Aero conveyor: Gentle conveying for friable materials
By combining the best features of mechanical and pneumatic conveyors, an aero conveyor can overcome some of the biggest problems with pneumatically conveying friable materials. This article discusses these problems, then explains how the aero conveyor works, lists selection tips for conveying friable materials, and provides test results and application examples. Related information discusses pros and cons for the aero conveyor and dilute- and dense-phase pneumatic conveyors.
Friable materials such as some chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and foods can degrade, segregate, and generate dust during in-plant conveying and handling. While pneumatic conveying is commonly used for in-plant conveying and easily controls the dust, only dense-phase, high-pressure pneumatic conveying can overcome degradation and segregation problems. But such a system has a high capital cost, particularly for a short conveying distance.