Auf einen Blick
When you need to move fine powder vertically, dust-free, and at speed, there’s often no time to replace equipment. This is especially true if your commissioning deadline is one week. This is a case study of an aero-mechanical conveyor upgrade that solved the problem for a Western Australian plasterboard manufacturer by turning an existing unit into a vertical powder conveyor for a brand-new paste line.
| Industrie | Plasterboard / building materials manufacturing |
| Location | Western Australia |
| Herausforderung | Fast, dust-free vertical powder transfer for a new paste line, commissioned on a tight rebranding deadline |
| Lösung | Reconfigured Floveyor F3 aero-mechanical conveyor (an aero-mechanical conveyor upgrade of an existing unit) |
| Materials | Ready-mixed fillers, vermiculite, clay, recycled dry board |
| Vertikaler Aufzug | 9.5 m true vertical conveying distance |
| Ergebnis | Fully operational within 7 days of first consultation, with no new capital equipment |
The company is part of one of Australia’s largest privately owned enterprise groups and is a well-known name in both construction and building materials manufacturing. They needed a fast, dust-free powder transfer solution for a new paste line at their Western Australia facility. Floveyor delivered an upgraded F3 aeromechanischer Förderer - innerhalb einer Woche entworfen, geändert und in Betrieb genommen werden.
The challenge: a new paste line on a tight deadline
In 2016, the manufacturer expanded operations and rebranded. Their new paste line at their Western Australia facility required a vertical powder conveying system capable of:
- Staubfreies Fördern von fertig gemischten Füllstoffen bei hoher Geschwindigkeit
- Handhabung der Zugabe von mehreren Bestandteilen in unterschiedlichen Chargengrößen
- Vertikales Heben von Material über 10 Meter
- Being fully installed and commissioned within a tight deadline tied to their rebranding launch.
The manufacturer had relied on Floveyor aero-mechanical conveyors since 2003, with four existing units handling Vermiculit, Ton und recycelte Trockenpappe across the plant. Years of trouble-free operation meant the engineering and maintenance team had confidence in the technology from the outset. The challenge was to adapt quickly for the new application.
The solution: reconfiguring an existing F3 rather than replacing it
Floveyor’s engineering team assessed the requirement and reached a conclusion that would save the customer both time and capital. An F3 (3”) unit already onsite could be adapted rather than replaced. This is where the modular nature of Floveyor conveyors and powder handling equipment contributes to long-term ROI.
Why an aero-mechanical conveyor upgrade made sense
An aero-mechanical conveyor moves powder using a high-speed rope and disc assembly running inside enclosed tubes. The discs create an airstream that suspends and carries the material, delivering dust-free powder transfer with minimal product degradation. Because the system is fully enclosed and modular, an existing unit can often be reconfigured for a new duty without buying a whole new conveyor.
From 75-degree incline to true vertical
By extending the tube length and rope assembly, the vertical powder conveyor was reconfigured from a 75-degree incline to a true vertical orientation, achieving a 9.5-metre conveying distance. The F3’s aero-mechanical design allowed it to handle new materials outside its original specification without performance compromise, which was important for a paste line handling several different ingredients.
The results: new production line operational in seven days
Within seven days of the initial consultation, the upgraded F3 vertical powder conveyor was fully operational on the new production line. The modular nature of Floveyor’s system minimised engineering downtime and allowed the customer’s team to focus on their broader relaunch rather than on troubleshooting commissioning headaches.
Key outcomes:
- Einsatzfähig innerhalb von 7 Tagen nach der ersten Konsultation
- Vorhandenes Gerät wird wiederverwendet - keine neue Kapitalausstattung erforderlich
- Vertical conveying over 10 metres achieved (9.5 m true vertical)
- Staubfreier Transfer von fertig gemischten Füllstoffen
- Zero disruption to relaunch timeline.
Reflecting on the project, the manufacturer’s engineering and maintenance manager noted that the team had total confidence in using a Floveyor aero-mechanical conveyor for the new paste line, given the many years of trouble-free operation with their existing units across a range of products. He added that modifying and rebuilding the existing unit to meet the new requirements were remarkably straightforward. The team was extremely happy with the final solution, which is working extremely well on the new product production line.
Why this matters for plasterboard powder conveying
Paste line powder transfer puts competing demands on equipment: high throughput, vertical lift, dust control and the flexibility to handle several materials on the same line. This project showed how an aero-mechanical conveyor upgrade can meet all four without the cost and lead time of a new plant, as long as the original equipment was designed with modularity in mind.
For engineers and plant managers in building materials, the practical takeaway is an existing conveyor’s configuration is not necessarily fixed. Tube length, conveying angle and material compatibility can often be changed in the field, which is what made the one-week turnaround possible here.
Floveyor vertical powder conveyor operating at a Western Australia plasterboard facility
Talk to us about your powder handling system
If you’d like more information about Floveyor’s powder handling capabilities, sich melden. We’re happy to discuss your requirements and work with you to develop a safe, efficient powder handling system for your operation, whether that’s a new install or an upgrade to equipment you already run.
Häufig gestellte Fragen (FAQs)
An aero-mechanical conveyor uses a high-speed assembly inside enclosed tubes to create an airstream that carries powder or granular materials at high speed and efficiency — with minimal dust and product degradation.
Yes. Floveyor’s modular design allows existing units to be reconfigured — including tube length extensions, angle changes, and new material compatibility — often without replacing the core unit.
It depends on the application, but a modular upgrade can be very fast. In this project, a full aero-mechanical conveyor upgrade was operational within one week of the initial consultation.
The F3 aero-mechanical conveyor handles a wide range of powders and granules including ready-mixed fillers, vermiculite, clay, dry board materials, and many others across food, building products, and industrial applications.
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