Powder Consolidation - Why It's A Problem And How To Solve It

Tablet making machines can suddenly jam in the middle of a high speed production run. What’s the reason? One is the consolidation of the powder in the feed hopper which means that the cohesive strength of the powder to stick together is stronger than the force of gravity driving it down into the feeder. The inevitable consequence is erratic flow behavior or possibly a total stopped of flow altogether. It’s time to bring out the baseball bat and bang that hopper.

Bags of fine quality powder, perhaps coca or starch for example, can be produced to spec and hauled by truck to distant destinations, far away from the processing plant where originally manufactured. Upon arrival, however, the powder has hardened or consolidated into clumps in the sacks that contain the cargo. Discharging the powder into feed bins is problematical, but that’s only the beginning. The clumps may break up, but smaller clumps may still exist and cause blockages which eventually affect discharge of the powder from the feed hopper.

Piles of pulverized powder materials, such as limestone, are stockpiled outdoors until ready for use. The materials on the surface for all practical purposes is free flowing. The powder in the middle of the pile may have consolidated and be hard to move. How fast does it cause downstream problems for subsequent processing operations?