Managing flow in silos and hoppers is crucial and sometimes tricky, but ESS Engineering keeps it simple.
Consistent throughput, whether handling iron ore, grain, or cement, is the difference between a smooth-running plant and costly downtime.
ESS Engineering (ESS) tackles these challenges by considering not only equipment, but also the relationship between material behaviour, plant design, and operational practices.
A common and costly problem
Material build-up in storage vessels is a problem faced across all bulk handling industries, regardless of the commodity or process.
“It’s a common issue,” ESS sales and lead service technician Jerome Reid said. “It could be grain or iron ore, different materials, but similar challenges.”
Moisture is a primary culprit. Even small increases can make materials sticky, causing them to adhere to silo walls and creating build-up that restricts flow. Over time, severe issues like bridging, arching, or ratholing can develop, with material flowing only through narrow channels while the rest remains stagnant.
“These issues can escalate quickly,” Reid said. “You might get a blockage, and when it finally releases, it can come down all at once, creating a significant clean-up problem and forcing shutdowns.”
Such disruptions have direct financial consequences. As accounts development manager Tom Stahura notes, if material isn’t moving, it isn’t generating revenue.
“If we’re not putting it on a train or a boat, we’re not getting paid for it,” he said. “It’s a critical issue.”
Understanding the root causes
While moisture is a major factor, other material characteristics like particle size, density, and cohesion, also affect how bulk solids behave in storage.
“Fine materials that get wet become very difficult to move,” ESS sales and service technician Dan Walker said. “Once they stick to the sides, it can be hard to get them moving again, and that’s when problems start to snowball.”
Material properties can shift significantly over the lifespan of a project, often leading to new and unforeseen challenges. For instance, a plant originally designed to handle a particular type of material may experience difficulties if the material’s characteristics change. This commonly occurs in mining operations as extraction moves deeper below the water table, where higher moisture levels can increase stickiness, reduce flowability, and cause blockages within silos or hoppers.
“Those original flow calculations don’t always hold,” Stahura said. “As conditions change, you need to adapt how you manage the flow.”
Structural factors matter too. A poorly sealed roof can let water in, and silo geometry that doesn’t suit the material can hinder flow and cause build-up.
Maintaining flow isn’t just critical for operations. It also protects product quality and minimises waste. For example, if organic materials sit too long, they can start to germinate. Root systems may bind the material together, worsening blockages and spoiling the product so it can’t be used.
Flow solutions for challenging materials
To keep materials moving, ESS Engineering provides a suite of flow aids to prevent build-up and restore consistent flow. The ESS Air Cannon uses controlled bursts of compressed air to dislodge stuck material before blockages form. For some materials, Industrial Vibrators generate mechanical vibrations along vessel walls to keep bulk solids moving and prevent compaction. When build-up is severe, the Bin Whip Silo Cleaning System can safely break up hardened deposits without requiring confined space entry. Together, these solutions help operators address everything from minor build-up to major blockages. Air-based flow aids keep the product uncontaminated by avoiding the introduction of water or chemicals, so everything that moves can stay in the process.
“Anything that moves can go straight back into the system,” Walker said. This is essential in industries where even slight contamination or degradation requires the material to be discarded, raising costs and environmental impact. Controlled flow solutions help minimise these risks and reduce manual clean-up.
Safety is a key driver behind the adoption of remote and automated flow solutions. Confined-space entry into silos and hoppers is inherently dangerous and requires extensive planning, and permits.
By eliminating the need for manual intervention, technologies like air cannons and remote cleaning systems significantly reduce exposure to hazards. They also help maintain consistent turnover within storage vessels, preventing the formation of dead zones where material sits unused.
Collaboration as the key to success
While technology plays a critical role, ESS’s team believes successful outcomes depend on close collaboration with clients. Understanding the specific requirements of each operation, from throughput targets to material characteristics, is essential for designing effective solutions.
“We talk to the client, find out what their flow requirement is, and then tailor the solution,” Stahura said.
This collaborative approach extends to ongoing adjustments as conditions change.
Whether it is modifying firing sequences, repositioning equipment, or adapting to new material properties, flexibility is key.
The value of this approach is reflected in client feedback. One mining project manager described air cannons as “cheap insurance” compared to the cost of plant downtime.
As bulk handling operations become more complex, the challenges associated with material flow are unlikely to diminish.
However, advances in flow aid technologies and a growing emphasis on proactive maintenance are helping operators stay ahead of the curve.
For ESS, the focus remains on combining technical expertise with practical insight, ensuring that materials keep moving, plants stay productive, and risks are minimised.
In an industry where downtime is measured in lost revenue, that combination can make all the difference.
