iBulk designs system to transport powered milk over a span on 4.5 metres.
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.
In this particular instance, there were quite a number of environmental factors that would eventually steer the design of the finished item. 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.
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.
Because the existing structure itself was quite light, iBulk looked at alternatives to traditional feeders as they tend to use brute force to move product. 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 iBulk to specify a polished stainless steel Vimec natural frequency conveyor.
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.
This powdered milk project outlined a design solution that was cost effective, designed specifically to suit a unique application and above all, met the client’s requirements to the letter of the brief.