Food Grade Pneumatic Conveying System Manufacturers

Pneumatic conveying systems for food — how they work

Pneumatic conveying systems transport bulk food powders and granules through sealed pipelines using air pressure (positive pressure / dilute or dense phase) or vacuum (negative pressure). The food product is entrained in the airstream and transported through the pipeline from a pick-up point to a delivery point — potentially over longer distances and around bends that mechanical conveyors cannot accommodate. Food-grade pneumatic conveying systems are used for: flour and starch transfer between silos, sieves, and mixing machines; sugar and salt conveying in food ingredient handling; spice and seasoning powder conveying; instant coffee and spray-dried powder transfer; and other dry food ingredient conveying where hygiene, enclosed transfer, and flexibility of routing are important. Two main conveying modes are used: dilute phase conveying (high velocity air stream with low product concentration — product flows freely in the air stream; suitable for free-flowing non-fragile powders and granules); and dense phase conveying (lower velocity, higher product-to-air ratio — product moves in plugs or in a dune-type flow; better for fragile or abrasive products that would be damaged or cause excessive pipe wear at dilute phase velocity).