EuroBulkSystemsINTERNATIONAL NEWS • PEOPLE • PRODUCTS MARCH/APRIL 2008 ISSUE 2

IN THIS ISSUE

Market intelligence .......... 2Latest news concerning European bulk processing plants: new projects, plant closures, amalgamations, etc.

News ..............................3-6Premier Tech acquires Arodo; Haver & Boecker celebrates landmark achievements; internal reorganisation at Zeppelin

World news digest ............ 4Equipment innovations and news from outside Europe

Exhibition preview ............ 7easyFairs SOLIDS, Birmingham

Interview .......................8-9Jim Kievit, CEO of J-TEC Material Handling

Silos ............................... 10

Pneumatic conveying ...... 11

Magnetic separation & metal detection .............. 12

New equipment ..........13-15

The European journal for in-plant handling and processing of powders, granulates, pastes and liquids

Delegates at a recent in-house seminar organised by J-TEC Material Handling being given a guided tour through the engineering firm’s test plant at its Kapellen, Belgium, headquarters. We talk to CEO Jim Kievit about his company’s recent rapid expansion and his reasons for terminating previously successful equipment distributorships in hfavour of a total commitment to project engineering (see p8).

SCE Silo Construction and Engineering of Belgium continues to win major agri-bulk contracts where its modular self-supporting rectangular steel silos are proving popular for vertical storage of cocoa shell and beans, malt and in particular green coffee beans (see p10).

In February Eriez Magnetics Europe despatched its fourth Powerflux superconducting high-gradient magnetic separator from its South Wales factory en route to a customer in Continental Europe for purifying mineral slurries. Each of these giant units weighs 25t (see p12).

Zeppelin Silos & Systems has in recent months been doing so much business in Russia that at the end of last year it opened a sales and customer support office in Moscow. The plastics industry in particular has awarded several major contracts to the German engineering firm, on the strength of its combined expertise in silo technology and pneumatic conveying. Pictured is a typical plastics production plant recently supplied by the company to Russia (see p5).

2 EuroBulkSystems MARCH/APRIL 2008

AZERBAIJANAO Garadag Cement, Azerbaijan’s largest cement producer which is 89.5% owned by Holcim, plans to build a new production plant at a cost of €150M.

BELGIUMVandermortele is to invest €25M in the construction of a 40,000t/yr capacity bread plant. The fi rst part of the project is expected to be operational by beginning of next year.

BELGIUMIscal Sugar has closed one of its two sugar factories as a result of EU reform. The factory in Moerbeke has been shut but the one in Veurne continues to operate. The company processes about 2Mt of sugar beet annually.

BELGIUMBelgian agricultural giant Aveve has taken a majority stake in Dumoulin, the country’s fourth largest feed manufacturer which produces 430,000t of compound feed annually. The two groups will retain their respective operational structures.

FRANCEToyo Aluminium KK (Toyal), an affi liate of Nippon Light Metal, is expanding its operation in south-west France with the addition of extra warehousing and crushing capacity expected to be completed by 2010. It produces aluminium powders, pastes and pigments at Accous-Lescun, Pyrenées-Atlantiques, at present Toyal’s only manufacturing site in Europe.

FRANCEThe EU competition authority has given the green light to the Entremont Confranlait powdered milk joint venture with Sodiaal Industrie. The two companies will establish a 50:50 joint venture which will unite production and sales of both companies’ dietary and infant milk products.

GERMANYDanish fi sh feed producer Aller Aqua A/S is investing in a large production plant in Gollsen, south of Berlin, Germany. Aller Aqua Technology, part of the Aller Aqua Group, owns about half of the new company Emsland-Aller Aqua GmbH in Germany. The other half is owned by German potato starch producer Emsland-Stärke. First step of the investment will be the construction of a pea protein factory, involving an investment of more than €20M. On the same site the company plans to build one of the most modern fi sh feed factories in Europe. Aller Aqua Group has other fi sh feed plants in Denmark, Poland and Germany.

HUNGARYIt has been reported that the largest biofuel plant in Central Europe is to be built at Hodmezovasarhely, south-eastern Hungary. Plans for the project have been drawn up by Central EU Biofuel Hungary Kft. It will be completed in two phases. First a crushing plant of 500,000t/yr capacity will be established by autumn of 2009 for sunfl ower and rape seed. This will then be used to produce biodiesel in a new refi nery, construction of which is scheduled to begin in 2010.

HUNGARYFrench-owned Saint-Gobain Group is currently building a €40M gypsum board plant in Hungary. It is scheduled to be completed this September and some of the output will be exported.

HUNGARYTwo of Hungary’s four surviving sugar plants – the Petohaza unit of Magyar Cukor owned by Austrian Agrana and the Szolnok refi nery of Matra Cukor, a subsidiary of Germany’s Nordzucker – are to cease operation at the end of the current sugar campaign.

ITALYEquipolymers, the joint venture in PTA/PET production between Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) and Dow Chemical, has completed construction of a state-of-the-art PET line at its Ottana plant in Italy. The new facility, which came on stream in December, raises capacity at the site to 150,000t/yr. Equipolymers, established in 2004, also makes PET at two lines in Schkopau, eastern Germany

KAZAKHSTANUK-based Kazphosphate aims to raise up to a billion dollars through an initial public offering (IPO) expected to take place in London either next year or in 2010. Funds raised are expected to fi nance the construction of new fertiliser and synthetic detergents production facilities in Kazakhstan, where Kazphosphate mines phosphate rock. The company has an annual turnover of $160M and in 2007 produced an

estimated 65,000t of phosphates.

LATVIACemex is building a new cement plant at Broceni, Latvia, with a design capacity of 1.6Mt/yr. The €220M investment is expected to be completed by end of this year.

NETHERLANDSYara International has plans to construct an additional urea plant at its Sluiskil, Netherlands, site. Scheduled to be operational by 2011, the €300M investment will expand urea capacity at Sluiskil by 45% to 3500t/day.

POLANDUS breakfast cereals producer Kellogg is planning to establish a presence in Central and Eastern Europe with the construction of a production plant in Poland, reportedly representing an investment of about $50M.

POLANDAtlas Group is planning to set up a €15M construction gypsum factory in Konin over the next 18 months or so. This follows the recent opening by the company of a gypsum and anhydrite mine at Niwice in Lower Silesia, together with a gypsum processing plant.

RUSSIASolikamsk Magnesium Works is reported to be investing US$17M in setting up a small titanium sponge metal plant at its Solikamsk site in Perm oblast in the Urals region. Initial capacity will be 2500t/yr and it is expected to be operational by end of this year. Solikamsk has been producing titanium tetrachloride for several years and has a 3800t/yr titanium dioxide plant which uses a tetrachloride hydrolysis production process.

RUSSIABy middle of this year Russian potash producer JSC Silvinit plans to complete a RR 1.7bn investment involving the construction of a new shaft at the Solikamsk 2 site. Completion of the new shaft will allow the company to increase output capacity for silvinite ore at Solikamsk 2 by 50% to 9.5Mt/yr.

RUSSIAFL Smidth has been contracted to supply a complete Greenfi eld cement plant to be built near the Russian town of Slantsy, about 200km west of St. Petersburg. The order, believed to be worth about €125M, was placed by LLC Cement and the plant is scheduled to be operational by mid-2010.

SERBIASerbian sugar producer Sunoko, a joint venture between Germany’s Nordzucker and domestic trading company MK Commerce, plans to increase sugar beet production by 2010. The company harvested

1.69Mt of beet in 2007. Sunoko manages four sugar factories in Serbia’s northern province of Vojvodina.

SPAINBarcelona-based Nubiola is planning to increase global ultramarine production capacity by 25%, from 12,000 to 16,000t/yr. Most of the increased output is expected to come from the company’s Llodio plant in Alava province, north-west Spain. Nubiola has other European production plants at Rousse, Bulgaria, and Doicesti, Romania.

SPAINSpanish group Ebro Puleva is being forced to close three sugar plants to comply with EU reforms of the industry. The company’s sugar quota is set to be cut by 50% to 400,000t/yr.

SPAINCemex has invested €50.5M in constructing the world’s largest white cement kiln at its facility in Bunol, Valencia. Clinker capacity of the new kiln will reach 600,000t/yr.

TURKEYSubject to regulatory approval Saudi food company Savola Group has announced the acquisition of Turkish edible oils producer Yudum Food from National Bank of Kuwait.

UKAnimal feed fi rm Norvite has offi cially opened a new £400,000 feed plant in Ayrshire, located in Low Carston, Ochiltree. The company already has three production sites in Scotland, two in Aberdeenshire and one in Ayrshire.

UKBaerlocher, Germany, is upgrading its production unit at Bury, Greater Manchester, to produce calcium-based additive one-packs from middle of this year. The plant will have an initial capacity of 7-10,000t/yr for powdered and granular one-packs.

UK/NETHERLANDSIndorama Holdings of Thailand is reported to be about to buy Eastman Chemicals’ PET businesses in the UK and Netherlands for up to €65M. If the acquisition takes place it will add a total of 340,000t/yr PET capacity to the group’s portfolio. The deal, if it goes ahead, will extend Indorama’s existing European business at present based at its greenfi eld operation in Lithuania which came on stream last year.

