Page 60 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 2-2019

CASE HISTORY

Case history

The drive chain rotates
the Glass Batcher on action of the internal mixing flights is critical for mix-
external trunnion rings ing efficiency and blending of ingredients rapidly and
located at both ends
thoroughly,” Gesek says.
Ingredients are loaded through a stationary inlet at
one end of the machine, and discharged through a sta-
tionary outlet at the opposite end. When the discharge
plug gate valve is opened, the flights also serve to lift the
material toward and through the discharge port. The
drum rotates until discharge is complete, preventing
separation or stratification of ingredients having dispa-
rate sizes, shapes and bulk densities.
“One hundred per cent discharge means no carry-
over from one batch to the next,” Gesek says, “and
we’ve been very happy with that.”
The mixer keeps rotating while the ingredients are
loaded and discharged, which Gesek says is an advan-
tage. “We like that it doesn’t stop between batches. We
run five or six batches – 45 minutes to an hour – then
shut off for half an hour, depending on production
requirements. If we had to stop the mixer between
batches, much more power would be required.”

MIXING THE INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING GLASS
For the glass industry, the Glass Batcher is fortified
with abrasion-resistant materials.
“Glass is made out of sand,” Gesek says, along with
other ingredients. “All the raw materials are brought by
truck or rail and stored in silos. Scales on the bottom
Blended ingredients of the silos measure the specific formula for the batch.
discharged from the
Glass Batcher are The components are sent one at a time into the mixer.”
conveyed to the furnace The mixer processes the same combination of mate-
rials –– seven different components, plus recycled glass.

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