Limestone Quarry Achieves Major Savings by Replacing Rotary Airlocks with Trickle Valves

CLEVELAND, OH — November 2, 2011 — Aerodyne  ;(http://www.dustcollectorhq.com/),  a specialist in material handling valves,  identified and quickly solved the costly issues a state-of-the-art limestone mining facility located in Sandusky, Ohio was experiencing with rotary airlock valves currently in place. Wagner Quarries Company has been in continuous operation since 1912, blasting limestone in the leading area in the state of Ohio for nine generations. Large baghouse dust collectors are used on-site to capture massive amounts of airborne dust derived from the blasting, drilling, crushing, loading, and hauling operations required to extract this valuable resource.
 
An Expensive Problem
Due to the abrasiveness of the limestone dust, the existing rotary valves did not last very long and the drive assemblies were burdensome since access was difficult when repair was required. In 2010, due to these issues, maintenance foreman Paul Schaffer searched for a solution to the problematic rotary airlock valves.
 
Aerodyne, a specialist in high-efficiency cyclone dust collectors and material handling valves, was contacted.  Bart Eggert, product manager, met with Schaffer at the quarry to view the process and offer his recommendations. During the winter months, Schaffer explained that the quarry shuts down which leaves the rotary airlock valves in an unused state for a number of months. This down time would lead to problems with the rotary valves rusting and jamming, eventually leading to costly repairs or replacement of the valves when production would again commence. 
 
Problem Solved
Mr. Schaffer decided to take Aerodyne’s recommendation and substitute the insufficient rotary airlock valves with low-cost, low-maintenance trickle valves. Since Aerodyne’s trickle valves do not have moving parts, involve no controls, lubrication, or power supply, Wagner’s seasonal shutdowns would not be an issue. The trickle valve with its neoprene sleeve options can easily handle the abrasive limestone dust and the cost savings are substantial for the quarry.   
 
The trickle valve maintains a tight airlock seal by utilizing the negative pressure of the dust collection system. The valve’s duck-bill sleeve is held closed under the vacuum and the valve discharges once the weight of the material is able to force the sleeve open. The valve discharges material at a continuous rate while preventing the intrusion of air into the system.
 
The Savings
With the installation of the trickle valves, savings are estimated to be between $8,000 and $10,000 a year or more. There are not only major savings on the initial cost of the valves, it frees up maintenance personnel to work on other equipment.  
 
Not only did the installation of the trickle valve save the quarry on maintenance costs but it also improved overall process efficiency.  The tight airlock seal of the trickle valve is far superior to that of the old rotary airlock valves which progressively leak more and more air as they wear out.  A leaking airlock valve causes air intrusion which harms the efficiency of the entire dust collection system.  Because the trickle valve requires no tools to service, a strong, consistent airlock seal can be maintained with minimal effort.

To request a brochure on the Aerodyne trickle valve, please visit http://www.DustCollectorHQ.com/062.  For more information regarding the full line of Aerodyne dust collection products and bulk material handling valves, contact Bart Eggert at (440) 543-7400, ext. 130 or toll-free at (800) 358-7546, ext. 130, or by e-mail: Bart@DustCollectorHQ.com.

About Aerodyne — Aerodyne has been specializing in solving dry material handling problems for more than 60 years through such products as high-efficiency cyclone dust collectors and low-cost, low-maintenance, material-handling valves. Like its parent owner, Abanaki Corporation, Aerodyne operates under the corporate motto “Clean Our WorldTM”, addressing material handling challenges through innovation, customer commitment, and environmental stewardship.

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