White Paper

RSS

Anyone who has had to resort to sledgehammer blows to persuade materials to flow from a bin knows of the complexities and difficulties of bin design. Before the physics of material storage and flow was even marginally understood, such a heavy-handed approach mainly served to characterize the frustration in solving the apparently simple problem of making material move from a container with a hole in the bottom. Simple problems don't always have simple solutions, though. Getting material to obey the law of gravity can be a perplexing case in point.

No less perplexing is the realization that virtually every variable in bin design holds potential veto power over the workability of the entire system. Not only does bin geometry play a determining role, but so do the varied physical properties of the material. The downstream device into which the material flows must be given its due consideration or problems may follow; even the elements of time and environment can spell disaster.

Although still a complicated exercise requiring full knowledge of both material and method, proper bin design quickly and continually returns its cost in the form of reliable smooth and consistent material flow. The direct benefits of a well-thought-out bin design range from increased production and improved product quality to better efficiency of process equipment, less maintenance, a cleaner plant and fewer surprises at start-up. Even in only skimming the subject's surface, it is clear that bin design commands a priority commensurate with its importance in the process.