Silos fulfil several essential functions in the Agricultural, Mining, Mineral Processing, and Manufacturing industries, to name a few. Inevitably, over time, the content stored in bulk storage containers attract moisture which, combined with foreign environmental elements sets off a binding process. Once the elements have attached to the moisture, lumps form and append to surfaces.
By not addressing the accumulation of the build-up for extended periods there are subsequent impacts which include:
Reduced Material Flow Rates due to valve blockages caused by the build-up. This has been known to disrupt process parameters and, in severe cases entirely disrupt production operations.
Reduced Storage Capacity
Cross Contamination of Material
Material Losses due to the matter not meeting quality requirements, being rendered out of use and disposable. In addition, certain cleansing techniques are of such a nature that previously usable material becomes unusable and cannot be reintegrated into production processes.
Inventory Discrepancies occur due to the actual volume of usable material not being measured accurately once material losses have been sustained.
CONVENTIONAL CLEANING METHODS DO NOT ADD VALUE...
In order to avoid the above impact points and ensure uninterrupted production, cleaning silos regularly is important. Previous methods involved human operatives having to enter the vessels and manually remove the accumulated compact material. It goes without saying that these outdated methods carry high risk to workers in addition to increasing costs, and unnecessarily prolonging projects.
By selecting this option, one has to consider hazards that include but are not limited to:
Working at Heights:
Manual cleaning is typically undertaken at elevated levels exposing operatives to typical risks associated with heights.
Confined Spaces:
Some vessels contain toxic gasses, partly formed by natural fermentation. Strict protocols have to be adhered to when operatives enter the vessel, remove the build-up and exit the vessel.
Stability of Material Build-Up:
Movement during cleaning operations could trigger a collapse of large lumps of build-up which may result in significant injury.
Costs:
Manual cleaning methods are costly as it involves a lot of manpower and frequently results in lengthy stoppages.
DGC HAS THE SOLUTION...
Offering a highly specialized service by using cutting-edge equipment to clean contaminated and/or congested bulk storage containers. The equipment applied functions at high-speed, is effective and holds no risk to human entry at any stage of the cleansing operation. DGC has adopted a combination of silo cleaning technologies. These include the Silo-Whip System which may be used in conjunction with the Cardox CO2 System. Both highly efficient, cost effective and safe. Keep a look out for our next article when we will delve into the details of the two cleaning methods mentioned above.
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