Pneumatic conveying pipe bend with raised-diamond interior pattern works like a gem
After trying many pipe bend styles, a plastic resin manufacturer finds one that's lightweight, durable, and that reduces plastic pellet degradation.
Quantum's USI Division, Morris, Ill., manufactures low-density polyethylene [LDPE] and linear LDPE [LLDPE] resins. The company first manufactures ethylene, then synthesizes the ethylene into plastic and extrudes the plastic into 1/8-inch by 1/8-inch pellets. The finished pellets are fed through a rotary airlock into the first leg of a dilute-phase pressure pneumatic conveyor that's approximately 1,100 feet long overall. The conveyor has 8-inch pipes and uses 3,000 scfm of air supplied by a positive-displacement blower.