A three-conveyor system that can carry material in a continuous loop is the among the most advanced capabilities of Martin Engineering’s new Research and Development Center in Neponset, Illinois, USA.
This recirculating conveyor system is the key feature in the Process Simulation Area at the company’s new Center for Bulk Materials Handling Innovation (CFI). The process simulation “loop” is composed of three belt conveyors arranged in a triangle to carry material from one conveyor to the next in a continuous, recirculating stream.
“This recirculating conveyor system will let Martin Engineering product engineers and material scientists test product prototypes and the handling characteristics of real bulk material cargoes on full-scale material handling equipment,” said R. Todd Swinderman, Martin Engineering’s Chief Technology Officer. “We will be able to work with the specific materials of a customer to develop solutions to their unique material handling problems.”
Two of the conveyors are 30 inches (750 mm) wide; the long leg of the triangle is 48 inches (1200 mm) wide. One of the conveyors is an air-supported belt conveyor; the other two incorporate conventional idlers.
The recirculating belt conveyor system, scheduled to be finished in June 2008, combines with the CFI’s industry-leading material testing and component analysis laboratories to position Martin Engineering to make bulk material handling cleaner, safer, and more productive.
The Center for Innovation is housed in a new 22,630 square foot (2,100 square meters) facility constructed at Martin Engineering’s world headquarters/campus in Neponset, Illinois (USA). The new Martin Engineering Center for Bulk Material Handling Innovation (CFI) operates with the mission of “Collaborate, Innovate, and Educate,” to improve the handling of bulk materials across industry and around the world.
CONTACT: Andy Marti
(309) 594-2384 Ext. 278
or [email protected]