Is it possible to efficiently process multiple plastic additives through a single batching system without risking cross-contamination between products? That’s what an international plastics supplier wanted to know. With multiple production sites located in Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East, their US plant needed a supplier who could also help them find a better way to handle unloading from rigid intermediate bulk containers (IBCs).
Plastic additives demand precision handling and contamination control
The company’s thermoplastic compounds are used in critical manufacturing applications for global automotive industries, multilayer film, and industrial and food packaging. It was essential to source powder handling equipment to manage diverse plastic additives while maintaining the strict contamination control standards their customers demanded. That meant the machinery they sourced needed to have high cleanability capabilities between batches, with minimal impact to the process.
Plastic production challenge: Managing multiple products through one batching system
The company wanted to implement a new batch processing system to handle various plastic additives for recently secured customer contracts. These contracts required different mixtures of thermoplastic compounds, each with precise formulations involving multiple additives in both powder and pellet forms.
Their pre-weighed batches were collected in rigid IBCs, or totes as they’re commonly called in the US. The challenge was maintaining efficiency in the process without compromising product purity between batches. The plant engineering team needed a partner who could provide:
- A complete discharge solution for rigid IBCs from a single vendor
- Contamination control capabilities for batch-to-batch changeovers
- Proven reliability in plastic compounding applications
- Gentle conveying to maintain product integrity across diverse materials
- A system to handle both powdered and pelletised plastic additives
The company had previously installed Floveyor aero-mechanical conveyors (AMCs) at three of their other production facilities, where they handled similar plastic powders and pellets. The reliability, ease of use, and cleanability of these systems made them the logical choice for the US plant’s new batching system. The internal team’s familiarity with Floveyor installation also provided valuable commissioning support for the US project team.
Moving to a fit-for-purpose powder handling equipment design
The plant engineering team contacted Floveyor based on their past experience. Following initial consultation and solution modelling, Floveyor recommended a complete IBC discharging system featuring a custom-designed tote support frame, or cradle, that integrated with a Floveyor F3 AMC from the Endura product range.
Why the Floveyor AMC was selected
An AMC with FloDisc® Technology provides a fully enclosed system that controls dust, prevents cross-contamination, and ensures safe, efficient transfers at any elevation. The conveyor is designed to minimise downtime, prevent material degradation, and allow complete batch transfers with thorough cleaning between products.
The AMC was ideal for handling the diverse plastic additives used in thermoplastic compounds production because it:
- Maintains product purity through enclosed, dust-free operation
- Provides gentle conveying action that preserves pellet integrity and prevents powder degradation
- Enables complete material discharge with minimal product retention
- Offers rapid purging capabilities using dry wash functionality for contamination control
- Delivers consistent throughput rates essential for batch processing efficiency
- Prevents cross-contamination between different plastic additive formulations.
Why the Endura F3 was chosen
Of the AMC product ranges, the Floveyor Endura is designed for sophisticated chemical and industrial applications in an unlimited number of process and plant configurations. The Endura’s vast range of accessories, combined with optional ATEX/Ex compliance features, meets rigorous global compliance and safety standards. For a plastics supplier serving sensitive industries, these qualities are extremely attractive. Floveyor’s Endura F3 met all the specific conveying requirements for the varied plastic additives used in the site’s powder handling.
The Endura range was selected because it:
- Features construction suitable for food-contact plastic production applications
- Provides the compact footprint required for integration with existing batch mixers
- Offers seamless connection with downstream compounding equipment
- Delivers reliable performance across both powder and pellet materials
- Enables thorough cleaning for contamination control between product runs
- Supports the 6 tph decant rates required for efficient batching
- Is known for longevity and low maintenance.
What Floveyor’s solution consisted of
Floveyor’s expertise in custom powder handling equipment design was critical for this application. The plastics production facility wanted an integrated system to safely support, discharge, and convey materials from rigid IBCs and they preferred to work with only one vendor.
The new powder handling equipment from Floveyor consisted of two main components:
1. Floveyor Endura F3
- Dry wash functionality for rapid purging between different plastic additives
- Integration capability with downstream batch mixer.
2. Custom tote support frame
- Cradle designed and engineered to secure rigid IBCs during discharge
- Safe support structure for forklift loading and unloading
- Integration with AMC inlet for direct material transfer
- Design accommodating the client’s specific tote dimensions and butterfly valve configuration.
Floveyor provided a complete solution with a seamless integration between the conveyor and the decanting frame. It eliminated the need for the plastics supplier to source components from multiple vendors and manage complex onsite integration.
New system provides controlled batch processing with contamination control
The Floveyor system handles multiple plastic additives efficiently through a streamlined four-step process:
- Pre-weighed batches in rigid totes are forklifted into the support cradle
- Once the tote is secured, the butterfly valve opens and contents discharge into the AMC
- The AMC gently conveys the blend to the batch mixer at 6 tph
- Air purging removes residual material, ensuring thorough contamination control.
The fully enclosed system prevents dust emissions while the dry wash functionality enables rapid changeovers between different thermoplastic compounds, which is critical for a facility processing multiple plastic additive formulations.
Floveyor delivers compounded value for high-performance compounds
The Floveyor Endura F3 met the challenge of implementing efficient batch processing while maintaining the contamination control standards essential for products using a diverse range of sensitive plastics.
Floveyor enabled the thermoplastics supplier to:
- Work with a supplier who already had a proven track record with demonstrated reliability at other production sites
- Eliminate the complexity of coordinating multiple equipment suppliers
- Benefit from commissioning support leveraged from their own team’s AMC experience
- Receive equipment from an OEM with extensive experience shipping products to the US.
The system provides complete batch transfer with minimal product retention, reducing waste of valuable plastic additives while ensuring product purity batch after batch.
Proven powder handling equipment for engineering plastics
The US facility successfully implemented a batching system that handles materials ranging from stabilisers and processing aids to master batches, each with distinct flow characteristics. The custom support frame demonstrates Floveyor’s capability to design integrated solutions rather than simply supplying standard equipment.
Having consistent, reliable powder handling equipment across multiple production sites provides operational advantages that extend well beyond a single facility.
Using a Floveyor in plastic additives handling
If you’d like more information about Floveyor’s contamination control capabilities for bulk material powder handling for industrial applications, get in touch. We’re happy to discuss your requirements and can work with you to develop a safe, efficient powder handling system for your operation.