We are pleased to share a testimonial from one of our satisfied customers, Frog Switch.

Cas Koshinski
Executive Vice President, and Chief Operating Officer

I am writing to express our satisfaction with the performance of the Model 8/6-5 Sandpump we’ve recently installed in our foundry no bake sand reclaim circuit. This system is the first time dense phase transfer has been successfully demonstrated at our facility and it likely won’t be the last time as it has gained the confidence of the operators and maintenance group who now support replacement of the other dilute phase systems in the plant.

This project was successful because of (1) the effort Macawber’s sales and engineering group spent early in the project to assess the application and properly specify the system we needed, and (2) the field support group whose onsite service during the installation and startup process was crucial in completing the set up within a timely manner and enabled us to start up the circuit as planned.

This was our first Macawber system, but it likely won’t be our last.

Best Regards,
Cas Koshinski

by

Solids do not conform to comfortable empirical formula when you pump them along pipelines.  It is often only with exhaustive testing and evaluation that meaningful decisions can be made.

Macawber has always been at the forefront of material handling evaluation technology.  From the very beginning, 40 years ago, we realized that in order to provide the most comprehensive conveying ability in the world we needed the facilities and expertise to assess any material from minerals such as silica sand, gypsum and dolomite, to titanium dioxide and sugar beet pellets. Since the early days we have tested hundred of materials assessing material performance and optimum conveying conditions and while doing it creating an extensive experience and know-how related to powders and especially difficult to handle materials such as fragile and abrasive materials.

A purpose-built full size research, testing and demonstration facility utilizes our dense-phase technology.  Our materials characterization laboratory first performs analysis of bulk materials to achieve a full understanding of bulk material samples before they are presented to the test circuits.  Once the material enters our 2000ft conveying circuit, instrumentation and data acquisition facilities provide a wide range of information relating to the efficiency of the pneumatic process.  Of special significance is our attention to:

air:material ratio to determine the energy efficient performance for material and application;

material velocity which is immensely important for abrasive bulk materials to ensure satisfactory pipeline life;

conveying media demand, which is the profile of conveying gas demand to ensure adequate supply requirements;

Transfer capacity in order to determine correct system size; and

Gas filter requirement.

Once all the data has been collected and analyzed we are ready to discuss with our customers the type of conveying system we consider would be the best solution for our customer’s needs.

Should you have a material that is difficult to handle or you just wish to learn about your material and how it conveys we are here to assist.

To contact us about your needs click here

by

On any Macawber dense-phase pneumatic conveying system, the quality of the convey air and control air are quoted separately. Why is it important that these specifications are observed on site?

a). The International standard for control air for pneumatic devices is-40 degrees, Pressure Dew Point.

b). This standard may also be applied to conveying air e.g. for most powders, food products, hygroscopic materials, etc. Other materials such as wet coal, silica sand, for instance, would not require dry air. The specification of the conveying air is determined by Application Engineering and/or the customer and is dependent upon the material to be conveyed and the prevailing site climate conditions.

c). The control air supply is always required to be dry to the international standard.

d). If the air supplies are not separated then when the system is in a conveying cycle, the control air pressure can be reduced to an extent that the control functions of the system are affected and a subsequent upset operating condition would occur.

For more information please contact Macawber here

by

We have successfully tested another 250 mm Stainless Steel 3-way T-Type Diverter Valve to be used for conveying fish food. The Diverter Valve is designed to be used in dense-phase pneumatic conveying applications for handling fragile materials minimizing material breakage. The Diverter Valve is also available in the UK via our sister company, Mactenn.

To find out more information about Macawber Engineering click here

by

We often get questions from our clients that come in to our service department. Here is a common Q & A

by

Why is Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Dust so difficult to convey?

The EAF dust generated in a combustion process by electric arc furnaces employed in steelmaking is a hazardous material containing many heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, zinc, etc. These materials are not only hazardous requiring safe and reliable methods of conveying and disposal but they are also highly abrasive and poorly flowing.  Furthermore EAF dust can have high moisture content. As a result EAF dust is a challenge to convey and special considerations must be applied to the way the material is fed as well as conveyed.  The best way to convey EAF dust is using dense-phase pneumatic conveying which has the ability to convey EAF dust reliably with an added benefit of minimizing pipe wear.

