HANDLING BULK MADE EASY!

Increase in demand for different types of bulk material handling products such as conveyor belts, stackers, reclaimers, and spreaders for process automation across various industries has fueled the growth of the market for Bulk Material Handling Products and Technologies. Equipment Times finds the developments, environmental impact, Covid-19 and restraints, design of these equipment and other advancements in the bulk material handling space.

Developments in transport infrastructure, the introduction of automation in transport machinery, and the advent of e-commerce have all proven pivotal to the growing trade volumes globally. Bulk material handling equipment is used at ports, warehouses, and processing facilities to facilitate the movement of goods.

Government initiatives targeting further advancement in trade will bolster the bulk material handling equipment market’s growth in years to come.

The market has been witnessing advancements in terms of automation, design, pricing, and load-carrying efficiency. Also, stringent labor laws around the globe have compelled warehouse owners to opt for machinery over manual labor. Innovation and automation are the two key drivers for the bulk material handling equipment market.

The introduction of equipment that runs on electricity instead of gasoline or diesel has garnered significant interest in light of environmental concerns. Further, favorable government schemes such as tax exemption and regulations are also fostering the growth of electric bulk material handling equipment. Manufacturers are also focusing on automation to reduce human errors and enhance efficiency. Several start-ups are also focusing on manufacturing automated guided vehicles (AGV).

There are numerous factors that are projected to have a positive influence on the overall development of the global bulk material handling system market. One of the key growth factors for the global market has been rising number of infrastructural growth projects across the world. Moreover, stronger economic developments in recent years has also helped in driving the market growth. These infrastructural development activities are projected to create strong demand for mining and construction equipment that has improved productivity and efficiency. This in turn is fueling the sale of heavy duty vehicles for transferring debris and other different construction materials. Also, the demand for transporting raw ore from one place to another is also quite high. Thus, all these factors are likely to present lucrative growth opportunities for the market growth. Another important factor for the growth of the global market is the growing demand from prominent end user industries such as construction, mining, oil & gas among others.

Covid-19 and restraints…

There are couple of factors that might impede the growth of the market for bulk material handling system. One of the key restraining factor for the market growth has the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus outbreak has led to large-scale shutdown in prominent end use industries. The lockdown has affected these sectors and thus demand for the bulk material handling system has gone down. Another important restraining factor for the market growth has been the high initial investment required for setup of these systems. Moreover, high operational costs are also likely to slow down the market growth.

Demand and the outlook…

According to Straits Research, low emission and cheaper cargo fares make sea trade the most viable alternative for international trade. Ports have been undergoing a paradigm shift during the past few years. Earlier ports were solely used for loading and unloading operations and occupied large independent areas. With time, they have changed from loading-unloading docks to storage locations for various commodities, providing employment to many.

Widespread internet penetration has made it possible for even the remotest consumer to order commodities from other countries. And the volume of transactions has been increasing with the growth of the global population. The demand for faster turnaround times has surged the demand for bulk material handling equipment at ports.

Increasing port traffic has compelled port and ship operators to invest in equipment capable of working on- and off-shore, presenting an opportunity for bulk material handling equipment manufacturers. Other factors, such as the adoption of ship and cargo management software and rebuilding of canals, will further create growth avenues for the market.

‘E’lectric for the ‘E’nvironment

Global warming and ozone layer deletion have compelled manufacturers to produce more responsibly — low emission is one of the critical considerations for machinery and equipment manufactured today. Globally, governments are framing regulations and taking initiatives that promote the use of environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Bulk material handling equipment manufacturers are no exception to this global movement and working toward offering electric equipment. Thus, the bulk material handling equipment market’s electric segment by fuel type is expected to gain traction in the upcoming years. Zero-emission equipment is attracting environment-conscious consumers.

Bulk material handling equipment such as trucks, tractors, and forklifts have been recording a significant increase in sales for the past few years. The emergence of electric variants will further broaden the opportunity in the coming years.

