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Category: indpro blog

Pilot-Plant Testing for Pneumatic Conveying System Design

Posted on by Indpro

Why is pilot-plant testing essential for designing pneumatic conveying systems?

Pilot-plant testing can be very helpful in designing a pneumatic conveying system as it allows you to evaluate the performance of the system in real-world conditions before investing in a full-scale system. Here are some ways in which pilot-plant testing can help:

1. Determine conveying capacity:

Pilot-plant testing can help you determine the conveying capacity of your system. By testing the system with a given material and at different conveying rates, you can determine the maximum capacity of the system and accordingly design the full-scale system.

2. Evaluate material characteristics:

Different materials have different characteristics that can affect the performance of the system. By testing the system with a given material, you can evaluate how these characteristics, such as particle size, density, moisture content, abrasiveness, etc can affect the system’s performance.

3. Optimize system components:

Pilot-plant testing can help to optimize the design of the various components of the system, such as the air compressor, blower, cyclone separator, valves, filter, and receiver. By testing different configurations and settings, one can determine the most effective design for your specific application.

4. Identify potential problems:

Pilot-plant testing can help you identify potential problems that may arise in the full-scale system. By testing the system under different conditions, you can identify issues such as blockages, material buildup, system wear, underperformance, and adjust the design accordingly to address these issues.

5. Determine material compatibility:

Pilot-plant testing can help determine the compatibility of different materials with the conveying system. For instance, some materials may be abrasive, sticky, or prone to moisture absorption, which can impact the performance of the system. By testing the system with different materials, you can assess the impact of these properties and make necessary adjustments to the system design.

6. Evaluate energy consumption:

Pilot-plant testing can help evaluate the energy consumption of the pneumatic conveying system. By testing the system under different operating conditions, you can determine the optimal settings for the blower, air compressor, and other components to minimize energy usage while maintaining the desired conveying rate.

7. Test new technologies:

Pilot-plant testing can be used to test new technologies or components before implementing them in a full-scale system. For example, you may want to test the performance of a new type of valve, piping element, or separator to determine if it can improve the efficiency of the system.

8. Ensure safety and compliance:

Pilot-plant testing can help ensure the safety and compliance of the pneumatic conveying system. By testing the system with different materials and under different operating conditions, you can identify potential safety hazards and ensure that the system meets all applicable regulations and standards.

Pilot-plant testing can provide valuable information to help you design a more efficient and effective pneumatic conveying system. By identifying potential issues and optimizing the design, you can reduce the risk of costly mistakes and ensure that your system meets your specific needs and requirements.

Our customers often bring their materials for testing to our pilot plant where we demonstrate these aspects and ensure we design the system accordingly keeping all material properties in mind. You can visit our page to know more about Indpro’s Technical Center.

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Spices Manufacturing Process​

Why Should You Convey Your Material Pneumatically?

Choosing the Perfect Flexible Screw Conveyor

Posted on by Indpro

What information is needed to select the right flexible screw conveyor?

When selecting a flexible screw conveyor, it is important to consider the following factors in more detail:

flexible auger conveyor indpro

Material properties:

The type of material being conveyed, including its bulk density, particle size, and abrasiveness, can affect the design and configuration of the conveyor. For example, materials with a high bulk density will require a more powerful motor to move the material as compared to one with a low bulk density. Similarly, abrasive materials will require a conveyor with harder wearing components such as the screw and tubing. The particle size of the material will help determine the size of the inlet and outlet openings and the type of screw to use.

Conveying rate:

The required conveying rate, typically measured in cubic feet per hour or pounds per hour, will help determine the size and power of the conveyor. This will help to select the right size of the screw, drive motor and the gearbox.

Conveying distance:

The distance the material needs to be conveyed, including any vertical or horizontal distances, will help determine the length of the conveyor and the required power to move the material. Longer conveyors will require a more powerful motor to move the material over the longer distance.