We have been working for years with various steel industries providing solutions to their unique conveying requirements associated with EAF dust. In a recent project 28 of our Ashveyors are installed  on a common 4” conveying pipeline to receive material from the customer’s EAF Baghouse.  Rotary air locks feed material to through screw conveyors, which in turn deliver the dust to small feed hoppers located above the Ashveyors®.  The Ashveyors® are arranged in 4 lines of 7 vessels with the further 2 units located at the Spark Arrestor Collectors.  Our robust Dome Valves®, capable of providing a completely seal tight enclosure, ensure a reliable process.  This project is the second largest EAF dust project awarded to us this year. The systems  will be supplied to a reputable international engineering house, and will be operational in the US in early 2016.

Learn how we can assist in your EAF conveying process.

To contact Macawber Engineering about your needs today, follow the link below:

Contact Macawber Engineering, Inc. | Pneumatic Conveying Systems | Macawber

by

What are the reasons for blocked conveying lines?

All pneumatic conveying systems block sometimes.  Clearing a pipeline means downtime, loss of production, and can be a maintenance headache. So ensuring your system runs as smoothly as possible day after day is critical. Here at Macawber we have been designing pneumatic conveying systems for years, using our knowledge and experience to design systems that aim to provide the most reliable and maintenance free systems possible.  We do not like blockages or any other maintenance issues any more than you do. But if they do happen, understanding where to look to minimize downtime is essential.

Here are some pointers for a quick recovery:    

1. Changes to controls – Sometimes it is essential to modify PLC programming. For instance, adding additional distribution valves, changing the requirements of the weighing system, changing the number of and/or weight of ingredients for a mixer charging system.  Any control changes should be carried out in conjunction with the system manufacturer.  If not, the customer may inadvertently change some of the basic settings, times etc. fundamental to the operation of the pneumatic conveying system.
2. Out-of-Specification Material – Has your material changed? Is the bulk density, particle size distribution and flowability what the system was designed for? If the answer is no, the blockages could be explained by the material.
3. Foreign Material – Sometimes foreign objects such as used welding rods, cigarette packs, wire, nuts and bolts, etc. find their way into the silo/feed hopper etc.  As these materials accumulate they create a blockage preventing the conveyed material from entering the conveying line or moving along down the pipeline.
4. Moisture in the conveying process – Moisture can change the material characteristics. Materials will become sticky or poorly flowing resulting in conveying blockages. For instance, with baghouse and ESP installations there is the possibility that water or steam may enter the hoppers e.g.,  due to a faulty boiler tube/s.  As most types of ash are hygroscopic (they absorb moisture from their surroundings) moisture will change the consistency of the ash and create conveying difficulties.
5. Air Supply Problems - If the air supply to the conveying system has inadequate pressure, flow and/or contains too much moisture, this can cause the material to slow down in the pipeline. Usually this causes the pressure to rise and if the air supply pressure cannot be maintained through the cycle, the system will block.
6. Pipeline Incorrectly Installed – Any changes to the original pipe route configuration can cause blockages.  If you have a need to modify a pipe route contact the supplier for verification or for re-configuration and resizing of your system.
7. Pipe Line Incorrectly Installed – Any changes to the original pipe route configuration can cause blockages.  If you have a need to modify a pipe route contact the supplier for verification or for re-configuration and resizing of your system.
8. Receiving Bin High Level Probe Failure – Check the operation of the level probes if fitted. Level probes are installed to signal the system that the receiving bin/silo is full (i.e. when the probe is contacted by material) and to shut the system down until the probe is uncovered.  Faulty level probes may allow the system to keep on conveying material to the bin/silo and over fill it. If noticed by the operating personnel, the system will continue to convey, gradually filling the pipeline until it blocks.
9. Defective Components- Faulty components such as pressure regulators, solenoid valves, etc. can result in failure of the conveying air supply leading to pipeline blockages.

