Material Handling System

Material Handling System

Liquid / Fluid Transportation
It is the one of the most important unit operation in the pharmaceutical industry. Transportation
involves in handling of raw materials, materials during manufacturing and finished product. It is
also important in mixing, filtration, filing of containers. Transportation of fluid is more
economical and convenient than solids.
Components of fluid transportation
(a) Pipes or Tubing
(b) Fittings
(c) Valves
(d) Pumps

(A) PIPES:
Ideal Requirements:
• It should be clean and smooth from inside to reduce frictional losses.
• Free from sharp angle.
• Free from lubrication defects.
• It can withstand high temperature and pressure.
• Resistance to corrosion.
Rigid Pipes
They may be seamed (jointed) or seamless (joint less).
Seamed pipes are made up by welding and they are not suitable for handling of liquid at high
pressure. Seamless pipes having no joints when pipe is prepared by molten method.
Flexible Pipes
They can be band. For example, rubber tubing
They are used when point of utilization is not fixed.

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 Material Handling System

Materials of pipes:

Metal Non Metal

Concrete
Ferrous Non Ferrous Ceramics or Porcelain
Glass Pipes
Natural rubber or
synthetic materials
Mild Steel Al and Al Alloys
Plastics
Cast iron Copper
Wood
Iron Alloys Brass
Carbon
Wrought Iron Bronze
Lead, Nickel

(B) Pipe Fittings and Joints:

Functions:
Join the lengths of pipes.
Provide for a change of direction.
Permit the addition of side connection.
To join pipe to tanks, valves and pumps etc.
Allow for dimensional changes in the piping system.
Types of joints:
(A) Screwed or threaded
• Coupling
• Elbows
• Cap and plug
• Union
• Nipple

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 Material Handling System

• Tee

(B) Bell and spigot joint

(C) Flanged Joints
• Flat face
• Ring gasket
• Grooved facing
• Raised face
• Male and female facing
(D) Sweat fitting
(E) Welded joints
• Electric arc
• Oxy-acetylene gas
(F) Glass pipe joint
• Con-cap
• Flat-flange
• Split-flange
(G) Rubber tubing
(H) Expansion joint
(I) Flexible joints
(J) Compression fittings
(C) Valves:
It is a device which control the flow. Valves are used for shutting off or regulating the flow.
Valves are also used to isolate piping or equipment for maintenance. Valve may be designed to
reduce the pressure and flow rate of fluid. Steam trap is special form of valve.
Material of construction:
• Brass
• Iron
• Bronze
• Cast iron

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 Material Handling System

Components of Valves:
(i) Handle or cross bar or hand wheel:
It is used for the operation of valves.

Simple Bar

Cross Bar

Wheel

(ii) Stem:
It transmits the motion of the hand wheel to the closure. Circular motion cause up and down
movement by threads.
(iii) Closure:
It may be gate, plug or disk.
(iv) Seat:
It is the device in which closure seat in or on which closure test.
(v) Body of valve:
It is the part in which valve is encased to fit the valve closure.
(vi) Bonnet of the valve:
It is covering of large opening.
(vii) Packing material:
It is to avoid leakage. Through packing material stem rises and turns.

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 Material Handling System

Line Diagrams of Valves:

Arrow on a thin solid line

• Indicate direction of flow

Solid Block
• Operating stem

Arrows on a dotted line

• Motion of valve part

Solid lines
• Valve is in closed position

Dotted lines
• Fully open position

Cross in square
• Packing Material

Gate or Globe Valve

Check valve

Automatic valve

Angle Valve

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 Material Handling System

Ideal Characteristics:
1. It must handle corrosive liquids and gases at any temperature and pressure.
2. It must handle solid suspension, liquid, gases, stem etc. with equal efficiency for
example, tap water containing silica particles should not accumulate in structure of valve.
Classification:
1. Plug clock
2. Globe valve
• Standard
• Angle valve
• Needle valve
• Diaphragm valve
• Tapering plug
3. Gate valve
• Rising stem gate
• Outside screw
• Non rising stem
4. Check valve
• Ball check
• Swing check
• Lift check
5. Automatic control valve
6. Butterfly valves

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 Material Handling System

(D) Pumps:
Pumps impart pressure or head to the liquids to go ahead or to elevate at certain height.
A machine that does works on a flowing fluid is called a pump, blower, compressor etc.
Methods:
 By action of centrifugal force.
 By volumetric displacement.
 By mechanical impulse.
 By transfer of momentum from another fluid.
 By electromagnetic force.
 By gravity.
Factors affecting selection:
 Characters of liquid to be handled.
 Total dynamic head.
 Suction and discharge.
 Temperature, viscosity, specific gravity of liquid.
 Space available.
 Presence of solid and corrosion characteristics.
Positive displacement
Positive displacement pumps are most commonly used for the discharge of relatively small
quantity of the fluids. Fluid is positively displaced. This pump is independent of pressure.
(A) Reciprocating pump:
In reciprocating pumps, the pumping elements move in forward and backward direction in a
cylinder. This cylinder is termed as water cylinder as it is usually used for pumping of water.
On the basis of water cylinder, two types of reciprocating pumps:
(1) Piston pumps:
In piston pumps, the piston reciprocates in the enclosed space of the water cylinder. Piston
carries the packing material along with it. As piston moves the packing material also moves
along with it.