UKRAINEOJSC Sumy Khimprom is reported to be planning further plant modernisation with the result that titanium dioxide production at Sumy should increase to about 50,000t/yr.

EUROPEAN MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Industry Updates – Every Week

Every week, EuroBulkSystems publishes a digest of the latest industry developments:

• New Products • Technical Innovations • Latest Orders •

For up-to-date news on In-Plant Handling and Bulk Processing, visit:

www.eurobulksystems.com

MARCH/APRIL 2008 EuroBulkSystems 3

Newly established English Whisky Co – the only registered whisky producer in England – has installed a tailor-made bucket elevator system from Guttridge of Spalding, Lincolnshire, at its newly opened St George’s Distillery at Roundham, near Thetford. The compact elevator carries malt to the grist mill, performing the dual function of fi lling and discharging a series of small Guttridge-designed self-emptying bins.

James Nelstrop, founder of English Whisky, commented: “It’s an attractive solution and an unusual one, in that we have very little height to play with. Guttridge managed to create some very small self-emptying bins,

using one bucket elevator to do two jobs, fi lling and emptying.” St George’s Distillery managed to persuade master distiller Ian Henderson, whose previous pedigree includes great Scotch brands such as Glenlivet and Laphroaig, out of retirement to help produce the fi rst ‘English malt whisky’ for over 100 years.

www.guttridge.co.uk

Premier Tech Group of Rivière-du-Loup, Québec, Canada, has taken over Arodo Bvba, the Belgian manufacturer of sack fi lling and palletising systems, subject to regulatory approval. Details of the transaction had at the time of going to press not been released by either party. With head offi ce in Arendonk, Arodo has offi ces in France, Germany, UK and Denmark as well as a network of European distributors.

In 2002 Premier Tech purchased two other bagging equipment manufacturers, Richard Simon and Chronos Richardson. The acquisition of Chronos Richardson, just a few months after that of Richard Simon, was a surprise to many in view of the similarity of certain product lines offered by the two new member companies. Subsequent amalgamation of the two businesses in Europe did not run as smoothly as anticipated and last year Chronos Richardson sold its MPS (materials processing systems) division to Zeppelin Silos & Systems of Germany, enabling it to focus on its two remaining core areas of expertise: bagging and palletising systems and associated weighing technology.

Arodo also specialises in bagging and palletising equipment and was among the fi rst European manufacturers to develop integrated ‘total control’ sack handling systems.

With this latest acquisition, Premier Tech is faced with a superabundance of bagging technology as well as considerable duplication between Chronos Richardson and Arodo equipment ranges. At this stage it is not known if Arodo will continue to operate under its own name, or whether its brands and intellectual property will be absorbed by Chronos Richardson, as happened previously with Richard Simon.

There is also likely to be a degree of rationalisation with regard to European production facilities and sales offi ces of the two companies. Chronos currently has a presence in Italy, France, UK and Germany, being jointly administered from these last two countries. It also has subsidiaries in Thailand and India.

The Chronos Richardson Group has 450 employees and in its last fi nancial year achieved global sales in excess of €70M.

www.premiertech.com

Managing EditorRichard MillerTel: +44 (0)1424 446003richard.miller@oakhillmedia.com

Consultant EditorPatrick HicksTel: +44(0)20 8398 9048pwh@oakhillmedia.com

Bulk Liquids EditorNeil MaddenNeil.madden@wanadoo.fr

Art and ProductionRay Hodddenisehodd@btinternet.com

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NEWS

IN BRIEFBritish Rema acquires Powder TechnologyPowder processing specialist British Rema of Chestefi eld, UK, has taken over Powder Technology Ltd of Preston, a supplier of powder handling and processing equipment to industries such as pharmaceuticals, food and fi ne chemicals. Previously it was announced that David Bugler, director of Powder Technology, had been named sales director of British Rema.

www.britishrema.co.uk

Radial screw discharger for kenaf chipsSaxlund International of Soltau-Harber, Germany, has delivered a large radial screw discharger to the new Phuong Nam pulp plant currently being built near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The screw will reclaim hacked kenaf chips at a rate of 370cu m/h from beneath a 15m high stockpile. Kenaf is a plant from the hibiscus family that provides an annually renewable source of fi bre for the paper industry.

www.saxlund-international.de

New MD at KalenbornDr Conrad Mauritz, 41, was recently named managing director at Kalenborn Kalprotect, Vettelschoss, Germany, the internationally respected manufacturer of wear-protection lining systems. Dr Mauritz, grandson of the company’s founder Dr Kurt Mauritz, has studied economics and business management in Munich, Paris, Oxford and Berlin. He joins existing managing directors Michael Rokitta and Dietmar Tremmer.

www.kalenborn.de

Emerson Process Management appoints new European presidentDavid Dunbar has been named European president of Emerson Process Management, the US-based supplier of automated measurement and control technology for chemical and allied industries whose brands include Fisher, Rosemount, Mobrey and Micro Motion. Relocating from Ohio, USA, he is now based at the company’s Baar, Switzerland, European head offi ce.

www.emersonprocess.com

Chronos Richardson relocatesIn late December Chronos Richardson moved to a new UK administrative and production complex situated just four miles from its previous factory and head offi ce that it had occupied for nearly 45 years. The new address is: Unit 1, Centurion Business Park, Dabell Avenue, Blenheim Industrial Estate, Nottingham NG6 8WN. Telephone, fax and email details remain the same.

www.chronosrichardson.com

Latin American screening business for MogensenUK-based Mogensen Raw Materials Handling has won an order from Chile’s largest iron ore producer, Compania Minera de Pacifi co, for two large sizers plus two matching vibratory spreader-feeders. The sizers will extract minus 2mm ore from the mine feed at a rate of about 200t/h. The fi ne material will be subjected to further size reduction by milling. The equipment is scheduled to be delivered by April 2008.

www.mogensen.co.uk

Premier Tech bags Arodo

Enclosed drag conveyor transfers hydrated lime

A Hapman tubular drag conveyor has been installed at the Mozyr oil refi nery in Belarus for handling hydrated lime. The order for the US-designed conveyor was won by Hapman’s UK-based business partner Braby which had originally been approached by the refi nery to supply a skid-mounted silo system. The conveyor is required to work at very low temperatures and to meet stringent vapour barrier requirements.

The Mozyr refi nery produces a wide range of oil products and is classed as an EeXD IIB area which required all the mechanics, motors, controls and drive systems to be rated under Zone 0, in accordance with the DSEAR regulations. The single most important feature of the tubular drag conveyor system is its enclosed construction, allowing the product to be protected from the outside atmosphere while at the same time protecting the immediate environment and nearby workers from the product. The system is also completely sealed, eliminating toxic or fl ammable spillage, odours or airborne dust, all of which are potentially hazardous.

www.hapman.com

Mozyr oil refi nery, Belarus, has installed a Hapman tubular drag conveyor.

Schütz expands in Europe and Latin America Schütz of Selters, Germany, the world’s foremost manufacturer of rigid intermediate bulk containers, towards the end of last year opened Schütz Benelux at Moerdijk, the Netherlands. The new 60,000m_ factory, ideally located halfway between Rotterdam and Antwerp, will be the company’s second largest production site after the main factory in Selters. A full line of transport packaging will be produced including IBCs.

In a separate development, Schütz has recently entered into a joint venture with Vasitex, Brazil’s largest reconditioning company for industrial packaging. With a head offi ce close to Sao Paulo, Vasitex also makes plastic containers and drums. The new joint venture will start manufacturing IBCs by the summer of 2008.

www.schuetz.net

Compact bucket elevator for English Whisky

Guttridge bucket elevator at English Whisky.

3D LevelScanner from APM Automation Solutions, Israel, available in the UK through Golconda. Allows silo contents to be viewed remotely by PC or laptop. (See page 7).

