Drying: Cost-Effective, Flexible Multi-Hopper System

Simple enough for basic applications or upgradable to a fully featured drying solution,  Conair’s Multi-Hopper Cart (MHC) is said to deliver value, portability, flexibility and productivity.

The MHC features up to four dependable Conair CH Series mass-flow hoppers mounted on a lightweight, yet durable, caster-mounted push cart. Even with the largest hoppers mounted, the cart is only 35-in. deep, saving valuable floor space and making it easy to maneuver down narrow aisle ways and through doorways. Material can be dried off-line and then wheeled where it is needed or stationed remotely to supply material to multiple machines at once.

There are two basic configurations available: The simplest has hoppers only with an insulated integral welded manifold system for supply and return of dehumidified air from a central dryer which, for smaller applications, can also heat the material. For larger throughput applications or applications requiring higher temperatures, supported by a Conair D Series Carousel Plus dryer with the DC-C Premium control package, the cart can be wired for power and individual heaters added to each hopper. This allows many convenient features, including the ability to dry at different temperatures in each hopper, Temperature Setback to prevent over drying, as well as Dewpoint Monitoring and Dewpoint Control. It can also be integrated into Conair’s SmartServices central monitoring and control platform, providing real-time alarm displays, a key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard, machine view with real-time readouts of setpoint and actual temperatures as well as condition indicator lights. The system can also display trend lines for key measurements in real-time.

Seven different hopper sizes are available ranging from the smallest, which has a 0.5-ft³ volume and a nominal capacity of 18 lb, to the largest with 6 cu. ft³  of volume and 201 lb capacity. Carts are built in two sizes: a large version that can accommodate up to four hoppers (depending on hopper size) and the smaller cart can be mounted with up to three hoppers (again, depending on size). A slide-gate discharge port prevents material leakage but facilitates easy hopper draining.

Available in carbon or stainless steel, all hoppers are fully insulated from top to bottom in order to preserve heat and save energy. All are designed for easy cleaning with a large clean-out door (with sight glass) and a removable air-diffuser cone. The mass-flow hopper design ensures that all materials is evenly exposed to dry air and heat. Funnel flow and material hang ups are eliminated for superior drying. Each hopper is equipped with an isolation valve so that it can be taken off-line without disrupting operation of the other drying hoppers.