The geometry of the fifteen stainless steel intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) was designed for efficient discharge and repose fill of powder, while the five larger hopper’s steep double cone shape allows the blending of metal powders. The design of both the hoppers includes supports enabling handling with a forklift, efficient storage and straightforward loading onto the screw feeders.
Ajax’s cantilevered screws use a variable pitch to help ensure mass flow from the hoppers. The feeders’ casing is mounted on ferrules allowing access to the full length of the screw for easy cleaning.
“From the initial phone call and subsequent first meeting, Ajax quickly understood what we wanted to achieve with our powder handling system and provided initial proposals to a fully working powder handling system that we have integrated into our processing equipment. When we had a specification issue on one of our transfer stations, Ajax was quickly able to calculate the new requirement and an alternative gearbox was sourced. Ajax’s hoppers and screw feeders perform very well,” said Dan Frith, Manufacturing & Engineering Manager, Liberty Powder Metals.
Commenting Eddie McGee, managing director at Ajax Equipment said, “This is one of the largest and most unusual hopper orders Ajax has received. Typically, customers require a substantial hopper that will be static for the length of its service life. These compact, portable hoppers can easily be moved between storage, filling and loading the screw feeders also supplied.” ■
