Valves for Mineral Processing

A mineral processing company offering industrial mineral solutions for all over the world are using Pinch Valves from AKO within their bulk bag filling systems across various different sites in the UK.

Application Details

1mm-6mm sized abrasive mineral particles pass through the Pinch Valves at ambient outside temperature. The minerals are free-flowing with gravity pressure. Installed under the product hopper, the Pinch Valve is normally open and performs approximately 80+ cycles per day. 80psi / 5.5 BAR compressed air pressure is used to close the Pinch Valve.

Good Wear Properties & Reliability with Pinch Valves

Floor screed, adhesives & sealants, PVC compounds, detectable polymers, water treatment, building chemistry, and sprayable concrete are just some of the applications where the minerals from these sites are used.

The company have been using AKO Pinch Valves for 20 years due to the good wear properties and reliablilty of the product. The company have used knife gate valves in the past but they found that they wear too quickly and jam because of the dust in this application.

This particular minerals processing site are using DN100 Pinch Valves, but some of their other sites also use sizes DN125 & DN150. Fitting kits are always used when replacing the sleeve, with the help of AKO’s assembly videos.

Customer Satisfaction

Their overall satisfaction with AKO Pinch Valves is excellent, usually changing the internal rubber sleeve every 18 months. With the sleeve being the only wearable part, the total cost of ownership for AKO Pinch Valves is extremely outstanding. There are no additional fiddly parts to replace with Pinch Valves, such as washers, nuts, bolts, packing & gaskets.

The complete Pinch Valve units on this particular bulk bagging minerals site are never needed to be replaced in full, they are only repaired with a new rubber sleeve as required. The sleeve in an AKO valve lasts such a long time when operated correctly and under the correct conditions, because of it’s durability and elasticity, and because it opens and closes in the same elliptical shape every time. Furthermore, the lightening speed in which the sleeve opens and closes allows for efficient operation.