4 EuroBulkSystems MARCH/APRIL 2008NEWS

WORLD NEWS DIGESTA summary of recent developments outside Europe

Bulk bag discharger with volumetric feeder

Material Transfer & Storage of Allegan, MI, has introduced the patented Material Master dust-tight bulk bag discharger which features Type 304 stainless steel on all product contact surfaces. A volumetric feeder meters product into a screener, while product fl ow can be halted for partial bag discharging by means of a Flo-Lock discharge gate. There is also an integral bag massaging system.

www.materialtransfer.com

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Collapsible IBC systems for liquids and solidsBulk Handling Australia , with head offi ce on Croydon, Victoria, has recently introduced three new designs of demountable IBC system which can be folded fl at as return packaging. Designated Alpal, Atlas and Nautilus, they can all be assembled without use of tools and are suitable for carrying either liquids or solids. There is a choice of sidewall materials, discharge arrangements and inner liners (for liquids).

www.bha.com.au

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New enclosed belt conveyor will compete with pneumatic pipeline systemsInnovative Conveying Systems of Australia has launched the novel ICS Conveyor. This pouch-type suspended belt conveyor, which can carry any bulk material from large rocks through to fi ne powders, can negotiate tight horizontal and vertical bends. Smaller versions with an enclosed belt diameter of only 125mm can transfer powders in a dustfree manner at 100t/h at a belt speed of 2m/s.

www.innovativeconveying.com

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Form-fi t liquid liners

Grayling Industries of Alpharetta, GA, has recently introduced a new range of Guardian form-fi t IBC liquid liners. Thanks to the elimination of pockets and folds that trap residual material, virtually the entire content of the IBC is discharged. IBCs are also instantly reusable because there is no need for cleaning. There is a choice of fi lms with up to three-layer construction.

www.graylingindustries.com

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Wireless temperature monitoring of hazchem in tankcars Emerson Process Management recently successfully applied a smart wireless solution to the problem of monitoring rising temperatures in rail tankcars containing chemicals at the Mill Hall, PA, plant of speciality chemical manufacturer Croda. The system is said to save the company about US$15,000 a year in reduced maintenance. Previously a person had to climb to the top of each car once a day to check and record temperatures.

www.emerson.com

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All in one batch drier-dehumidifi er-cooler

Munson Machinery of Utica, NY, has introduced a new rotary batch processing machine which is capable of drying, dehumidifying or cooling dry bulk products. The machine is also said to be able to blend ingredients in parts as small as one per million with 100% uniformity in less than three minutes independently of – or in conjunction with – any of the three above-mentioned functions. It is intended for 3-A and USDA applications.

www.munsonmachinery.com

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Flexicon doubles size of engineering department

Flexicon Corporation of Bethlehem, PA, a leading manufacturer of equipment and systems for handling bulk chemical, food, dairy and pharmaceutical products, at the end of last year doubled the size of its engineering department while increasing engineering personnel by 50% at its 8360sq m manufacturing facility and world headquarters.

www.fl exicon.com

IN BRIEFReturn of EFIBCAThe European Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container Association, previously based in Scotland, has been relaunched having been dormant for the past 20 months. Its secretariat is now administered by the German association of plastics packaging manufacturers (IK Verband) in Bad Homburg. Dr Amir Samadijavan has been elected as president. Further details from Christoph Bornhorn (tel: +49 6172 926675).

www.efi bca.com

Ten year old NDC Specialist measurement and control systems supplier NDC Infrared Engineering in January celebrated its 10th anniversary since Infrared Engineering of the UK joined forces with NDC Systems of California. Recent developments have included the PharmaView system for monitoring moisture in pharmaceutical fl uid bed drying and the InfraLab at-line analyser for foods and powdered products.

www.ndcinfrared.com

Enhanced production of bakery powdersDutch bakery ingredients producer Zeelandia has taken delivery of two customised Compact 900 vibratory sieves from UK-based Russell Finex. Apart from meeting strict HACCP hygiene and ATEX safety regulations, they were required to achieve capacities of 2t/h sieving bakery powders while also being capable of processing other products at up to 6t/h. One of them was fi tted with the Vibrasonic deblinding system.

www.russellfi nex.com

Vortex gains safety and quality accreditationUS-owned Vortex Valves Europe based in Darlington, County Durham, UK, is celebrating a double success having recently gained ATEX approval as well as ISO9001 quality assurance certifi cation for its range of bulk solids handling valves. The complete range is now ATEX approved for Group II, Category 2 – zones 1 and 21, plus Group II, Category 3 –zones 2 and 22 explosive environments.

www.vortexvalveseurope.com

Senegalese cement plant orders fi ve ROTO-PACKERSCiments Du Sahel, one of two cement producers in Senegal, has placed an order with Haver & Boecker, Germany, for fi ve ROTO-PACKER carousel bag fi lling systems as well as a bulk bag fi lling station. A HAVER DPS (data protocol system) ensures accurate weighing. The order includes CEDISS Control, a despatch system which manages loading and unloading of trucks.

www.haverboecker.com

Malvern Instruments acquires ViscotekUK-based Malvern Instruments, a world leader in systems for analysing particulate materials, has taken over Viscotek of Houston, TX, a leading provider of chromatography systems for characterisation of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins. The acquisition adds gel permeation chromatography (GPC), fl ow injection polymer analysis (FIPA) and dilute solution viscosity (DSV) to Malvern’s portfolio.

www.malvern.com

Within the past few months Haver & Boecker of Germany has been able to chalk up two signifi cant records: the 10 millionth fi lled bag produced by its original ADAMS sack packer after slightly less than two years of operation, and the 5000th sale of its MEC III electronic weigher system.

The fi rst ADAMS sack packer, based on FFS (form-fi ll-seal) technology, which was installed at the Barnstone, UK, plant of Lafarge Cement UK in early 2005, at the end of last year put out its ten millionth bag. The rotating eight-spout packing machine, designed by the German manufacturer in close cooperation with its customer, is capable of an hourly output of 1100 x 25kg fi lled bags.

In another recent landmark achievement the company in December commemorated the sale of its 5000th MEC III electronic weigher system at a special ceremony at its Oelde headquarters. The unit formed part of a two-spout INTEGRA bag packer supplied to Dyckerhoff Cement. The MEC III was introduced in January 2003 and last year alone 2125 units were sold. It is the fi rst automatic weigher to have received Europe-wide design approval.

The German manufacturer is, however, not resting on its laurels and in April will be unveiling new technical developments at the interpack international packaging exhibition in Düsseldorf. These will be reported in the May/June EuroBulkSystems.

Last October the company opened the HAVER Academy. The new education and training centre aims to offer lifelong specialist instruction to employees of the family-owned company as well as training for customers in the use of latest available technology. In the summer of 2007 more than 40 secondary school graduates started their apprenticeships with the German specialist in the sector of weighing, fi lling and process technology.

This autumn the company will be organising a ‘technology week’ at its head offi ce, 20-25 October 2008. This coincides with a sales rep conference and customers will have the opportunity to learn about latest company developments. An exhibition/symposium is also taking place concurrently for three days where latest technical innovations will be discussed.

www.haverboecker.com

Haver & Boecker celebrates successes and builds for the future

Commemorating sale of the 5000th MEC III at Haver & Boecker headquarters.

Explosion-proof bucket elevator

Gough & Co (Engineering) of Stoke-on-Trent, UK, recently installed an ATEX-compliant, stainless steel bucket elevator at the plant of Warwick International, a major supplier of TAED (tetra acetyl ethylene diamine). This product, which is both dusty and fl ammable, presents a risk of explosion during processing and packaging. The totally enclosed bucket elevator complies with ATEX requirements.

www.goughengineering.com

Gough explosion-proof bucket elevator at Warwick International.

Rotex sells fi rst MS Screener in EuropeRotex Europe based in Wavre, Belgium, reports that it recently sold the fi rst MS Screener to a Dutch customer which is a leading player in the agri-bulk sector. Specifi cally designed to screen fi ne products at high capacity, the unit is said to provide superior screening performance, partly as a result of equal feed distribution to all screen decks. It can also cope with high temperatures.

www.rotex.com

MARCH/APRIL 2008 EuroBulkSystems 5

Powder Processing Equipment and Systems

CH-8105 RegensdorfT +41 (0)44 871 36 36

FR-95100 ArgenteuilT +33 (0)1 39 98 29 29

www.gericke.net

NL-3870 CA HoevelakenT +31 (0)33 25 42 100

DE-78239 RielasingenT +49 (0)7731 92 90

info@gericke.net

Singapore 787813T +65 64 52 81 33

GB-Ashton-under-LyneLancashire, OL6 7DJT +44 (0)161 344 1140

Zeppelin reorganises while looking eastFrom beginning of 2008 the business operations of Zeppelin Materials Handling GmbH have been transferred to the parent company Zeppelin Silos & Systems GmbH. However, the main areas covered by Materials Handling – construction of plants for the rubber and plastics processing industries as well as sales of bulk solids handling components – will continue as independent business units within the parent company.

At the end of last year it was being predicted that 2007 turnover for Zeppelin Silos & Systems would for the fi rst time exceed €200M, a major increase on the previous year’s fi gure of €120M. The rise is partly due to recent company acquisitions, but also to several very large contracts, won in recent months mainly on the strength that the German company is unique in having manufacturing expertise in both silo and pneumatic conveying technology.

