How Pneumatic Conveying

Can Help Optimize Your

Plastic Processing

Stefan Kalt
Global Business Development Manager
Plastic Compounding & Extrusion
 Agenda
Session I - Corporate Introduction
Session II - Bulk Materials Basics (K-Tron)
Session III - Pneumatic Conveying Technology and Product Overview (K-Tron)
Session IV – Feeding Technology and Product Overview (K-Tron)
Session IV – Advances in Twin Screw Compounding (Coperion)
Session V (Coperion)
Session A: Food Extrusion on Twin Screw Extruders
Session B: New Developments in the Compounding of Plastics
Session VI (K-Tron)
Session A: Selecting the Right Feeder for Food/Pharmaceuticals
Session B: Selecting the Right Feeder for Plastics (K-Tron)
Session VII Pneumatic Conveying (K-Tron)
Session A: Pneumatic Conveying Systems for Food/Pharmaceuticals
Session B: Pneumatic Conveying Systems for Plastics
Contents
Layout of a Conveying System
Vacuum vs. Pressure System
Application Examples
Raw Materials Testing
Handling Systems for Different Materials
Conveying Guidelines
Pneumatic Conveying Systems
Common Pneumatic Conveying Systems

Raw material handling –

bulk delivery to storage
Raw material handling –
storage to process
Intermediate product
handling – process to
process
Finished product handling
– process to storage /
packaging
Types of Pneumatic Systems
Vacuum/Pressure Systems
Continuous Vacuum Systems
Continuous Pressure Systems
Weighing and Scaling Systems
Vacuum Sequencing Systems
Closed-Loop Systems
Material Handling Overview
Layout of a Conveying
Systems
Layout/design of a conveying line
Before one can define and select a pneumatic
conveying system the following questions needs
to be answered…

What are the parameters to be fulfilled?

What kind of equipment is requested?
What’s the material to be conveyed?
Considerations with Pneumatic Systems
To function correctly, a pneumatic conveying
system…

Must have proper amount of material feeding into the

system
Must have the proper amount of conveying gas in the
system
Must be able to overcome restrictions between the start
and end of the system
Considerations with Pneumatic Systems
In addition, to work optimally…

Consider the gas temperature / product temperature

Use suitable materials of construction
Make sure the convey line geometry & components
(particularly bends) are suitable
Vacuum vs. Pressure System
Layout/design of a conveying line
In order to keep the investment and operating
costs in a reasonable range the motto shall be:

„As good as possible,

and as good as needed!“
Layout/design of a conveying line
What kind of equipment is requested?

Pressure System Vacuum System

Gas Source
Pressure Systems Vacuum Systems
Gas source is at the front
end of the conveying
system
Normally a pump/blower
Gas temperature rises
across the blower – can be
an issue with heat
sensitive products
Gas source is at the end of
the conveying system
Normally a pump/blower
Gas temperature rises
across the blower – not
usually an issue as air is
heated after conveying
Gas Source

Pressure Systems Vacuum Systems

Maximum pressure drop Maximum pressure drop
is limited by the gas is between atmospheric
source – not the laws of pressure and absolute
physics vacuum
Typically pressure drop Typical vacuum systems
on positive pressure have a pressure drop of
systems is much higher 10” Hg (338.6 mbar)
than vacuum systems
Pick-up

Pressure Systems Vacuum Systems

Pick-up has to overcome Pick-up does not need to
a pressure differential overcome a pressure
Airlocks (rotary valves) differential
are common devices that More simple devices,
overcome pressure often with no moving
differential parts, can be used
Convey Line

Pressure Systems Vacuum Systems

Any leakage risks product Any leakage pulls air into
blowing out of the convey the convey line (high
line (high pressure to low pressure to low pressure)
pressure)
More expensive
connections / flanges
required for high pressure
systems
Most typical dilute phase
systems use regular
pipe/tube and couplings
Destination

Pressure Systems Vacuum Systems

Receiving vessel can be
at atmospheric pressure
Filter area can be smaller
than a similar sized
vacuum systems
Receiving vessel is under
vacuum, needs to be
strengthened
Receiving vessel has to
overcome a pressure
differential to discharge
the material
Pressure Systems
Advantages
Pressure systems are more
efficient
lines sizes, blowers, and
destination filters are
usually smaller and less €€
At the destination:
Easier for multiple destinations
(just need diverter valve or hose
switch)
Disadvantages
Any leak in a pressure
system will cause material to
escape
A pressure blower heats the
conveying air (can be
corrected with an aftercooler)
At the source
Need Aerolock: more €€
A source Aerolock is prone to wear
Dust and air leakage above the
Aerolock must be considered
Vacuum Systems
Advantages Disadvantages
At the source At the destination
Less €€ (no Aerolock) More €€ (the receiver
Easier for multiple must withstand high
sources (just need vacuum
diverter valve or hose A destination Aerolock
switch) is prone to wear
Avoids dust at the Vacuum is less efficient;
source line sizes are bigger
Prevents dust leakage The blower is bigger
Uses cool, ambient (more €€) because it has
conveying air a higher inlet air flow than
a pressure blower
Application Examples
Application examples

Raw material handling – storage to process

Task:
• Pick-up and Convey CaCO3 into a Compounding Process
• Capacity: 4 t/h
• Distance: 30 m horizontal / 10 m vertical
• Ambient Temperature 30 °C
• Elevation 500 m
• (3) 90°-Elbows
• Piping Stainless Steel

