In the food industry, it’s common for processors to test—and even retest—their products on the conveyor systems they are considering purchasing. After all, every food product or raw ingredient has distinct characteristics that will determine how it behaves under the stresses and pressures of conveyance. This testing offers crucial insights into flow characteristics, throughput, breakage potential, safety measures, cleaning requirements, and maintenance protocols. It also plays a vital role in enabling accurate equipment evaluation and sizing.

However, many in the industry are now seeking a deeper understanding of the material characteristics of their product prior to this step. In a fully equipped laboratory, powders can be evaluated to determine bulk density, moisture content, and angle of repose to determine flowability.

The information derived from these tests is proving invaluable to address product-specific challenges with powder, such as compaction, abrasiveness, stickiness, and insufficient flowability. These factors can even play a critical role in selecting the type of conveyor system—whether aeromechanical, flexible screw, or tubular cable drag.

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