During the transportation of inorganic salt powders, pipeline wear and corrosion have long been key challenges affecting production stability and operating costs. Drawing on years of pneumatic conveying experience, Head Powder designed a wear-resistant pipeline conveying system tailored to the actual working conditions of an inorganic salt producer in Yuxi, Yunnan, improving issues such as wear, blockages, and frequent maintenance during material transportation.

Case Summary

The project is located in Yuxi, Yunnan, and the main material transported is inorganic salt powder, characterized by high particle hardness, irregular shape, and trace corrosive components. The original pipeline was made of ordinary carbon steel, but after less than three months of operation, severe wear and perforation occurred, leading to frequent shutdowns for maintenance. Based on on-site research data, Head Powder customized an overall wear-resistant pipeline conveying plan, including pipeline selection, elbow optimization, sealing improvement, and automation control upgrades.

Customer pain points

• Severe pipeline wear: Powder rapidly erodes the inner walls of pipelines, especially at elbows, requiring replacement every two to three months, resulting in high spare parts consumption.
• High maintenance costs: frequent shutdowns to replace pipelines affect production continuity, and labor and material expenses remain high.
• Low conveying efficiency: wear causes changes in pipeline inner diameter, increasing local resistance, reducing system conveying capacity, and raising energy consumption.
• Material leakage risk: Micro-pores at joints and elbows due to wear cause powder leakage, polluting the workshop environment and posing safety hazards.

Product advantages and solutions

To address these pain points, Head Powder provides comprehensive solutions from three aspects: material, structure, and process:

• Wear-resistant material upgrades:Uses wear-resistant alloy lining pipes with relatively high strength and hardness, with inner wall hardness increased above HRC55, wear resistance life 5~8 times longer than ordinary carbon steel, and replaceable wear-resistant bushings installed at elbows to extend overall service life.
• Runner Optimization Design:Computer simulation technology is used to optimize the curvature radius and angle of the elbow, reducing the impact angle of materials on the pipe wall, lowering local wear rates, and avoiding material accumulation.
• Sealing and Connection Strengthening:Corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant sealing gaskets and dedicated flange connectors are selected to ensure long-term operation without leakage and extend maintenance intervals to over 12 months.
• Intelligent monitoring facilities:Wall thickness online monitoring sensors are installed at critical points to provide real-time feedback on pipeline wear status, enabling preventive maintenance and avoiding sudden failures.

After the renovation, the pipeline replacement cycle for the project was extended from the original 3 months to over 18 months, with conveying efficiency improved by about 20%, operating energy consumption reduced by 15%, and the on-site environment significantly improved. Customers recognize the system's stability and long-term cost-effectiveness.