Pharmaceutical / Chemical
Vibrators for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry
High technical demands are made on industrial vibrators in sterile and hygienic fields. NetterVibration delivers vibrators and systems made of stainless steel, which are easy to clean. Our vibrators of the series L can be operated with sterile compressed air or nitrogen and are therefore suitable for the usage in clean rooms. Furthermore, special coatings increase the lifetime of our drives and protect them against aggressive detergents and environmental conditions.
We have an eye on your special production conditions and provide solutions for potentially explosive areas. NetterVibration delivers vibrators and systems of the category 2, which are suitable for operation in the Ex-zones 1, 2, 21 and 22.
Our vibration systems dispense and convey tablets, powders and granules. We provide special solutions for sieving, compacting, releasing and loosening of bulk material.
Our experienced application experts will gladly advise you on site and help you find and implement the right solution for your application. We will support you wherever and whenever you require our knowledge.
Leveling Barrel Surfaces in a Tight Space
A Netter customer in the chemical manufacturing industry was working with a bulk solid chemical in powder form, filling barrels for delivery. Because the angle of repose for this specific material was relatively steep, a cone formed on the surface of the product as it was being fed into the barrel. In order to fill the barrel to its full capacity and place a lid on it, this cone had to be flattened.
Typically, we would advise the customer to fill the barrels on a compaction table, but due to limited space that was not an option. This case presented an additional challenge in that the solution had to be ATEX compliant because some of the materials were potentially explosive or flammable.
The customer purchased and began implementing a Netter NCT 29 E and a Netter NTS 50/01 EL, both of which are pneumatic vibrators, applying them to the barrels with two VAC 250 Twin GD vacuum systems. This leveled the surface of the product at the top of the barrel, allowing it to be completely filled and sealed with a cover. An additional benefit of the equipment they purchased is that the vacuum mounting is easily attached and detached from the sides of the barrels, so they can be moved quickly from barrel to barrel.
Constructing a Convey System in a Small Space
A chemical industry customer that manufactures additives for food and cosmetics faced a troublesome challenge in that they needed to feed product from a hopper within a tight space that was too small for a conventional conveyor system with multiple moving parts. Due to the configuration of the existing equipment, building a frame on the floor was not an option. Also, there was only room for a small angle of inclination in the space available.
The customer purchased and installed an enclosed hanging feeder equipped with a Netter NEG 501140 electric external vibrator, suspending it from above and insulating it with coil springs. Because both the feeder and the vibrator comprise a compact assembly, the limited space did not compromise the construction or mounting and throughput has been maximized.
Emptying Viscous Fluids More Quickly and Completely
A Netter customer in the chemical manufacturing industry working with a highly viscous fluid was experiencing difficulty in emptying the fluid from a barrel. Because the opening through which the fluid was draining was very small, emptying the barrel was a time-consuming process.
The customer purchased and installed a NTS 180 NF linear vibrator. The vibration applied to the barrel improved the flow of the fluid through the opening, reducing the amount of time it took to completely discharge the contents of the barrel. This resulted in a substantial increase in production capacity.
Eliminating Hammering to Avoid Bridging
A Netter customer in the chemical manufacturing industry was experiencing substantial bridging and buildup of product inside its hoppers during emptying, especially when working with fine powders and substances that tended to retain slight amounts of moisture. This meant that the only way to achieve thorough emptying was to strike the sides of the hopper with a hammer or mallet, risking worker safety and potentially causing damage to the hopper.
The customer installed a PKL 740 pneumatic impactor powered by compressed air and fitted with an automation control. By delivering continuous, measured strikes to the side of the hopper with a piston, the PKL 740 made it possible to completely empty the product from the hopper.
Separating Ceramic Pieces for Inspection
A company was creating ceramics for dentures, an expensive product which had to be very pure due to its intended use in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. To ensure this purity, a person would check the ceramic pieces using a magnifying glass combined with a lamp. But before this person could check each single ceramic piece, they had to be separated from each other, because they would often fall too close together or lie on top of one another during the process.
NetterVibration solved this problem using pneumatic linear vibrators in tandem on a two-tray system. On the first tray, a NTK 8 AL vibrator separates the ceramic pieces as they fall out of the hopper. The second tray is quicker (driven by the NTK 18 AL), and its purpose is to increase the distance between the single ceramics pieces and convey them to the bin positioned at the output. Between the first and the second tray there is a “step” so that the ceramic pieces turn while falling onto the second tray so that the visual check can be performed again by looking at other sides of each piece.
The trays are made of electro-polished stainless steel to ensure the required high sanitation standards.
Compacting Bulk Solid Powder for Shipping
A NetterVibration customer in the chemical manufacturing industry was using a feeder system to fill boxes with a bulk solid powder for shipping. The feeder was configured to fill six boxes simultaneously. During the filling process, a cone-shaped mound formed on top of the material, extending above the top of the box.
The customer installed an NTK 8 AL pneumatic linear vibrator to the table, vibrating the boxes while and after they are filled, flattening the angle of repose and allowing for more product to be put in the box before closing and sealing it. As a result, the customer was able to ship more product on each truckload, substantially reducing shipping costs.
Combustion Gas Fuel in a Heat Exchanger
A power plant was experiencing decreased efficiency with a heat exchanger because the combustion gas fuel was creating ash deposits on the tubes. The ash buildup was acting as an insulator, obstructing the transfer of heat energy through the tube walls.
The company installed a PKL 8000 pneumatic impactor onto the heat exchanger along with an AP 117 timer that delivers a single stroke at 30-second intervals. The regular impacts prevent the ash from building up on the tubes, thus improving the transfer of heat energy through the tube walls. This has substantially increased the efficiency and service time of the equipment, while also improving profitability by reducing the amount of labor required for periodic regular cleaning.
Power Plant Heat Exchanger
A power plant in Northern Germany that uses biomass for fuel determined that they were experiencing reduced efficiency of their stainless steel heat exchanger. The reduced efficiency was caused by ash deposits produced by the combustion gases passing through the heat exchanger. The ash deposits had been building up on the outsides of the tubes and acted as an insulator, obstructing the transfer of heat energy through the tube walls.
After installing a NHK 25 high-frequency impactor onto the heat exchanger, ash build up on the tubes has been eliminated. This has substantially increased the efficiency and service time of the equipment, while also improving profitability by reducing the amount of labor required for regular periodic cleaning.
Bulk Solid Chemical Bridging and Sticking
A NetterVibration customer in the chemical manufacturing industry, working with a 400-liter stainless steel hopper containing a fine bulk solid powder, faced significant challenges with flow, which led to inefficient emptying of the container. Build-up that included bridging, ratholing and material sticking to the interior sides was a constant problem, resulting in potential undesirable mixing between products and batches. Manual methods that included striking the sides of the hopper with a mallet were ineffective and increased the risk of injury to workers, as well as damage to the equipment.
To solve the problem, the customer installed a PKL 740 pneumatic impactor with elastomer plate EE and a sequence control system NASmini8 to the hopper. During the emptying process, the PKL 740 delivers three strokes to the hopper, improving flow, emptying it thoroughly and allowing it to be filled with a new product. To keep the material from bridging on an ongoing basis, the sequence control system NASmini8 is set to trigger the impactor so that it delivers continuous strokes to the hopper for five seconds at five-minute intervals.
As a result of the case study of our products, the customer was successful in optimizing flow and preventing bridging within the hopper. This eliminated the possibility of undesirable mixing between products and batches, while enhancing overall efficiency and worker safety.