Operating environment:

The conditions under which the conveyor will be operating, such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to chemicals, will help determine the materials of construction and any necessary seals or coatings. For example, if the conveyor is used in a high temperature environment, it will require a conveyor with heat resistant components or ones suitable for that temperature class. Similarly, if the conveyor is used in a humid environment, it will require an appropriate seal to prevent moisture from entering the conveyor.

Sanitary requirements:

If the conveyor will be used in a food, pharmaceutical or other sanitary application, it’s important to select a conveyor that meets the appropriate sanitary standards such as 3-A, USDA and FDA. The conveyor should be easy to clean and should have a smooth surface finish to minimize crevices and corners that can trap debris.

Space constraints:

The available space for the conveyor and any necessary clearances for access and maintenance will affect the size and configuration of the conveyor. A compact design may be required if space is limited, or a conveyor with a small footprint to minimize the floor space it occupies.

Special requirements:

If the application has any special requirements, such as explosion proof or high temperature, it is important to select a conveyor that can meet these requirements by selecting appropriate materials of construction and/or adding explosion proofing features.

In summary, it’s important to consider all these factors when selecting a flexible screw conveyor to ensure that the conveyor is properly sized and configured for the specific application, and to minimize the risk of problems arising during operation.

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Spices Manufacturing Process​

Why Should You Convey Your Material Pneumatically?

Why is bulk material handling automation required in your plant?

Posted on by Indpro

Why is bulk material handling automation required in your plant?

Optimizing the first mile, like most processes, is made possible by technology, but it takes the right tools to fully automate your manufacturing process plant. Advanced manufacturers recognize that the first mile of automation begins with how raw materials are received, stored, and transported from the moment they enter a facility.

Manufacturers are constantly under pressure to produce goods more quickly and at a lower cost, but never at the cost of quality. Of course, any technology expenditure made to achieve these objectives must have a positive return on investment.

Bulk material handling automation services offer a single point of contact for all your raw material handling automation needs. Bulk material handling automation equipment is commonly found in industrial plants where mass production entails the use of heavy gear to transform raw materials into consumable goods. Automated bulk raw material handling equipment is used by businesses because it helps all process industries enhance their productivity, eliminates waste & increases safety in terms of raw material handling which results in significant cost savings. In the production process, material handling automation equipment lowers the requirement for human intervention. As a result, there is less chance of human error or damage.

This type of machinery is frequently employed for tasks that would otherwise be beyond a human’s physical capabilities, such as transporting material in bulk quantities or working with hazardous or explosive materials.

Applying automated bulk material handling technology to any industrial plant’s network results in significant cost reductions and a quick return on investment. Automated raw material handling, conveying, storing, weighing and batching and bagging of bulk materials helps in achieving excellence in process flow management, product production planning, resource allocation, forecasting, ensuring repeatability, customer delivery, and control.

What is an automated bulk material handling system, and how might it help your plant become more productive?

Your raw material handling systems control everything from how you keep your raw materials to how they convey across your process plant to achieve your finished product. Bulk material handling management is a key function in raw material handling, so make sure you’re transporting your bulk material as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. When you start looking into your alternatives, you’ll notice that there is a lot of different bulk material handling systems to choose from. Bulk material handling can be done manually, automatically, or in a combination of both.

To assist you in selecting the best bulk raw material handling systems for your plant, we will go through the benefits and drawbacks of bulk material handling automation systems, as well as how they can benefit you. So, how about we have a look?

The raw material is efficiently delivered from one point in the manufacturing area to another to produce goods, whether inside the same department or bay, on opposite sides of the manufacturing floor, or even in two distinct buildings, thanks to automated bulk material handling systems. An automatic bulk material handling system uses the route and process step information from the MES to transfer raw materials utilizing either technology involving pneumatics or mechanical systems.

One of the most important requirements in a bulk raw material handling system is to optimize processes, get more control and efficiency, and so become more competitive. Furthermore, it is a fact that each industry encounters unique hurdles in providing a product of the quality that your client wants.

