Cellier, Blending and Formulation Solutions, part of ABB France, introduces the High Viscosity Drum Decanting System designed to pump and dose highly viscous liquids stored in drums and incorporate them into the formulation process. Widely used in the chemicals industry to store high-value raw materials and additives, drums and barrels regularly require emptying, dosing and rinsing. Increasingly, the materials being kept within have a high viscosity level.
ABB’s High Viscosity Drum Decanting System is an automated station designed to increase pumping capacity of highly viscous products by up to 20,000 centistokes and to reduce operator drum handling time by 50%. Immediately after pumping is completed, materials are automatically transferred via pigged lines to its required destination.
The system features a screen barrier as well as a camera incorporated into the machine casing which acts as a virtual “safety perimeter” around the machine. If the safety perimeter is crossed while the machine is processing, movement and action are automatically stopped, according to the company.
Incorporating a high-pressure rinsing nozzle for cleaning the drums after use, and by automating the entire decanting process, ABB’s new system reportedly reduces waste by up to 90%, removing any residual quantity in the drums, minimizing cross contamination of pumped products and recycling effluents in the production cycle.
Supplied with an operator terminal for recipe management, the system also ensures accurate dosing within 0.2Kg, which increases first pass yield (FPY), driving up product quality by adding the exact dose required the first time, according to ABB.
