Celebrating Automated Powder Handling

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Precise Weighing and Reliable Batch Segregation

Dosing systems from Azo are especially well suited for handling formulations that include minor components. The latter have to be weighed into the mixing container with the utmost precision, and may also have problematic flow properties, such as titanium dioxide for example. The loss-in-weight method ensures precise dosing and weighing, right down to the gram.

Combined with intelligent process control systems, the easy-to-clean Azodos units make it possible to switch entire formulations in a very short time. Thanks to their modular design, Azo dosing systems can be extended at any time to handle new ingredients or increased production rates. Combined with the innovative Componenter system, it is also possible to achieve reliable separation of batches and to eliminate contamination. The surge bins are filled using pneumatic conveying, either from silos or directly over a big-bag discharge base.

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The various components are then weighed by the dosing systems straight into the mixing container, which is mounted on mobile scales and passes underneath the metering points. Special conveyor and transport systems are used here to ensure reliable transport and precise positioning of the mixing container, thanks to special devices for inward and outward transfer.The container is registered at the inward transfer point using a barcode, filled according to the correct formulation, and transferred out again once the dosing and weighing process is complete. Then it is fed to the mixer, or stored temporarily for subsequent further processing.

In summary, cost-effective automation in the production of powder coatings begins with the choice of optimal plant components for handling even raw materials with difficult discharge and conveying characteristics. Among other things, improved transportability can allow temperature-sensitive resins to be stored in outdoor silos without problems. This in turn allows the use of larger silo volumes without the need to take up costly indoor production areas for raw material storage. Finally, reliable transport systems ensure the secure transfer and positioning of containers.

Screening and Conveying to Recover Coating Powders

Like many other branches of industry, companies who use powder coatings to protect their products are under growing financial pressure — and yet at the same time they have to meet the most stringent quality standards. Efficient recovery of coating powder crucially improves process stability and operating efficiency.

To avoid problems with coating quality, however, it is necessary to use systems that reliably eliminate foreign matter and agglomerates from the recovered powders. In combination with tried-and-tested vacuum conveying systems, Azo’s cyclone screeners have demonstrated outstanding results in recovering coating powder. These systems are also eminently suited for recycling powder overspray.

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As the inventor of cyclone screener technology and with decades of experience, Azo has opened up new perspectives in powder screening. The company’s cyclone screeners combine reliable technology with high performance, simple maintenance, and easy cleaning. Operation in a closed system ensures dust-free operation. The screeners can easily be integrated into existing systems, thanks to their compact design.

Powder overspray — material that has drifted beyond the workpieces being coated — accumulates in a collecting tray. From here it is suctioned off and fed to the cyclone screener via a vacuum conveying system. The cyclone screener removes agglomerates, lumps and any possible contaminants that accrue during spraying. The resulting fine material is fed back into the spraying process.

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