 

Manufacturers can reap numerous obvious and verifiable benefits from automated bulk material handling systems, such as lower operating costs and higher material throughput, enhanced productivity, and safety in terms of material handling but the benefits can go even further.

About Automation in Bulk Raw Material Handling

When we talk about bulk material handling, we are referring to the complete process of moving raw materials from one location to another, protecting raw materials, storing, weighing & batching into and between various material processing equipment. It also covers bagging of bulk material of finished goods. Consumption, distribution, positioning, and disposal of raw materials are all part of the process. Various types of equipment are also employed throughout this process, some of which are manual and others are automated. Any company that wants to improve its production efficiency should examine its raw material handling equipment. Most businesses opt for automated bulk material handling since it is not only more efficient but also saves time and effort.

The correct bulk material handling automation system provider will provide all the necessary equipment, including conveying systems, weighing systems, storage systems and many more. Manufacturers are under constant pressure to finish projects as rapidly as possible while maintaining high quality.

Now you will learn about the major advantages of automated bulk material handling equipment and systems for your process plant.

Process area space optimization

You can make the most of all the space in your process area of the production plant by implementing automation in raw material handling. The system solution prioritizes making the most effective and efficient use of the given area.

Handling of various types of raw materials

You will have multiple raw materials which require handling; thanks to Indpro’s pneumatic conveying systems for raw material handling and some of the standard products such as iTransfer, Bag dump station, Jumbo bag unloading station, DisKCon, and many more which are compatible to handle various raw materials. This is critical if you want your process area inside the plant to flourish with an optimized system solution.

Continuous control of the entire production

Bulk raw material handling automation equipment allows you to have complete control over everything that leaves the production process lines. You will have a record of how much raw material have you consumed for production, how much you need to store, and how much you need to use in the process line to produce finished good products.

Real-time statistics

Through the use of centralized integrated computers and the data being fed into them from the material handling system, you will be able to acquire production figures in real-time basics. Real-time data access is possible because of the plant’s connected technology. Get in touch with Indpro’s experts to know more about the IOT & Industry 4.0 compliant solutions we provide.

Improved labour management & dependency ​

Raw material handling automation helps with labour management during the manufacturing process in your plant which is one of the most significant advantages. Assigning higher-value activities to your workers that require more human attention and effort. You may also be able to reduce the number of people needed for the project. You can do the task in less time and spend less money on labour and increase efficiency at the same time.

Ensures repeatability of process

It is not a high-skill task to move raw materials from storage areas to production areas or weighing & batching various raw materials to process equipment or to fill finished goods into bags, and many more. However, there are chances of errors propping up due to manual interventions at these stages. Automation systems ensure repeatability of these tasks without errors.

The factory that is more connected

Bulk material handling automation also makes connecting your complete factory a lot easier. Technology allows you to link a large number of materials handling automated systems and handle their tasks more precisely. Once all of the automation is connected, sending and receiving data and handling future actions will be straightforward.

Batch cycle times have improved

Bulk material is not left stranded when no one is available to inspect it. Indpro’s technology does this, allowing the operation to run independently of operators while they focus on their assigned responsibilities. The time it takes to go from one step to the next becomes more predictable, allowing for more accurate cycle time forecasting and customer due date forecasting.

Customer experience enhancement

Bulk material handling automation is advantageous not just during the manufacturing process, but also throughout time. Every business wants to give its consumers the best experience possible. When you use bulk material handling automation, you’re speeding up your production process while also improving the quality of your output. Furthermore, when you save a substantial amount of money using technology, you can offer better prices to your customers which having a more sophisticated manufacturing setup.

Indpro has the technology to build suitable solutions to fit your requirements, allowing your business to expand. Please contact our experts for a consultation on how you can effectively grow your business by automating your production process.

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Spices Manufacturing Process​

Why Should You Convey Your Material Pneumatically?

