In February 2015, Prater Rotary Airlock Valves were tested at the Fike® Remote Testing Facility according to guidance found in NFPA-69 to become the only NPFA-69–certified rotary airlock valves commercially available in North America. Fike concluded that Prater Rotary Airlocks ‘were structurally sound, exhibiting no visually observable plastic deformation in any test’. Additionally, the rotary valves ‘successfully isolated the protection region from flame propagation’.
Fergus Keane, vice president of Sales, and Brent McIntosh, national account manager for Prater Industries, traveled to the Fike facility to witness the testing. Keane said, “The results of the testing mean that our customers can be confident that Prater Rotary Airlock Valves are the safest and most explosion resistant airlocks in their plant. Ultimately, keeping workers safe and reducing downtime is what it’s all about”.
Rotary Airlock Valves are commonly used in industrial and agricultural applications as a component in bulk material handling systems. Rotary feeders are primarily used for discharge of bulk solid material from hoppers into a pressure or pneumatic conveying system.
