Auto Scraper Centrifuge: Advantages in Chemical Industry

Anyone who has worked in a chemical plant knows that separating solids and liquids is a repetitive and unending task. It is one of those steps that can either make your process run seamless and effective or turn into a real bottleneck. For many years, operators have worked with all sorts of centrifuges to accomplish this task. When it comes to meeting the particular needs of the production of chemicals, the auto scraper centrifuge stands out. With over thirty years of experience, building and refining these types of machines for your type of industry, the people at Huada have learned what works and what does not. This machine, also known in the industry with series names like PLD or PGZ, comes with real advantages. In this article we will show to you why the auto scraper centrifuge is one of the most trusted and preferred machines in the chemical processing industry and what is in for you and your business.

Total Automation Saves Labor

Every chemical manufacturing plant encounters the challenge of labor cost management and protecting workers from tasks that are repetitive and require hands on involvement. The auto scraper centrifuge offers relief, and the best part? It is all done automatically. You program the cycle and the machine takes care of everything. It feeds itself, spins to the appropriate speed, washes the solids if needed, and most importantly, the machine scrapes the cake out by itself.

Consider older methods for a moment. Perhaps a machine was built where an operator unloaded the solids by hand? This means stopping the machine, opening it up, and manually excavating the product. It is slow and messy, and places an operator next to moving parts and dangerous chemicals. With an auto scraper centrifuge, a hydraulically or mechanically driven scraper blade pulls the cake from the filter while it is spinning at a lower speed. This whole cycle is programmable, so it happens exactly the same way, shift after shift. This allows your employees to work in other areas, while avoiding being near a spinning machine.

Consistent Product Quality Every Batch

In this industry, your customers expect the same purity, same particle size, and same dryness every single batch. An auto scraper centrifuge provides that kind of repeatability in a way that the operator no longer has to guess.

The first time your product runs, you have to finetune the cycle time to get the desired result, which the programmable logic controller captures to ensure consistency across all subsequent runs. Each cycle, the feed valve will activate for the same duration. The machine will spin at the same speed to achieve the optimal cake. The washing liquid will disperse the same amount every cycle to wash the cake of impurities. This is very important for the chemical process to remove the mother liquor or other contaminants to meet specifications. Also, because the scraper will fully discharge the cake, you will not have to worry about feeding new feed to old leftover solids from the previous cycle.

Safety Features for Hazardous Environments

The raw materials processed in chemical production are often extremely combustible, which is why the design of the auto scraper centrifuge is built to ensure the utmost safety of the workers at all times. The design is fully enclosed and not just a bucket that is spinning.

These machines are designed to be gas tight. You can flush them with an inert gas such as nitrogen to ensure a nonflammable environment. The purpose of the seals is to contain both the vapors and the liquids. This is particularly advantageous when dealing with volatile organic compounds or materials that are combustible when in the presence of oxygen. Plus, with the added protection of an automated operation, and the fact that unloading occurs with the machine still closed, the risk of exposure to your operators is further reduced. Safety is an integral part of the design of these centrifuges, not just a box to check.

Handling All Kinds of Chemicals

The chemical industry is not a onesizefitsall industry. You could be dealing one day with a coarse, freedraining crystalline product and the next with a fine, amorphous powder that wants to stick to everything. The versatility of the auto scraper centrifuge is a major reason for its widespread use.

Huada has many various models and layouts. For example, baskets can be constructed with varying materials, such as Hastelloy or titanium for materials that cause corrosion, with different filter media that fits your specifications for particle size. The scraper design can be modified for softer filter cakes that will not be damaged or for harder filter cakes that require more force. No matter if you deal with the manufacture of pharmaceutical intermediates, agricultural chemicals, or specialty polymers, there is probably an auto scraper centrifuge designed for your material precisely. This adds flexibility and the ability to standardize on one type of machine for many operations, which makes maintenance and operator training easier.

Maintenance and Cleaning Simplified

To put it bluntly, no one wants to sit down and clean a centrifuge all day. Cleaning and maintenance can take an entire shift. Downtime is the enemy of production. The auto scraper centrifuge design focuses on problems like these. Since the machine is sealed, cleaning it between batches is a simple task.

Many models also have clean in place systems so that you can spray wash the interior without disassembly. This is important in industries that have a strict policy against cross contamination. The scraper blade removes a significant portion of the solids, so less heel remains. The wash cycle is automated, and can be programmed to wash at the end of the batch. When it is time to get inside for maintenance, the designs typically provide access to the bearing housing, the hydraulic unit, the filter cloth, and other key components. More time spent on maintenance means less time spent on product.

Conclusion

All things considered, the auto scraper centrifuge is a clear winner in the chemical processing industry. Its functionality is unmatched. It takes a historically challenging and hazardous job and automates the entire process, eliminating labor costs and the lost batch costs due to human error. Additionally, the fully enclosed design enables you to process a variety of hazardous materials while addressing workplace safety and hazard containment. With countless design configurations available through various providers, you have the ability to choose a fully custom auto scraper centrifuge solution for your specific process needs. When looking for enhanced operational efficiency and workplace safety, the auto scraper centrifuge solution is the answer.