Reprinted from Powder and Bulk Engineering, November 1993 Custom processor features computer- based controls, large inventory, and variety of equipment for blending and packaging Lets take a walk through a blending and packaging custom rocessor that went on-line just last year. We'll look at the ‘operation from raw-material storage to finished-product shipping and glance at all the equipment in between. Custom processor pire Blended Products” In. isa Prectssmteeser iar oa, jpackages, stores, and transports iateriats and products. The Bayville, N.J., plant, completed in May 1992, is designed for flexible, high-wolume pro- Auction and specializes inconeretes and routs with multipleadditives, ‘Computer, PLC manage production A personal-computer-basod prozratrens- ble logic controller (PLC) simultane- ously manages two of the custom pprovessor’s production lines, controlling eight 90-ton silos that have a self-clean ing, traveling weigh hopper below. The ‘weigh hopper feeds two §-fo0t by 3-fo0t paddle mixers, each discharging into a suurge-storage hopper over a bagging sta- tion that can pack containers as large as bulk bags. ‘The custom provessor programs all for= rmulas, mixing times, and silo informa- tion into the proprietary computer. In about I minate, an operator ean program the computer to simultaneously process a set number of batches of two produets, ‘The computer automatically controls all eight silos, the weigh hopper, and the paddle mixers, alternately weighing batches of each product to keep the surge-storage hoppers full. When it's nually add the minor additives itch, the computer signals a worker, stops the mixer, and resumes, mixing when the worker is done. A Ai mn6,000-pound batch, with raw materials from three silos and one minor additive, can typically be weighed and dropped into the mixer, where the additive is added and the batch thoroughly mixed, and finally discharge into the surge hop- perin less than st minutes, Hundreds of safety Eactors ave been programmed into thecomputerto safeguard the entire batch weighing and mixing system. The computer audibly signals a worker if somethings wrong, Silos store, weigh hopper batches ‘wide material inventory “The custom processor's equipment vati- ety and large material inventory allow the company fo select from a vatiety of bulk materials and mix them in many proportions with any number of addi tives, The inventory also speeds order ‘turnaround. [Editor’s note: For an exam- ple of a fast custom processing job, see the related item, “Custom processor blends speed and accuracy for rush spe- cialty-conerete onder."] ‘The evstom processor either has in in- ventory or can get within 24 hours all grades of portland cement, masonry ce- ‘ment, special cements, gypstimt cements, many grades of industria sand, white sand, marble, limestone, and i<-inch gravel. Trucks deliver bags of the raw materials, which are then stored in a ‘warehouse. Trucks also deliver bulk ma- terials that are pneumatically transferred to the storage silos. Empire Blended’s president Jay Gomitzky and vice presi dent Martin Tanzer designed the silos, which were installed by subcontractors under Gornitzky’s and Tanzer’s supervi- sion. Each silohas#{,125-cubie-footca- pacity, the equivalent of 112,000 pounds ‘of sand or 106,000 pounds of cement or limestone, which is two full truckloads of material The characteristies ofthe mate- rial to be stored determined the silos” cone sizesand angles and the outlet sizes, ‘A traveling weigh hopper discharges into paddle mixers. ive, can ypically be weighed and dropped! into th where the adatiive is ade batch thoroughly mixed, and discharge into the suyge hopper in less than 4 minutes.| Custom processrin ction: [oo rah giecalyconcee ‘concrete mix manufacturer in Fairfield, Conn. em- ploys custom processors to mix and package prod- at about 15 plants across the US. Using several plants increases profit by cutting transportation costs. “You. hhave to process the concrete mix sta plant near the product's destination, because it's not a high-proit product. Youcan’t ship to more than a 150-mile radius and make money.” said the manufacturer's production manager. | Inthe early partot its busy March June seavon in 1992, the ‘concrete mix manfacturer had to replace its New Jersey eus- processor, Aseiders piled up, the manufacturer paid high shipping costs to send customers products from plants in Pennsylvania and Connecticut, about 100 mies further than the company wanted to ship. “In some instances we just ‘broke even shipping product. It keptourcustomershappy. but ‘we couldn't afford todo it forever” the production manager said, So the concrete mix manufacturer sought a closer custom processor to manufacture its product line, which includes ‘unique blends of sand, cement, and specialty additives. Spe- cial bulk cements used in production require silos, Process- ing requires multiple batch formulations that include Ihand-adds inthe blending process. "Through the International Package Concrete Manufscturar's Association (IPCMA), the production manager met Martin ‘Tanzer, vice president for Empire Blended Products. The pro- Auction manager visited the custom processor's plant. “Icon- Foor sitos store sand and aggregates and four store cement, limestone, ane other powders. The four powder sitosthave aer- ator pads to assist material discharge through four 12-inch screw conveyors into the self-cleaning traveling weigh hopper. Sixcinch air-operated slide gate valves control matetial flow from the four silos for sand and aggregates into the traveling weigh hopper. ‘The 6,000-pound-capacity traveling process e ed ocel areurcny stantly travel around looking #t plams for fture needs and ‘whatiot, When [went there, Ujastnew ty the way the plant ‘was set upthatit was goingtotbe excellent.” ‘Tn this case, the eustom propessor sent samples of portland ‘cement and sad to the concrete mix mamufacturee’s labora tories, which verified the manufacturer’ products could be Formate wih the castor processor's materials, Initially the miantvfactarer needed approximately 15 truck- loads of specialty woncrete mix in 40- und 60-pound bags, half to be delivered #s soon as possible. The job entailed ‘ending a specialty cement with aggregate and two propri- ‘tary aiiitives. For the job, the custom processor used three ‘S0-ton silos, atraveling weigh hopper, 6,000-pound paddle mixer, buoimpeller packers, a palletizer a stretch wrapper, equipment, and eomptiter controls. ‘The ob was done accurately in3 days The muamafacture a wibated the work's high quality to three thingy: The efficent ‘computer-controlled production lines in the new Empire ‘Blended plant (the blenders ean tin out 6,000-pound batches, ‘in minutes); the wide range of raw aterials available on site; andthe custom processor’ attention to dedailund service, In addition, the semiautomatic palletizer and stretch wrapper ‘oaded attractive and secure pallets. After testing the fist production runagainst the manufacturer's ‘quality control standards, the custom processor shipped ap- ‘proximately halfand stocked the restforfutureorders, PBE power the chain-driven hopper, gradually slowing itas it nears its destination, The custom processor chose padklle ‘Tworilling stations each receive material from four silos and sequentially add the materials to the weigh hoppet. When 3 desired weight isreached, the wext mate sil is added and so forth ual al the te ‘quired materials have been alded, The vweigh hopper then discharges through a slide gate valve programmed to stay open until the hopper is completely empty, as indicated by 1 zero weight weigh hopper, also designed by Gor niteky and Panzer, is 6 feet in diameter swith a 6foot-tall cylindrical cone sec- tion, The steel weigh hopper is sus- pended on four electronic load cells and linked to the main computer and a man- ual control panel, The weigh hopper is accurate to within #5 pounds per 2,000 pounds of each ingredient, The hopper rolls back and forth on a frame with wheels that ride on a track designed to keep the hopper from derailing, Motors reading. Anepoxy-coated interior and an electric vibrator promote material dis- charge from the weigh hopper. The weigh hopper connects to each paddle rmixer’s top throagh 2 12-inch-diameter flexible rubberchute.