Increasing trade volumes…

Globally, trade volumes are increasing at an exceptional rate with better connectivity and improvement in transport infrastructures, such as roadways and railways. This has resulted in an increase in the output of various consumer goods.

Most consumer goods producers do not have warehouses and rely on third-party logistics companies for inventory storage. Thus, the increasing number of small manufacturing units has surged the demand for such services. Warehouse owners prefer vertical expansion to evade exorbitant expenses on additional land. Here, the complexity of operation involved stacking goods vertically creates demand for bulk handling equipment, Straits Research reflected. 

Some players in the bulk material handling equipment market also provide consultancy services for warehouse management. This integration of tangible and intangible services that manufacturers could provide, coupled with the need for warehouse owners to optimize space, is expected to influence the market growth positively.

The degree of competition is high within this market as these companies aggressively involve into mergers, acquisitions, and business alliances to strengthen their visibility. Over the coming years, players are likely to focus more on product innovation, development, and implementation of advanced technologies, which is likely to intensify the competition between them.

While solid bulk materials account for the majority of the market with 89.8 per cent share, there is a growing demand for powder bulk materials, such as cement and fertilisers from the construction and agricultural sectors. The demand for powder bulk material is on the rise owing to the growing need for cement from the construction industry and fertilisers from the agriculture industry. Growth in industrial automation and an increase in the assembly line concept and mass production methodology will propel the growth of this segment in the future.

Machines capable of handling bulk materials – especially those containing hazardous waste – are in high demand in these areas. Furthermore, bulk material and bulk powder processing are entering the assembly line in the manufacturing sector, requiring the aid of conveyer system to meet the production capacity.

Material flow…

Solid materials handling is an important part of many industrial processes. However, if not properly managed, solids handling operations can quickly become system bottlenecks that significantly reduce process efficiency and system throughput. This article highlights some critical issues regarding the flow of solid materials as well as an overview of some material flow systems.

Compared to fluid flow, solids flow requires additional considerations that complicate the equipment design process. In general, two major factors must be considered when designing material flow systems: cohesive strength and consolidation stress.

The cohesive strength is the bonding between particles, while the consolidation stress is the stress applied on solid particles that affect the volume those particles occupy. In combination, the cohesive strength of a material increases as the consolidation stress increases (as there are more particles in contact for consolidated materials). 

Flow Patterns

According to General Kinematics, in solids handling systems, there are two major types of flow: mass flow and funnel flow. Mass flow occurs when the entire bed of material travels from inlet to outlet, while funnel flow occurs when stagnant regions exist along the flow path; funnel flow can lead to erratic flow behaviors (for example, when a stagnant region is dislodged, it can lead to a higher-than-normal input to downstream equipment) and material caking and degradation.

To ensure a consistent solids flow that follows a first-in, first-out flow sequence, the equipment must be designed with sufficiently vertically sloping walls and adequately low friction.

Equipment Design

As mentioned above, inefficient equipment design can lead to undesirable material flow patterns that can result in material degradation and process inefficiency. However, many manufacturers are only vaguely familiar with solids handling concepts, and because solid materials are more complex than fluids regarding material flow, the design of solids handling equipment is complex.

Solids Handling Design

There are three major design aspects to consider when designing solids handling equipment: Hopper angle, minimum outlet dimension, and discharge rate.

Hopper Angle

The Hopper angle is the wall angle that can be used to adequately overcome the friction between the material and the wall; in general, the Hopper angle must be determined via experimentation and is dependent on the material and the particle size distribution.

Minimum Outlet Dimension

The minimum outlet dimension must be determined to prevent stagnant regions from forming at the outlet; minimum outlet dimension is thus dependent on the cohesive strength of the material and the consolidation of the material due to the normal force.

Discharge Rate

Discharge rate, which is determined according to process need, is dependent on outlet dimensions, velocity, and the bulk density of the material; thus, to achieve the desired flow rate, the velocity at the outlet and the bulk density of the material must be determined, and the outlet velocity must be set accordingly.

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