Overview
The Procter & Gamble (P&G) Vallejo manufacturing plant is a major producer of dry laundry detergents serving markets across Central America. Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is a critical raw material in detergent production, and consistent material flow is essential to maintaining productivity, quality, and environmental performance.
To support ongoing operations and reduce inefficiencies, P&G sought to modernize its railcar unloading and pneumatic conveying system, which had become a constraint on plant performance.
Challenges
The Vallejo facility faced several persistent challenges with its existing soda ash handling system:
- Limited conveying capacity that restricted production throughput
- Material flow interruptions caused by an outdated unloading system
- High air and energy consumption due to inefficient equipment operation
- Frequent maintenance and component replacement
- Excessive spillage during railcar unloading, creating housekeeping and environmental concerns
- Labor-intensive unloading processes requiring constant operator involvement
These issues increased operating costs and prevented the plant from achieving optimal productivity.
Solutions
Cyclonaire designed and implemented a semi-dense phase pneumatic conveying solution engineered specifically for abrasive materials such as sodium carbonate.
Key elements of the solution included:
- A vacuum-loaded Cyclonaire HC Series semi-dense phase conveyor
- Cyclonaire CycloLift™ railcar connectors to create a tight, dust-free seal at railcar outlets
- Cyclonaire Air Shoot™ fluidizing conveyors to maintain material flow with low-pressure air
- A high-efficiency blower package optimized for local operating conditions
- Automated controls and level monitoring for reliable, unattended operation
- A pinch-style diverter valve to route material to multiple storage silos
The integrated system allowed soda ash to be unloaded, conveyed, and stored automatically without interrupting downstream processes.
Results
The new Cyclonaire system delivered substantial operational improvements for the P&G Vallejo plant:
- Significantly increased unloading and conveying efficiency
- Removal of a critical production bottleneck
- Reduced energy consumption and lower maintenance requirements
- Cleaner railcar unloading with minimal material spillage
- Decreased labor demands through automation
- Improved reliability and consistency in material handling operations
Plant personnel reported that the system met all performance expectations and improved both day-to-day operations and long-term cost efficiency.
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