Banbury & Kneader Feeding and Automation

Right Material. Right Weight. Right Mixing Sequence

VOLDE develops integrated raw material handling, weighing, mixer charging and automation systems for rubber compounds used in cable insulation and sheathing applications. Carbon black, mineral fillers, process oils, elastomers and small chemical ingredients are prepared according to the compound recipe and delivered to Banbury or kneader mixers in the required quantity and sequence. Each system is engineered around mixer batch size, formulation, raw material characteristics and mixing cycle. From bulk powder storage and liquid dosing to small-chemical preparation and automatic mixer charging, VOLDE brings the complete material preparation process together around the requirements of the rubber mixing room.

| Carbon Black, Fillers & Small Chemicals Handling

Rubber cable compounds combine raw materials with very different flow and handling characteristics. Carbon black and mineral fillers are generally consumed in larger quantities, while accelerators, antioxidants, curing agents, pigments and other small chemicals are introduced at much lower rates. Process oils and liquid additives require a separate storage and dosing route.

Carbon black demands particular attention during storage, discharge and conveying. Silo geometry, discharge equipment, conveying velocity and dust extraction must be considered together to achieve reliable material flow while limiting unnecessary fines generation and dust release.

Depending on the plant layout and formulation, VOLDE systems can combine carbon black and filler silos, big bag discharge stations, pneumatic conveying, intermediate bins, liquid storage tanks and dedicated small-chemical preparation areas within the same mixing-room infrastructure.

| Ingredient Weighing for Banbury Recipes

A Banbury recipe may contain large quantities of carbon black and mineral fillers together with elastomers, process oils and numerous low-dose chemicals. Since these ingredient groups behave very differently, weighing and dosing technology must be selected according to both quantity and material characteristics.

Powder components can be prepared in dedicated weigh hoppers, liquids can be gravimetrically dosed through separate weighing units, and small chemicals can be handled through automatic micro-dosing or operator-guided weighing stations. Elastomer weighing and feeding can also be integrated with the mixer preparation sequence.

• Carbon black and mineral filler weighing
• Process oil and liquid additive dosing
• Elastomer weighing and feeding integration
• Automatic or manual small-chemical preparation
• Recipe-based target / actual weight monitoring
• Batch and raw material consumption records

The objective is to have every ingredient ready for charging at the correct point in the mixer cycle, with actual quantities clearly linked to the active Banbury recipe.

| Banbury Charging & Mixing Sequence

Mixing-room productivity depends heavily on what happens between mixer cycles. Once the Banbury or kneader is ready, weighed ingredients must be delivered in the required order and within the available charging window without creating unnecessary delays in the batch.

VOLDE coordinates powder weigh hoppers, process-oil dosing, elastomer feeding and small-chemical additions with the mixer sequence. Depending on the plant layout, materials can be charged through gravity discharge, conveyors, pneumatic transfer or dedicated charging equipment positioned above the mixer.

For plants operating multiple Banbury or kneader lines, common raw material storage and weighing systems can also be arranged to serve different mixers according to the production schedule.

| Mixing Room Automation & Batch Traceability

Rubber compound production requires the complete batch sequence to be coordinated around the active formulation. Raw material selection, weighing, oil dosing, small-chemical preparation, mixer charging and confirmation of each addition must all follow the same production logic.

VOLDE PLC/SCADA systems integrate these operations with the Banbury or kneader control system and provide a complete view of material preparation across the mixing room. Actual weights, recipe revisions, material lots, charging events, alarms and operator actions can be recorded as part of the batch history.

Recipe changes and production orders can be managed centrally, while ERP/MES integration can connect raw material consumption and batch results with higher-level production systems.

Where combustible powders are present, dust extraction, grounding, explosion protection and Ex equipment are incorporated according to actual material properties, hazardous-area classification and project-specific risk assessment.

VOLDE connects raw material storage, ingredient preparation and mixer charging into one coordinated feeding and automation infrastructure for repeatable rubber cable compound production.