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With 40 years of experience in designing components for handling dry bulk materials, Vortex has seen many of the more than 8 million design variations necessary for handling thousands of dry bulk materials. Because each dry bulk material has vastly different properties and characteristics, there is no such thing as an all-encompassing solution for every material handling application. This is why today, approximately 40 percent of Vortex products are manufactured to include at least one unique, custom feature.
The following examples showcase the flexibility of Vortex products, and the variability in applications where Vortex products have proven success:
Size: 6 in. (150 mm)
Customer: a baking ingredients manufacturer.
Application: Modify a diverter for food-grade operation, with the purpose of handling granular sugar.
Features:
Results:
For this particular application, the Pivoting Chute Diverter was sourced for sanitation and contamination purposes. In the Pivoting Chute Diverter, there are no internal bearings, bolts, or seals that could otherwise contaminate handled materials, if they were to fall in-line.
Size: 20 in. (500 mm)
Customer: a chocolate factory.
Application: Find a solution for handling chocolate pieces at a bulk bag discharge station.
Features:
Results:
The customer sought a solution for pinching off large bulk bags filled with chocolate pieces. Originally, the customer inquired about the Iris Valve. However, due to the size of the valve opening necessary to achieve the customer’s preferred flow rate, along with other application parameters, a modified Roller Gate was considered instead as the most viable solution. The modified Roller Gate was equipped with a hand-wheel actuator to accommodate the customer’s tight space constraints. For safety purposes, the gate was also designed to eliminate any pinch points, per customer request.
Size: 6 in. (150 mm)
Customer: a steel mill.
Features:
Results:
Vortex TPV Gates were sourced for this Mainline Diverter configuration in order to address the abrasiveness of handled materials. TPV Gates also ensure the diverter’s success in high-temperature or high-pressure circumstances. By configuring a diverter valve using three stand-alone slide gates, the Mainline Diverter allows individual control of each discharge port.
Size: 16 x 24 in. (400 x 600 mm)
Customer: a grain elevator.
Application: Replace a flapper diverter with a more reliable diverter design.
Features:
Results:
This modified Gravity Vee Diverter was installed to replace a flapper diverter which was causing the customer significant maintenance issues and downtime.
Kryptane® Red liners were utilized throughout the valve to address the abrasiveness of soybeans. By using such durable liners, this Gravity Vee Diverter will wear at a much slower rate, which extends the service life of the valve.
The dual-cylinder design of the outlet legs allowed direct valve replacement within the previous flapper diverter’s existing footprint.
The Gravity Vee Diverter further benefits customer operations because the slide gates at each outlet leg can be individually controlled. This allows controlled material flow through both legs simultaneously, one outlet at a time, or a complete shut-off. In addition, the slide gates at each outlet leg are compatible with Vortex metering assemblies, allowing more precise material flow control.
When it comes to handling dry bulk materials, Vortex rarely declines a customer’s challenge. By listening to customers’ specific needs and relying on in-depth knowledge of dry solids, Vortex engineers will develop the right solution for even the most demanding applications.
