Overview
A large-scale charcoal manufacturing operation experienced ongoing reliability challenges within its material handling process. Charcoal’s inherently abrasive nature, combined with moisture exposure, placed extreme demands on critical equipment components, particularly rotary airlock valves used throughout production.
To maintain productivity and control operating costs, the manufacturer sought a long-term solution that would improve durability, reduce downtime, and extend equipment life without disrupting existing plant layouts or processes.
Challenges
The operation faced several persistent issues related to abrasion and corrosion:
- Accelerated wear of internal airlock surfaces caused by abrasive charcoal
- Progressive corrosion once protective coatings were breached
- Structural weakening of internal components over time
- Unplanned downtime impacting production continuity
- Rising labor and maintenance demands associated with frequent repairs
- Decreasing overall equipment reliability as operating conditions evolved
Traditional hardened coatings and wear components were no longer sufficient for the changing process conditions.
Solutions
A specialized engineering team evaluated the application in detail and developed a customized rotary airlock enhancement strategy focused on long-term abrasion and corrosion resistance.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Application of a next-generation, high-performance protective coating engineered for extreme wear and corrosion environments
- Redesign and reinforcement of internal airlock components to improve durability
- Proprietary upgrades to sealing and packing arrangements
- Adaptation of the solution to fit existing rotary airlock designs without major system changes
- Standardization of the upgraded airlock configuration across multiple production lines
The improved coating and component design allowed the airlocks to withstand continuous material impact while resisting moisture-related degradation.
Results
The engineered solution delivered meaningful and sustained operational improvements:
- Increased reliability and uptime of rotary airlock equipment
- Reduced frequency of maintenance and component replacement
- Improved production line efficiency and consistency
- Lower overall maintenance effort and operating costs
- Enhanced durability under abrasive and corrosive conditions
- Greater confidence in long-term equipment performance
Following the successful implementation, the manufacturer adopted the upgraded airlock design as its standard solution across operations.
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