Contact us today to find out more…..   Contact Macawber Engineering, Inc. | Pneumatic Conveying Systems | Macawber

by

Dense Phase Pneumatic Transporters

1. Dense phase pneumatic conveying pressure vessels were introduced to the U.S. markets in the early 1960’s.  Pressure vessels were used because the pressures required for dense phase conveying normally exceeded 15 psig – the limit at that time for rotary airlock valves which were used almost exclusively by manufacturers of positive pressure dilute phase systems. In order to accommodate the higher pressures necessary for dense phase conveying systems,  ASME coded vessels became mandatory.

2. The valves available at that time for use, as in-feed to pressure vessels were limited to butterfly valves. Although slide gates were also tried.  There are several problems associated with butterfly valves and slide gates when used as pressure vessel in-feed valves:

a. Butterfly and slide gates valves are not able to cut through a falling or static column of material since the material is trapped between the valve disc and the seat preventing effective sealing when the vessel is pressurized.

Two valves must be used – one above the other.  The upper valve cuts off material flow but does not seal.  The lower valve then closes properly and seals effectively.  (A level probe is necessary in the vessel to sense when the upper valve must close.)

b. When butterfly valves are open, the valve discs are directly in the flow of material.  This not only inhibits flow into the vessel, but also makes the valve susceptible to wear, even with mildly abrasive materials.  The valve deteriorates at an increasing rate and sealing again becomes ineffective.  Often, the valve fails altogether.

c. To avoid poor sealing, the valves must be continuously maintained and often completely replaced – even as frequently as every 2-3 months.

3. To reduce the above effects on the valve, the pressure vessels are designed to cycle infrequently – usually 10 to 12 times per hour.  This reduces the load on the butterfly and/or slide gate valves and extends their wear life.  This means, however, that quite large vessels are used.  For example, a vessel of 15 to 25 cu.ft. conveying through a 4” line is quite common.

4. When the pressure vessel cycles, the material in the vessel is forced out into the pipeline due to the pressure of the air and entrainment of the material with air.  With the arrangement described in item 3 , all of the above material would be forced into the pipeline as a single plug of material, which would be 175 to 250 ft. long depending on the size of the vessel.  The pressure required to transport such a plug would be higher than the available output of a standard compressor, resulting in a blocked pipeline.

The manufacturers of these systems avoid this possibility by “conditioning” the material.  Conditioning typically takes place in the pipeline in the form of pipe line air injectors, sometimes referred to as “boosters”.  The effect of conditioning is to dilute and break up the plug and maintain a high enough velocity to prevent blockages.  Unfortunately, the addition of air through the boosters often causes increased material velocity far in excess of that desired.  The effects of such high velocities are high wear rates on pipelines, high particle attrition, excessive air consumptions, and in spite of the boosters, the risk of a blocked line.

5. Macawber realized that to avoid blockages, the necessity of boosters, high air consumptions and high material velocities, it would be necessary to reduce the plug length in the pipeline.  It was found, through testing, that a plug length in the range of 40 to 60 ft would convey at low velocity and with low air consumption using pressures in the 15 to 40 psig range.

6. To produce such short plugs would require small vessels, and this in turn would require frequent cycles to maintain the desired  conveying rate (40 to 80 cycles/hour normally). Clearly butterfly valves are not going to be suitable to address these requirements. Macawber solved this problem by developing the Dome Valve. The Dome Valve can close through a column of material and seal effectively. The seal is pneumatic and inflates only when the valve is closed. The air pressure in the seal is 80 to 100 psig exceeding the vessel conveying pressure by at least 30 psig. The valve, when open, has no restrictions while filling, and the valve is robustly designed to minimize restrictions. Maintenance time and costs are extremely low.

7. In addition to being able to convey materials at low velocity, the Denseveyor offers other advantages:

a. Low profile-easier to accommodate under silos, bulk bag unloaders, reclaimers, etc. Silo heights can be reduced, thereby reducing structural support costs.

b. Easier to install.

c. Quicker vessel filling times.

d. Smaller filter units (for exhaust air).

e. No pipeline air injection systems required- less installation- less equipment to maintain.

f. Easier access for inspection.

g. Standard schedule 40 pipelines are used.

h. One year, no-wear guarantee on pipeline components.

i. Lower power requirements as a result of low air consumption.