Spices Manufacturing Process​

Posted on by Indpro

Spices Manufacturing Process

As food lovers, we Indians are devoted to spices. Spices play a significant role in our festivals, celebrations, and even daily lives. We may be divided by political boundaries, but the love for spices is a bond we share. Indian food is rich in spices unlike other markets, and this can be very well seen in the consumption pattern of spices.  Textiles and perfumes are two of India’s largest exports in Spices. The market is exporting to places like Arabia, Sumeria, Mesopotamia, China, and Egypt.

Since the 1st century AD, spices have been discussed in Roman imperial literature. The Ramayana is one of the many sacred texts dedicated to spices. Spices were also delivered to distant places, such as Carthage, Alexandria, and Rome.

India is the world’s greatest producer of a wide range of species with the most varied aromas and flavours. Spices are grown and harvested in accordance with climatic conditions. The initial phase in this procedure is cleaning and drying, during which the spices are filtered and then dried. The spices are permitted in a crushing machine after they have been cleaned and dried.

With the growing demand, it is essential that the production must also keep up. Hence improving and enhancing spice production process requires plant automation. Cleaning, grinding, blending, sieving, material handling, and bulk storage, batch manufacturing, and packing are all automated procedures in spice processing, resulting in high quality and cleanliness of the finished product.

Indpro provides automated material handling systems for feeding silos, cleaning systems, mills, mixers for salt, starch, spices, and ingredients, and conveying systems for the finished spice combinations to packaging lines, as well as process leading visualization technologies. External and internal silos, loading stations for bags, jumbo bags, and weighing systems for ingredients and minor components are typical offerings from Indpro.

The materials used in the Spices industry –

Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Chaat Masala, Mustard Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder, Chaat Masala, Mustard Powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin, Fennel Seeds, Mixed Powder, Pepper, Poppy Seeds.

India's spice manufacturing industry faces several challenges:

1. Problems related to working labour 

Experiencing the strong odour of spices for an extended periods of time can be harmful to health. As a result, it is difficult to find workers in the Indian spice industry.

2. Market credit

Spices have a high credit market risk with distributors, which can cause substantial difficulties for financing the manufacturing.

3. There are leaks in the packaging

The low quality of hand-made packaging in India results in package leakage because of financial constraints. It has always been difficult to use high-tech gear due to the high cost.

4. There are many competitors

The spice sector is highly competitive because there are so many vendors. Rivalry primarily occurs at the regional level. In addition to the many small local businesses, there are also numerous organic spices that have grown in demand because of strict quality standards.

5. Spices wastage at handling level

At every stage of handling of spices, be it for cleaning, storage, processing or packaging, there is wastage due to improper handling of the powders. This ultimately contributes to loss in profit for the manufacturer. Automation systems to avoid this are not available at all sites.

Steps followed by the current industries for manufacturing spices:

Procurement of spices:

Spices grown on Indian fields provide the finest perfume and flavour. It is of paramount essence that the quality control process for us begin on the fields (at the production centres). When it comes to producing high-quality spices, drying is an important step. The results of the other phases in the manufacturing process are greatly influenced by the level of perfection achieved during the drying process. Proper drying is key to keeping the fragrance and flavour of the material. The material is naturally dried by sunlight but roasted if needed to maintain optimum moisture content.

All bulk seeds are gathered in a warehouse and mass dried before being delivered to various places in small and jumbo bags, depending on the needs. A seed is often packaged in 25 kg bags, 625 kg bulk bags, or 1000 kg jumbo bag. To preserve quality, proper transportation is required. It’s critical to have the correct supply chain in place.

Cleaning of dried spices:

Before processing, the crop should be cleaned. The first step is to use a winnowing basket to eliminate dust and grime. Bamboo, palm, or other leaves can be used to make this. Someone who is used to this type of labour can swiftly and effectively remove the dust, grime, and stones. Contaminants are removed from spices and herbs by washing them with weak alkaline cleaning solutions and neutralising agents, then passing them through concentric zones with counter-current flow, spray rinsing, and drying.

