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FORMULATE, BLEND, PACK & CLEAN

Powder Handling Systems

Our processing equipment helps you at every stage of your powder handling process, streamlining your operations, improving product quality and helping increase your margins.

12 Min Read Time

PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

Powder Handling Systems from Matcon

Through the decoupling of manufacturing processes, we are able to create flexible, safe and agile production facilities that enable manufacturers to produce better products with a wider variety and batch sizes. These factors ultimately make manufacturers with Matcon powder handling solutions more profitable and successful.

Blend icon

Blend

Our mixer systems ensure that your materials are mixed effectively and your operation becomes more efficient with reduced cleaning downtime.

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Pack

Accurately discharge your powder-based products without segregation. Optimise throughput with automated, reliable packing solutions.

Formulate icon

Formulate

Formulate powder recipes directly to IBCs with accurate, automated filling so you can add into your batch processing flow as required.

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Clean

Remove bottlenecks and factory downtime with safe, repeatable washing that can be fully automated and performed 'offline'.

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IBCs

Matcon IBCs are efficient, dust-tight powder containers, manufactured to the highest standards for all industry applications.

POWDERS, HANDLED

We Solve Your Powder Handling Problems

Matcon's powder handling equipment includes our patented Cone Valve Technology, which ensures that we can overcome all manner of powder flow and containment problems. The Cone Valve is used to control a wide range of bulk materials in powder and tablet form, either as a raw material or blended finished product.

Powder Bridging Diagram

Powder Bridging

Solve and prevent poor flow that is caused by powder bridging.

Rat-holing Diagram

Rat Holing

Ratholing can lead to costly powder flow problems.

Powder Containment Diagram

Containment

Meet hygiene and safety requirements and remove the risk of cross-contamination.

Powder Segregation Diagram

Powder Mix Segregation

Overcome the segregation of your powder mix to ensure you achieve mass flow.


Expert Guidance, Help and Advice

If you’re experiencing any of these powder flow problems or have similar challenges with bulk solids, visit ‘powder handling problems solved’ where we discuss typical causes for each powder flow problem and provide practical advice to help you solve those problems.

Powder Handling Problems Solved
HIGH-PERFORMANCE MATERIAL PROCESSING - SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

Leading Powder Handling Equipment

Matcon designs and manufactures powder handling equipment that can be used to improve manufacturing processes across a range of applications. At the heart of our Powder Handling System is an IBC fitted with our patented Cone Valve Technology, a unique discharge valve that eliminates typical powder flow problems.

IBCs

IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers)


What is an IBC?

An IBC or Intermediate Bulk Container is a precision engineered, high-grade stainless steel container that enables manufacturers to blend and transport powders between manufacturing steps.

What does it enable?

IBCs enable manufacturers to decouple processing stages so that multiple processing steps can be undertaken simultaneously without pausing the production process.

Learn More About IBCs
cone-valve

Cone Valve Technology


What is a Cone Valve?

A Matcon IBC has a ‘passive’ cone seated within the outlet of the container. When located on the Discharge Station, an ‘active’ probe assembly lifts the cone which creates an annular gap causing material to discharge using mass-flow.

Why it is Important

It is a superb discharging device overcoming all manner of powder flow problems. The lifting action of the cone breaks up bridged product and prevents material from rat-holing and causing material segregation.

Learn More About the Cone Valve
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Quality Standards


To ensure that products perform to the highest standards, we follow a series of industry directives including:

What does it enable?

  • Health & Safety Legislation and the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
  • Manufactured in line with EHEDG guidelines.
  • Rigorous Quality Management demonstrated by our ISO 9001 certification.
  • Type approval for most ATEX classifications.
Learn More About Quality

Powder Handling Technology in Action

Learn how the IBC and Cone Valve works together to precisely and quickly discharge powders.

See how the Cone Valve prevents materials handling issues such as rat-holingbridging and powder segregation.

Watch the Cone Valve and see how easy it is to discharge materials from our IBCs to the next processing stage.