The Friedrichshafen-based engineering fi rm in late 2007 opened a sales and service offi ce in Moscow. This move refl ects an upsurge in demand from Russian companies as well as fulfi lling Zeppelin’s wish to be as close as possible to important customers such as Nizhnekamsk Neftekhim. It has recently installed several plastics production plants in Russia.

www.zeppelin-industry.com

NEWS

IN BRIEFNew IBC reconditioning service in UKUK logistics service provider TDG has entered into a joint venture with Germany-based global industrial packaging manufacturer Mauser Group to provide a nationwide collection, cleaning and reconditioning service for composite intermediate bulk containers. The new company, NCG UK, is based at Batley near Leeds. In addition to cleaning and reconditioning, it will sell refurbished IBCs (see also next item).

www.ncg-europe.com

Mauser and Janus Vaten start Dutch joint ventureMauser Group which belongs to One Equity Partners, the investment arm of the American bank JP Morgan Chase, has set up a joint venture with Janus Vaten of Oosterhout, the Netherlands, for collection, cleaning, rebottling, repair and testing of IBCs. Trading as NCG Benelux from beginning of 2008, it will be similar to NCG UK (see above). In 2004 Mauser acquired National Container Group (NCG) in North America.

www.ncg-europe.com

New MD for Spirofl owSpirofl ow of Clitheroe, UK, has promoted Robert Hudson to managing director. He takes over from Cathy Podevyn, wife of the company’s Belgium-born chairman Michel Podevyn. In future she will focus on sales and marketing activities. The company, which also has a US operation in Monroe, NC, is well known as a manufacturer of fl exible screw conveyors, bulk bag dischargers and aero-mechanical conveyors.

www.spirofl ow.com

Weighbridge accuracy unaffected by slope

Weightron Bilanciai, the UK division of the Italy-based Bilanciai Group, recently installed a 50t capacity Eurodeck pit weighbridge at the Peterlee, UK, plant of Hexion Specialty Chemicals. An unusual feature is that it operates on a 1-in-20 gradient but provides accurate measurement and a stable structure thanks to special load cell mounting assemblies which can accommodate lateral or longitudinal inclines.

www.weightron.com

Sloping Weightron Bilanciai weighbridge at Hexion Specialty Chemicals.

Radar level measurement from the outside looking in

Premiere Products, a leading UK supplier of cleaning chemicals, has installed a VF7 series TDR radar level measuring system from Hycontrol of Redditch, UK. It replaces an ultrasonic system from another supplier which proved to be inaccurate owing to the foamy nature of detergents stored in a 40,000-litre plastic tank. Unusually, the radar device was installed outside the vessel so as to avoid need for costly structural modifi cations.

Instead of installing the stainless steel waveguide cable inside the tank in the traditional manner, Hycontrol engineers advocated placing it inside a plastic tube mounted to the outside of the tank. Because polypropylene has a low dielectric, the instrument’s microwaves pass straight through the tank wall and the system operates as if the tank does not exist.

www.hycontrol.com

Hycontrol radar level measuring system (circled) on a Premiere Products tank.

Cement silos for West Africa

Ibau Hamburg. Germany, has won an order to supply two large silos to Ciments Du Sahel which is adding a second production line to its Kirène plant located 65km south east of Dakar. This forms part of a major contract secured by its parent company Haver & Boecker for fi ve packing lines and despatch systems to be supplied to the same plant. Commissioning of the project is scheduled for 2009.

www.ibauhamburg.de

Aumund scores in QatarAumund Fördertechnik of Rheinberg, Germany, at the end of last year secured one of its largest orders for 2007. It includes supply of 26 mechanical conveyors for a new 5000t/day capacity cement plant being built by FL Smidth for Gulf Cement Company in Qatar. The equipment includes both chain and belt type bucket elevators, deep pan conveyors and troughed chain conveyors, all to be delivered by early 2009.

One Aumund bucket elevator with central chain (type BWZ), 31m

lifting height and 238t/h capacity will convey limestone into the mill prehopper. Two belt bucket elevators (type BWG) with lifting heights of 92m and 126m will transfer raw meal into the homogenisation silo and to the preheater tower, offi ng a combined capacity of 617t/h.

Deep drawn pan conveyors will handle the complete clinker transport. Also within the scope of supply are seven Louise troughed chain conveyors for transporting fi lter dust at up to 41t/h.

www.aumund.com

6 EuroBulkSystems MARCH/APRIL 2008NEWS

IN BRIEFOn-line particle size analysisUK-based Malvern Instruments reports that its recently introduced consultancy service for in-process particle size analysis is proving successful, with more than 85% of clients converting to on-line analysis. By means of the Insitec Voyager mobile analyser which generates real-time particle size data, potential customers are given an insight into how on-line analysis can transform their process and save them money.

www.malvern.com

BTH expands manufacturing facilitiesBTH, Bag Treatment Holland BV of Eersel, the Netherlands, has just completed construction of a major extension to its factory. The company, founded in 1995 and employing some 100 staff, specialises in manufacturing innovative bag fi lling, palletising and stretch hooding equipment. A recent development is the Condor food-grade bagging system launched last year, which incorporates an enclosed carousel fi lling station.

www.bth-bv.nl

More East European clay micronising business for PoittemillPoittemill/Forplex, headquartered in Béthune, France, has won two major contracts for clay preparation plants – working in association with CERIC – from Tondach, a leading ceramic products manufacturer. The fi rst plant will be located in Bekescsaba, Hungary, and the second in Hranice, Czech Republic. Capacities are 55t/h and 40t/h respectively. Poittemill specialises in powder grinding, micronising, classifying and drying.

www.poittemill.com

Screening patent for Russell FinexRussell Finex based in Feltham, Middlesex, UK, was recently awarded a patent for its novel Vibrasonic Spiroscreen. By eliminating mesh blinding, this development enables powders to be sieved on fi ner meshes with more accuracy and at higher capacities, even on large diameter screens. The company claims to have invented the concept of ultrasonic mesh deblinding.

www.russellfi nex.com

Intelligent powder processing crosses AtlanticFreeman Technology of Welland, Worcestershire, UK, will show its novel FT4 powder rheometer at Booth 2745, International Powder & Bulk Solids, Rosemont, IL, 6-8 May. The FT4 helps users to harness their powder processing experience, enabling them to correlate processing behaviour with a range of measured powder characteristics. The device is said to provide reproducible characterisation of powder behaviour.

www.freemantech.co.uk

Hadron Engineering acquires Adams RicardoUK-based Hadron Engineering in mid-November fi nalised the take-over of Adams Ricardo, whose assets in February 2005 had been purchased by Ravenscourt Engineering. The manufacturer of tri-lobe roots type blowers and side channel blowers had subsequently traded as Adams Ricardo Engineering Ltd. Hadron Engineering MD David Kennedy previously worked with Adams Ricardo.

www.hadronengineering.co.u

More effi cient mixing of elastomer granulesWittenburg, a Dutch producer of thermoplastic elastomer coating compounds, recently installed a 4000-litre Lindor mixer on a new production line. Previously ribbon blenders had been employed at the factory, but it was found that the new machine delivered enhanced mixing effi ciency, lower energy consumption and a signifi cant reduction in product degradation. Lindor mixers have no internal moving parts such as mixing ploughs or agitators which often cause damage to friable products, either mechanically or as a result of friction-induced heat. Their novel design introduces only a small amount of energy into the mix.

Further advantages of the Lindor machine were its self-emptying capability and compact dimensions. The mixing effect derives from specially designed tapered scoops which run the whole length of the horizontally oriented mixing drum and are an integral part of its inner surface. A further inherent advantage arising from the absence of independently moving parts within the mixing space is the elimination of any risk of metal-to-metal contact.

Consequently there is no risk of spark generation and the machine is able to comply with ATEX explosion protection requirements. Units have recently been supplied fi tted with explosion-proof motors, approved cabling and control gear as well as a nitrogen purge system for applications in volatile atmospheres involving mixing of potentially explosive powders, including actual powdered explosives.

www.lindor.nl

Lindor 4000-litre mixer at Wittenburg’s factory in the Netherlands.

SIMAR success in RussiaEarlier this year SIMAR of Vaihingen/Enz, Germany, delivered its 100th Powder Loader to Russia, together with an extrusion line for window frames supplied by an Austrian manufacturer. Many of these units are installed on profi le extruders in order to feed them with PVC and PVC compound.

These Powder Loaders, which are suitable for handling most types of powders as well as bulk products containing dust, are available in a wide range of capacities from very low up to 3000kg/h and above. They are fabricated from stainless steel and designed to handle materials such as plastic powders, PVC compound, powdered coffee, tea, instant food products and chemicals. They are equipped with back wash or jet fi lters in sizes from 1.2 to 3m. Unloading is achieved by a gravity discharge fl ap, a butterfl y valve or an airlock valve. Working in combination with different sizes of vacuum pumps they are capable of fulfi lling a wide range of requirements.

Sensitive bulk materials can be carefully conveyed by using the ConPulse suction impulse system. According to MD Günter Owerfeldt, the growing number of units that are manufactured monthly allows a customer-friendly price level to be maintained for a high-quality product. The

company has produced more than 300 Powder Loaders within the past two years, with Russia being the main export market.

www.simar-int.com

SIMAR Powder Loader.

Celsius (Stand: S11)Marco Geradts, a sales engineer from the company’s Dutch head offi ce, will be on hand to explain latest heat exchanger developments by means of a demonstration machine on the stand. The company has just won an order to supply a lime heater to the European head offi ce of the US-based InterfaceFLOR, a leading producer of modular fl ooring systems.

