On 25 October last, the members of the Netherlands Drying Working Group (Nederlandse Werkgroep Drogen, NWGD) visited our new site. During the tour we focussed on the great extent to which we automate our work processes. There were around 20 excursion participants who could see with their own eyes how CAD integration in our ERP system works in practice.
Quick and easy
The 3D drawings of the customised screw conveyors are sent at the press of a button on the computers in the office to touchscreens in the workshop, where the production staff build the machine from scratch. Via a ‘they-did-it-board’ the production staff can quickly and easily indicate if they have any questions about the design. This reduces faults to a minimum and provides a quick and convenient work procedure. This is also what we are aiming for: automated where possible, traditional craftsmanship where necessary.
Interest in eggshell dryer
Under the trade name Celsius we produce screw heat exchangers. As an example we had set up our eggshell dryer for drying wet and broken eggshells in the workshop. This was of course of special interest for these visitors.
Also attention to the broader context of drying
But the focus did not only lie on screw heat exchangers. For drying a substance, a feed and a discharge or for example dosing are often also necessary and our screw conveyors are particularly suitable for this. We were able to give our visitors a broad view of the whole chain and we also received some positive reactions to this.
About the NWGD
The initiative for coming to visit us came from David Hostelle of IP&D experts, who is also secretary of the NWGB. The association has around 120 members who come from universities, knowledge institutes, the process industry and mechanical engineering. They exchange knowledge and experience about drying and all the aspects of importance here. This was also evident during this excursion: David Hostelle gave a lecture on measuring the most relevant characteristics of powders and granulates. As part of this broadest possible view, other equipment suppliers were also present to share their experiences.