Pneumatic Transport System Uses and Advancements

Pneumatic transport systems use vacuums and the basic idea of sucking and pumping air into sealed tubes in order to move materials or a container from one point to the next. This type of transport system is used in many different industries from everyday use at banks to moving bulk materials. One of the more recent developments to the pneumatic system is the use of diverters which enables an object to be transported from a single input port to any of several other output ports. Due to this advancement and others, the pneumatic transport system is becoming more widely used and being produced at lower costs. Industry Uses Banks The banking industry is one of the longest running users of a pneumatic transport system. Their method of transportation consists of a single input, single output tube system that connects the bank teller from inside the bank to the customer at an outside terminal as described in. This is one of the most practical uses of a pneumatic system due to the fact that the distance between the two end ports is so short. Also the material of the objects being moved is usually paper, which is light weight, and therefore the vacuum used to transport the carrier and its contents does not have to be highly powered. Hospitals An industry that has recently started to use pneumatic transport systems are the hospitals. In this setting, it is important for medications, lab specimens, and other supplies be transported throughout the hospital in a fast and reliable way, which can be done using pneumatic transport systems shows the implementation of a simple transport system throughout a hospital. It also mentions that the cost to train employee couriers, the fact that a human has limited capabilities, and the potential for breaking or losing specimens makes the tube system more cost effective over the more commonly used couriers. The most innovative pneumatic transport systems are being created for the hospital industry. This is an important step towards eliminating accidental death of patients due to medication mix ups, which is a common

problem in hospitals. Technological Advancements Pneumatic tube systems have been implemented into everyday use for hundreds of years but they just recently are reaching new businesses and industries. This simple machine uses a blower or vacuum that produces either suction or positive pressure which is efficient because only one end of the tube is required to do work in order to transport the carrier. This basic technology has been around for decades and several new advancements have been made, including the use of diverters. This device enables carriers to move from one tube to another as a small section of the tube revolves the transport tube to another tube which is designed in. This is helpful in preventing a clutter of input ports in a main sending station. As mentioned, hospitals are a big proponent of the expanding pneumatic transportation, and many companies now specialize in these vacuum systems specifically for hospital use. Pneumatic systems have been designed to automatically retrieve and deliver medication using a highly responsive dispensing apparatus that can bi-directionally communicate with the computers controlling its movement. One of the newest innovations for vacuum tube systems is tracking the cylindrical carrier as it transports medications and other supplies. This advancement incorporates a PDA with a bar code reader so the hospital employees can accurately know when tube transactions are initiated and received, and if a carrier tube is delayed, an alert is sent to the personnel who sent it so they can react in a timely fashion. Pneumatic tube systems are becoming a very vital part of life, and surely there.

Technical Definitions
Pneumatic transport systems / Sistema de Transporte Neumtico: Sistema de desplazamiento de una carga por tubos en mezcla con aire o a presin del aire. Bulk materials / Materiales a granel: Es un conjunto de bienes que se transportan sin empaquetar, ni embalar en grandes cantidades. Output ports / Puntos de salida: Son los puntos finales en la lnea de distribucin de materia prima, para la fabricacin del producto final o bien para su empaquetado. Outside terminal / Estacin externa: Punto situado fuera de la planta o del proceso productivo, puede ser empleado para enviar o recibir el material y no se involucra directamente con el mismo. Carrier / Transportador: Llamado as a todos los dispositivos usados en el transporte de materiales, es aquel que lo contiene. Employee couriers / Transportadores (humanos): Llamados tambin sistema de transporte manual ya que es una persona o grupo de personas encargadas de transportar el material, la cantidad de material transportado y el tiempo de entrega se ve directamente delimitado a la capacidad de cada individuo. Clutter / Abarrotamiento: Llenado excesivo y sin control en un punto de una lnea de produccin o distribucin.