In 2017, Vortex completed a large project with an industrial sand manufacturer to construct a new sand-processing facility. As part of this project, the client sought solutions for:
• Diverting sand into screeners, where the sand is sized and then transferred into a series of holding bins.
• Loading sand from each holding bin into enclosed trucks below.
Due to the abrasive properties of industrial sand, this client sought reliable components designed for durability and longevity. Having enjoyed the quality of Vortex components when using them in previous projects, this client opted to source 17 Pivoting Chute Diverters (PCD), nine Titan Lined Diverters, five Titan Slide Gates, five Vortex Loading Spouts, and 14 Titan Maintenance Gates.
Unique to Vortex diverters, the PCD features a removable access panel that allows inspection and maintenance to be performed while the diverter remains in-line. PCDs also feature replaceable abrasion-resistant liners and removable wetted parts. For return-on-investment purposes, these features are beneficial because they allow for the replacement of worn parts, rather than full diverter replacement.
Unlike traditional flap or bucket diverters, the PCD features an independent, internal chute that “pivots” between outlet ports. This allows the chute to be smoothly shifted without significant disruption to the material flow path, which reduces chute wear.
To improve processing speeds, the PCD is designed so that it may be fully shifted toward a single outlet port, or partially shifted to split flow toward two destinations. Because material flow will be shared through one chute toward two destinations, flow rates toward each outlet will be diminished, in comparison to typical one-to-one flow rates. However, because two destinations may simultaneously transport materials, overall processing speeds are improved.
For this application, the client requested lifting lugs for each diverter. Lifting lugs were machined near the top on each end of the diverter’s internal chute. Because the internal chute is quite heavy, the addition of lifting lugs allows the internal chute to be hooked up to a crane and lifted into/out of the diverter. For employee safety purposes, lifting lugs are beneficial because they avoid physical injury from manually lifting the heavy chute into place.
All in all, the Vortex PCD is specifically designed to provide maximum protection against wear and abrasion, in order to improve life cycle costs.
Watch a video explaining the technology here.