In Europe InterfaceFLOR has three factories at Scherpenzeel, the Netherlands, Halifax, England, and Craigavon, Northern Ireland. This company has set itself a target for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 6.7% per year over the next 15 years. The new Celsius heater is expected to make a contribution towards this endeavour. It will be required to heat 13t of lime per hour from 10 to 130 degrees Celsius by means of thermal oil with a temperature of 220 degrees Celsius. The lime has to be heated to this temperature to allow it to be mixed with bitumen in a process which eventually forms the base of carpet tiles.

www.celsius.nl

Datastor Systems (Stand: S30)The company supplies integrated plant control and information management systems to customers across a wide range of industries including foodstuffs, animal feed, beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil and surface coatings.

Systems embrace a wide range of functionality including weighing, blending, mixing, routing, batch control and recipe management. Datastor products enable customers to comply with key regulatory requirements including the EU Food Supplements directive, Traceability under European Regulations and GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice).

www.datastorsystems.com

DSL Systems (Stand: S75)The company has teamed up with Intelscan to provide moisture measurement and control as an extra in the AutoPilot4Feed package. Several designs are currently being trialed with different companies but one has proved so successful that it won an award at last year’s Victam exhibition.

During testing 2524t of cattle feed was produced, out of which an extra 9.56t of liquid was included to achieve the required level to an accuracy of better than 0.1%. According to DSL, this indicates a payback time for moisture control as an addition to an integrated control system will work out at less than three months.

www.intelscan.com; www.dsl-systems.com

Endress + Hauser (Stand: IE74)On show will be examples of the company’s range of continuous level measurement instrumentation including ultrasonic, guided and free-space radar. Featured will be the Micropilot FMR250 as well as the FMR244 free space radar, a low-cost bulk solids level measurement technique employing time-of-fl ight (ToF) technology. By means of Fieldtool software (offered free with every ToF instrument purchased) users have access to menu-guided confi guration, simple and safe diagnostics and detailed documentation of the measuring point via a standard PC.

In addition, the Endress + Hauser Soliphant range offers robust level limit switches for use in high and low density solids and in hazardous areas.

www.uk.endress.com

Flexicon (Europe) (Stand: S57)On show will be the company’s mobile re-circulating unit which demonstrates the effi cient transfer of bulk solids by means of fl exible screw conveyors.

Other displays will feature various handling applications associated with bulk solids,

including information about the company’s bulk bag conditioner which is available with or without integral unloaders. In addition schematics of Flexicon positive and negative pressure dilute phase pneumatic conveying systems will illustrate how different materials can be transferred to or from single or multiple destinations.

The versatility of the company’s pneumatic and fl exible screw systems will also be demonstrated by the wide range of materials typically encountered in a range of processing industries.

Flexicon’s test laboratory is available to validate the performance of both pneumatic and fl exible screw conveyor systems, using customers’ actual bulk materials, prior to fi nal equipment design and fabrication.

www.fl exicon.co.uk

Golconda (Stand: S96)Introduced for the fi rst time will be the new APM 3DLevelScanner developed by Israel-based APM Automation Solutions Ltd for which Golconda acts as UK distributor. It is claimed that this new system will revolutionise measuring of level, volume or mass of material inside a silo or open bin.

Using a two-dimensional array beam-former to transmit low-frequency pulses and to receive echoes of the pulses, the device’s digital signal processor samples and analyses the received signals. The processor then calculates the contents and generates a three-dimensional image of the material surface that can be displayed remotely.

On the stand APM will connect via the APM 3D LinkPro GSM modem to silos in Europe to show the real time contents.

www.apm-solutions.com

K-Tron (Stand: S73)The company will exhibit food processing and automation equipment including Premier Pneumatics P-Series vacuum receivers and the MT12 micro-ingredient feeder.

The P-Series vacuum receivers are said to provide a tailored answer for diffi cult conveying applications. Designed to deal effectively with poor fl owing powders and fragile materials, these units meet cGMP hygiene requirements, with all components constructed of stainless steel. The MT12 is the latest version in this K-Tron micro-ingredient feeder range. It is said to be capable of precision feeding of powders, whether free fl owing or diffi cult to handle at rates as low as 20g/h and as high as 2000g/h. Both loss-in-weight and volumetric feeder models are available for continuous or batch operation. There is a choice of either standard or pharmaceutical-grade models.

www.ktron.com

Kason Europe (Stand: S60)The company will feature examples from its range of sifting and processing equipment for bulk solids and slurries. These include Vibroscreen circular vibratory separators/classifi ers up to 2540mm, providing throughputs from a few kilgrams to more than 30t/h.

The Kason Centri-Sifter is a versatile, high-capacity and compact centrifugal sifter used for scalping and screening a wide variety of powders or granular materials. Vibratory and centrifugal sifters are available as gravity-fed and in-line pneumatic models and are manufactured to industrial, food, dairy and pharmaceutical standards.

www.kasoneurope.co.uk

NDC Infrared Engineering (Stand: S70)Featured will be the CM710 industrial moisture gauge, the latest addition to the company’s established 710 series of online industrial

analysers. The unit is said to ensure reliable moisture measurements in harsh operating environments such as minerals, ceramics, ore processing, chemical, sinter and similar processes.

With a range of available housings offering sealing ratings up to IP67 for full hose-down areas, as well as ATEX-certifi ed options up to Zone 20 dust-hazard, the CM710 series is designed to operate in ambient temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius, or hotter with an optional cooling attachment.

www.ndcbuildingmats.com

Russell Finex (Stand: S38)This UK manufacturer of fi ne mesh separation equipment will display a range of machines including its latest model, the Blow Thru Sieve which has been designed to remove oversize contamination from powders during dilute phase pneumatic conveying.

The Compact Airlock will be demonstrated which achieves high levels of containment thanks to its patented infl atable clamping system. Also on the stand will be the Finex Separator which is capable of accurately grading powders on up to four fractions, achieving fi ve separations. Finally a series of Compact Sieves, suitable for check-screening, will be shown.

www.russellfi nex.com

Vortex Valves Europe (Stand: S15)On show will be a selection of solids handling

valves including the new Wye Line Diverter, the latest valve from the company which is said to provide advantages in installation, operation, maintenance and even delivery lead times. By forming the body of the new diverter in two pressed stainless steel halves, it weighs far less than a casting and takes a fraction of the time to assemble. The slim profi le also houses an effi cient slide mechanism that can be maintained without removing and dismantling the valve.

When the company introduced its new orifi ce gate valve last year, based on the same construction principle, it named it “Quantum” because the modular design represented a

signifi cantly step forward from what was previously available anywhere in the world. The new valve remains faithful to this design concept (see also p11).

Vortex Valves recently gained ISO9001 quality assurance accreditation for its range of dry bulk handling valves as well as ATEX approval for Group II, Category 2 – zones 1 and 21, plus Group II, Category 3 – zones 2 and 22.

www.vortexvalves.com

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Wysetech Ltd, 42 The Arches, Alma Road Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1QZ EnglandEmail: info@wysetech.co.ukWeb: www.wysetech.co.uk

easyFairs SOLIDS, Birmingham, 11-12 MarchIn recent years UK bulk handling/processing exhibitions have suffered from poor visitor

attendance and it is unclear whether this has been due to shortcomings of the previous event

organisers or is a refl ection of the decline in British processing industries. However, we wish

easyFairs well with this month’s exhibition. Here we highlight what will be shown by 10

representative exhibitors.

New Wye Line Diverter from Vortex Valves Europe.

MARCH/APRIL 2008 EuroBulkSystems 7EXHIBITION PREVIEW

8 EuroBulkSystems MARCH/APRIL 2008INTERVIEW

Jongerius Technology NV was established in 1970 by Jan Kievit, father of the present chief executive. Although the company is still registered under this name it is today better known, especially outside the Benelux region, as J-TEC Material Handling. In its early years the company specialised in being a local distributor for several well known brands of bulk materials handling equipment and components, while at the same time undertaking medium size engineering projects in Belgium and the Netherlands often centred around the equipment that it was marketing.

J-TEC underwent a major transformation when it was taken over in 1999 by Antwerp-based Katoen Natie Group, the international logistics integrator and port operator. At that time Katoen Natie was expanding fast, helping major global chemical and petrochemical companies to establish bulk logistics platforms for storage and distribution of powders and granular products. These facilities were often designed and subsequently managed by Katoen Natie, who acquired unrivalled expertise in effi cient methods of receiving, storing and despatching bulk products in road powder tankers, bulk bags, sacks, octabins, etc. By acquiring J-TEC,

Katoen Natie Group gained a partner with which it could share its accumulated dry bulk logistics knowledge and to which it could turn for specialist bulk handling and processing know-how.

While stressing the major advantages offered by Katoen Natie as a parent company, Jim Kievit, 46, is at pains to emphasise that J-TEC operates as an independent profi t centre within the group and there is internal competition when it comes to bidding for contracts tendered by the parent company. For example, nowadays 95% of J-TEC’s business is gained independently of Katoen Natie and even in the case of projects outside Europe the company is able to operate as a separate entity, recent installations for example in Japan and Russia having been designed, delivered and commissioned by the company.

