Aerodyne offers the Vacu-Valve® for reliable discharge of powders from drying chambers and cyclone dust collectors. These trickle valve systems require no power supply, controls, or lubrication. Anhydro Inc., a global manufacturer of spray drying equipment, has been utilizing the Vacu-Valve for over 30 years. Stewart Gibson, Anhydro’s process engineer, claims that the Vacu-Valve’s simplicity is one of the main reasons why they switched to and continue to use this trickle valve system, as opposed to a rotary airlock system. Gibson says, “The Vacu-Valve is a simple powder release valve that prevents ingress of air into the system, which is just what we needed.” The Vacu-Valve is a fraction of the cost of the rotary valve it typically replaces. Gibson also says he continues to use the Vacu-Valve because of the “reduced maintenance and high reliability” it offers; claiming that with no moving parts or controls, it just works.

Aerodyne’s Vacu-Valve® Trickle Valve System is the most cost-effective way to manage dust discharged from bag filters or cyclones under negative pressure. The Vacu-Valve consists of an automatic non-powered valve and has a duckbill rubber sleeve which is held closed by the negative pressure. As material builds up, the sleeve is forced open and the material discharges from the hopper. The system’s negative pressure then closes the sleeve automatically. Wagner Quarries Company, a state-of-the-art limestone mining facility located in Sandusky, Ohio, was experiencing very costly problems with its rotary airlock valves. Due to the abrasive nature of limestone dust, the rotary airlock valve’s performance was short lived. In addition, the difficult access to the drive assemblies made repairs a challenge. The company decided to replace their expensive rotary airlocks with the much more cost-effective Vacu-Valve from Aerodyne. This trickle valve system improved overall process efficiency and saved an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 a year or more.

Aerodyne offers a variety of duck bill sleeve options for their Vacu-Valve® Trickle Valve System in order to accommodate a multitude of industries and applications. One option is the Neoprene sleeve. This standard duckbill sleeve is made for most non-abrasive to slightly abrasive dusts and powders. It is recommended for applications with operating temperatures of up to 200°F. A second option is the Nitrile sleeve. This newly improved duck bill sleeve is chemical and caustic resistant, as well as abrasive resistant. The white coloring of the sleeve is the ideal solution to applications involving solid white dust; eliminating the possibility of dark specs, which may contaminate a finished product. The final sleeve option offered for the Vacu-Valve is the VHT High Temp sleeve. This duck bill sleeve is heat resistant in temperatures up to 400°F/200°C, and offers excellent resistance to aggressive fuels and chemicals. See a list of these sleeve options as well as a Vacu-Valve demonstration over at Aerodyne’s website.

Aerodyne’s GatorGate™ Double Dump Valve helped resolve an issue a Midwest tire recycler was having at their facility. The company was using a bag house system which was collecting airborne dust from the tire shredding operation. Small pieces of rubber, nylon, and steel were collected and discharged from the collector by a rotary airlock, which kept wearing out prematurely. In addition, the fibers from the tires would wrap around the rotors which caused further problems. Replacement and maintenance of these rotary valves was costly and time consuming. The decision was made to purchase the GatorGate Double Dump Valve. This valve is the most efficient and reliable double dump valve available for the discharge of chunky, fibrous, and abrasive materials from dust collection systems. The unique cam operated drive mechanism provides reliable service without the use of expensive and problematic pneumatic controls. As the motor driven cam rotates, it actuates the upper and lower flap gates in sequence, allowing material to discharge while ensuring minimal leakage. Quick removing inspection doors provide easy access to internal components for regular maintenance. The GatorGate Double Dump Valve is available in a variety of sizes and is a great alternative for applications not suited for rotary air lock valves. The tire recycling company was so pleased with the outcome that they decided to replace other rotary valves in their facility with the GatorGate Double Dump Valve.

Space is often at a premium in industrial operations. Expansion is costly, and it can be hard to re-work an old system to fit new requirements. The Knife Gate Valve is a boon to those who seek cost efficiency through space-saving measures. The Knife Gate Valve’s principle is simple: stop the flow of material by blocking its path. Whether operated manually or by pneumatic assembly, the Knife Gate Valve gives the user options on how and when to control a flow of material. Knife Gate Valves are often used at the end of a process, where they are used to control the discharge of material. Perfect for discharging materials or controlling material flow, the Knife Gate Valve is a valuable addition to almost any kind of bulk handling system.

