Founded by one of the fathers of bulk solids handling, Jenike & Johanson is leveraging science to deliver bespoke designs.
At first glance, moving bulk solids from one place to another does not sounds like rocket science. Jenike & Johanson general manager Corin Holmes agrees – it is even more complex.
“Bulk materials handling is very nuanced and complicated,” he told ABHR. “A lot of the time the answers aren’t black and white, but shades of grey.”
“I’ve been doing it for 25 years and I am still learning something new every day.”
“It’s not taught in universities, and in a lot of cases people don’t know it exists. They treat the design of solids plants like liquids but the two are fundamentally different.”
One of the big examples of this is when projects include designs that have been copied entirely from other sites, sometimes without knowing why the original design might not work.
For example, two hoppers in an iron ore mine could be dealing with completely different levels of moisture or particle sizes, which can lead to blockages and flow problems.
Ultimately, this improper design work means the equipment is not meeting the nameplate capacity, causing time, material, and money to be wasted.
Holmes said when it comes to bulk materials science, there are few companies that have as in-depth knowledge as Jenike & Johanson – especially when the company’s founder was one of the pioneers of the entire field.
Dr Andrew Jenike devoted himself to the study of bins and hoppers for bulk storage and material flow. His work was vital to developing and expanding the science of bulk handling, changing the way bulk vessels were designed.
Along with Jerry Johanson, he founded Jenike & Johanson in 1966, which has continued building on this legacy. The company has grown to reach across the world, with offices around the world, including in Australia.
Science-backed bulk handling
Holmes, who is based in Perth, said understanding the subtle nuances of bulk handling equipment was vital.
“Often the projects we work on have restraints,” he said.
“A large majority of what we do is retrofit design.
“We tell our clients what they need to do to achieve a certain flow rate. Sometimes, that might be impossible, for example if there is a structural beam that cannot be removed. In those cases, we work with them to find alternatives.”
When it comes to working on design projects, Jenike & Johanson prefers to work outside the box. A lot of the project work is siloed, meaning that when a vendor puts together a package, they only consider the specific project and not the upstream or downstream effects.
For example, a wall liner could change the flow pattern and cause problems downstream.
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Because a small change can have a big difference, Jenike & Johanson’s engineers consider the entire system before making any changes.
“We work closely with our clients – the closer the better,” Holmes said.
“The more involvement and understanding that we have about their site, the more bespoke we can make the design and the more reliable it will be.
“Fundamentally, the right design requires an understanding of the material. Not just the average, but an understanding of the whole range of materials that you might be handling in the process.
“We need to understand the different blends, particle sizes, moisture levels, what processes the material is being put through, and how it moves through the system.”
To find this out, Jenike & Johanson make use of the different tools available, from the discrete element method, scale modelling, or the Jenike shear tester.
Often, this includes taking a representative sample of the material into the laboratory to undergo rigorous testing.
Holmes said the company’s holistic approach to bulk solids handling has helped thousands of clients. He used a pharmaceutical company as a recent example of this approach.
As part of the company’s manufacturing process, active ingredient and filler would be combined and then pressed into a pill. However, every single movement along the process was an opportunity for the two powders to segregate, shifting the ratio away from what was required by law.
By incorporating Jenike & Johanson’s design, the pharmaceutical company was able to significantly improve the accuracy of its pill press.
Jenike & Johanson’s design expertise does more than just improve flow. In many cases, the material being handled is explosive or hazardous, with catastrophic consequences if something goes wrong. Jenike & Johanson’s engineers help companies eliminate these risks.
Global expertise
Holmes said the extensive knowledge the company’s team has developed is an intrinsic part of its success.
“You would struggle to find a material we haven’t design for,” he said. “We are a world-class organisation with global reach and a high retention rate for employees.
“I’ve been with Jenike & Johanson for 25 years, and most of our employees have been at the company for more than a decade.
“They are always being exposed to subject matter experts and taking advantage of previous lessons we have learned. The team is passionate about internal education, and there is a constant sharing of knowledge.”
With an 80 per cent retention rate, the company’s customers are keen to stick around. Holmes said Jenike & Johanson’s method builds trust and delivers results.
“Globally, we have a desire to partner with our clients to make an impact. One of the big things we are looking at is finding out ways to engage with them more effectively to help us make decisions,” he said.
“Locally, we’re heavily mining-focused but are looking to expand into other markets like food and agriculture.
“The resources we work with are finite, and we hope that through our engineering we can deliver designs that save time, money, and material.”