10. KNOW THE MATERIALS
OF CONSTRUCTION
Materials of construction are a very
important consideration in the design
and functionality of a vacuum conveying
system. The focus is on product-contact
surfaces, which are typically all
metallic—plastics are not used for rea-
sons of static control and contamina-
tion. Will your
process mate-
rials be con-
tacting coated
carbon steel,
stainless steel,
or aluminum?
Carbon steel is
available with
various coat-
ings, but those
coatings can
deteriorate or
degrade in
use. For food-
and medical-
grade plastics
processing,
304 or 316L
stainless steel
is the choice—
no need for
coatings—
with a speci-
fied level of
polish for ease
of cleaning
and avoiding
contamina-
tion. Maintenance and quality-control
personnel care deeply about their equip-
ment's materials of construction.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Kennedy is
business development manager at VAC-U-MAX,
Belleville, N.J., which designs and manufactures
vacuum conveying systems for powders and
bulk materials. His career at VAC-U-MAX spans
23 years, and Kennedy now provides process,
plant safety, and OSHA regulation experience to
the global plastics, chemical, and petrochemical
industries. Contact: 800-822-8629;
info@vac-u-max.com; vac-u-max.com.
This filter separator
and bulk-bag loader
for carbon black
was designed in
stainless steel to
facilitate cleaning
and maintenance.
19 – 21 September 2017
Messe Stuttgart, Germany
www.composites-europe.com
COMPOSITES EUROPE
12th European Trade Fair & Forum for Composites, Technology and Applications
A N O N C O L O U R T E C H N O L O G Y
PERFORMANCE ADDITIVES FOR PACKAGING
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C O N V E Y I N G