The Original Cone Valve IBC

In a competitive marketplace, you need to manufacture multiple batches effectively and  keep up with demand safely.

INTRODUCTION

Why Choose Matcon Intermediate Bulk Containers

The success of a manufacturer is dependent on their ability to produce a product as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

To achieve this, a production line must have the capacity and flexibility to meet the demands of today's consumer, whilst incurring minimal overheads associated with downtime and scrapped product. This is where an IBC system comes in.

With the potential to manufacture more than one product at any given time, IBC systems are pivotal in improving the efficiency and profitability of manufacturing companies worldwide. 

This is why investing in an IBC system to manage and process your powders is vital to ensuring that you can meet demand and maintain your competitive edge.

Learn more about using an IBC for powder processing.

Powder Handling Solutions With IBCs

• Powder-based products won’t flow out of the IBC, so constant operator intervention is required.
• Lack of flow control, thereby flooding the packing machine.
• The recipe segregates as it discharges out of the IBC and into the packing machine, resulting in a poor quality final product.
• Product losses as the product sticks to the IBC walls resulting in a poor yield.
• Lengthy or totally unsuccessful cleaning of IBCs due to surplus or sticky residuals.
• Excessive dust generation and the consequent need for cleaning of production areas.

Problems often occur due to inadequate or unsuitable equipment and errors due to manual intervention or operations. These can lead to issues in areas such as segregation of blended material, lack of containment or reduced/no flow of powder from a container. In worse case scenarios, this could result in a cease in production while the problem is being fixed.

Learn how Matcon IBC systems tackle these challenges.

Compared to butterfly valve IBCs, the Cone Valve provides superior discharge control, preventing the traditional powder handling issues such as bridging, rat-holing and blend segregation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Optimum Solution

One of the best solutions for feeding powders or granules to a downstream process is an IBC. But not all IBCs are created equally and it's important to know what to look for.

What initially looks like a cheaper option is usually cheaper for a reason and may not give you the performance you need. It is worth researching to understand the benefits and limitations of different types of IBC. As well as production quality, the key difference in systems is in the valve outlet itself. Some manufacturers opt for IBCs fitted with a butterfly valve, others supply IBCs with cone valves. 

Learn more about IBC discharge valves and how the Cone Valve is particularly suited to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

INTERMEDIATE BULK CONTAINERS (IBCS)

The Original Cone Valve IBC

The unique Matcon range of Cone Valve technology within every IBC prevents the  traditional powder handling issues such as bridging, blockages, segregation, flushing and core-flow.

Better understand the Matcon range of IBCs:

• The Standard IBC range - manufacturing in stainless steel and  designed to meet the highest hygiene and safety requirements.
• Polyethylene IBC range - suitable for processes which do not require the stainless steel IBC, such as a non-food application.

Find out which IBC is right for your powder handling requirements.

What are the full benefits of a decoupled system?

KNOWLEDGEBASE

Why is a Decoupled System Better?

Efficiency and overheads are two major factors that manufacturers strive to influence on their production lines. The ability to improve these are pivotal to the success of a company, which is why choosing a powder handling system that addresses these areas of concern is so vital.

A manufacturer must be efficient, productive and profitable; and so too should their manufacturing process. This is where a decoupled Intermediate Bulk Container (IBC) system comes in.

We explain what a decoupled IBC system is, and why it is better.

Avoid damaging equipment and stock with the correct manufacturing methods.

KNOWLEDGEBASE

How to Prevent Bin Rash

'Hammer-rash' or 'Bin-rash' is the term used to describe the hammer pattern left when operators bang the side of a bin to dislodge powders that haven't discharged properly.

In addition to 'Bin-rash', we've also seen operators fully clothed in hazard suits rodding the product through the container inlet in an attempt to discharge product.

These issues can be avoided completely when you've got the right powder discharge device.

Find out how to get better powder flow with Cone Valve technology.

Read our pharmaceutical blog to learn more about powder and tablet handling best practice.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Avoid Powder Segregation and Bridging

All facilities that handle powders will have experienced ‘difficult’ or cohesive powders. These common issues often require operator intervention, such as ‘rodding’ or ‘hammering’.

Have you ever calculated how much valuable time is lost because of that or the damage it does to the powder and equipment, not to mention the GMP risks involved!

It is not accurately known what capacity of valuable powder ingredients are lost each year, simply caused by loss of blend uniformity or regular manual intervention during the manufacturing cycle.

These costly issues can be reduced significantly by selecting the appropriate powder handling system. Read our blog on reducing your cost per kilo to identify the root cause of your problem and discover the solutions available to solve them.