Silobau Thorwesten, Beckum, Germany, has supplied an ultra-modern silo to the Schnaittenbach plant of a leading local producer of fine quartz powder. With a diameter of 8m and 45m high, the new silo forms a key element of a new materials preparation plant. The operator is expecting an annual throughput of 650,000t of raw material during the separation and reworking of kaolin, feldspar and quartz. Because of the high specification of the end product, it was vital to avoid mixing of the raw materials, a problem exacerbated by the extremely small particle size of the product. The customer had opted for compact construction of a 12-compartment silo offering a total volume of 780m³. This design is characterised by short conveying paths during feeding, outlet, weighing, and loading, and also by a maximum reduction of the required assembly area. 

 

In line with the customer’s specification, it was required that each silo compartment should be emptied by at least 99.5%, to permit problem-free storage of up to 16 products within the 12 compartments. The silo was specially designed so that joints, bolt heads, and other internal parts should offer minimal surface area to which powder might adhere. This multi-compartment silo is much more compact, more efficient and lower-priced than an equivalent silo battery comprising12 bins. www.thorwesten.com

 

 

The 12-compartment silo has been specially designed to avoid cross-contamination between different powdered products, as well as to have the capability of being erected within a confined space