Processing plants require a smooth flow of material to maximise profitability. Blockage and hang-ups in the pipe can lead to a severe mechanical breakdown of the equipment, forcing you into expensive maintenance costs. To add on that, choked pipework is a distraction for your workers because they have to abandon their fundamental tasks and focus on clearing blockages.
Thankfully, air cannons are readily available from suppliers to help you deal with flow issues in your facility. The cannons produce blasts of air that are effective at removing unwanted inhibitors stuck in pipework. If you are buying air cannons for the first time, here are the important things that you need to bear in mind.
Power Supply Limits
Power supply is the first thing you need to think about before buying large-scale air cannons. Normally, small processing facilities can use anything between 210 and 230 volts of electricity for single-phase power supply plans. This will limit you to air cannons whose motors can produce up to five horsepower of force.
You should consider getting a separate circuit breaker for air cannons with motors that produce more than five horsepower of force. This will keep the power from tripping whenever you run the air cannons. Alternatively, you can upgrade to a three-phase power supply plan before installing the air cannons.
Air Cannon Build
The pipework in processing plants can present some of the toughest working conditions for any equipment. Extreme temperatures (cold or hot), pressure and abrasive chemicals make the list of things that make it hard for equipment to survive in industrial environments. On that note, you need to pick air cannons with a build that can stand up to the operating conditions in your facility. Air cannons with rigid steel mounting, galvanised steel nozzles and isoprene rubber hoses have the right combination of material for any work environment. The wrong build will force you to buy new cannons regularly.
The Abrasive Required
You also need to think about the abrasive you will use to clear the blockage, especially when ordinary blasting doesn't clear the clogged system. Abrasives boost the force per unit in every blast of air, improving the performance of the cannon. Each cannon has a preferable type of abrasive that fits its build. You need to check in the manufacturer's guide to learn about the abrasive and quantity of compressed air that you will need to purchase.