Mechanical Extraction and Transfer: a customised solution for high-speed, confined feeding of titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate slurries.

In the chemical industry, and more specifically in the manufacture of paints and coatings, powder handling plays a key role in the quality and reproducibility of formulations.

The project aimed to design a solution capable of transferring charges such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to mixing kneaders, while ensuring high throughput, excellent containment and good dosing accuracy.

The main constraints identified were as follows:

• Limited space: The restricted installation area required a compact solution that could optimise space while ensuring significant elevation.
• Optimised powder flow: The cohesive nature of the fillers handled required a device that prevented arch formation and ensured complete discharge.
• Good dosing accuracy: Each batch had to be weighed with a tolerance of ±1 kg to ensure process reliability and repeatability of the mixtures.
• High transfer capacity: The installation had to allow a flow rate of 8 tonnes per hour, ensuring continuous and efficient feeding of the mixers.
• Optimised containment: In order to reduce dust emissions and make the working environment safer, the equipment had to be equipped with high-performance clamping and sealing systems.

Faced with these challenges, the solution had to incorporate optimised emptying of big bags and a tubular chain conveyor, ensuring smooth and safe transfer of powders to the production units.

To meet the project requirements, a comprehensive solution was designed, incorporating a big bag emptying station with integrated weighing and a tubular chain conveyor. The entire system was designed to ensure high throughput, optimal containment and accurate dosing.

1. Big bag emptying station

Two big bag emptying stations were installed, each dedicated to a specific powder (titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate). These stations enable efficient unloading of the powders thanks to the following features:

• 1,000 L buffer hoppers, ensuring sufficient autonomy and continuous transfer to the conveyor.
• Flat-bottomed breakers, facilitating the flow of cohesive powders and preventing the formation of arches.
• Big bag massage systems, optimising emptying and preventing powder residues in the big bags.
• Rotary valves, ensuring accurate dosing with a tolerance of ±1 kg before the powders are fed into the conveyor.
• Integrated scales, enabling accurate monitoring of transferred quantities and automated dosing management.
• Sealed containment systems, with clamping heads limiting dust emissions when big bags are opened.

2. Tubular chain conveyor

Powders are transported to the mixer kneaders by a tubular chain conveyor, selected for its many advantages:

• A high transfer rate of 8,000 kg/h, ensuring continuous feeding of the mixing equipment.
• A compact elevation of 6 metres, suitable for confined spaces and optimising installation.
• Gentle and uniform transport, reducing powder segregation and ensuring a regular feed to the mixers.
• A total containment system, preventing any dust dispersion and ensuring a clean working environment.
• Offset sensors and a rotation controller, guaranteeing safe operation and avoiding production interruptions.

Thanks to this solution, the installation ensures optimal emptying, precise dosing and reliable transfer of powders, while complying with the constraints of the layout and the customer's process.

The installation is based on equipment specifically designed to ensure optimal powder transfer, taking into account precision, speed and containment requirements.

1. EasyFlow® 125 EF12 big bag emptying stations

• Capacity: Compatible with big bags up to 1,500 kg.
• Loading method: Forklift truck with handling cross.
• Sealed connection head, minimising dust emissions during emptying. The big bag discharge sleeve is clamped in the head before the tie is released.
• Pneumatic massage systems, facilitating the extraction of cohesive powders such as titanium dioxide.
• 1,000 L buffer hopper, ensuring transfer autonomy and continuous feed.
• DEVP1400 flat-bottomed de-duster, preventing the formation of arches, ensuring complete emptying of powders and regulated feed.
• PE250 rotary valve, ensuring regulated product feed into the tubular chain conveyor and guaranteeing dosing accuracy.
• Its operation is controlled by load cells, allowing dosing by weight with a tolerance of ±1 kg.
• Load cells covering the entire big bag emptying station. The load cells are equipped with their own environment and anti-tear systems.
• BFM® flexible sleeve for decoupling the weighing system from the downstream equipment, preventing any weighing interference.

Advantages:

• Complete emptying of big bags thanks to the flat-bottomed unroller and massage systems.
• Optimised dosing accuracy with integrated weighing and rotary valve controlled by load cells.
• Maximum containment, limiting powder dispersion in the working environment.

2. Tubular chain conveyor

Technical characteristics:

• Transfer rate: 8,000 kg/h, ensuring continuous, uninterrupted feed to the mixers.
• 6-metre elevation, allowing for a small footprint while still reaching the mixing equipment.
• Closed-circuit transport, guaranteeing total containment and preventing cross-contamination.
• Drive by chain and PE discs, ensuring a homogeneous flow and transport without segregation of powders.
• Offset sensor and rotation controller, preventing operating incidents and optimising system safety.
• Inspection hatch and vibrator at the top, facilitating maintenance and ensuring smooth product discharge.

Advantages:

• High transfer capacity with efficient rise and continuous feed.
• Compact size, ideal for confined environments requiring vertical elevation.
• Reliability and safety, thanks to rotation control and fault detection devices.
• Dust protection, preventing particle dispersion and improving working conditions.

Thanks to its expertise in custom design, Palamatic Process was able to offer a solution perfectly suited to the specific constraints of the site.

The integration of big bag emptying stations and a tubular chain conveyor guarantees precise and reliable powder transfer, while ensuring a high throughput and optimal containment.

Faced with limited space, the need for precise dosing and a flow rate of 8,000 kg/h, Palamatic Process designed a functional and optimised solution.

Customised engineering made it possible to efficiently install the entire system despite significant space constraints, while maintaining high performance.

One of the major challenges of this installation was the handling of complex, free-flowing powders such as titanium dioxide.

Thanks to its expertise in handling cohesive powders, Palamatic Process has integrated de-dusting systems, big bag massagers and rotary valves controlled by load cells, thus ensuring complete emptying and regular feeding of the process.

One of the keys to titanium dioxide is the extraction of the product to feed a secondary transfer system: it must be mechanical to guarantee transfer.

This approach not only ensures better productivity, but also total control of powder flows, reducing losses and improving the cleanliness and safety of the process.

Thanks to in-depth expertise in complex powder issues and a design tailored to the most demanding industrial requirements, this installation brings significant added value to the production of paints and coatings.