Your pneumatic conveying system should do three things – be hygienic, effective and meet the unique needs of your application. But how do you decide on the best system for the job?
What are the different types of pneumatic conveyors?
Pneumatic conveyors can be either vacuum or pressure systems, using either dense phase or dilute phase technology to convey material from one place to another.
Dense phase systems use high pressure to keep a product moving through the pipeline, but the exact opposite is true for dilute phase conveying. Instead, this type of system relies on high volume and low pressure to keep the product in suspension.
Which system is right for my application?
The type of system that works most efficiently for you will depend largely on what material you need to move around.
– Pressure dilute phase: this is the most common and efficient way to move light bulk density materials like sugar, flour or plastic granules. Ideal when separation and degradation are not an issue, a pressure dilute phase system can be designed with multiple infeed points and destinations to continuously convey high capacities over longer distances.
– Vacuum dilute phase: this type of vacuum conveyor system is also very effective for powder conveying but is used for moving lower densities of product for shorter distances. As in a pressure dilute system, velocities can reach between 3000 to 7000 feet/minute.
– Pressure dense phase: ideal for transporting fragile or abrasive materials over a long distance, a pressure dense phase conveying system utilises compressed air at low velocities of 200 to 1000 feet/minute to handle delicate products without damage. This type of system operates in batches, continually refilling with powder.
– Vacuum dense phase: this type of system is used to convey products like dog food, whey and infant formula over short distances by using high vacuum pumps to operate in a batch-like fashion.
Designing the right system
Once you’ve decided on the right system, you’ll need to think about available space plus distances and conveying rates. Then you’ll create the efficient custom system that serves your needs.