Whether it’s a trickle, rotary, double flap or double dump valve, choosing the right dry material handling valve can significantly improve the efficiency of your facility’s operations. For example, a specialty chemical manufacturer based in Canada recently discovered a problem with the rotary valve used in the dust collection system of a plastics process. During the collection of a mixture of fine plastic powder and fibrous resin, strings of plastic resin were getting wrapped around the vanes of the system’s rotary valve—causing premature valve damage and drastically reducing the efficiency of the dust collection system. To solve this problem, the manufacturer replaced the rotary valve with a GatorGate™ Double Dump Valve. This valve discharges material while maintaining a positive airlock seal through a pair of sequentially timed flap gates. As the double dump valve’s internal gates open and close, the strings of resin no longer wrap and bind the valve as they did with the old rotary valve. In addition, the new valve minimizes the amount of air leakage in to the system, improving the overall performance of the dust collection system. To learn more about this technology, watch our double dump valve in action.

Abrasive materials pose some of the most difficult challenges for material handling systems, particularly rotary valves. Slowly but steadily abrasive materials scrape against the insides of the rotary airlock valves, leaving behind damage to airlocks and valves that may go undetected and cause major inefficiencies. As abrasive wear widens factory clearances, the seal of a rotary airlock valve can be damaged rendering it potentially useless. Yet all these factors still can’t eliminate the need for a valve in the system. A Rotary H Valve from Aerodyne is a great choice for systems requiring a positive airlock seal while handling highly abrasive materials. Specially designed for such occasions, the hardened tips of the Rotary H Valve’s rotor, as well as tight clearance in the H Valve’s casing, allow it to resist the wear and tear associated with abrasives. Aerodyne’s Rotary H Valve is a solid example of the design and durability required for rotary valves to solve tough material handling problems.

The results of a recent explosion in a Kansas grain elevator emphasize the need for reliable cyclone dust collector equipment in grain processing facilities. The accident occurred at the end of October 2011 at the Bartlett Grain Company in Atchison, Kansas, killing six people and critically injuring two others. While the cause of the explosion was initially unknown, the presence of highly combustible grain dust was likely involved. In fact, an AP news article covering the incident highlighted a statistic from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that reported more than 600 explosions at grain elevators in the last 40 years, which have killed more than 250 people and injured over 1,000. To increase the safety of employees and protect valuable equipment, an increasing number of grain processing facility managers are implementing cyclone dust collector systems. One of the most popular types of industrial dust collection uses cyclonic action to push particles to the sides of the collection chamber where they strike the chamber walls, lose momentum and fall to the bottom of the chamber. Following collection, the particles may be reclaimed and reused or safely disposed of as needed.

As part of a recent upgrade at a government facility’s recreational center in Honolulu, Hawaii, the high-efficiency GPC cyclonic dust collector was installed to save space, time and money. The new cyclonic dust collector was needed to manage dust produced from several newly installed woodworking machines. Among the strict project specifications, the dust collector had to be installed outdoors—no higher than the roofline of the building. The GPC cyclonic dust collector’s unique ground-plate design eliminates the need for a long tapered cone as required by other high-efficiency cyclones. Its compact size allowed for easy installation within the recreation facility’s low overhead clearances. Since it has no filters or moving components, it significantly reduced the maintenance requirements of the system, and the low pressure drop of the collector keeps operational costs at a minimum. To learn more, read the full press release on our high-efficiency cyclonic dust collector now.

Sometimes reading about a material handling valve just isn’t enough to identify the right solution for your application. Especially in the case of a trickle valve, a simple animation can help you visualize its functionality and understand its benefits. As you watch our trickle valve demo (http://www.dustcollectorhq.com/vacu-valve-demo.html), notice that one of the best features of this vacuum-operated valve is how gravity works to collect the free-flowing material at the base of the dust collection system. The negative pressure of the system keeps the valve sleeve closed until the collected material builds up to the point of forcing the sleeve open and discharging the material from the hopper. Adjustable springs are located on the side of the sleeve to help overcome the negative pressure. The trickle valve then re-closes automatically. When the dust collection system is turned off, the remaining material will completely discharge from the hopper. A low-cost alternative to a rotary valve, a trickle valve operates without power/controls, requires no lubrication and involves little maintenance. Trickle valves provide continuous dispensing of dense, free-flowing and even abrasive materials such as rocks, wood chips, candy and cereal.