PROVEN CAPABILITIES

Global Testing Facilities

Materials, environment, humidity and powder characteristics all play a huge part in influencing how powders will behave during blending, packing or even in transit. Our state-of-the-art test centres give you the opportunity to experiment with your product mixes in our equipment.

Test Centres

Our state-of-the-art Test Plants are designed to simulate actual working conditions using your individual recipes, giving you peace of mind that your test results represent real world operations.

United Kingdom

Full-scale equipment capabilities including Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, allergen swabbing & lab testing equipment.

USA

Full-scale equipment capabilities including blending, formulation & cleaning.

China

Full-scale equipment capabilities including blending, formulation & cleaning.

Matcon Powder Packer
PROVEN TRACK RECORD

Handling Powders for 40+ years

Technology is hugely important if you are to remain competitive in today’s climate but technology is not sufficient without the knowledge and experience of how to apply it.

Matcon is in the enviable position of being able to offer both, 40+ years’ experience and the technology. Over the last four decades, we have specified, designed, engineered and installed powder handling systems for clients across the globe. And as the originators of the Cone Valve, we understand the technology better than anyone.

We have the experience and resources to carry out engineering studies and full-scale testing which is invaluable in reducing the risk of purchase. And being part of the IDEX Corporation, Matcon has the global reach you’d expect from a market leader.

When we say "powders, handled", your powder handling requirements really are in safe hands.

Learn More About Our Approach
testimonial

Our production volume has almost doubled with the Matcon IBC System. We are no longer using ribbon blenders as the mixing results achieved with the Matcon IBC Blender with High Shear is far ebtter than the ribbon blenders.

Andrew Gubatan, Plant Manager / F.J. Wegon

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APPLICATIONS

Supported Industries

Over the last 35+ years there aren’t many powder handling problems we haven’t solved, but what many people don’t realise is how many industries we’ve successfully supported over this period.

Sports Nutrition

SPORTS NUTRITION

Helping manufacturers keep pace with the changing market needs.

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Beverages

BEVERAGES & MIXES

Ensuring integrity of the mix for a quality product every time.

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Flavourings

FLAVOURINGS

Effectively handling allergens & preventing cross-contamination.

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Bakery

BAKERY

Providing manufacturing flexibility to handle product diversity.

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Infant Nutrition

INFANT NUTRITION

Hygienic manufacturing systems for reassuring consumer safety.

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Animal Nutrition

ANIMAL NUTRITION

Preventing blend segregation for quality output every time.

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Pharmaceutical

PHARMACEUTICAL

Designing optimised systems for improved productivity & quality.

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Chemical

CHEMICAL

Overcoming difficult powder challenges with the Cone Valve.

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Battery

BATTERY

Tackling the most challenging battery manufacturing operations.

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Nutraceuticals

NEUTRACEUTICALS

IBC blending solutions for sticky and poor flowing powders.

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Plant Based

PLANT-BASED FOOD

Flexible manufacturing processes for different recipes.

Explore

LEARN MORE

Resources

With 35 years behind us we’ve solved numerous powder handling challenges. Explore our resources section for advice, insights and recommendations all drawn from our experience helping powder handling manufacturers across the globe.

Case Studies

Learn about the challenges we’ve helped our clients overcome, the materials handling equipment we’ve specified and the outcome of the process.

Case Studies
Resources

Explore our content resource which contains whitepapers, infographics, checklists and calculators to help you with your day to day powder handling challenges.

View Resources
Blog

Every week we publish articles on a variety of powder and industry related topics. Browse the articles or subscribe to have them emailed to your inbox.

Read the Blog
cone valve technology brochure
GET IN TOUCH

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The Original Cone Valve IBC Manufacturers

At the heart of the Matcon system you will find the Cone Valve - invented, patented and developed by us. We help manufacturers overcome issues of mix segregation, containment and bridging that are inherent in traditional powder handling systems. Discover our unique approach to powder handling and the innovation that underpins all that we do.

About us