Flexible and Stainless Steel Silos for the efficient and effective discharging of materials

Bridging, rat holes, and dead regions are costly and frustrating problems associated with traditional discharging silos. Several futile attempts have been made by companies to prevent these problems, such as placing energy waves directly into the silo's material, however, these methods cause extra wear to the system and damage materials.  It was with these problems in mind that OA Mechatronics developed its ALFRA Flexible Silo.  ALFRA flexible silos, made from a special rubber coated textile, enables product to be activated throughout the entire silo surface.  Material movement, caused by the ALFRA moving silo surface, actively breaks down bridges, rat holes, dead regions, and bedded down areas.  By inflating the silo compartments, the silo shape changes, thus preventing and breaking down bridge structures. This material movement causes shearing layers in the silo resulting in a significantly improved material flow behavior.  ALFRA also manufactures Stainless Steel Silos for products with more consistent material flow.

Features

• Activates material from outside the silo, not within the material (like more common tools like stirrers, air boxes, vibrators, hammers, etc.)

• Activates material movement at all silo surfaces, resulting in a complete material activation and not locally like the common tools.

• Activates poor flowing, cohesive, and / or compressible materials

• Improves mass flow behavior, resulting in better first-in-first-out characteristics
  
• Minimizes cross contamination by allowing a complete discharge
  
• Provides for high dosing speed and accuracy