Back to Basics, What exactly is Separating?

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Industry has many descriptions for the process of separating and it is subject to whom you are talking and what you are talking about. Some industries are familiar with the terminology separating whilst others would refer to it as screening.

To give us a better understanding of the basics about the separating business, we’ve enlisted the services of Tony Webber, managing director of iBulk Solutions, one of Australia’s leading separation technology companies.

“There always seems to be some confusion surrounding what exactly we are talking about when it comes to describing the process of separation and this tends to stem from that fact that there are a number of words that are frequently used to describe the process,” explained Tony. “Some industries are familiar with the terminology separating whilst others would speak of screening, but essentially they are one and the same.”

As a short list of terms that are commonly used to describe the process of ‘Separating’ include:

• Separation / separating

• Screening

• Sorting

• Sieving / Sifting

• Sorting

• Filtering

“In every case there are people who will not divert from their pet terminology,” explained Tony. “As a stakeholder in this industry it is essential to be flexible and adaptive to the way this process of sorting different particles into different sizes is referred.”

“For example, in the dry bulk solid industry the term filtering is not common as this is more applicable to solid / liquid separation.”

By looking at the type of process that is being performed through the application of one of the above it is likely the end user wishes to achieve an objective that could be:

• Size / sizing

• Dewater

• Drain and rinse

• Washing

“Yet again, each of these terms is applicable  to a specific industry and taking a cross section it would seem that we all agree that sizing is yet another list of methods including Grizzly Screening, Single or multiple deck screening / separating, Grading or Scalping,” said Tony.

“Originally, I set out to provide an insight into this veiled industry by providing a range of commonly used terminology in the hope of providing a starting point from which we can all clearly reference when we’re talking separating,” he added.

For further information on any issues regarding separating,  contact iBulk® Solutions on (03) 9768 3955 or visit www.ibulk.com.au.

What is Screening Efficiency?

What is screening efficiency? In the bulk solids industry this is the one question that is often asked, but rarely understood. Nine times out of ten it is related to the performance of a vibrating screen, and in many of these cases a lack of performance is the issue.

To help us unlock the secrets of screening efficiency, we’ve enlisted the services of Tony Webber, managing director of iBulk Solutions, one of Australia’s leading separation technology companies.

“The key to lifting the veil that shrouds the question of screening efficiency is to correctly identify the application requirements,” said Tony. “We help our clients with this task right from the first instance and then ensure that the specifications are supported with correct and clear documentation so there is no doubt regarding the exact level of performance a vibrating screen needs to achieve.”

Technically, screening efficiency is described as the comparison of the undersize material carried over the screening media and discharged with the oversize product in contrast to the input amount of undersize that was initially fed into the screen.

This result is expressed as a percentage and given the term screening efficiency.

“Simply put, to increase screening efficiency you want to reduce the amount of undersized material that gets thrown away with the oversize material that you are trying to extract it from, the more undersize material that  gets thrown away the less effective the screen is,” explained Tony.

Experience has shown that often the performance of vibrating screens falls below operational expectations. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the data provided to machine designers and manufacturers is often incorrect.

Over the years Tony and the team at iBulk have faced some significant challenges in identifying the exact screening needs for their clients.

“Sometimes it’s hard to convey just how important it is to ensure users of vibrating screens have documented their requirements accurately. It never ceases to amaze me that professional engineering consultants offer screening specifications that are ambiguous and unachievable,” remarked Tony. “This is where our team of highly experienced engineers can assist to ensure our client’s screening efficiency requirements are not only met, but often exceeded.”

Tony went on to explain the simple things he would include in the basic documentation if he was developing a set of specifications for the design of a screening machine:

• What is the product that needs to be screened?
• What is the products bulk density?
• Is the product dry and free flowing, or is it moist?
• If moist, what percentage is moisture?
• Is the product abrasive?
• What is its continuous temperature?
• What is the feed rate to the screener?
• What is the cut size that needs to be removed?

“In addition, the provision of a full Particle Size Distribution (PSD) of the feed material needs to be presented with the enquiry as well as a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS),” said Tony. “The above list is in no way exhaustive and can go on for several pages, but even if answers were only given for these questions, the machine selection would become more accurate and application difficulties would be all but eliminated.”

This brings us back to screening efficiency. After installation it is essential to determine if the equipment is fit for purpose and if it’s achieving the client’s objectives.

Tony favours the use of the Taggart (1966:7-04) formula for this purpose. It is a simple formula and easy to apply:

“At iBulk, we endeavour to achieve the highest screening efficiency required in our customer’s applications. We understand that our success is linked to that of our customers, hence a mutual understanding of the key terms used in our industry is fundamental,” Tony said in closing.

For further information contact iBulk® Solutions on (03) 9768 3955 or visit www.ibulk.com.au.

Australian Innovator Assists Industry Save Water

As Australia faces its greatest battle against drought in recorded history, one company is doing their best to assist industry to make more efficient use of our most important asset, water.

iBulk, a leading producer of internationally renowned process equipment, has a long history providing unique, cost effective and environmentally friendly process solutions across a broad range of industries.

