Many facilities managers of industrial complexes that handle large volumes of fluids (such as food processing industries) grapple with the challenge of frequent hold ups in the bulk material-handling system once clogs develop. Such hold ups cause losses as materials back up and overflow. This article discusses how an air cannon can be beneficial during the pipe cleaning process in your food processing plant.

Reduction in the Entry of Contaminants

An air cannon is a device that uses compressed air. It is connected to a conveyor pipe by use of a valve or pipe connector. The air cannon forces a blast of air through the pipe so that any obstruction in the pipe is removed. The use of a burst of air eliminates the need to push a solid object (such as a plumber's snake) into the pipe. Thus, the air cannon creates fewer opportunities for contaminants to get into the pipe. This is very important since the discovery of contaminants in your equipment can cause your plant to be closed by the authorities.

It Reduces Equipment Downtime

Older pipe cleaning systems require a backed up system of pipes to be taken out of service so that technicians can disassemble them in order to remove the clog manually. This process takes a lot of time and can cause your plant to lose revenue. The air cannon system delivers quicker results when a clog develops. There is no need to disassemble any section of the pipe network. The compressed air clears the clog in a very short time so that the equipment can begin operating again.

It Reduces Your Labour Needs

Food processing plants employ several people to perform cleaning tasks on the transmission system. The use of an air cannon reduces the amount of labour that you need at your plant. This is because the system is installed and any operator within the processing plant can turn it on to do preventive cleaning of the equipment even before clogs develop. This reduced need for labour will increase the profitability of your operations.

Air cannons come in different configurations and different sizes. Ask your supplier of industrial equipment to visit your plant so that he or she advises you on the most appropriate air cannon for your needs. This expert advice will save you from installing a wrong air cannon that may cause more problems (such as overwhelming the capacity of the transmission pipes in your plant).