Preparing Refractory Dry Mix

Automated Batching for Demanding Refractory Formulations

Refractory dry mixes used in furnaces, ladles, foundries and other high-temperature process equipment are produced from carefully formulated combinations of mineral aggregates, refractory powders, binders and specialty additives. Depending on the product, formulations may range from dense castables and dry vibratables to gunning and repair materials, each requiring different raw material ratios and particle-size distributions. VOLDE designs automated raw material handling and batching systems for refractory dry mix production. From storage and feeding to gravimetric dosing, batch collection and production control, the complete system is developed around the characteristics of the raw materials and the requirements of each formulation

| Raw Material Handling for Refractory Production

Refractory formulations may contain bauxite, alumina, magnesite, chamotte, silica, quartz and other mineral aggregates and powders. These materials can differ significantly in particle size, bulk density, flow behaviour and abrasiveness.

For reliable production, each raw material must therefore be handled according to its own physical characteristics.

VOLDE configures storage bins, discharge equipment and feeders individually for each material. Raw materials supplied in bags or big bags can be introduced into dedicated stations and made available to the automatic batching system.

The modular architecture allows a large number of raw materials to be managed from a common production infrastructure while supporting different refractory product families and frequently changing formulations.

| Recipe-Controlled Dosing & Batch Preparation

Refractory products depend on maintaining the correct proportion between coarse aggregates, fine powders, binders and functional additives. The batching system must therefore manage both high-volume ingredients and lower-quantity additions within the same recipe.

VOLDE combines gravimetric feeders and weighing systems with automatic recipe management. The active formulation determines which materials are required, their target quantities and the sequence in which they are collected.

In one implemented system, 16 different raw materials are arranged across modular feeding stations and automatically prepared according to the selected recipe. A mobile batch collection unit travels beneath the required stations, receives each weighed ingredient and proceeds automatically to the next dosing point.

Fast and fine feeding stages can be used according to the required quantity. Once the complete formulation has been collected, a final check-weigh provides an additional verification before the batch proceeds to the next production stage.

| Wear-Resistant Design for Mineral Handling

Wear is one of the main engineering challenges in refractory raw material handling. Hard mineral aggregates can cause accelerated abrasion in screw conveyors, feeders, chutes and other components exposed to continuous material flow.

For this reason, VOLDE considers wear resistance from the beginning of the mechanical design rather than treating it as an optional feature added later.

Material velocity, feeder type, contact geometry and replaceable wear surfaces are evaluated together. In highly abrasive sections, wear-resistant materials such as Hardox 400 can be used in screw conveyors, feeders and other product-contact components.

This approach helps extend component service life, simplify maintenance planning and maintain stable system performance under demanding production conditions.

| Built for Demanding Refractory Production

Accurate weighing is only one part of refractory production. The complete handling system must maintain that accuracy while operating continuously with hard, dense and highly abrasive mineral raw materials.

VOLDE develops each system around both the formulation and the actual production environment, combining process accuracy with mechanical durability.

For every project, custom, process-specific engineering is carried out, developing long-lasting, fully automatic solutions suited to heavy-duty conditions.

| Automation, Material Verification & Traceability

As the number of raw materials and product formulations increases, reliable recipe execution becomes increasingly dependent on automation.

VOLDE integrates the complete batching process with PLC/SCADA control. Raw material selection, target weights, dosing sequences and batch movements are managed automatically, while actual production values are recorded for subsequent analysis.

Barcode-based material verification can be incorporated at raw material loading points to confirm that each bag or big bag is introduced into the correct storage location. Software interlocks and mechanical safeguards can provide additional protection against incorrect material charging or out-of-recipe operation.

The system can record and report

• Recipe and batch information
• Target and actual weighing values
• Raw material consumption
• Production history
• Alarm and operator records
• Filling and batch reports

Where required, production data can be exchanged with ERP, inventory, production-planning and quality-management systems.

VOLDE combines material-specific handling, gravimetric dosing, wear-resistant mechanical design and process automation to create refractory dry mix preparation systems developed around the formulation and the realities of heavy-duty production.