Silos are typically used for storing bulk powders in food, plastics, paint, cement, steel, and pharma industries. This storage is extensively used where the requirement is of nonstop production during supply chain disruptions. This bulk storage also ensures high quantity of powders handled in production line, as manual handling does not suffice to huge production requirements. It is also a clean and dust free operation ensuring zero human contact with the product.
This silo is normally filled with tankers or through pneumatic conveying depending upon the raw material availability.
To ensure good discharge, each silo is normally equipped with live bottom arrangements like bin activators, fluidising cones, unloading valves etc. This units ensure consistent and controlled discharge of various materials thus ensuring efficient inventory management and control, benefitting the plant operation and its flexibility, as well as the material supply chain management.
Typically, Material of Construction (MOC) of Silo are Stainless Steel grade 304/316, Carbon steel, and Aluminium.
We have supplied various Silo and hoppers from 25 m3-630 m3 for various application across industries.
Silo Discharges arrangements
Homogeniser
This is typically a live bottom technique, used in big silos where the material bulk densities vary. The material is abrasive and heavy load on the discharge hopper tends to create problem of high flow, non-homogenised flow, and stagnation. This silo bottom is divided into 8 sectors of which only 2 opposite are aerated at the same time i.e approx. one quarter of the total silo is in aerated condition. The sectors are divided into separate segments and where different air mass flow can be introduced. The aeration time depends upon the site and material used and typically is 10-15 minutes for a segment. The whole homogenising time is 45-60 minutes approximately.
Fluidizing arrangement
Fluidization can be a highly effective method for handling a fine bulk material in an aerated like condition. Air or another gas can be used for powder fluidization in a fully fluidized state. In fluidization, the gas, flowing through a particle bed, just keeps the particles lifted vertically whereby the particles do not touch each other anymore. That is the reason for fluidized behaviour with almost no internal friction and hence there is easy and complete discharge of material with retention. Fluidisation prevents rat-holing, bridging, segregation or material residues at the bottom of the silo/Hopper cone. Various materials exhibit perfect mass flow the moment a certain amount of air is added at regular intervals during bin or silo discharge. The air enriched material gains desired flowability.
A variety of materials will show perfect mass flow as soon as certain amount of air is added at regular intervals during discharging of the bin or silo. The air enriched material gains desired flow ability.
So, we use different type of arrangement for Fluidization
- Polyester Fluidizing Pad
- Sinter fluidizing Pad and spout
- Polyester Fluidizing Cone
- Fluidizing Spout
We can design tailor made sizes & shapes as per client’s required specification.
Bin Activators
Bin Activators move dry bulk materials out of storage Silo’s on demand. If applied properly, Bin Activators eliminate bridging and rat holing, reduce particle segregation and facilitate mass flow. The discharging of bulk solid materials is possible due to vibration in a machine generated by the vibratory motor. They are efficient, convenient, and economical and can be attached to any bin or silo (new or existing.)
Silo Vibrators
Bin vibrators are ideally used on storage containers such as bins, hoppers and silos to facilitate the flow of material by eliminating the bridge formation and powder accumulation.
Types of Vibrator
- Electro pneumatic Vibrator
- Motorised Vibrator
Horizontal Unloading Valve
HUV consists of a hot-rolled steel plate and a sweep arm. The rotating arm sweeps the material through an opening directly into the vane pockets of the RIECO AIRLOCK. It is widely used where Low hopper/Silo heights are required and with materials that have a tendency to bridge. It permits the use of hoppers where limited space is available and eliminates the use of bin vibrators.
- Food
- Chemical
- Paint Raw materials
- Plastics
- Minerals
- Cement
- Power
- Petro chemical and many more