8. The Macawber Design Philosophy has been applied to a wide and diverse range of materials in almost every process industry. This advanced process of pneumatic conveying has been refined and developed since it’s introduction in 1977 and continues to be successfully applied in thousands of installations worldwide.

by

Mactenn Systems, our sister company in the UK, has today announced that Lysair Air Solutions has been appointed as the exclusive representative of Mactenn in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The company specializes in projects aimed at environmental conservation and is well known for its strength and know-how in providing high quality solutions to dust handling needs from equipment supply to complete installations. By adding our dense-phase pneumatic conveying line to its offering, it is able to add value and scope to its local customers being able to meet a wider range of requirements. The co-operation will strengthen Macawber Group’s international network and adds to our ability to offer installation services to our European customers.

On behalf of the Macawber Group we welcome Lysair to our network of representatives and wish them and Mactenn good luck and many successful installations together.

Contact Lysair at www.lysair.com.

Contact Mactenn at www.mactenn.com

by

[P3674] Macawber Group Installation Case Study:

Sodium Bicarbonate Conveying system, Northwich, UK.

In brief:

The dense phase pneumatic conveying system was supplied to convey 14 t/h of sodium bicarbonate over a distance of 26 ft horizontal and 98 ft vertical. The system is an 8 cubic feet Denseveyor® with a 5” pipe line and is located under a feed hopper with start and stop controlled in automatic by the feed hopper and silo reception level probes. The system was first installed in November 1996.  In July 2014 after 17 years of continuous daily operation it was upgraded with a touch screen operator interface, new filling Dome Valve and air manifold. The vessel and pipe line remain originals and are in very good condition expected to offer many more years of service.  The pipe line, bends, and vessel are made from stainless steel 304 with all external surfaces coated in a corrosive resistant clear lacquer.

Denseveyor installed below a feed hopper

Material Characteristics:

Sodium Bicarbonate            0.004” Mean

Bulk Density                          66 lbs/cu ft

Temperature                        104°F

Moisture Content                0.1%

Condition                               Free flowing

SYSTEM OBJECTIVES

1. Dense phase low velocity conveying

2. Low material degradation

3. Reliable operation

SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Transfer Capacity                14t/h

Conveying Distance            26ft Horizontal and 98ft vertical

Reception Points                 1 feed and 1 reception point.

IMPROVEMENTS ACHIEVED

1. Cost savings in terms of energy savings and reduced maintenance
2. Increased transfer rate
3. Reduced compressed air requirements
4. Lower than specified material degradation
5. Low maintenance
6. High reliability
7. Fully integrated into control room DCS

New system control panel

Final refurbishing assembly

Outlet air nozzle with proprietary air flow valve

To find out more information please contact Macawber

by

June 20, 2017

Macawber Engineering, Inc. will be featured in Globalspec’s June issue of “Material Handling & Supply Chain Technology”.  Globalspec, also known as Engineering360, is “the world’s largest online destination for engineers, delivering the single source for critical engineering content, information, insight, tools and community for engineers and technical professionals across multiple industries and disciplines”.  Engineering360’s website contains news, products, suppliers and much more.  You can check out our profile on Engineering360 and subscribe to their newsletters by clicking on the links below.

http://www.globalspec.com/Subscriptions/SignUp

http://www.globalspec.com/Supplier/Profile?vid=93421&srchwebhitid=788364718&srchitem=1

http://www.globalspec.com/newsletter/pub/80/material-handling-supply-chain-technology?isPastIssue=1

by

August 28, 2017

Come and see our dense-phase, low-velocity pneumatic conveying system in operation at the 2017 Midwest Powder Show at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, September 28-29. We will be in booth 209, and we look forward to demonstrating the simplicity of our equipment and technology as well as explaining the principles behind conveying powdery materials with no or minimal material degradation or pipe wear while also creating cost savings through reduced energy usage. Whatever your conveying requirements, our team has the experience to discuss how we can improve your process. See you in Ohio!

by

 ISO 9001:2015: Commitment to our Customers and Quality

We are proud to announce that we have successfully transitioned to the new ISO 9001:2015 standard.  We were first certified in 1998 but quality has been a key focus of ours since the beginning, 40 years ago.

Initially years ago, becoming ISO:9001 certified was a taunting task, and the early thick quality manuals are evidence of the detail that at the time was required.  Since then the principles that ISO 9001 represents have become a second nature to us improving professionalism and our ability to provide value to our customers. 

