When pumping powder, particles or granular products into a silo, increasing air pressure can sometimes cause damage to the silo and might injure bystanders. At the very least silos can be overfilled, causing waste and/or contamination of product, costing thousands of pounds.
While the Portasilo Pressure Relief Valve ultimately gives complete silo safety, the valve for powders by AKO helps to protect the environment by also helping to avoid over filling. Using a full bore 100mm diameter valve for powders with a pinching rubber sleeve allows unrestricted product flow.
The AKO valves for powders with a pinching sleeve are permanently mounted in the silo input line. As the tanker discharges its product load using its own integral pump, a paddle switch mounted in the top of the silo senses the increasing level of silo contents. When the movement of its rotating paddles is restricted by the level, it ceases rotation and trips a micro switch, sending a signal to the solenoid on the valve. The solenoid activates instantly and allows air pressure to close the sleeve in the valve. Simultaneously, the valve for powders triggers an audible alarm advising the tanker driver to stop his pump.