Clean and dry material is kept in an intermediate storage silo, a tank, or a hopper near the process area, and the stored material is pneumatically delivered to the grinding machine for further processing. A variety of pneumatic conveying systems can be used depending on the material to be treated, its qualities, and the desired output.

Grinding post-cleaning:

In the regular grinding of spices, energy is used to fracture the large particles into smaller ones while maintaining product quality in terms of flavour and colour. Heat is produced in this process as energy is used to fracture the small particles into smaller ones.

Grinding the spices is done using either low temperature or cryogenic methods. Using cold air in the first situation and liquid nitrogen in the second, heat is controlled within safe limits in the grinding chamber and throughout the milling system. In this way, the final spice powders are more fragrant, colored, and flavourful.

Spices are crushed using horizontal and vertical hammer mills, as well as roller mills, to decrease the size of the material to the desired size. Coarse and fine particle materials are pneumatically handled after grinding and sent to the mixing process, where all elements are blended according to specifications.

Mixing:

By pneumatically connecting grinding equipment to mixers, spice powders can be compressed and mixed according to customer requirements. As with the previous process, this is likewise fully automated and requires no operator interaction. The total processing system is designed to operate continuously, even when mixing is a batch process.  The finished commodities are emptied into the tiny hopper when the mixing cycle is done, and the material is pneumatically carried into the intermediate storage silo/tank.

Post-mixing:

If you want to store the finished spice powders efficiently and easily integrate them into consumer packaging, 25 kg bags or jumbo bags or Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) are a great choice. After final mixing, selecting the appropriate automatic bagging machine for finished goods is vital to guarantee that the material given to the consumer is weighed correctly in its packing. To pick the correct bagging machine, you must first establish the sort of product for which the machine is required, the material of the packaging you wish to use, and the throughput, or the number of bags that need to be filled per minute. The final bags are then either heat sealed or stitched before being dispatched.

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Why should you convey your material pneumatically?

Which Industries Use Pneumatic Conveying System?

Big Bag Unloading System

Posted on by Indpro

What is Big Bag Unloading System

Big bags Unloading– How to improve on your bulk material logistics

The use of big bags in the material handling industry is on the rise. Improved cost-efficiency and high safety standards of bulk bag unloaders for handling a variety of materials have led to the progressive use of bulk bags by a wide range of sectors. Bulk bags unloaders have become a viable distribution source for many products and have resulted in a changeover from the fact that small bags were practically used exclusively, and that the shipment and storage of bulk material have also been changed in the last decade. Likewise, bulk bag dischargers have now revolutionized the way bulk bags are filled, untied, deployed, and withdrawn as operators are no longer forced to enter them manually via restricted access doors and strain to withdraw partially empty bags, clean up spillage after disconnection, dislodge goods from dead spots or flatten bags. This method of loading and unloading large amounts of the material involves technical expertise, which has given rise to the development of such big bag unloading systems. The unloading method of the Jumbo bag operates well even when the material in the bag is not free-flowing making it a very versatile device for the industry.

jumbo bag unaloding indpro

Big bag unloading systems are often classified as unloaders for bulk containers, bag supports, FIBC unloaders, FIBC dischargers, and wide bag dumpers. Used for unloading from a range of bulk bags such as bulk packages, FIBC, Jumbo packages, etc. A basic frame for the mounted bag supporting the lifted bag is equipped with a lift or a hoist to unload the Bulk Bag. The basic setup involves a bag frame that can be connected to the bag’s suspension clips. The frame is then raised and positioned in a way to counterbalance the suspension frame in the unloaded by the hooks on the frame. The bottom of the bag sits on a locking plate, and the loops of the bag hold the bag straight when lowered. The spout is clamped on by a pneumatic clamp to completely seal the system and avoid dust from escaping. This ensures the environment stays clean. Additionally, content in the bag can be discharged into storage, a conveying system, or a process vessel for transfer to another location by gravity. These unloaders use a broad array of devices, such as pneumatic conveying systems, screw feeders, rotating valves, lump breakers, etc., which unload or convey material from the station to various locations

