Superfast Filter System For Bulk Powder

Phil Black - PII Editor 21/12/2016

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Screws and loading bellows make important contribution

Van Beek has made an important contribution to a superfast filter system for bulk powder. Wide Scope in Ghent in Belgium developed this loading and filter system and was looking for a partner to implement it. “Cooperation with Van Beek has led to a very good end result”, says plant manager Gert Bert.

Efficient solution for big bulk transhipment

Wide Scope is a company of Dutch origin that provides a wide range of logistics services. The company specialises in handling white bulk products, such as kaolin and talc. The company has its own slurry make down plant in Ghent. The enormous quantities of kaolin that the company sends by ship, wagon or truck required efficient filtering and dust-free loading.

Setting up filter system

In the solution to which Van Beek has made an important contribution the powder now arrives via a hopper into an inclined screw. The screw conveyor ensures a continuous flow to a fine-meshed filter developed by Wide Scope.

After filtering a second screw transfers the powder via a loading bellows into a bulk truck. Van Beek supplied two KR400 type tube conveyors with a capacity of 50 m3/h, an inlet hopper with screening deck on the first screw conveyor and a loading bellows at the outlet from the second screw conveyor. The whole system has a cascade setup.

Quality counted

Geoffrey Verheul, CEO of Wide Scope, approached Van Beek because it is a well-known name in the market. “What also played a part is that our partners have had positive experience with it”, explains Verheul. “We gained a good impression from a personal introduction and tour of Van Beek in Drunen. Quality counted here and also the budget limits were not exceeded.”

Long term

“It has been a long term project”, says Roel Kneepkens sales manager at Van Beek, looking back. “We have been to the site in Ghent several times and there have been several visits to our workshop. To convince Wide Scope of how the system operated we first tested a setup with our mobile bulk truck loader, the Dino. This gave a very good and positive result. The setup of the two inclined screw conveyors is also a bit like a Dino.”

Obstacles dealt with satisfactorily

“There were considerable challenges with regard to adapting the equipment to our wishes and our own filter system”, confirms Bert. “These obstacles were dealt with satisfactorily. We had good agreement on which technical adaptations Van Beek could make and which we could carry out ourselves.”