Product Intake Hoppers
series TPP, TPPW, TPPY

They are hoppers properly designed to feed pneumatic transport systems being equipped with all those accessories that allow to correctly deliver solid bulk products both granular and powder. It is available a wide variety of standard product intake hoppers with different capacity.

The product intake hoppers TPP, TPPW and TPPY can be manually or automatically loaded, both simply by gravity or with proper mechanical conveyors such as screws, conveyor belts, bucket elevators, redler, aeromechanical systems or even dosing systems.

They have a truncated-conical shape and are equipped with height adjustable feet and anchorable to the ground. Alternatively it can be provided with wheels or a palletizable base for transpallet or forklift, this makes it easily movable to do the cleaning all around.

In case of manual loading the product intake hoppers have a completely removable or semi-openable with hinges lid under which there is a supporting grid, easily removable to have access inside and accomplish more easily the cleaning operations.

The lower part is constituted by an extraction unit constituted by a conical module bolted to the hopper and removable to ease the cleaning. On the bottom of the conical module there is a properly dimensioned intake stub to connect to the pneumatic transport line. The connection can be made easily with pipe tightening clamps, if the transport line is made with flexible pipes, or with pressure joints (Morris) or fittings tri-clamp if the pipes are stiff.

Along the pneumatic transport line, by the product intake hopper TPP, TPPW and TPPY immediately downstream or upstream, it is installed a manual ball valve. It is used for the air flow regulation, created by the aspiration unit of the pneumatic transport, in order to optimize the performances of the entire system. The ball valve is protected by a cartridge filter with steel grid that prevents from the accidental entrance of small objects eventually present in the circumstances.

In cases where the product to pneumatically convey is particularly dense, compact and tends to aggregate it is suggested to install a doser under the product intake hopper instead of the conical extraction unit. This setup allows to feed the pneumatic transport line regularly, constantly and with a controlled product quantity, avoiding the formation of blocks that can create obstruction along the pipeline. Regulating the doser flow rate, using a mechanical variator or a frequency converter, it is possible to optimize even more the performances of the entire system.

Downstream the product intake hopper it can be installed also a pipeline cleaning device.

The pipeline cleaning device is made with an inline 30 ° bifurcation where it is installed an electro-pneumatically controlled valve. The gate is normally closed and it opens at the end of the product conveyed so increasing the air flow into the pipeline. In this way the line is “air washed” getting rid completely of the product residue left along the pipeline and that tends to accumulate mostly at the base of the vertical sections. If the product is left inside the pipe time after time tends to aggregate and can create dangerous clogging that makes then difficult the restart of the pneumatic transport. Upstream the air intake valve it is installed a cartridge filter with steel grid to prevent the accidental entrance of small objects eventually present in the circumstances.

The loading of the product intake hoppers can be managed with the installation of a minimum level. It can be used various sensors, such as capacitive, rotary level sensors, vibrating level switches, to choose according to the product features.

For poorly flowing products it is possible to provide a pneumatic vibrator to install by the extraction unit. The scope of the pneumatic vibrator is to fluidize the product during the transport phase and obtain a complete emptying of the hopper at the end of the production.

The product intake hoppers can be setup in the Atex version when it is requested.

The product intake hoppers are available also in the gravimetric version. They can be installed on a load cell scale (TPPW) or be hung directly to the load cells (TPPY ). The gravimetric setup allows the pneumatic transfer of a predefined product quantity. It is an alternative solution to the gravimetric vacuum loaders series ATSY and AJSY. The load cells used are off-center or flexion type, aluminum or stainless steel, available also in the Atex version when requested.

In this case the quantity check of the product to transport occurs by difference of weight. The hopper TPPW or TPPY is previously loaded with the product. The pneumatic transport ends its cycle once the weight in the hopper is decreased of the quantity wanted.

The most used construction materials are stainless steel Aisi 304 and 316L, but it is also possible to provide carbon steel on request.

The surfaces in contact with the product can be easily pickled or mirror polished in case of poorly flowing products. It is possible to have certifications of the contact materials on request.

The external surfaces are satin finished 180 mesh. It is possible to have them glass bead blasted or electro-polished on request.

The gaskets are made in dust-tight rubber , such as SBR or NBR. They are available also with FDA certification on request.

Electrical control panels can also be supplied including software specifically designed accordingly to the requested functionality.