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 Material Handling System

The liquid enters from suction line through the suction valve and is discharged through a
delivery valve.
Piston pump may be:
Single acting:
It displaces the water one half of the cycle of the piston movement, normally during the down
stroke. During other half of the cycle the cylinder receives the fluid.
Disadvantage is that limited capacity and discharge is pulsated.

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 Material Handling System

Double acting:
In the double stroke each stroke serves for suction and delivery. That is , it have double
efficiency and cessation of pumping on the return stroke is over come. In double acting pump,
fluid is on the both sides of the piston.
 Delivery is fluctuates.
 Simple.
 Used in gas compressors.

Advantages:
 High pressure generated on return stroke.
 High efficiency.
 Viscous fluid can be handled.
Disadvantages:
 Size and weight is more.
 High cost.
 Difficult to clean.
Application:
 In peristaltic and HPLC pumps.
 In spray system in sugar coating and film coating.

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 Material Handling System

(2) Diaphragm Pumps:

It is the modification of the piston pump. It is so constructed that reciprocating parts do not
contact the pumped liquid.
A flexible disk, fixed at the periphery, expands and contracts the chamber, drawing in and
discharging liquid through valves.

Advantages:
 Cheap and simple.
 Easy repairable.
 The rate of discharge can be regulated.
Disadvantages:
 Limited pressure generated.
 Limited materials of construction.
 Pulsating flow.
Application:
 For transporting liquid containing solids, hazardous, toxic and corrosive liquids.

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 Material Handling System

Rotary positive displacement:

A rotary positive pump combines a rotary motion with positive displacements. Due to circular
motion within a stationary housing the fluid is discharged with certain pressure. They give non
pulsatile flow. This type of pump delivers fluid at a constant rate.
Peristaltic pump or flow inducer or squeeze pump:
Here fluid flows through a flexible pipe(silicon rubber) by a peristaltic action. Peristaltic action
is generated by rotating mechanical device.
The flexible pipe is lightly clipped into the semi-circular base block. The tubing is compressed in
stages by means of rotor. The flow can be precisely controlled by the speed of the rotor.
Here no contact of liquid with metal so sterilization is easy. Where delivery of sterile liquid is
essential, peristaltic pump is used.

Advantages:
Simple and inexpensive.
Easy to clean.
Disadvantages:
Linearity and accuracy decreases as the speed of pump increased.
Effectiveness decreases with viscous liquid.
Application:
Useful for biological fluids.
Used for pumping emulsions, creams.

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 Material Handling System

Pumping of parental nutrition to the patient.

Blood pumping in case of surgical operations.

Ejector pump:
Another method of moving a fluid without using moving part is by means of ejector.
The essential feature of the ejector is the expansion of a fluid through nozzle.
When primary fluid enter the pump through a small jet and then it expand so create pressure drop
or vacuum which sucks the secondary fluid which is mix with primary fluid and mixture
delivered from the common outlet.

Advantage:
 No moving parts so no wear and tear.
 No maintenance.
Disadvantage:
 Develop only small head.
 Mechanically inefficient.
 Diluting of the material is being transferred.
Application:
 To create vacuum.
 To transfer liquid from one tank to another.

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 Material Handling System

Solid Transportation
Conveying or Handling of solid material transportation
The term conveying usually applied to transportation of solid materials. It is always preferable to
handle materials in a fluid form but some times solid material transportation must be needed.
Industrially this unit operation is important in the storage of raw materials, finished products and
packaged goods.
Classification of conveyors
Conveyors can be classified as follows:
(1) belt conveyors
(2) chain conveyors: (a) scraper conveyor (b) apron conveyor (c) bucket elevators
(3) screw conveyors
(4) pneumatic conveyors

BELT CONVEYORS
Belt conveyors are most commonly used conveyor in the industry.
There are four basic elements which make the belt conveyor as follows:
(1) an endless belt
(2) drive
(3) supports
(4) tightener
(1) Endless Belt:
The belt is commonly made up of rubber. It consist of core or carcass of several plies of cotton
duck, each impregnated with rubber an bonded together with rubber. The carcass is then covered
with thin layer of rubber that binds plies together. Natural rubber is avoided while handling the
oily materials.
Special grades of cotton, asbestoses fiber belts are used to handle highly abrasive materials, to
work with higher temperatures and to resist chemical attack.
Now days highly superior belts made up of neoprene, Teflon and vinyl are available.
The working stress on the belts varies from 25 to 3000 lb per in per ply.