We at Macawber recognize the pressures of quicker ROI and the shrinking capital equipment budgets but we will never compromise our quality or customer satisfaction.   We work diligently to control cost while continue to manufacture our equipment to the highest quality standards.  Our ISO 9001 quality management system combined with our ASME pressure vessel qualification and ERP software system provide a robust operating system that makes it possible to control cost and produce quality equipment. The result is equipment that lasts for decades and customer satisfaction that creates repeat and new customers.   

To coincide with the new ISO 9001:2015 standard, we revised our Quality Statement to better reflect our objectives. These objectives are embraced by our management as well as employees and drive forward our daily activities and our business strategy overall:

Macawber is committed to providing a high degree of value by leveraging our experience and expertise to create a competitive advantage, strengthen our customer satisfaction and maximize business results.  To achieve this we will:

• Work together as a team, communicate openly and share lessons learnt
• Continually improve our skills, processes and transparency
• Reduce material and process waste and overall product costs
• Understand our customers’ needs and create a positive customer experience from initial enquiry to on-time delivery and after service
• Gage overall customer success and ensure the customer is supported throughout the life of their equipment
• Increase sales and create mutually beneficial and long-lasting partner relationships
• Create and maintain safe working environment
• Meet and continually improve our Quality Management System

by

Macawber Engineering Inc., in the US celebrates 40 years in business.

From humble beginnings in Doncaster, England in the early 1970s and £100.00 to invest we have developed into a worldwide company with manufacturing bases not only in the US but also in the UK, India, Brazil and China.  Two visionaries, Michael Crawley and Brian Snowdon, with a same dream but complimentary talents saw an opportunity in the market, joined forces and Macawber Engineering Limited in the UK was born. 

With the development of our proprietary Dome Valve in the 70s and the ability to reliably control the flow of material and repeatedly provide bubble tight seal, we became the pioneers of dense-phase pneumatic conveying, testing materials in purposely built laboratory to better understand the principles of low velocity conveying while introducing and educating customers and others of the benefits this type of conveying provides compared to mechanical and dilute phase systems.

During the decades that followed Macawber Group of companies expanded to India, China and Brazil. All of the companies, but Macawber Engineering in the US in particular, have continued to focus on dense-phase pneumatic conveying becoming highly specialist experts with the ability to convey successfully difficult to handle materials. We are often called to assist when other conveying methods and companies have failed.

We have expanded our offerings and capabilities. Our largest Dome Valve® is 30”, longest distance conveyed is 2900 ft. and highest conveying rate is 125 Mt/h. Our vessel sizes vary from our tiny MiniDenseveyor, just ½ ft³ to the large Denseveyor® of 125 ft³. Regardless of the application or system size our designs offer operating savings through reliability, efficiency and simplicity.

There has been glory such as being awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export in the 80s and obstacles such as losing Macawber Engineering Limited in the UK after a coalminers’ strike later in the same decade halted all coal production for a year. The company was later re-established in the UK under the name Mactenn Systems Ltd.  However, we have persevered and with the experiences become wiser and stronger.

We have remained family owned and a large part of our staff has been with the company 10 years or more.  Some over 30 years.  Our founder, Michael F. Crawley set the high standards we follow today.  He was much admired for his drive, charisma, knowledge and the ability to innovate and motivate. After his passing in 2012, Maria Petsola-Crawley, who has been involved in the business for 20 years, took over as a CEO.  Equipped with Mike’s passion for the business and committed team around her, she has focused on customer satisfaction and strengthening our core competences while introducing improvements that benefit our operating efficiency.    

Today, product quality, experience and expertise, is what sets us apart and what has kept us going for 40 years.  In addition, we are able to offer personalized service creating lasting relationships.

As our installation base has grown, our reputation as a dense-phase pneumatic conveying specialist has spread and we now offer solutions to end-users, EPCs, OEMs and others for customer-specific conveying problems throughout the world.  Despite systems conveying thousands of materials world-wide, we continue to develop our understanding and products to better serve our customers.

