Corn seed coating powder transportation, automation by Piab
Piab's automated system for corn seed coating powder transportation benefits Bayer Hungaria Kft. The use of Piab's piFLOW®f conveyors eliminated the need for manual handling entirely. Piab's Automated System transports corn seed coating powder up to the fourth floor from the ground.
A global company with expertise in nutrition and healthcare is Bayer Hungaria Kft. Their ability to produce corn seed coating powder must be effective and simple to operate in order to serve its intended function of promoting a sustainable future.
Before using Piab’s solutions, Bayer Hungaria Kft. used an old mechanical elevator to move 25 (kg) powder bags to a coating machine 20 meters above ground in its Nagyigmánd plant. Using the old mechanical elevator was time-consuming and caused product losses and ergonomic issues that negatively impacted the costs.
The PiFLOW®f conveyors chosen for the material handling process
One of two piFLOW®f conveors installed on the 4th floor at Bayer Hungaria Kft. (photo: Piab)
Therefore, Bayer sought an automated alternative to their current manual material handling process. Their objective was to improve the efficiency of the transport process while also curbing expenses. Tech Con Hungaria, an authorized Piab distributor, found the optimal solution for this purpose: piFLOW®f conveyors. PiFLOW®f was chosen for its small footprint and closed design that allows spillage-free material handling as well as minimal costs and maintenance. Bayer Hungaria Kft. purchased two piFLOW®f conveyors:
one with a horizontal pipe length of 17 meters and a vertical pipe length of 20 meters;
the second with a horizontal pipe length of 20 metres and a vertical pipe length of 20 meters.
The powder being conveyed is of a fine consistency and has a bulk density of 0.54 (kg/l).
The automatic transport system for corn seed coating powder
Second piFLOW®f conveyor installed on the 4th floor at Bayer Hungaria Kft. (photo: Piab)
“Thanks to the use of the two Piab conveyors, our customer is now able to carry out automatic powder transport continuously and efficiently“, says László Csenki, Technical Sales at Tech Con Hungaria. Originally, Bayer had requested a transport capacity of 350 (kg/h). However, with Piab’s optimal settings, the system is instead able to achieve a maximum capacity of 440 (kg/h), saving significant time in the production process. The installation of the Piab conveyors was carried out by Tech-Con Hungaria, which also integrated a rotary dosing system, a big-bag frame with a crane and a pipeline with an emptying unit.
Together with the piFLOW® conveyors, Tech-Con Hungaria’s system integrator installed a rotary dosing system, a big-bag frame with a crane, and the pipeline with an emptying unit. Bayer’s PLC manages the conveyor control unit.
Piab’s piFLOW®f conveyors proved to be an excellent implementation for Bayer Hungaria Kft’s corn seed coating powder transportation needs. With the successful installation of Piab’s automated solution, Bayer Hungaria Kft. can continue their production of nutrition in a more efficient way.
piFLOW®f for food industry, ATEX certified for dust and gas
Feeding point with the big bag stand and the rotary feeder. (photo: Piab)
piFLOW®f is a conveyor widely used in the food industry. It has a stainless-steel body (ASTM 304) and seals, in direct contact with the product to be conveyed, that meet both FDA regulations and EU European guidelines. piFLOW®f is also ATEX certified for dust and gas. The conveyor can be integrated into an existing system or can be designed for a completely new line. For greater flexibility within the plant, piFLOW®f can be placed on a mobile frame to be used at different stations of the production line. Typical applications where it is used are powder and granule conveying, feeding mills, vibrating screens, mixers, and loading and unloading big bags. All piFLOW®f conveyors are available with an air pump, based on Piab’s COAX® technology, the most energy-efficient way to create vacuum, or with an electromechanical pump.