Ultrasonic Powder Sieving Machine for the Coatings Industry

NEW DELHI, March 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Jotun increases its sieving capacity for powder coatings production by using Russell Finex's ultrasonic deblinding system 

Over the past few decades, the powder coatings industry has seen double-digit growth in the US and Europe. Many new markets have emerged to take advantage of these high-performance film coatings, from automotive components like wheels and suspension systems, to oil and gas piping through to domestic appliances like washing machines and microwave ovens. With its superior toughness and chip-resistance, and its simple method for overspray recovery, powder coatings has proven to provide exceptional coating properties over conventional liquid paint systems. However, over the past few years, with a slowing market and rising raw material costs, manufacturers are being forced to look even more closely at all aspects of their business to maintain growth and healthy profitability.

Traditional Methods of Sieving - Problems Faced 

Since the powder in coating processes are designed to hold a static charge, this has traditionally caused problems during screening due to blinding and blocking of the mesh apertures, compromising both product quality and sieving capacity. To overcome this, some manufacturers have experimented with 'off-line' screening but this has led to quality control problems. Others have adopted rotary sieves taking advantage of the centrifugal action caused by the impeller forcing the powder through the mesh. However, this can also compromise product quality since very little oversize is collected during the screening process.

Another, possibly more, concerning drawback to using rotary sieves is that most are fitted with nylon mesh that is prone to breakage. Gravity fed circular vibratory sifters are the preferred method since they ensure only particles below the aperture size of the mesh pass through to the filling lines. Historically, spring mounted vibro screens have been used, however, these are very difficult to dismantle resulting in extremely long and laborious clean down times. With the recent changes in the market, batch sizes are reducing, creating a need for more frequent product changeovers. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in production downtime and costs due to the amount of time taken to clean down equipment. This therefore has caused manufacturers to become more aware of this process inefficiency and to look at alternative solutions.

The Solution - Compact and Easy-Clean Screening 

Recently, celebrating their 80th anniversary, Russell Finex have been supplying separation solutions to the coatings industry for many years and have therefore obtained a great deal of experience in order to understand the challenges faced and how to overcome them. With investment into developing new products and the advancement in technology, Russell Finex have developed the ultimate vibro screening solution for this application. By combining the high-capacity industrial vibrating sifter, the Russell Compact Sieve® and Vibrasonic® Deblinding System, the most efficient screening system can be obtained.

The Russell Compact Sieve® as its name suggests has a low profile, 'straight through', in-line design enabling much higher production rates when compared to other vibrating sifters. These smaller sized sieves are now one of the most widely used screening solutions across numerous industries. Companies appreciate having units with a small footprint as space requirements are often limited, but capacity levels must remain high to ensure there are no bottlenecks in the process which would compromise profitability. Having the motor mounted on the side also means the unit can be installed mid-platform or on a mobile stand allowing filling lines to be installed directly underneath the product outlet saving space.

Another fundamental feature of this powder coatings vibrating sifter is its easy clean design. When changing colours, it is essential that the process lines are cleaned extremely well to prevent cross contamination of batches. Unlike conventional spring mounted or rotary sieves that are notoriously difficult to dismantle and clean, the Russell Compact Sieve® has a hand-operated clamping system, which enables the unit to be dismantled in seconds without the need for tools. In addition, having a crevice free design with very few product contact parts makes cleaning this sieve effortless.

Idar Larsen, Project Manager at Jotun A/S, states, "Any risk of product contamination has been eliminated completely with the Russell compact screeners. Compared to the rotary units we replaced, they are very simple to dismantle and clean. In addition, we no longer have pieces of nylon mesh finding their way into the product which was a frequent problem we experienced with the rotary screening machines."

Inventors of the first ultrasonic vibrating screen system over 25 years ago; the Russell Vibrasonic® Deblinding System applies an ultrasonic frequency to vibrate the screen mesh. This breaks down the surface tension, effectively making the stainless-steel wires friction-free. The system has no mechanical or wearing parts, so there is no risk of mesh damage or product contamination. Because it prevents the mesh from being blocked or blinded, it ensures the screening capacity and throughput remains constant throughout the production process. Downtime for cleaning is also dramatically reduced while increasing mesh life due to the reduction in manual handling. This also means that less good powder is wasted.

Both the sieving machines Russell Compact Sieve® and Vibrasonic® system are ATEX approved to operate within all Zones including 0 and 20. They can also be specified to match existing milling systems to ensure production rates are upheld.

"With the introduction of the Russell compact screeners, we have seen a dramatic increase in our screening efficiency, providing us with significant advantages." He continues, "This means that only oversize particles are ending up in the oversize fraction. With the traditional rotary screening machines we were using, a lot of good product ended up in the oversize fraction," Larsen concludes, "We feel we have found the best technology available in the market."

About Russell Finex Sieves & Filters Pvt. Ltd.  

Since 80 years, Russell Finex has manufactured and supplied innovative range of sieving machines, self-cleaning filters, ultrasonic deblinding systems and solid liquid separators to a variety of industries which includes coatings, food, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, adhesives, plastisols, paint, metal powders, ceramics and many more to improve the product quality, enhance productivity, safeguard operator's health and to ensure powders and liquids are contamination free. For more information, visit http://www.russellfinex.in/ .

Contact Russell Finex to learn more about the wide range of sieving machines available to help you improve your product quality.

Media Contact:
Radhika Singh
[email protected]
+91-8800558656
Assistant Marketing Manager
Russell Finex Sieves & Filters Pvt. Ltd.