A sluice or cell feeder, a sluice or blade valve, a reloader or dispenser, a rotary or rotary valve, simply a sluice gate is a multi-functional equipment designed to provide a continuous, uniform supply (pneumatic or mechanical) of dry bulk products, (dusty, granular, granular, small pieces , powder) from a system with pressure drops. In this role can act: a filter, a hopper, a cyclone, a silo, even a section of the pneumatic transport system. This device can work continuously, it allows you to unload products without letting air into compartments with low or, conversely, high pressure.

Another important function of this device is dosing of unloaded/loaded products. This process is ensured by the multi-section impeller equipped with the loader. With the help of a sluice, it is possible to stop the flow of the unloaded mass, redirect it along different highways, combine several flows, and even dump excess gas and liquid if necessary. Sector shutters can also be used as devices protecting against explosion, fire, or as shredders, and so on.

Fields of application of sluice feeders

Reliability and simplicity of design ensure the possibility of using sluice gates in many industrial sectors and industries. Such equipment is in demand at flour mills and grain processing enterprises. Pneumatic separation, transportation of products of such enterprises cannot avoid blade valves.
In addition, they are used in industries that produce construction materials, compound feed, plastics, in agriculture, in the work of pharmacists, heat and water supply, petrochemical, mining and metallurgical industries, and others.
The production and commercial enterprise "Techno-T" is engaged in the production of equipment for the processing of various raw materials, including oil waste, as well as animal origin (meat, chicken, fish) and winemaking. Gateway feeders are one of the company's main areas of activity.

Advantages of using sluice gates

When working with sluice gates, one can note a number of their advantages. These include:

• Simple repair, maintenance of devices, installation;
• Components are always available;
• Compactness of the mechanism, free access to the internal parts of the device;
• Universality of application (flour, grain, concrete dry mixes, etc.) and multi-functionality (taking into account the possibility not only to overload products, but also to dose them, redirect or combine flows of unloaded raw materials, dump surpluses);
• High wear resistance;
• Ability to work without a break;
• Clear centering, no deformation of the rotor shaft;
• Smoothness of the overloaded product supply;
• Maximum resistance to temperature changes;
• Absolute tightness of the structure.
To increase the time of uninterrupted operation of the equipment, it is important to monitor the shaft bearings, regularly replace them, periodically clean the inner chamber from stuck particles of the raw materials used.

How does the device work?

The principles of operation of the sluice feeder are quite simple. The working raw material fills the upper cells of the rotor immediately after passing through the loading nozzle. Next, the rotor turns and the cells move down, the raw materials are unloaded, respectively, through the unloading hole (pipe). Both nozzles are equipped with flanges that serve to connect the shutter itself to the equipment.
At different sections of the transportation system, different pressures are noted. It is the tightness (that is, when the smallest gap between the housing and the rotor is excluded) that allows you to separate the return flow from the forward flow. The performance of the airlock directly depends on the volume of "pockets" (blades) and the frequency of rotation of the rotor. And its tightness is provided by a steel pipe and rubber seals that prevent air from getting inside.

Installation and equipment

All types of rotary valves have approximately the same configuration. The base is a cylindrical body with side covers. Further, the motor of the gearbox, which sets the number of revolutions, the impeller (rotor with blades), which is responsible for closing the channels and dosing the raw materials, the bearing support, the device for connecting to the pneumatic transport system.
Each mechanism allows making certain changes without reducing the technical characteristics, which opens up the possibility of adaptation to the specific needs of the customer. The company "Techno-T" accepts orders for the production of sluice feeders of various sizes.
Thanks to the use of innovative technologies in its work, all products produced at the "Techno-T" factory meet the highest standards of quality, reliability and competitiveness.