As we in the US celebrate 40 exciting years in business, we salute and thank our customers and associates worldwide who have trusted us and with their recommendations helped us to progress and reach this important milestone. We also thank our past and current staff who have with their commitment, work and ideas contributed to our success.

by

Macawber Engineering Inc., in the US celebrates 40 years in business.

From humble beginnings in Doncaster, England in the early 1970s and £100.00 to invest we have developed into a worldwide company with manufacturing bases not only in the US but also in the UK, India, Brazil and China.  Two visionaries, Michael Crawley and Brian Snowdon, with a same dream but complimentary talents saw an opportunity in the market, joined forces and Macawber Engineering Limited in the UK was born. 

With the development of our proprietary Dome Valve in the 70s and the ability to reliably control the flow of material and repeatedly provide bubble tight seal, we became the pioneers of dense-phase pneumatic conveying, testing materials in purposely built laboratory to better understand the principles of low velocity conveying while introducing and educating customers and others of the benefits this type of conveying provides compared to mechanical and dilute phase systems.

During the decades that followed Macawber Group of companies expanded to India, China and Brazil. All of the companies, but Macawber Engineering in the US in particular, have continued to focus on dense-phase pneumatic conveying becoming highly specialist experts with the ability to convey successfully difficult to handle materials. We are often called to assist when other conveying methods and companies have failed.

We have expanded our offerings and capabilities. Our largest Dome Valve® is 30”, longest distance conveyed is 2900 ft. and highest conveying rate is 125 Mt/h. Our vessel sizes vary from our tiny MiniDenseveyor, just ½ ft³ to the large Denseveyor® of 125 ft³. Regardless of the application or system size our designs offer operating savings through reliability, efficiency and simplicity.

There has been glory such as being awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export in the 80s and obstacles such as losing Macawber Engineering Limited in the UK after a coalminers’ strike later in the same decade halted all coal production for a year. The company was later re-established in the UK under the name Mactenn Systems Ltd.  However, we have persevered and with the experiences become wiser and stronger.

We have remained family owned and a large part of our staff has been with the company 10 years or more.  Some over 30 years.  Our founder, Michael F. Crawley set the high standards we follow today.  He was much admired for his drive, charisma, knowledge and the ability to innovate and motivate. After his passing in 2012, Maria Petsola-Crawley, who has been involved in the business for 20 years, took over as a CEO.  Equipped with Mike’s passion for the business and committed team around her, she has focused on customer satisfaction and strengthening our core competences while introducing improvements that benefit our operating efficiency.    

Today, product quality, experience and expertise, is what sets us apart and what has kept us going for 40 years.  In addition, we are able to offer personalized service creating lasting relationships.

As our installation base has grown, our reputation as a dense-phase pneumatic conveying specialist has spread and we now offer solutions to end-users, EPCs, OEMs and others for customer-specific conveying problems throughout the world.  Despite systems conveying thousands of materials world-wide, we continue to develop our understanding and products to better serve our customers.

As we in the US celebrate 40 exciting years in business, we salute and thank our customers and associates worldwide who have trusted us and with their recommendations helped us to progress and reach this important milestone. We also thank our past and current staff who have with their commitment, work and ideas contributed to our success.

by

Macawber Engineering Inc., in the US celebrates 40 years in business.

From humble beginnings in Doncaster, England in the early 1970s and £100.00 to invest we have developed into a worldwide company with manufacturing bases not only in the US but also in the UK, India, Brazil and China. Two visionaries, Michael Crawley and Brian Snowdon, with a same dream but complimentary talents saw an opportunity in the market, joined forces and Macawber Engineering Limited in the UK was born. 

With the development of our proprietary Dome Valve in the 70s and the ability to reliably control the flow of material and repeatedly provide bubble tight seal, we became the pioneers of dense-phase pneumatic conveying, testing materials in purposely built laboratory to better understand the principles of low velocity conveying while introducing and educating customers and others of the benefits this type of conveying provides compared to mechanical and dilute phase systems.

During the decades that followed Macawber Group of companies expanded to US, India, China and Brazil.  All of the companies have continued to focus on dense-phase pneumatic conveying becoming highly specialist experts with the ability to convey successfully difficult to handle materials and often called to assist when other conveying methods and companies have failed.