“Our expertise lies in our ability to identify smarter and more efficient ways of utlising available resources,” said Mr Tony Webber, managing director, iBulk. “And with the recent water crises, our R&D department has been working overtime to assist industry save this precious resource.”

iBulk has developed water saving solutions for a broad cross-section of industry segments including agriculture, minerals and pharmaceutical to name a few, but the most impressive results have been achieved in both laundry and food preparation areas.

“We take a holistic view of our client’s problems and try to provide solutions that in many cases, provide additional benefits than those flagged in the initial brief,’ explained Mr Webber. “Case-in-point is our work in the laundry industry.

“Initially we were approached to assist commercial laundries reduce sewer charges by removing solids from waste water’” remarked Mr Webber. “But on further analysis our team was able to reduce water consumption through the filtering and reuse of recycled water.”

iBulk’s solution included the installation of vibrating Sweco screens that proved extremely efficient at removing lint from waste water, improving the quality of this grey water to a point where it can be used in a number of additional applications. The team at iBulk truly believes that the reuse of high quality grey water will become a major contributor to water saving in Australia and around the world as it will become suitable to use in more and more situations.

“Static sieves have long been the standard in this field, but they have a tendency to clog and therefore require a large amount of maintenance, including frequent washing,” said Mr Webber.

“Following the development and installation of our vibrating sieve, we found that the cleaning and maintenance cycles were reduced and they were actually able to reuse the higher quality grey water in the heat exchanger. In the past, drinking water would have been used in this application.

“Our vibrating sieves also assist companies save water by reducing the cleaning and maintenance cycles, compared with static sieves and, of course, the quality of waste water was also vastly improved, definitely a win-win on all fronts,” he said.

The 48inch separator installed in this case example has the ability to handle flow rates of 280-570 litres per minute making it perfect for high volume applications.

“At iBulk we pride ourselves on providing innovative solutions that not only increase productivity and reduce costs for our clients, but in the long run, will also have a positive effect on the environment,” added Mr Webber.

For further information contact iBulk (03) 9706 6430 or visit www.ibulk.com.au.

iBulk, a Company with its Finger on the Pulse

You know what its like, your brow starts to sweat and your pulse quickens. It’s the feeling you get right before something big is about to happen.

Working in the pharmaceutical industry provides plenty of these moments as the team at iBulk discovered recently.

“We enjoy relationships with a number of the larger pharmaceutical companies in Australia,” said Mr Tony Webber, managing director, iBulk. “A number of our products are ideally suited to pharmaceutical applications and we’ve been able to provide many solutions to often difficult processing problems.

“But I must admit that our recent work with Aortech really got the heart racing.”

Aortech is an innovative Australian Biomaterials company that develops and manufactures leading edge polymers for use in critical medical and pharmaceutical applications, with a significant focus on cardiovascular applications.

“Everybody understands the care that has to be taken when dealing with matters of the heart,” remarked Tony.

Working with Aortech staff at iBulk’s test lab the project team quickly identified the critical design requirements and it was down to work to source a processing machine that would provide the best solution.

“Amongst a number of considerations, biggest problem facing Aortech was inconsistencies in the plastic granules that form the base material of their products,” Explained Tony. “To ensure high quality moulding it is imperative that the plastic granules used in production are a uniform size.

“The granules also need to be free from polymer dust to ensure the finished product is produced to the highest sanitary levels.”

After investigating a number of alternatives, the SWECO Circular Separator was identified as the best match to the design parameters.

“The SWECO separator looked like it stood head and shoulders above the rest when measured against the specifications required for this application,” said Tony. “Its stainless steel design combined with the fact that the screens are manufactured using Supertaut really illustrated that it provided the best outcome.”

For those who may not be familiar with Supertaut, it’s a revolutionary bonding material which encapsulates and locks every wire into place eliminating crevices and pits found in typical spot welded screens.

After settling on the SWECO, it was straight into iBulk’s test laboratory to make sure it would provide the results that its specifications promised.

“Our stringent testing regime proved that the SWECO was the best choice and from there we quickly intergrated the unit into Aortech’s production facility.

“Looking back it was a great result for all parties and it’s nice to know that you can play an integral role in producing products that will improve the health of so many Australians, ‘added Tony.

For further information contact iBulk (03) 9768 3955 or visit www.ibulk.com.au.

Mooo-ving Powdered Milk

Sometimes, what would initially seem to be the simplest of requests can quickly turn into a cow of a project, once the full extent of the design requirements have been established.

This was the case recently when the innovative production team at iBulk, a leading producer of internationally renowned process equipment, discovered when they were approached to design a system to transport powered milk over a span on 4.5 metres.

“While this sounds like a pretty simple task, there were quite a number of environmental factors that would eventually steer the design of the finished item,” said Mr Tony Webber, managing director, iBulk.

The environmental factors that restricted the number of options available to the iBulk project team included low head room, a light existing support structure, not to mention the fact that powered milk itself is a food product and therefore needs to be transported under sanitary conditions.

