Ajax Equipment, Bolton, UK, has supplied leading electrical power and advanced materials company, Mersen, with a hopper and screw feeder for reworked carbon fibre powder from a milling process.

Positioned below a rotary valve and vacuum loader, the handling equipment was designed in accordance with shear testing performed by Ajax. The hopper’s steep walled V-shape and the screw’s progressive geometry, including variable pitch and stepped shaft, ensures a reliable controlled flow of reworked fibre powder. In addition, the cover of the feeder is hinged to allow Mersen’s manufacturing team to easily retrieve a powder sample and inspect the machine internally.  

Commenting, Scott Keil, manufacturing manager at Mersen, said “As one of several partners in this project, Ajax were a delight to deal with. They tested our unusual material in their lab to determine its flow characteristics, before designing and supplying the specified equipment within tight deadlines. They also coordinated and provided technical support to our other partners. In short, we are very pleased with Ajax’s work and are working with them on follow-up projects.”

“Mersen are a company who always look to improve their processes and Ajax has a long relationship helping out on a number of projects. Milled carbon fibre is quite low bulk density which is often a concern for flowability but it is the other bulk properties like shear strength and wall friction against mild steel which need to be measured so that the correct design of storage and feed control can be established. With this knowledge, the guile of our designers and craft of our workshop we can be confident of helping the end user to meet their project objectives,” said Eddie McGee, managing director, Ajax Equipment. www.ajax.co.uk
 

This Ajax steep-walled hopper helps ensure reliable controlled outflow of reworked carbon fibre powder

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