Powder Raw Material Silo Systems

Bulk Storage Built Around Detergent Production

High-consumption detergent ingredients such as soda ash, sodium sulfate, zeolite, sodium chloride and other powdered builders require more than simple bulk storage. Their different bulk densities, particle structures, abrasiveness and flow characteristics directly influence silo geometry, discharge performance and downstream conveying. VOLDE develops complete silo and bulk handling systems for powder detergent production — from tanker unloading and silo filling to level monitoring, flow assistance and automatic transfer to production day bins. Each storage system is engineered around the actual raw material, required capacity and the process point it supplies

| Tanker Unloading & Bulk Silo Filling

In large detergent plants, major powdered ingredients are commonly delivered by bulk tanker and stored centrally before being transferred to production. The unloading and filling system must therefore be designed together with the silo rather than treated as a separate connection.

VOLDE engineers the filling line according to material density, particle characteristics, conveying distance and tanker discharge conditions. Silo vent filters manage the displaced conveying air, while level measurement and high-level protection provide continuous information during the filling cycle.

Depending on the raw material and plant configuration, the system can incorporate.

• Bulk tanker unloading connections
• Dedicated pneumatic filling lines
• Silo vent filtration
• High-level and overfill monitoring
• Pressure / vacuum protection
• Radar or load-cell inventory measurement
• Automatic filling interlocks

For materials requiring plant-side conveying rather than direct tanker pressure transfer, VOLDE pneumatic conveying systems can be integrated between the receiving point and the storage silos.

Silo Systems ⇢

| Silo Discharge for Soda Ash, Sulfate & Zeolite

Detergent raw materials do not behave identically inside a silo. Soda ash, sodium sulfate, zeolite and other mineral-based ingredients can differ significantly in bulk density, moisture sensitivity, particle size and tendency to compact or bridge during storage.

Silo cone geometry and discharge equipment are therefore selected according to the actual flow behavior of each powder. Where gravity discharge alone is insufficient, SILOCONE bin activators, EASYFLOW Silo Flow Cones, aeration devices or other flow-assist technologies can be incorporated into the silo bottom.

The objective is to create stable and repeatable material flow to the downstream conveying or dosing system without relying on excessive vibration or operator intervention.

Carbon steel or stainless-steel construction can be selected according to product requirements, plant environment and process specification, with suitable internal finishes and connections defined during engineering.

| Day-Bin Feeding for Spray Tower & Post-Dosing

Central raw material storage becomes part of the production process when powders must be distributed automatically to day bins serving the spray tower, weighing systems, mixing sections and post-dosing lines.

VOLDE designs each transfer route according to the material being conveyed, required capacity, conveying distance and receiving-bin demand. For applications where lower conveying velocity, reduced pipe wear and stable transfer are important, DENSPLUS dense-phase conveying can be used between main storage silos and production day bins.

Multiple receiving points can be supplied through automatically selected conveying routes. Day-bin level or weight signals generate refill demand, while conveying valves and line sequences direct the correct raw material to the required destination.

Typical destinations include

• Spray tower raw material day bins
• Weighing and batching hoppers
• Powder preparation and mixing sections
• Post-Dosing & Final Blending day bins
• Multiple production-line distribution points

This configuration allows centrally stored detergent powders to be distributed to different production areas without repeated manual handling between storage and process

| Silo Monitoring & Material Availability

Reliable detergent production depends not only on how powders are stored, but also on knowing whether the required raw material is available when the process demands it.

Radar level measurement or load-cell weighing can provide continuous inventory information for each silo, while low-level and high-level signals support replenishment, filling control and production planning. Main silos and day bins can be monitored together so that material availability is visible across the complete storage and feeding system.

Silo discharge equipment, conveying valves, vent filters and destination-bin demand can be integrated into the plant control system, allowing filling and transfer sequences to operate according to actual production requirements.

For high-capacity plants, each storage and conveying route is engineered according to the individual powder, required throughput and plant geometry rather than applying the same configuration to every ingredient.

The result is a centralized raw material storage and feeding infrastructure that keeps the detergent process supplied from bulk delivery through to the point of production.