Recipe-Based Production with Abrasive Minerals

VOLDE offers high-durability, fully automatic facility solutions for the production of refractory mortar dry mixes and insulation materials for the iron & steel and heavy-duty industries. Hard, dense, and abrasive mineral raw materials — such as sand, quartz, basalt, bauxite, alumina, magnesite, perlite, vermiculite, calcite, chamotte, and silica sand — are precisely dosed, blended, and prepared for shipment according to the recipe

| Recipe-Based Automatic Collection and Filling

In this application, 16 raw materials of entirely different physical properties are automatically weighed and collected in the ratios defined in the recipe. They are arranged in two linear rows of 8 stations each, each with a bin of 2 m³ capacity. Level control in the bins is monitored via load cells; dosing precision is provided via the weighing conveyors located at the lower level. Raw materials are fed safely and in a controlled manner either by lifting big bags with a forklift, or alternatively via an electric monorail hoist system.

The mobile filling cart, which carries a big bag or a metal container, automatically determines which station it will take material from according to the recipe. The system operates on the following logic;

• Automatically positioning beneath the relevant station
• Leak-tight spout closing
• Weighed feeding with fast and slow filling modes
• Automatic transition to the next station once filling is complete

Once all raw materials in the recipe have been collected, a check-weigh (final verification weighing) is performed and the product is directed to the output line.

| Mechanical Design Suited to Abrasive Materials

One of the most critical points of this facility is that the raw materials used are extremely hard and abrasive. For this reason, Hardox 400 material is used in screw conveyors, vibro feeders, and all other surfaces exposed to wear. The system is designed with the goal of long-lasting operation and minimal maintenance requirements.

| Dust-Free, Safe, and Traceable Production

The entire facility operates integrated with a central dust extraction line. Operator safety, product quality, and environmental conditions are kept under control. The production process is supported by;

• Barcode-based raw material loading and matching
• Safety interlocks against loading the wrong product
• Software safeguards against out-of-recipe interventions