Possible Conveying Options:

• Vacuum Sequencing
• Continuous Vacuum Conveying
• Continuous Pressure Conveying
 Vacuum Sequencing
• Pump
• Pick-up
• Destination
• Controller
• Piping
• Valves

Controller

Pick-up

Pump

Destination
 Continuous vacuum conveying
• Pump
• Pick-up
• Destination
• Controller
• Piping
• Valves

Controller

Pick-up

Pump

Destination
 Continuous pressure conveying
• Pump
• Pick-up
• Destination
• Controller
• Piping
• Valves

Controller Pick-up

Pump Destination
 Comparison
Task:
• Pick-up and Convey CaCO3
Vacuum Sequencing Continuous Continuous
into a Compounding Process Vacuum Conveying Pressure Conveying
• Capacity: 4 t/h
• Distance:
30 m horizontal / 10 m vertical
• Ambient Temperature 30 °C
• Elevation 500 m
• (3) 90°-Elbows
• Piping Stainless Steel

Tube sizing 4“ 3“ 2.5“

Convey Air 950 550 330

[m3/h]
Pump/Blower size 18.5 15 11.2
[kW]
Estimated 39’600.- 54’700.- 44’100.-
Investment costs [€]
Yearly power 3‘700.- 3‘000.- 2‘240.-
consumption [€]
(€ 0.1/kWh / 2000 h/year)
Raw Materials Testing
Typical Raw Materials

Pellets Powders Recycled Fibers

Material
Bench Test Introduction
In order to properly design an optimal pneumatic
conveying system, we do a series of material
bench tests to determine the bulk material
characteristics and evaluate to what effect they
will have on the final system design.
Factors we don’t quantify by testing, such as
material to line friction, the effect of bouncing
pellets, etc. must be determined using full scale
testing, prior experience or gut instinct.
These tests are performed using only 5 liters (1
gallon) of material.
 Bench Test for Material Evaluation
A Bench Test requires only 5 Liters of bulk
material and gives us the material characteristics
and data required for SIZING and equipment
SELECTION!
Bulk Density Fluidity
Flow Angles Abrasion
Sieve Analysis Particle Shape
Can Velocity Characteristics
Terminal Velocity Visual Observation
Bulk Velocity

In most cases a Bench Test avoids a full scale test!

Material Test Report Page 1
Testlab Facilities
A fully-equipped test lab
is at your disposal at our
plants in
Niederlenz/Switzerland
and Pitman/USA and
Wuxi/PRC.
Smaller test lab facilities are
available at other locations.
Customer visits are always
welcome.
 Handling Systems
for Different Materials
Pellet Handling
In general Pellets are easy to handle with typical
characteristics such as:
• Bulk density between 0.4 to 0.6 kg/dm3
• Lens or cylindrical shape of approx. 3 mm.
• Free flowing, none sticky
• Angle of repose < 45 degrees
but keep in mind:
• Glass fiber filled pellets are abrasive - use wear
resistant design and material of construction
• Rubber pellets bounce in the convey line and
cause higher pressure drop – consider a low Solid-
to-Air ratio
• PE and LDPE: consider angel hair – avoid too
many elbows and optimize pipe routing
Powder Handling

The characteristics of powders vary within a

wide range from:
- Fluidizable to bridge building
- Free flowing to adhesive or cohesive
- Very light bulk densities of 0.05 up to 1.5 kg/dm3 or
higher
- Dry to hygroscopic
- Non- to very abrasive
- …and it is impossible to give a general material
characteristic statement which really suits!

Provide 5 Liters of sample material for Bench Test.

Recycled Material Handling

The flow characteristics and appearance varies

pending on the end product and how it is
recycled.
Typical examples are:
• Thin plastic flakes, like PTFE bottle flakes
• Regrind, irregular shredded junks and pieces
• Pelletized material
In many cases recycling material can be as easy to
convey as standard polymer pellets, but typically has a
higher dust content.
Irregular shredded junks and pieces or flakes often cause
bridging problems at the material pick up and require
activation.
Provide 5 Liters of sample material for Bench Test
Glass Fiber Handling
Glass Fiber is most commonly supplied in Big
Bags or Bags; typical characteristics are:
• Bulk density 0.4 to 0.5 kg/dm3
• Length 4 mm
• Generally free flowing but keep in mind:
• Glass fiber tends to wool when mechanically
treated and requires very gentle material
handling. The lower the quality of the glass
fiber, the higher the tendency to wool.
• Glass fiber is very abrasive.
• If possible avoid pneumatic conveying and
choose gravity flow.
• When conveying, keep distances and elbows
to a minimum.
• Always subject to full scale conveying test.
Conveying Guidelines
Conveying Guidelines
Keep pipe routing as short as possible
Use as few elbows as possible
Keep flexible hose lengths as short as possible
Provide a 3 meter acceleration zone, after the pick
up point to the first elbow
Install horizontally and/or vertically pipes only
Avoid back-to-back elbows
Purge the line after each cycle
Improvement of energy efficiency
Check the convey line for leaks - it‘s the main cause of
wasted energy
Tailor the system pick-up velocity to the specific
characteristic of the material
Avoid material build-up in the line
Minimize elements that cause unnecessary backpressure
Adjust clearance of the Aerolock rotary valves properly
Make sure filter elements are clean
Ensure the system is not running after the hopper is empty
Apply a motor with reasonable safety factor
Use premium efficient motors
Thank You!