Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1380119
40 / June 2021 powderbulk.com marily, it takes some time and effort to choose the right components. If quantities are wrong, then either you bought too much that can't be returned or you don't have enough and then have to delay installation until the necessary component arrives. Furthermore, system suppliers often get better pricing since they buy in large quantities. Support structures: If you need a stand-alone support stand for a specific item, such as a mixer or filter-receiver, then it often makes sense to buy it from the equipment supplier as part of the original purchase. They have already engineered and built the supports many times, so it will be fairly standard and inexpensive for them. On the other hand, if the support is very large, you can probably save money by purchas- ing it locally to avoid shipping costs. If your support structure is being designed by someone other than the equipment vendor, make sure you get the static and dynamic load information about the equipment and give that information to the engineer who will design the structure. PBE Editor's note: Part II of this article, which will be published in July's issue, will discuss the necessary project services that go along with building your sys- tem and guidelines for choosing a vendor. For further reading Find more information on this topic in articles listed under "System or equipment design, fabrication" in the article archive on PBE's website, www.powderbulk.com. Todd Smith (toddsmith@k-state.edu, 316-350-5865) is the business and strategy manager for Kansas State University's (K-State's) Bulk Solids Innovation Center. The Center's focus is to help industry with education, material testing, and project consulting for powder and bulk solids handling. He has spent more than 35 years in the bulk solids industry working in a variety of engineer- ing and management positions. He has a mechanical engineering degree from KSU and an MBA from Kansas Wesleyan University. K-State Bulk Solids Innovation Center Salina, KS 785-404-4918 https://bulk-solids.k-state.edu in pulling that item out of the system supplier's scope and supplying it separately. If you want to reduce the number of spare parts you have to stock at your plant, then it's okay to dictate specific models or brands of replacement items, such as solenoid valves, motors, and filter elements. But be aware that you'll pay more up front since the sup- plier has to re-engineer their product to match your requirements and they'll have to pay more because they lose the purchasing clout that they get from their normal sub-supplier. On the other hand, you can often save money in the long run if you buy a set of spare parts up front as part of the original capital purchase. That's because suppliers make a lot of money when they apply a high markup on spare parts sold down the road. But if you add the spare parts to your project budget and buy them up front as part of the project scope, then you can take advantage of the competitive pricing that occurs with the original purchase. Just make sure that the supplier doesn't use up the spare parts during their commissioning of the project! Specific items that are sometimes removed from the system supplier's scope Sometimes, you can save money by removing certain components or services from the system supplier's scope and providing them separately. The most com- mon things to remove are controls, piping, and support structures because they can be built in-house or bought from a separate supplier. Before you do so, however, be aware of the pluses and minuses. Controls: Most system suppliers have good capabil- ity to supply PLC controls and motor control centers. If they do this in-house, their software is less expensive because they have done it many times before, whereas supplying these controls may be new to your control group. The supplier's program code will usually have fewer startup issues for the same reason. Complicated and critical process equipment, such as extruders and some dryers, may have their own PLC or microproces- sor controls that work well at a fair price. Whenever possible, make sure that you receive and own the control code; some control companies want to retain it so that you have to go back to them if you ever want to change anything in your process. Pipes, couplings, and elbows: If you're buying a pneumatic conveying system, you can save money by purchasing these commodity items yourself. The good news is that it's easy to get the right component as long as you understand various specifications of pipe thickness, pipe versus tubing, bend radii, and coupling types. However, be aware of the disadvantages. Pri-