Since switching to Hammertek conveyor elbows more than two and a half years ago, Parker Chomerics has eliminated chronic elbow failures. #processorsedge #technologyinaction

Parker Chomerics is a division of the Parker Hannifin Engineering Materials Group, headquartered in Fairport, New York, which injects conductive parts for the automotive, electronics, and telecommunications industries. These components provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and replace metal components to reduce weight and cost. However, the glass fiber that contributes to the special physical properties of a new resin also caused it to repeatedly wear through the sweeping elbow of the company's pneumatic conveying system.

The resin (conductive and non-conductive) used in the molding process is formulated with additives such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, nickel or stainless steel. Some are produced on-site, while others arrive via bulk trucks and are pneumatically transported to 25-foot-high outdoor silos. Each line requires two 90° elbows; a 4-inch diameter pneumatic line runs vertically up to the side of each silo, extends horizontally for 6 feet, and then connects down to the inlet connection at the top of the silo.

At Parker Chomerics, HammerTek’s two 90° deflection elbows eliminate the previous use of stainless steel sweep elbows, ceramic lined elbows, ceramic backed elbows, and elbows made internally using flexible stainless steel tubing and quick connect fittings. The elbows encountered are worn.

In 2015, a new granular mineral/glass filled nylon frayed holes in the elbow of the silo filling line. “After a certain amount of filling, the resin will spray out from the top of the production line and scattered all over the place,” said Mark Withey, the maintenance supervisor. "A lot of things to be cleaned up."

Withey and his maintenance staff first tried to solve the problem by switching to another type of elbow. “We started with stainless steel brooms, then ceramic-lined brooms, and then brooms with replaceable ceramic backing plates,” Withey recalled, describing the early maintenance of the line. His staff even used flexible stainless steel pipes and quick-connect fittings to make elbows internally.

Withey insists that the stainless steel broom has a 12-foot arc and cannot be viewed or manually probed for inspection. "All we can do is guess." For safety's sake, Withey's maintenance team replaces them every few months.

Ceramic-lined brooms are more expensive and last only six months. The elbows with replaceable backs are not actually worn on the back but at the corners. “We had to bring them to the workshop, weld the holes, and then bring them back to the top of the silo,” Withey said.

His staff even used flexible stainless steel pipes and quick-connect fittings to make elbows internally. "They lasted four to five months, and they were cheaper and faster to replace, but they were still time-consuming," Withey said. "In any case, all the elbows we tried added a huge expense in terms of parts, labor and downtime."  

Withey then learned about deflection elbows from HammerTek Corp.. Unlike the sweep that requires particles to hit the wall of the elbow to change the direction, the company’s smart elbow design is characterized by the spherical vortex chamber partially protruding out of the material flow path, thereby forming loosely packed spherical particles suspended in the air along The direction of flow rotates slowly. The material entering the elbow is gently deflected by the rotating material ball around the elbow without affecting or abrading the wall of the elbow. As some material constantly replenishes the rotating pellets, this process is continuous, and the chamber is completely emptied with the last part of the material being transported.

Hammertek’s Smart Elbow’s short-radius vortex design has a protruding spherical cavity that can cause a ball of material suspended in the air to rotate, gently deflecting the incoming material at the bend without affecting the wall of the bend or generating heat.

In October 2018, Withey installed two deflection elbows on the production line for conveying abrasive particles, eliminating the elbow failure at the time of writing. "In the beginning, we would go up and check the bolts once a month," Withey said. "Now, as we are full of confidence in them, we will rise every quarter." He reported that routine inspections take 45 minutes and are easier than before. "The other elbows are bigger, heavier, and heavier," Withey said. The Smart Elbow is compact with a radius of only 10.6 inches. "One can easily pick up and hold it. It is very effective for us."

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