Over the years, we have expanded our offerings and capabilities. Our largest Dome Valve® is 30”, longest distance conveyed is 2900 ft and highest conveying rate is 125 Mt/h. Our vessel sizes vary from our tiny MiniDenseveyor, just ½ ft³ to the large Denseveyor® of 125 ft³. Regardless of the application or system size our designs offer operating savings through reliability, efficiency and simplicity.

There has been glory such as being awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export in the 80s and obstacles such as losing Macawber Engineering Limited in the UK after a coalminers’ strike later in the same decade halted all coal production for a year. The company was later re-established in the UK under the name Mactenn Systems Ltd.  However, we have persevered and with the experiences become wiser and stronger.

We have remained family owned and a large part of our staff has been with the company 10 years or more.  Some over 30 years.  Our founder, Michael F. Crawley set the high standards we follow today.  He was much admired for his drive, charisma, knowledge and the ability to innovate and motivate. After his passing in 2012, Maria Petsola-Crawley, who has been involved in the business for 20 years, took over as a CEO.  Equipped with Mike’s passion for the business and a committed team around her, she has focused on customer satisfaction and strengthening our core competences while introducing improvements that benefit our operating efficiency.    

Today, experience, expertise and product quality, is what sets us apart and what has kept us going for 40 years.  In addition, we are able to offer personalized service creating lasting relationships.

As our installation base has grown, our reputation as a dense-phase pneumatic conveying specialist has spread and we now offer customer-specific conveying solutions to end-users, EPCs and OEMs throughout the world.  Despite our ability to convey thousands of materials we continue to research and test materials and develop products in order to serve our customers better.

As we in the US celebrate 40 exciting years in business, we thank our customers and associates worldwide who have trusted us and with their recommendations helped us to progress and reach this important milestone. We also thank our past and current staff who have with their commitment, work and ideas contributed to our success.

by

1. Why Inflatable Seat Valves?

• Avoids Leakage: An inflatable seat is more effective than a hard of fixed nylon seat valve. The seat is pressurized against the closing member to entrap any particles and prevent them from moving over the seat surface under the influence of a pressure differential. If particles do not move they will not cause wear.

• Compensates for Wear: An inflatable seat will always move towards the spherical component seat under the influence of the compressed gas when sealing is required. As the seat face becomes scuffed or reduced the movement of the seat will compensate for the thickness reduction and continue to establish a pressurized seal.
• Complete Opening: The Dome Valve® inflatable seat valve is completely open and does not restrict flow when open. The closing spherical member is open away from the flow of material and is unaffected by the effects of media flowing through the valve. No restriction to flow through the valve when open.
• Zero Contact: The inflatable seat is not in contact with the closing member during opening and closing. The inflatable seat engages the closing member only when it has reached its closed position. Therefore, the possibility of wear is again reduced.
• Proven Concept: The inflatable seat concept was introduced to industry in 1974. Since that time more than 40,000 valve installations have been completed.
• High Temperature: Applications up to 43 barg have been completed for valve sizes to 600mm.
• High Pressure: Applications to 380°C have been completed without determent to the inflatable seat elastomer. This achieved with a unique water cooling process to the spherical component and the elastomer housing.
• Leak-Proof: The inflatable seat valves ensure leak-proof sealing operation after continuous operation when operating to isolate a pressure differential.

2. Definitions:

• Inflatable Seat: The sealing seat of the valve that engages the closing member for pressure sealing when the closing member reaches the full closed position.
• Zero Contact: Describes an automatic valve action that ensures that the valve seat is not in contact with the closing member until the pressure sealing is required.
• Compensation: Automatic adjustment of the inflatable seat to accommodate changes to the sealing requirements.
• Leak-Proof: No leakage across the valve when closed against a high pressure or vacuum differential. Exceeds an international standard of measurement.

3. Why Macawber?

• Experience: More than 10,000 installations and over 40 years of experience
• Wide product range: Equipment available for majority of applications
• Guarantee: 24 months as standard
• Continuous development: Two new patents granted recently and other improvements.
• International group
• ISO 9001:2015 Certified

by

Macawber Group’s Cement Handling Capability is Creating Even Better Benefits

We have recently focused on research and development efforts to improve our cement handling skills even further.  These efforts have created considerable benefits in terms of improved return of investment as well as improved capability.  As we all know cost is an increasingly important factor in the decision to select any capital equipment system such as a pneumatic conveying system, so we continuously work on costs and transferring savings created to our customers.