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 Material Handling System

(2) Drive:
Drive is the component on which the belt is rotated continuously. For driving the belt the
simplest device is pulley which has two type head pulley and tail pulley. The area of contact
between the pulley and the belt can be increased by introduction of idler just behind the drive
pulley. Generally the drive of the belt conveyor is at the head of discharge end and at the tail end
arranged as feed discharge end.
(3) Idler or Supporter:
The supports for the belt are rollers on shaft support and are called as Idlers. The idler are
generally designed to depress the belt in the centre and raise the edges. This permits a belt of
given width to carry more material per linear foot without any loss of material.
(4) Tightener:
A tightener or take up is installed to maintain an even tension on the belt under all the condition.
The simplest tightener consists of cast iron bed with traveling block moving along a screw.

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 Material Handling System

Working:
• The simplest method of feeding a belt conveyor is by means of hopper. Hopper is feeded
with the material to be transported.
• The method used to discharge the belt conveyor depends on whether the discharge is
from the end of the conveyor or at some intermediate point.
• When the discharge is at the end of the belt, It is self discharging. For example material
simply falls over the end.
• For discharge at intermediate point, special; devices are used such as scrappers, tipping
idlers, trippers, and shuttle conveyor.
Advantages or Merits:
(1) It is most universal in application.
(2) It can travel for miles at speeds up to 1000 fpm and handle up to 5000 tons per hr.
(3) It can also operate over short distance at speeds slow enough for manual picking.
Disadvantages or Demerits:
(1) It is in expensive in installation.
(2) Belt conveyors cannot run at speeds less than 200 fpm and speed over 500 fpm.
(3) The maximum incline permissible is 200.
(4) Moisture may be creating poor discharge condition because of sticking of the material to the
belt.
Application:
(1) Transporting of containers for filling, capping, sealing, labeling, and visual inspection.
(2) Conveying of strips.
(3) Manufacturing of lozenges.

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 Material Handling System

SCREW CONVEYOR
Screw conveyors are the mechanical conveyor which moves the material by scraping action.
Components:
Essentially the equipment consists of spiral blades called flight, mounted on a pipe or shaft and
rotating around an axis in the bottom of the U-shaped trough (vessel).
The flights may be sectional, helicoids or special.
The sectional conveyor is made up of short section each of which stamped as a circular disc.
Each disc provides for one full turn of the conveyor.
The helicoids flight made from a single long ribbon that is twisted and wrapped into a spiral
shape and then welded to central shaft. For handling at higher temperature and abrasive materials
cast iron flights are used. For sticky materials ribbon flights are used.
The trough is made up of steel and has standard length of 8, 10 and 12 ft and coupled together to
required length.
Working:
It operates at low rotational speed. The flights rotate on suitable bearings carried in the end plates
of the conveyor and is suspended from hangers along the length of trough. The material is
transferred is being in contact with the bearings and flights so lubrication of flights is
objectionable because of contamination. The drive end and discharge ends are called as box
ends.
To design a screw conveyor the size and the speed of screw is determined. For this purpose
materials are divided into classes.
Class A: light weight, fine, non abrasive, free flowing materials.
Class B: medium weight, non abrasive granular materials such as coffee beans and granular
gelatin.
Class C: non abrasive or semi abrasive, granular or small lumps are mixed with fines, density is
higher then class B.
Class D: semi abrasive or abrasive materials, fines, granular or lumps mixed with a fines with
density higher than class C.

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 Material Handling System

Advantages:
(1) Screw conveyors are most versatile type of conveyors.
(2) It can be fabricated in a variety of materials ranging from cast iron to stainless steel.
(3) It is relatively easy to operate without any special attention.
(4) It can be operated at a positive or negative pressure.
(5) It also used to perform mixing operation.
Disadvantages:
(1) It operates at low rotational speed.
(2) If it is operated at high speed there is a problem of abrasion.
(3) Power consumption is more.
Application:
(1) For finally divided solids and pasty mass.
(2) Varieties of materials can be handled such as light, heavy, abrasive can be handled.

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 Material Handling System

PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR
This is the one of the most important material handling techniques in the chemical industry that
can be employed for movement of material suspended in a stream of air, over horizontal and
vertical distances varying from few feet to several hundred feet.

The material is transferred in a stream of air produced by a fan or cycloidal blower. For example
house hold vacuum cleaner. The suction of the blower is connected to the conveying system and
the material is sucked up through nozzle. The suspension is them admitted to a cyclone separator
for removing the larger particles and the finer particles. The system is then connected to pump.

The velocity of air may be from 3000 to 20000 fpm and depends on nature and weight of
material to be handled, the distance conveyed the vertical lift etc.

The pneumatic conveyor is classified as pressure, vacuum, combination pressure and vacuum,
fluidizing and the blow tank types. In the pressure system material is dropped into an air stream
by rotary feeder. The velocity of the stream maintains the bulk material in suspension until it
reaches the receiving vessel where it is separated from the air by an air filter or a cyclone
separator. Air is supplied by positive displacement blowers.

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 Material Handling System

Advantages:
From fine powders to ¼ in pellets with bulk densities of 1 to 200 lb/cu. Ft can be handled in a
pneumatic conveyor.
Where the path to be conveyed involves many turns, lifts other type of conveying become costly.
Disadvantages:
The system needs more power then other types.

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