Vortex Global’s aeration systems are providing solutions to customers in every industry – from sugar to cement.
Vortex Global’s range of aeration systems enables businesses to transfer dusty, powdery, or flaky materials using gravity and a downward slope.
The company’s range of aerated equipment includes Aero-Slide Conveyors, Aero-Slide Gate Valves, Aero-Slide Drum Valves and Aero-Bin Bottoms.
The aeration systems can be installed on various equipment, including storage containers, or mounted to work with plant set-ups. Vortex Global can design and manufacture custom solutions within this range tailored to the specific materials and flow rates customers require.
With this combination of equipment, Vortex Global can create a solution for an expansive range of bulk-handling solutions from cement to powdered sugar.
In one example, Vortex Global was designing and manufacturing a new cement loadout for a customer in the United States.
Prior to engaging Vortex Global, the US-based client travelled to several sites to see how Vortex’s equipment was rated against competitor offerings. The customer selected Vortex after being impressed with its equipment’s “superior dependability, cleanliness, and safety.”
Vortex designed a solution for the Portland cement loadout using a Vortex Aero-Slide Conveyor, Inline Filter, Loading Spout, and blower.
Due to Portland cement’s dusty nature and alkalinity, companies producing valuable construction materials must take precautions. While workers can use safety gear, such as gloves, protective clothing, and goggles, a safe loadout system is also advantageous.
The system’s dust-tight design protected the cement workers more, while the Vortex In-Line Filter provided superior dust control.
The Vortex Loading Spout loaded directly into the trailer with minimal spillage.
The conveyor is installed at a slight downward slope. The upper chamber handles the material while the lower chamber injects dry air via a fan or blower. the air-gravity conveyor uses physics similar to an air hockey table to aerate the material as it moves down the conveyor with an improved material flow.
“Compressed air is relatively inexpensive as a commodity, and the system – once it has been switched on – contains everything within. No dust can escape,” Laurence Millington, Vortex Global’s managing director, said.
“It’s a very simple system. There are minimal moving parts and the only wear that occurs is on the bottom mesh. It’s been designed for longevity and to be maintenance friendly.
Elsewhere, Vortex Global was engaged by a railway terminal operator in the Southwest of the United States to design a customised solution. The client wanted a more straightforward solution to transfer its lighter, dry bulk materials.
Vortex Global designed a solution that used an Aero-Slide Conveyor, Aero-Slide Drum Valve and an Aero-Slide Gate Valve to suit this application.
For this set-up, the Vortex Aero-Slide Conveyor has a Vortex Aero-Slide Drum Valve, which is manually operated and pneumatically operated. The latter acts as the material flow control valve, while the manually operated one serves as a maintenance valve. The Vortex Aero-Slide Gate Valve was equipped as the shut-off valve.
The Vortex Aero-Slide Drum Valve was equipped with a cylindrical-shaped blade that rotated along a parabolic curve for more precise material distribution.
The benefits of this system from Vortex Global meant it could be made at the exact length the customer required in a dust-tight design that used no moving parts. These factors ensured the system was cost-effective, energy-efficient and simple to install and maintain.
In the central region of the United States, a bakery products supplier sought out Vortex Global’s expertise to create a bespoke solution for them.
The company wanted to upgrade its equipment, which it used to create cake frosting.
Vortex Global needed to design a solution capable of transporting powdered sugar from a filter receiver to an icing mixer, creating cake frosting.
The Vortex Aero-Slide Conveyor proved to be the ideal solution for this application, given that powdered sugar is light and powdery. It is designed to be dust-tight, which ensures the powdered sugar will not be spilled or exposed to contaminants. It also helped increase the set-up’s material volume and required minimal maintenance to keep running.
Vortex Global’s team prides itself on developing tailored solutions for their customer’s needs in the bulk-handling industry.
“Our ethos for manufacturing is to create products that are well designed, made from high quality materials and are engineered to remove issues for our customers,” Millington said.
“We have a designated team of engineers that are looking at different things we can design to improve our offering. If we can provide better gate valves, loading spouts and conveyors, we can build a system that will offer better results.”