Nov 22 2016
FEECO International, Inc. and Microtrac have formed a strategic partnership to improve granulation outcomes across North America by integrating patented 3D size and shape instrumentation into production processes.
Bringing Material Characterization into the 21st Century
FEECO and Microtrac recognized the value in a partnership due to the complementary nature of their expertise; FEECO in granulation and particle size enlargement, and Microtrac in particle characterization.
Recent advances in instrumentation, namely the use of on-line Dynamic Image Analysis (DIA), have made particle characterization faster, more accurate, and safer than ever.
Microtrac’s DIA characterizes particles in motion by digitizing photos of each particle and storing them in an image file. The images are then used to calculate 3D size and shape parameters based on the known size and location of the pixels in each image. Proprietary to Microtrac, is the ability to measure each particle’s length, width, and thickness, providing precise 3D analysis capability compared to 2D DIA’s.
FEECO will offer the Microtrac technology alongside their granulation systems and equipment, as well as during process and product development in their material testing facility, The Innovation Center.
The use of the Microtrac technology in a granulation operation offers the following advantages:
- Enables operators to identify process swings in real time and take immediate corrective action through integration at various production stages.
- Provides for increased revenue due to the consistent production of higher quality, on spec material.
- Reduces external operators interfacing with the production process, allowing them to focus on higher priority tasks rather than manually sieving.
- Diminishes incidents and accidents in the field by having real time results delivered directly to the control room.
- Ensures optimal loads on equipment, providing energy savings and minimizing unplanned plant shutdowns due to maintenance.
- Offers faster startup times after plant shut downs.
- Allows for better control of granulation, less fluctuation during the process, and optimized recycles, ultimately delivering improved yields.
“The partnership with Microtrac seemed like a natural progression for both of us, and will translate to tremendous value for our customers looking to optimize their plant operations, as well as those in the process development stages of their project” states Dan Madigan, FEECO President. “We are thrilled about the potential growth opportunities that lie ahead as a result.”
“We are seeing high demand for our on-line systems and a partnership with FEECO will help both companies deliver superior value to their current installed based as well as new customers,” said Paul Cannon, Microtrac’s VP of Sales and Marketing. “Integrating our on-line technology with FEECO’s solutions will enable customers to proactively respond to process variations faster than before, which translates to significant financial benefits and operational improvements.”
Both companies have an outstanding reputation in their field, and know that a partnership will only strengthen their capabilities.
Source: http://www.microtrac.com/