Our Cementveyor’s recent modifications have provided the following advantages:

• Equipment price has been reduced by a minimum of 15%.
• Equipment configuration has been simplified.
• Equipment operation has been simplified.
• Conveyance of longer distances using smaller pipe size has been achieved

Armed with the above improvements and coupled with an existing reputation for conveying cement and other abrasive materials reliably and efficiently, our sister company, Mactenn Systems was recently awarded with a contract for conveying cement in a new Port in Ireland.  The installation generated considerable interest and excitement and it was featured in a World Cement Bulk Material Handling Review (BMHR) end of the year issue. 

You can read the full article from BMHR here-

http://publications.worldcement.com/flip/world-cement/2017/BMHR2017/bmhr-2017.html or the below summary:

A new export hub was opened by Quinn Cement at Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland late 2017.  This new terminal was built to facilitate export in light of forthcoming Brexit, UK’s separation from the European Community.  At the same time, Quinn Cement entered into a ten year agreement with the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority.  The company transports cement to numerous ports across the UK from this new hub. 

Warrenpoint Harbour Authority hired PM Engineering Ltd. to design, construct and install silos and be responsible for the overall procurement and construction.  An important decision of this project was the selection of the mechanism of transfer of cement from the silos to the ships.  PM Engineering turned to us being familiar with our flexibility and skill to provide custom-made solutions and our ability to convey powdery materials, such as cement reliably and efficiently eliminating or minimizing wear.  The contract was rewarded to our sister company, Mactenn Systems Ltd., which  provided 10 Denseveyor® (Maxflo) dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems to convey cement from the silos to the ships.

Keep an eye on the complete Case Study which will follow.

by

Mactenn Systems, a Macawber Group company was awarded a contract to convey 50T/h of cement to ocean vessel using 10 Denseveyor systems.  Using low velocity Ten cement pneumatic conveying systems are operating at a ship loading site at Warrenpoint port in Northern Ireland.  The customer was extremely pleased with the systems.

2 of the 10 Denseveyor 30/12-5 conveying systems

 Cement Conveying Systems, Ireland.

IN BRIEF

Ten Conveying vessels in pairs below 5 x 1000 ton silos with twin outlets convey at a rate of 50 tons/hour each (500t/h total) over a distance of 253 feet. The vessels are 23 cubic feet with a Macawber 12” Dome Valve® filling valve and a 5 inch convey line.

The current method of loading the ship was using multiple trucks. This method was insufficient and required too many trucks.  Mactenn was brought in to improve the ship loading time and efficiency using their dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems.  Conveying with Macawber conveying equipment meant that the trucks could load cement into the silos prior to ships arrival reducing the loading time by 50% (now about 12 hours). The system has met all of the customers’ expectations and is operating reliably at Warrenpoint port in Northern Ireland. The system has a remote connection to the Macawber office in Suffolk, England so immediate support is available with real time monitoring. It is planned to increase from 10 to 16 systems in the future.

MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS

Cement                       100% less than 50 mesh

Bulk Density                66 lb./ft³

Temperature               Ambient

Moisture Content        0.06%

Condition                     Free flowing, very abrasive

SYSTEM OBJECTIVES

1.  Dense phase low velocity conveying & low wear

2.  Short delivery

3.  Reliable operation

SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

Transfer Capacity       500 t/h minimum                                          

Conveying Distance   253 ft.                                               

Reception Points         Single ship with 10 access points                  

IMPROVEMENTS AND SAVINGS ACHIEVED

1. Reduce ship loading time by 50%

2. Reduced compressed air requirements

3. Minimized wear for such a highly abrasive material (low velocity conveying)

4. Capability to remotely support the operating personnel

Ship during loading with the 10 separate lines                 

View of the control room and silos

by

Macawber Engineering, Inc. will be exhibiting in the 2018 International Power and Bulk Solids show in Rosemont, IL, April 24-26.  Come stop by our booth, number 1334, to see how our systems operate and for information on how we can help to improve your process. We look forward to meeting you!

by