Apart from being able to share in the parent company’s unrivalled experience, acquired over many years, with regard to optimum design and operation of chemical and petrochemical dry bulk logistics platforms for intake, storage, value-added processing and outloading of powders and granulates, J-TEC has been able to benefi t from the fi nancial muscle of the Katoen Natie Group. This has given it the confi dence and capability

to tender successfully for major European and overseas contracts which would otherwise only normally be within the capabilities of the largest engineering fi rms. Kievit concedes that a minor problem of being part of the Katoen Natie Group is that his company is understandably less likely to win business from other large bulk logistics operators which are in direct competition with the parent company.

However, he is convinced that the advantages of shared in-house knowledge and fi nancial stability far outweigh this single comparatively unimportant drawback.

An objective customer-oriented focus

Soon after joining Katoen Natie, J-TEC took the strategic decision to divest itself of the various equipment distributorships it had gained in earlier years. Kievit explains that an engineering fi rm specialising in the sphere of providing value-added bulk handling and processing solutions to meet specifi c requirements, needs to be able to offer its clients the best possible integrated system to guarantee overall functionality of the plant. If the contractor also acts as agent for

various lines of equipment, there is in his opinion an almost inevitable temptation to specify various items of this equipment for a project, although it may not be ideally suited for the intended application. Under these circumstances a contractor will tend, even sometimes subconsciously, to appraise a project with a less than open mind and will be likely to think in terms of an overall solution based around certain items of equipment which it supplies and therefore feels obliged to specify, for contractual as well as fi nancial reasons. Now that it no longer acts as distributor for any other companies’ equipment, J-TEC is able to approach each individual project with an entirely open mind, free to select equipment and components which best meet the individual requirements of the client.

In this respect J-TEC sees itself as fi rst and foremost a solution provider offering a total concept approach, unshackled by any obligations to favour one equipment supplier in preference to another. Whilst certain competitive engineering companies may have expertise in the area of in-plant handling and processing, or alternatively specialist knowledge with regard to bulk goods intake or outloading, J-TEC has wide experience of all these materials handling sectors thanks to its own in-house knowledge backed up by Katoen Natie’s practical experience accumulated over many years of successfully designing and operating bulk distribution facilities for various blue-chip worldwide customers in the plastics and chemical industries.

Where the customers’ needs come fi rst

Ultra-hygienic dairy industry installation involving weighing and dosing of milk powder.

Very recent mixing installation for the dairy industry involving precise weighing and dosing of ingredients which are then dissolved into milk.

Jim Kievit, CEO of J-TEC Material Handling which has undergone major expansion in recent years and currently has a turnover of some 35 million euros.

Jim Kievit, CEO of Belgium-based J-TEC Material Handling, explains to EuroBulkSystems managing editor Richard Miller how his company has grown from being primarily a regional equipment and component distributor which was little known outside the Benelux, into a top-ranking global engineering fi rm capable of delivering innovative and totally integrated high-end bulk materials handling and processing installations. This transformation has taken place within a period of less than 10 years.

MARCH/APRIL 2008 EuroBulkSystems 9INTERVIEW

J-TEC has now reached a stage in its development where it has the necessary skills and facilities in-house to design complete turnkey materials handling plants and distribution platforms, including mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. The company has been granted Lloyd’s SHE (Safety, Health & Environment) certifi cation, guaranteeing highest levels of quality and safety. The company is also a member of the European Hygienic Engineering Design Group (EHEDG).

It has also recently acquired expertise in liquids handling, especially at the interface where solids and liquids meet as for example during blending processes. This is a further aspect of the overall added-value service the company is able to provide.

Test plant

Central to the company’s objective to providing its clients with an optimum choice of materials handling/processing systems, equipment and components is its advanced in-house test plant at the Kapellen headquarters. Here there is the opportunity to simulate real-life situations to make sure that new installations and processes will function as planned.

The facility includes laboratory equipment capable of measuring precisely product characteristics such as bulk density, angle of repose, moisture content, granulometry, etc. These preliminary tests give an indication as to how a product is likely to behave and how it should be handled.

Pneumatic conveying tests can be performed under laboratory conditions up to distances of 450m. Customers have at their disposal a compressor group consisting of a compressor, an adsorption drier and a pressure vessel. Vacuum pumps are available for negative pressure conveying trials. There are also test facilities for mixing, sieving and dosing with a choice of loss-in-weight, gain-in-weight, batch or continuous dosing. Tests can be conducted on the best way to extract product from storage vessels using fl uidisation bottom or vibratory bottoms and the test room provides a selection of bag dump stations and bulk bag dischargers as well as container discharge systems. There are advanced dust control test facilities and the deduster at the Kapellen test plant offers a capacity of 1.7t/h and is capable of achieving a fi nal dust content of 50 ppm maximum measured according to FEM 2482.

Current activities

Assisted by the resources of its in-house test plant, J-TEC has been able to develop a number of its own products. These include: hygienic FIBC and bag discharge stations which comply with EHEDG regulations; an air regulation unit for dense phase conveying, suitable for both

vacuum and pressure systems; software written in house for compounding production units; and a vibratory dosing valve of its own design.

At present J-TEC employs around 120 skilled staff, mostly working out of the Kapellen headquarters. In 1999 it established an offi ce in the Netherlands but in 2003 decided to relocate the Dutch sales team to the Belgian headquarters where it operates as a separate unit, a measure which makes commercial sense especially as Kapellen is situated just a few kilometres from the Dutch border. In 2000 J-TEC Schüttguttechnik was established in Viernheim, Germany, followed one year later by J-TEC Iberica in Tarragona, Spain. More recently J-TEC offi ces have been opened in France, Italy and Poland.

However, most of the company’s staff are located at Kapellen which houses the test plant and central design offi ces. Kievit explains that in these days of cheap air travel it makes better economic sense to locate most of the project engineers at head offi ce where they have immediate access to test facilities and past records and where facilities are more conducive to exchange of ideas and networking between engineering staff. He says the main function of the other European offi ces is to maintain a local presence which is vital in gathering sales leads, understanding local culture and language, and – after a project has been initiated or completed – in providing on-the-spot technical support.

Although J-TEC has successfully completed materials handling projects in most parts of the world, including North and South America, it has no plans at present to enter the Chinese market. Kievit says that when his company has been involved in projects outside Europe this has usually been at the instigation of major multi-national clients with which the company has a longstanding relationship of mutual trust. In this respect J-TEC is prepared to follow its clients to where ever they wish to establish new processing plants – and if China is selected as a future location, J-TEC might fi nd it diffi cult to decline an invitation to tender.

Nevertheless, 90% of the company’s business continues to be derived from Europe and among many recent contracts successfully commissioned within the past two or three years, the following six are typical examples:

• Engineering, building and commissioning of a factory for cleaning, dehulling and storage of soybeans for Alpro at Wevelgem, Belgium.

• Installation of powder handling lines for baby food for Danone at Cuijk, the Netherlands, and at Istra, Russia.

• Dosing of dairy ingredients and dissolving them in liquids for Inex, Bavegem, Belgium.

• Ship unloading and conveying of urea at up to 40t/h for Advachem, Hautrage, Belgium.

• Turnkey PVC emulsion preparation for fl oor coverings for Beaulieu, Wielsbeke, Belgium.

• Conveying of PVB resin for Solutia, Ghent, Belgium.

Because of his company’s success with recent high-profi le, multi-million-euro contracts in the plastics, chemical, food, pharmaceutical and industrial mineral industries, Jim Kievit is concerned that J-TEC might nowadays be perceived by certain potential customers as having become too big to want to become involved with smaller projects. He emphasises that this is very far from true and that even the smallest job will be granted the same attention to detail as the largest.

J-TEC at a glance

Head offi ce: Kapellen, Belgium

Tel: +32(0)3 660 51 11

info@j-tec.com

www.j-tec.com

Total staff: 120-plus

Current turnover: Approximately 35 million euros.

Parent company: Became part of the Katoen Natie Group in 1999.

Founded: 1970 in Kalmthout, Belgium, under the name of Technisch

Bureau Jongerius (which continues to be the company’s registered

name) by Jan Kievit, father of Jim Kievit.

Areas of expertise: Design, supply, construction and installation of

materials handling and processing systems for powders, granulates,

pellets and liquids. A turnkey engineering service is available from

conceptual design, including project management through to fi nal

commissioning.

Main industries served: Foodstuffs, chemicals, petrochemicals,

plastics and pharmaceuticals.

Start up of a turnkey J-TEC compounding installation.

Blending installation with inline sieve for baby food under strictly controlled sanitary conditions at a plant belonging to Nutricia, part of Danone.

A light-weight pharmaceutical isolator designed by J-TEC for Organon, the Netherlands; it incorporates two dosing valves and can be easily relocated.

J-TEC’s design offi ce at Kapellen offers three-dimensional simulation capability.

10 EuroBulkSystems MARCH/APRIL 2008COVERED STORAGE

Spiromatic of Nazareth, Belgium, now has the capability to manufacture very large synthetic silos of up to 360m3 capacity. The previous maximum capacity was 200m3. The company has just delivered several of these giant storage vessels to a plant belonging to Suedzucker at Huy, Belgium, between Liège and Namur. The silos are 25 m long with a diameter of 4.2 m and with a storage capacity of about 360 m_. They will be employed to store mainly gluten (an extract from grain).