“It’s funny, generally the product that needs to be transported steers the design process, but in this situation, it was really the other environmental factors that drove us towards the ultimate solution,” remarked Mr Webber.

“Because the existing structure itself was quite light, we had to look at alternatives to traditional feeders as they tend to use brute force to move product,” explained Mr Webber.

“Without a doubt, installing a traditional feeder in this situation would have resulted in the failure of the supporting structure due to extensive vibration transfer.

“This was a major contributing factor that led us to specify a polished stainless steel Vimec natural frequency conveyor,” said Tony.

The Vimec conveyor provided the perfect set of features for this application; it works well in a low headroom environment and due to the fact that it is a natural frequency conveyor, vibration transfer is minimal. The conveyor is fully enclosed thus reducing dust and eliminating contamination concerns and most importantly it is sanitary, perfect for a food quality environment.

The team at iBulk  pride themselves on designing innovative and practical solutions for a broad cross-section of industry segments including food processing, agriculture, minerals and pharmaceutical to name a few, and it is their commitment to ensuring that all aspects of the brief are covered that has resulted in their on-going success.

“This powdered milk project really highlights our ability to design a solution that was cost effective, designed specifically to suit a unique application and above all, met our client’s requirements to the letter of the brief,” said Mr Webber. “I’m really proud of the efforts of our engineering and research and development teams as the outcome far exceeded our client’s initial expectations,” he added.

For further information contact iBulk (03) 9706 6430 or visit www.ibulk.com.au.

iBulk’s Website sets industry benchmark

iBulk has long been considered an innovator in Australia's Fine Particle Separation and Processing Equipment industry and the recent launch of their new website really cements their position as market leader. Designed to be a resource for process plant designers, engineers and specifiers, the new website hosts a vast amount of information on a wide variety of products, but is easy to navigate and features a user friendly search function.

"At iBulk we have always prided ourselves on our ability to provide our clients with solutions that are specifically tailored to their unique requirements and right from the planning stages we brought the same mindset to the development of our new website," said Mr Tony Webber, managing director, iBulk.

Anyone who points their browser to ibulk.com.au will discover that Tony and his team have put a lot of thought into how visitors will use the site in order to find the information they are seeking. The website has been split into two different, yet related areas, Products and Applications.

"Because we have been operating in the industry for a considerable amount of time, it was easy for us to identify the two different ways in which customers make initial contact and we designed the site to suit both.

"A lot of the time we'll get a client that pretty much knows exactly the piece of equipment they're after, but is looking for some additional information about specifications and they will head straight for the Products Tab.

"The other type of request we receive is from people who are operating in a certain industry sector, say for example agriculture, who are looking for a solution to a specific problem but don't really know where to start. Well these guys can head straight for the applications tab, which will allow them to sort solutions by industry," explained Tony.

The new iBulk website sets a new industry standard and further builds on their reputation for supplying quality service and in depth R&D. Anyone who takes the time to visit the site will quickly understand that iBulk's ability to design and build fine particle separation and processing equipment for the bulk solid processing industry is unique in this country.

To discover just how good the new iBulk® website is visit www.ibulk.com.au you won't be disappointed.

Turn Key Sand Drying Solutions

If you’re hunting for a cost effective and efficient solution to process mineral or sand from wet feed to dry graded product, your search is over. iBulk Solutions, one of Australia’s leading  innovators in the Fine Particle Separation and Processing Equipment industry, has invested heavily in the design and development  of a new system that speeds up through-put times, thereby reducing the cost per tonne.

“Our team of talented engineer’s have combined our proprietary technology with vibrating process equipment, conveyors, iBulk /Carrier Dryers and Rotex Gyratory Screeners to develop a turnkey plant that can be installed for 10-15 tph of sand that can be dried from 10-12% down to whatever you require,” explained Tony Webber, managing director, iBulk Solutions.

Not only is iBulk’s solution extremely compact, they have actually gone so far as to make these plants transportable, as they only require the electrical and gas services to be connected on site.

“Vibrating fluid bed drying is the world’s leading technology for sand drying,” said Tony. “In fact, the National Industrial Sand Association recently documented the efficiency comparisons between vibrating fluid beds and rotary drum dryers and the difference is remarkable.”

The results showed that plants using vibrating fluid bed drying technology could expect operational savings on fuel alone to be as high as 30% per annum when compared with rotary drum dryers.

Tony then went on to explain that additional savings are available as annual maintenance costs for vibrating fluid bed drying are minimal.

“In addition to these advantages, utilising vibrating fluid bed drying technology can also assist companies’ to combat future Carbon Taxation requirements,” said Tony. “In conjunction with Carrier, we have developed dryers for coal drying and processing that removes excess moisture from bituminous coal before it is used in boilers and similar applications.

“Additional saving on emissions can be achieved by the ability of our drying systems to recycle hot air therefore reducing the amount of combustion required to achieve the drying requirement,” he added.

iBulk Long Trough Vibrating Feeder

This is an example of a recent vibrating feeder project with have done for a powder application.

We designed the long trough feeder to suit the client's overhead hopper.