec. That can save you a lot of money, but Whether you provide your vendor with a detailed spec or let them fill in the blanks, you'll need to give your vendor some information to get the equipment- selection process off the ground. The following is a list of the minimum information your vendor will need. 1. Material information. To start, the vendor will need to know your application's material prod- uct name and description. If you're asking for a budgetary proposal, then a few material prop- erties, such as bulk density and particle size, should suffice. But if you want a firm proposal with a process guarantee, then be prepared to send a material sample to each potential vendor or send a sample and get results from an inde- pendent test facility. 2. Environmental parameters. The vendor will need to know the city and state or country in which the equipment will be located. What's the location's elevation? Are there summer and win- ter design factors that'll apply to the equipment? Will the equipment be indoors or outdoors? Silos and structures will need wind loading and seismic zone data. 3. Site parameters. The vendor will need details about electrical power and other utilities, area hazard classifications, noise or other lim- its of that nature, and washdown or cleaning requirements. If your system includes explosion venting, then the vendor will also need to know the distance to an acceptable exterior wall. 4. System parameters. The vendor will need to know the system's throughput rate, capacities, and size limits. For conveying systems, the ven- dor will need vertical and horizontal distances and number of bends, and for storage systems, they'll need capacities and space restraints. 5. Equipment details. The vendor will also need to know equipment details such as the con- struction material for material-contact and non-material-contact surfaces. What are the acceptable gaskets or coatings if applicable? Does your equipment require any welding and surface-finish or hygienic standards? What about insulation or heat tracing? 6. Performance expectations. Your project goals, system parameters, and product quality require- ments will be used to establish your criteria for the vendor's performance targets. 7. Process flow diagram. A process flow diagram, even if it's a crude sketch, is your best commu- nication tool! This diagram shows the project's general process flow and equipment. List of information your vendor will need