The term processing equipment is a generic term that has several meanings depending what manufacturer is using it. The equipment used to shape, change, fabricate, and transform a substance from one form to another can be defined as processing equipment. The use of processing equipment can be found in several industries especially those that include heating, drying, mixing, baking, and pulverizing.
The three most common forms of processing equipment are those that are used to dry, heat, or mix materials. Heating has multiple industrial uses from bringing a substance to its melting point to increasing the temperature to make a material, such as plastic, pliable. Different methods of drying can be found in the production of clothes to the manufacturing of corrugated boxes, while mixers are used to combine any number of materials.
When searching for processing equipment, it is important to have a clear definition of the use of the equipment and the required result. Producers, designers, engineers, and manufacturers are readily available to provide guidance and help so that the machine that is purchased fits the application.
The use of heat as an industrial component is found in every aspect of the development and production of commercial and industrial products. How heat is supplied varies and depends a great deal on the design of the production process. A very common method for supplying heat is electric heaters that are capable of being configured to meet the special needs of any application, whether a process requires air heat or duct heat.
One of the constant concerns of food producers is contamination. Industrial dryers are a way of avoiding such problems. By passing final and raw materials through air, rotary, or flash dryers, producers are assured that their products have uniform consistency as well as the removal of moisture that can carry bacterial growths. Industrial dryers have become a vital part of food production as a way to ensure quality.
An essential part of food production is industrial mixers that are used to blend a wide variety of powdered, granular, and other forms of bulk materials. The mechanism of an industrial mixer can be paddle driven or ribbon blenders. The type of mixer depends on the types of materials to be mixed and blended, which can be either dry or wet. The advantage of industrial mixers is their ability to combine any type of substance thoroughly and completely, whether it is liquid or solid.
The use of industrial ovens goes far beyond the preparation of food. Industrial ovens are the essential thermal device used for heat treating and curing a wide range of products, whether they are industrial or commercial. The purpose of heat treating is to speed up the molecular activity of a substance. The process of heat treating is designed to enhance and perfect products.
A unique form of process equipment is a pressure vessel that is designed to store liquids and gases at pressure levels beyond normal atmospheric pressure. There is a wide range of types of pressure vessels that includes compression chambers, pressure reactors, and autoclaves. Pressure vessels are designed to operate at 15 psi and are made from durable metals, high strength plastics, or fiberglass. The construction of pressure vessels is regulated by legislation and industry standards.
An interesting form of process equipment is pulverizing machines that are designed to change large clumps or blocks into fragments, pieces, and free flowing material. Pulverizers fall into a wide range of categories with their differences dictated by the type of material being transformed. The types of materials handled by a pulverizer include bricks, concrete, plastic, different types of rocks, and wood.
Another method for changing bulk materials that are in bulk or powder form is a vibratory feeder. Many bulk materials will cake or become solid during transport. To convert the substances into production quality, a vibratory feeder loosens the material and feeds it into a hopper. They are used by industries that have powdered or granular materials as a part of their process.
Process equipment is a vital part of the manufacturing. They assist with the completion of difficult operations that are required for the production of final products.
Electric heaters are utilities used for heat generation.
The use of electric heaters throughout industry, commerce and consumer products contexts is widespread and varied; the number of different heater configurations and applications grows almost daily. Some heater varieties resemble each other very closely. Band heaters and strip heaters, for example, are distinguished from each other only by the fact that band heaters are usually slightly smaller and more flexible than strip heaters.
Industrial mixers in a variety of configurations are used to blend multiple bulk or powdered materials together as part of a bulk material processing system.
Industrial ovens are thermal processing machines that provide various applications with the very important process of heat treating.
Pressure vessels, often referred to as air pressure tanks are used for the storage and containment of fluids, vapors or gases at pressure levels greater than that of atmospheric pressure.
Size reduction equipment is a broad term that refers to machines or devices that are used to reduce the size of materials.
Vibratory feeders are conveying ramps or feeding tubes which assist in transferring bulk and powder solids to and from conveyors, processes and hoppers.