The company produces silos at its site in the De Prijkels industrial zone in one of the most modern silo wrapping factories in the world. This positions the Belgian family-owned company as the world leader in the niche market of vertical storage vessels for the bakery industry, and world number three in the automation of silo ingredient handling. This position is all down to the high tech production facilities that the company has developed over the last 40 years in the area of storage and bulk treatment of food raw ingredients, such as fl our, sugar, salt and bread improving agents (both in dry and liquid forms).

The Spiromatic silos are also hurricane-proof and can easily be installed in earthquake-sensitive areas such as California or Greece. What makes the company both a world leader and unique in its sector is that its silo wrapping manufacturing facility boasts the most modern production process in the world when it comes to wall reinforcement, fi nishing and food suitability of the silos. This enables it to respond in full to the extremely strict international legislation as regards reinforcement calculations, explosion and pressure safety – not to mention all the food safety standards. The synthetic silos from Spiromatic are designed using seamless fi breglass and food-safe polyester resin (FRP or GRP), which work together to repel dust and create superior hygienic conditions. Spiromatic silos are never troubled with condensation which can cause mould to form in metal silos.

The food raw ingredients in the silo are kept under optimum conditions, because the silos are also checked internally by means of raw ingredients quality control, incorporating components such as a sieve (to fi lter out foreign objects) and/or a metal detector. The engineering of the silos or the preparatory work is always

carried out using a purpose-designed 3D system, which delivers a bespoke end product for the client. Not only can Spiromatic assemble and install on site, but once the food raw ingredients are stored in the silo, it also regulates the internal transfer system for these ingredients as well as computerised weighing and dosing. The fabrication of each silo is said to cause next to no wastage and the whole production process is environmentally friendly.

SCE awakens to coffee potentialSCE Silo Construction and Engineering is one of the very few successful silo builders to have broken with the tradition of cylindrical bins. Its silo structures, widely used by the animal feed industry, are of rectangular cross section and consequently far less wasteful of space. Because the structure is self-supporting it is possible to incorporate a control room within the overall framework. This cannot be done with a battery of cylindrical silos and extra expense has to be incurred constructing a separate building for this purpose. The self-supporting SCE design also allows for a roof to be built above the silos, thus providing enhanced weather protection as well as providing safer and more comfortable working

conditions for maintenance personnel.These silos are of modular construction

which allows for existing storage capacity to be increased cost-effectively at a later date if necessary. All SCE silo designs are calculated in accordance with the German standard DIN 1055. There is a wide choice of available rectangular cell sizes and designs. Wall types fall into two categories; sandwich walls with smooth surfaces on both sides and profi le walls. Wall angles of the profi le wall are 135 degrees and this factor combined with optimum hopper geometry is said to ensure reliable gravity discharge for a wide range of powders and granulates.

In recent months SCE has successfully expanded into the food industry with several references for storage of coffee beans (both green and roasted).

Other recent silo developments

GSBI soda ash silos at ENEL power plantsGovoni Sim Bianca Impianti of Casumaro, Italy, has delivered a series of carbon steel silos to ENEL power stations at Brindisi Sud, Sulcis, Fusina and La Spezia. The four silos, with

capacities ranging from 70 to 200m3, have been designed to operate safely in seismic areas, zones 3 and 4. Soda ash is employed to help lower the nitrogen content from stack emissions.

www.gsbimpianti.com

Sweet success for Ziemann FranceZiemann France reports that last year it sold around 400 silos and tanks made of either stainless steel, aluminium or nickel alloy. Some were also of duplex construction and maximum single bin capacity was 500m3. The company’s manufacturing plant has the capability of fabricating vessels up to 6.8m diameter and 30m length, while those of larger dimensions need to be fabricated on site. The company has recently manufactured many large silos for sugar storage, especially for Saint Louis Sucre (part of Südzucker) at Roye, northern France. Each cell is designed in accordance with the VDI 3673 standard with ventable roof because of the potentially explosive nature of the product.

www.ziemann-france.com

Belgian silo builders push the envelope

Spiromatic now has the capability to manufacture synthetic silos up to 4.2m diameter and capacities up to 360m3.

Not a lot happens in silo structural design from year to year – or for that matter from decade to decade. However, in recent months two European silo manufacturers, both from Belgium, have broken new ground: one by signifi cantly increasing maximum capacity of its GRP bins, and the other by successfully adapting a long-established modular silo design which is currently proving popular for storing food products and in particular green coffee beans.

Inquiries:SCE Silo Construction and Engineering www.sce.be Spiromatic www.spiromatic.com Completed SCE coffee silo in Germany with

a total capacity of 850m3.

MARCH/APRIL 2008 EuroBulkSystems 11

Retention of powder characteristics such as bulk density and particle size is important in many processes and requires the use of low speed dense phase pneumatic conveying systems. The purpose of such a system is clear: high value-added base powders or granules should not be destroyed during transport, since breakdown of the particle size can reduce the performance of the plant and can also generate an explosion risk or change process parameters.

Gentle conveying is a typical requirement in the food industry and the detergent manufacturing industry. Whereas pneumatic conveying systems within process plants can be easily designed for gentle conveying often less focus is given to unloading bulk tankers where due to the higher rates of discharge signifi cant degradation of the product can occur.

Gericke has developed a mobile conveying unit, which can be coupled between tanker, and silo, which allows the truck to be discharged with minimal attrition of the powder or granules, thereby preserving the quality of the raw material.

Typical recently delivered case study

This relates to the detergent industry where there was a requirement to discharge Natriumperborat Tetrahydrat delivered by a 30 m3 bulk road tanker. Using a 21m pipeline the product is conveyed to a 12m high silo at a rate of 10m3/h. The product is then transported to the

receiving hopper over a distance of 80m. A very important feature is the gentle conveying process designed to preserve the integrity of the product. The system has to run reliably in all weather conditions and the economic use of conveying air was an important factor for the positive energy balance of the factory.

The Gericke solution consists of a mobile unit that combines the pneumatic air manifold and the STP 51 controller to operate the conveying system. When the vehicle arrives, the mobile unit is moved to the truck and connected with the product outlet of the tanker and the silo pipeline. Pressurised air is applied to the manifold.

The difference from other systems lies in the advantages of the advanced Gericke Mobile PTA Pulseline® conveying technology. It allows a controlled discharge within specifi ed limits of gas consumption and a low conveying velocity in the region of 5-8m/s.

Positive result and achievements

As a result, the new discharge unit has reduced the amount of fi ne particles of Natriumperborat Tetrahydrat by more than 15%, compared with the old system. The investment has therefore

provided payback within a very short time.The gentle pneumatic discharge and conveying

from bulk vehicles has been applied to detergent ingredients, health products (coated enzymes), chemical base powder, quartz powder, dolomite powder, marble sand, sugar, salt, and many more products.

Other types of bulk truck unloading systems

The recent increased demand for use of containers fi tted with dry bulk liners has motivated Gericke to innovate a mobile discharge unit that links to the outlet nozzle of the liner and allows reliable emptying of the container. This unit includes the pneumatic air manifold, the rotary valve to introduce the powder into the pipeline and venting of the liner.

Rotaval Ltd, a Gericke Group company specialising in design and manufacture of rotary valves, has developed a valve specifi cally for use with road powder tankers. The BSV is a lightweight purpose-built seal designed for chassis mounting on bulk road vehicles having an integral blower. The BSV is fi tted with a hydraulic motor, which is powered by the vehicle’s hydraulic system. The design provides a discharge range of products at around 20t/h. Gericke has been supplying pneumatic conveying systems for bulk materials for over 50 years.

www.gericke.net

Other recent pneumaticconveying developmentsValves can be cleaned without dismantlingCoperion Waeschle of Weingarten, Germany, recently introduced what is believed to be a world fi rst: rotary and diverter valves with CIP(cleaning-in-place) capability which can now be wet cleaned in situ fully automatically. This patent-pending development allows operators of food-grade bulk handling systems to meet the most stringent hygiene standards with only negligible loss of available capacity.

www.coperion.com

Quayside pneumatic handling of Icelandic cementIn November Air-Tec system of Italy installed a high-capacity pneumatic conveying pipeline for handling cement at the Port of Akureyri, Iceland. The system, a TPA600 Full Pipeline with a capacity of 1700 litres, transfers the imported cement from a quayside bunker at a rate of 20t/h to three silos over a distance of 120m. Air-Tec system claims to have 2000 pneumatic conveying installations currently operational worldwide.

www.air-tec.it

Long-distance pneumatic conveying of dextroseJ-Tec Material Handling, based in Kapellen, Belgium, recently built a test rig which included a 1000m pipeline to demonstrate to a potential client that dextrose powder could be pneumatically conveyed over this distance cost-effectively and without damage to the product. This resulted in J-Tec being awarded a contract to supply a pneumatic conveying system to transfer dextrose powder over a distance of 750m.

www.j-tec.com

New modular Y-valve avoids air leakageUK-based Vortex Valves Europe has introduced a new Wye Line Diverter of modular construction. There is no need to shut off the blower when operating the valve and, when compared with a fl apper-type diverter, the Wye Line is said to lose on average almost 2000 times less air through leakage. This results in vastly increased process effi ciency. Even the minimal maintenance requirement is performed with the valve in-line (see also p7 for further information and picture).

www.vortexvalves.com

PNEUMATIC CONVEYING

The schematic shows the bulk tanker with the mobile conveying unit Gericke Mobile PTA Pulseline®. Below the silo a dense phase conveying vessel transports the product to the receiving hopper.

