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What does a purge valve do?
A purge valve is an integral component of a vacuum material conveying system that not only provides an on/off flow of material into a conveying line, but also a way to purge that conveying line with air at the end of every material loading cycle. Air purging is vital to...
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How a Cyclone Dust Collector Works and Why You Need One
Why are dust collectors needed? Dust collectors are often needed in plastics processing facilities because conventional high-speed vacuum-conveying systems move plastic pellets and flakes so quickly that some are damaged, causing dust and other problems. Pellets of soft materials may bump on conveying tube surfaces, heat up due to friction,...
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What is bulk density?
The bulk density of plastic materials influences many different operations within a plastics processing plant. So what is bulk density, anyway? Bulk density is the weight of a material based on a given volume. In the world of plastic resins, bulk density is typically expressed in one of several ways:...
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Can you leave conveying problems in the dust?
I regularly hear from processors who are generating large amounts of resin dust—sometimes hundreds of pounds each week. They collect it, shift after shift, from the dust collection bins near their conveying system’s vacuum pumps. Those producing black-colored parts might be able to utilize some of this wasted resin dust...
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Gaylord Tilters, Sweepers: What’s the Difference?
Plastics processors have long relied on a simple technology, a pick-up lance or wand, connected to a vacuum system, to draw material from Gaylord Tilters. Just put the wand into the material and, when needed, turn on the vacuum to draw material to the destination. But as the material around...