Bulk solids handling products – Market dynamics:

The bulk bag unloaders market is projected to see healthy growth over the forecast period led largely by the economic benefits associated with bulk bags in managing bulk materials that have generated a steady demand for bulk bags and are causing consumer switches from other alternative packages such as rigid IBCs, small bags, Gaylord boxes, etc. These unloaders are equipped with many advantages that drive the competition in the bulk bag unloaders industry.

 

Some advantages are, these systems are compatible with several bag types and are complemented by a broad range of models and accessory models, provide controlled dosage, reduce labor, and enhance productivity. These types of equipment eliminate dust and spillage associated with the use of other bulk bags. Besides, frequent innovation related to the unloading and dispensing of bulk bags is expected to drive growth in the market for bulk bag unloaders over the forecast period.

 

Recent advances and improvements in bulk bag handling products will remove the inconveniences of outdated designs while enhancing comfort, cleanliness, and, safety intensively. The new items are not only intended to create a dust-proof cover, but also to facilitate material movement and complete evacuation.

Components in a big bag unloading system:

  • Hoist
  • Bag holder
  • Discharge funnel
  • Bag massager
  • Discharge chute
  • Heavy metal gives a support frame to the entire structure
  • Sturdy metal frame to support the entire structure
  • Dust extraction system (optional)

How does a big bag unloading system work?

  1. A big bag is attached to a hoist for better handling and a better bulk handling operation.
  2. The hoist picks up and takes the jumbo bag into its discharging location. The outlet of the bag is tightly clamped to the spout clamping arrangement.
  3. A wide access hood is given to untie the big bag outlet spout.
  4. As the outlet completely covers the nozzle, a pneumatically operated seal mechanism is used during release which produces a dust-proof material discharge.
  5. The pneumatically operated massager paddles help to massage and discharge non-free-flowing products.
  6. Optionally, the hopper comes with a flanged dedusting system connection.
  7. The dedusting system creates a vacuum during discharging which makes sure no dust escapes from the crevices.
  8. The heavy steel frame is a sturdy framework with entirely enclosed profiles.
  9. A control panel is used to operate all pneumatic operations of the device.

Indpro’s Jumbo Bag Discharge Solution:

  • Indpro’s big bag discharge systems are particularly equipped for discharging a broad range of bulk material from big or jumbo bag. They eliminate emissions from dust, product loss, or contamination of the product. For safe and hygienic discharge of food ingredients, pharmaceutical products, and toxic materials, several unique options are available.
  • Our range is based on a simple modular structure that allows the basic models to be extended with several options for obtaining a complete solution for discharging big bags aka jumbo bags. Indpro’s expertise in the practical application of such equipment with proven reliability has resulted in the development of various application specific enhancements. This allows all facets of the requirement to be addressed taking into consideration all consumer requirements such as product size, bag form, environmental issues, device capability, and expenditure.
  • Indpro provides intense emphasis for the bulk bag unloading system and associated equipment to ensure secure, effective, and full unloading and, handling of bulk bags.

Advantages:

  • Easy integration into existing setup where big bags must now be used instead of small bags.
  • Minimal space requirement for retrofitting in an existing plant.
  • Available in both stainless steel and carbon steel.
  • Operator safety is ensured.
  • Surfaces made of stainless steel are polished to the desired standards. All mild steel exterior surfaces are coated with high grade paint.
  • Complete discharge of granular and powder is possible with the help of massaging paddles.
  • Entire operation of unloading material from big bags can be made dust free which will ensure hygiene of the plant as well as safety for operators.

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Spices Manufacturing Process​

Why Should You Convey Your Material Pneumatically?