Gentle emptying of powder tankers

Gericke Mobile PTA Pulseline® mobile conveying unit for bulk materials.

Mobile bulk container emptying unit with Rotaval® rotary valve.

Gericke of Switzerland has successfully designed a pneumatic conveying system for discharging delicate powders and granulates from road tankers, and has also introduced a similar system for unloading product from dry bulk container liners. Several other recent pneumatic conveying developments are also itemised.

12 EuroBulkSystems MARCH/APRIL 2008

Eriez Magnetics Europe specialises in the design and manufacture of high-intensity magnetic separation equipment and its Powerfl ux superconducting high-gradient magnetic separator is especially suitable for removing ferrous contamination in wet processing applications. A unit has just been installed for purifying kaolin and the machine is said to be equally suitable for use with different types of clay, calcium carbonate, fi ne silica sands and other mineral slurries.

The Powerfl ux is capable of removing weakly magnetic contaminants from all mineral slurries. In operation, the slurry is fed upwards from the bottom of the central canister and passes through a specially designed stainless steel matrix. The high intensity magnetic fi eld, generated by the cryogen-free superconducting coil, is focused into the matrix resulting in magnetically susceptible particles being captured and held. Following a set period of processing, the feed is then stopped, the magnet turned off and the matrix fl ushed to remove entrapped magnetic particles. The cycle is then repeated.

According to Eriez, the Powerfl ux is the only cryogen-free superconducting magnet currently available. Other competitive designs of superconducting magnets used for mineral processing are said to consume large quantities of helium. In the current climate, where helium reserves are diminishing and helium costs are escalating, many mineral processors only want to consider a cryogen-free magnet; otherwise the operating costs of the superconducting magnet will continue to rise at an unpredictable rate.

The latest unit which was despatched from the South Wales factory of Eriez Magnetics Europe (see front cover picture) is a model PX15-1000 which has a background magnetic fi eld of 1.5 Tesla and a central bore diameter of 1m. Although it seems implausible, research has shown that the Powerfl ux with a background fi eld of 1.5 Tesla can achieve the same level of separation as other magnets operating with 5 Tesla. This phenomenon continues to surprise mineral processors, but the test results speak for themselves.

This fourth Powerfl ux unit to be built has been labelled with the number AS-4 to honour the memory of Dr Adam Stadtmuller who died in 2002. It was he who fi rst contacted Eriez

with the idea of developing a cryogen-free superconducting magnet for mineral processing as he foresaw the longer-term problems of using helium. Eriez then developed the technology for industrial application.

With regard to the food industry, Eriez recently supplied two powerful P Type rare earth grate magnets to Jardox Ltd, UK, to remove fi ne iron particles from food ingredients used to produce pastes and sauces. The units were specially mounted within an HDPE frame to withstand vibration generated by an integral screener. They replace much weaker rare earth tube magnets supplied earlier by a different manufacturer.

For use in its own test plant the company recently designed a novel version of its RevX eddy current separator. It is capable of separating non-ferrous metals from non-metallic materials and has been designed to provide enhanced levels of metal recovery for the recycling industry. By using this machine it is possible to recommend the best choice of separator for a customer’s specifi c needs.

Goudsmit Magnetic Systems of the Netherlands reports that it recently produced a compact unit that combines a conventional magnetic separator, high-gradient separator and non-ferrous separator. This system over a distance of about 7m removes normal iron parts, followed by weakly magnetic metal parts (including stainless steel) and fi nally non-ferrous metal parts. The fi rst such system has been installed in a UK scrap recycling line.

Food industry requirements

S+S Separation and Sorting Technology of Schoenberg, Germany, manufactures machines and systems for detection and separation of contaminants as well as for product inspection. Special hygienically designed units have recently been produced to meet the requirements of the food industry and are being widely employed, for example by Austrian spice producer Almi.

With its headquarters located near Linz, Almi is one of the leading manufacturers of quality fl avourings and additives for sausage, meat, ham and fi sh products. S+S hygienic metal separators are being used throughput the entire Almi production process. In 2006 the company moved into brand new premises which meet all IFS, ISO 9001 and HACCP standards. The new plant employs the latest in bulk materials handling

technology which was designed, supplied and installed by the engineering fi rm Johann Daxner GmbH. S+S worked closely with Daxner on this project, supplying IFS and HACCP compliant metal detectors and separators for inspecting products on the milling, mixing, fi lling, bagging and small component lines. Metal separators from the Rapid 5000 range were installed at the bulk bag fi lling station.

For Almi it was especially important to choose metal detection systems that fulfi lled all the requirements of HACCP and IFS. Rapid 5000 metal separators are said to be capable of detecting and removing magnetic and non-magnetic metal contaminants and even metal inclusions from free falling bulk materials. The contaminants are removed by means of a fast-reacting reject fl ap (quick fl ap system) with minimal loss of good material. The modular design concept means that the machines can be easily adapted for different drop heights by removing or adding intermediary stages. In order to meet the highest requirements of the food industry, the circular design of the reject mechanism eliminates sharp edges and crevices,

preventing product build-up and blockages even with non free fl owing fl avourings. These Rapid 5000 metal detection systems have been certifi ed for ATEX Zone 20 because fl ammable dust is generated during the fi lling/bagging process.

A particular challenge of this application was the intrinsic conductivity of individual fl avourings which varies greatly. In order to obtain optimal scanning sensitivity with consistency machine parameters had to be adapted to the different product mixes. The higher level enterprise resource planning (ERP) system signals the machine parameters for each batch approaching the metal separator via an Ethernet interface.

The S S machines are said to offer a very high level of detection accuracy. The Genius controller and operating unit employs digital signal processing technology and ensures the detector head is fi nely tuned to operate at maximum effi ciency. Even particularly problematic, highly conductive spices and fl avourings can be tuned out and optimum scanning sensitivities achieved. The time and data of every event can be retraced via the control system’s integral logbook function. All data for viewing, recording and traceability can be transmitted from the controller and operating unit to the ERP system. Analysis of the rejected material provides important information on the source of contamination (supplier, machine wear, etc). For this reason Almi chose to set up an additional station specifi cally to examine rejected material.

S+S is one of the world’s foremost suppliers of systems for detection and sorting of contaminants. With subsidiaries in the UK, France and Singapore, as well as partner companies and distributors in over 40 countries worldwide, it employs over 180 staff at its main factory in Schoenberg. 2006 turnover was 20 million euros.

QUALITY CONTROL

Removing risk of metal contaminationIf tramp metal enters a product fl ow it can cause costly damage to down-stream processing machinery. In the food industry the

consequences can obviously be even more serious and systems are currently available that can detect and remove the smallest

metal particle, whether magnetic or otherwise. Here we report several recent technical developments and notable installations.

Eriez Magnetics Europewww.eriez.com

Goudsmit Magnetic Systemswww.goudsmit-magnetics.nl

S+S Separation and Sorting Technology

www.se-so-tec.com

Rapid 5000 metal separators from S+S installed at a bulk bag fi lling station in the new Almi food processing factory in Austria.

Novel three-stage separator from Goudsmit Magnetic Systems which has recently been installed at a UK scrap recycling line.

This RevX eddy current separator from Eriez Magnetics Europe is used at the company’s test plant to help gauge customers’ specifi c separation requirements.

MARCH/APRIL 2008 EuroBulkSystems 13

ON OTHER PAGES….3D level/contents measurementAPM Automation Solutions of Israel has developed a three-dimensional silo contents measuring system which in the UK is available from Golconda (see p7).

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Moisture measurement of animal feedDSL Systems of the UK is working in association with Intelscan to provide moisture measurement and control as part of its AutoPilot4Feed package (see p7).

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Large GRP silosSpiromatic of Belgium is now capable of producing large GRP (glass-fi bre reinforced) silos up to 360 cu m capacity (see p10)

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Pneumatic discharge of powder tankers and dry bulk containersGericke of Switzerland has developed a pneumatic transfer system for discharging the contents of road powder tankers. There is also a variant which can be adapted for use with dry bulk containers (see p11).

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Three-stage magnetic separatorGoudsmit Magnetic Systems of the Netherlands recently combined a conventional magnetic separator, high gradient separator and non-ferrous separator into a single compact unit (see p12)

NEW EQUIPMENT

New from Pelletron of Lancaster, PA, is the patented CCD-Compact Cyclonic DeDuster which will also be marketed in Europe. This new high-performance dust removal system has been designed to clean highly contaminated bulk materials including plastic pellets, grains, minerals and other granular products.